Love In Disguise: Rebirth of the Heiress
Chapter 101

Chapter 101: Chapter 101

I tossed my bag onto the couch and sank into the cushions, exhaling deeply. The text message still lingered in the back of my mind, its ominous tone gnawing at my thoughts.

You’re playing a dangerous game, Kiara.

Dangerous? Sure. But what in my life wasn’t these days? Ignoring the chill that ran down my spine, I pulled out my laptop. I needed to focus on the mission—spying on Jessica.

The live feed from the camera in Jessica’s house came up on the screen. Her living room was as pristine as ever, with beige walls, sleek furniture, and not a single thing out of place. But Jessica herself wasn’t home.

I leaned closer, scanning for anything out of the ordinary. There were papers scattered across her coffee table, and a purse thrown haphazardly on a chair—a rare slip in her otherwise perfect image.

"Where are you, Jessica?" I muttered to myself, clicking to switch camera angles.

The kitchen, empty. The hallway, empty. The bedroom, a mirror image of her Instagram photoshoots—oversized bed, fluffy white duvet, and a closet that could rival a department store.

Nothing.

I sighed, frustration bubbling in my chest. Jessica was like a cockroach—she only showed up when you least expected it.

Then, a notification popped up on my screen, drawing my attention. My crypto wallet.

For a moment, I stared at the numbers, not fully processing what I was seeing. And then it hit me.

"Oh my God!" I gasped, sitting up so fast I nearly knocked my coffee over.

The charts were glowing green, arrows shooting upward. The value of my investment had skyrocketed, and the balance in my account was enough to make my heart leap.

"I’m rich," I whispered, the words tasting sweet on my tongue. "I’m actually rich!"

Grinning, I scrambled to my phone to double-check. The numbers were real. This wasn’t some glitch or cruel joke.

I jumped off the couch, spinning around the room like a kid on Christmas morning. "Rich, rich, rich!" I sang, throwing my hands in the air.

For a moment, all the stress, the scheming, the constant looking over my shoulder—it all melted away. I wasn’t just surviving anymore. I was thriving.

"Time to celebrate," I said, sitting back down and pulling up the list of businesses I’d been keeping an eye on.

My eyes darted across the screen as I scrolled through potential investments. Restaurants, boutique hotels, tech startups—they all seemed within reach now.

"This is it," I murmured to myself, excitement coursing through me. "Finally, some good news."

But as I clicked on a luxury property listing, my phone buzzed again, snapping me back to reality.

Unknown Number: Don’t get too comfortable, Kiara.

My smile faltered, and my stomach sank.

So much for celebrating.

I stared at the screen, my fingers hovering over the block button. Enough was enough. Whoever was behind these messages was going to get zero reaction from me. With a sharp tap, I blocked the number and tossed my phone onto the coffee table.

"Good riddance," I muttered, sinking back into the couch.

Before I could even let out a sigh of relief, a knock came at the door.

I frowned. It was almost 10 PM. Who in their right mind was showing up at this hour? Grabbing a throw pillow as a makeshift weapon, I wasn’t expecting an actual threat, but you could never be too cautious, I crept toward the door.

"Who is it?" I called out.

"It’s me," Jason’s unmistakable voice replied.

I blinked in surprise and quickly unlocked the door. There he stood, looking infuriatingly casual in a leather jacket and dark jeans, his hair slightly tousled as if he’d just come from a photoshoot.

"Jason," I said, crossing my arms. "What are you doing here?"

His smirk was enough to make my stomach flutter. "You’re not happy to see me?"

I stepped aside to let him in, ignoring the way he brushed past me just close enough to make my pulse skip. "I didn’t know CEOs made house calls. Should I be worried about my job?"

Jason chuckled, making himself at home on my couch. "Don’t forget—I live in the penthouse. Technically, I’m always on call."

I rolled my eyes, shutting the door behind him. "And here I thought you’d be holed up in your lavish tower, plotting world domination."

"Well," he said, leaning back with a grin, "tonight I felt like coming down to the trenches. Lucky for you, I was in the mood for some company."

"You’re lucky I’m in a good mood," I shot back, sitting beside him.

Jason tilted his head, a playful glint in his eyes. "Oh? And what’s got you in such a chipper mood? Did Gabriel trip over his own ego again?"

I couldn’t help but laugh, shaking my head. "Better. My crypto shot up."

His eyebrows rose in mock surprise. "Look at you, future billionaire. Guess I should be the one worrying about my job."

"Don’t get ahead of yourself," I said, nudging him with my elbow. "But yeah, it’s nice to have a win for once."

Jason laughed, the sound deep and rich. "You deserve it. Though I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed. I was hoping you’d say it was because you missed me."

I rolled my eyes again, but this time I was smiling. "Don’t push it."

Jason leaned in slightly, his smirk softening into something more sincere. "It’s good to see you laugh, Kiara. Really."

For a moment, the air between us shifted, the humor giving way to something warmer.

I looked away, suddenly flustered. "So, are you just here to crash my couch, or did you actually need something?"

Jason’s grin returned, but there was a softness in his gaze that caught me off guard. "Maybe I just wanted to check on you."

"Jason—"

Before I could say anything else, he reached over and brushed a strand of hair from my face.

"You’re always so serious," he said quietly. "It’s okay to let someone have your back every once in a while, you know."

I opened my mouth to retort, but the words didn’t come. Instead, I found myself staring at him, at the way the light caught the faint stubble on his jaw, at the way his eyes seemed to search mine.

And then he leaned in.

It wasn’t rushed or overly dramatic—just a gentle, tentative kiss, as if he was giving me the chance to pull away. But I didn’t.

Instead, I kissed him back, my hand finding its way to his chest as he deepened the kiss. His lips were soft, warm, and for a moment, everything else faded away—the schemes, the danger, the endless chess game we were both playing.

When we finally pulled apart, I was breathless, my heart hammering in my chest.

Jason smiled, his hand lingering on my cheek. "You’re blushing."

"Shut up," I muttered, swatting his arm.

He laughed, leaning back slightly but still close enough that our knees brushed.

As I caught my breath, something caught my eye—something about him had changed.

"Your eyes," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He blinked. "What about them?"

"They’re... blue again," I said, staring at him in disbelief.

Jason frowned, his hand instinctively going to his face. "What? I didn’t notice."

"It’s... it’s not like before," I said, my heart racing for an entirely new reason. "They’re different. Brighter."

Jason leaned closer, his brow furrowing. "You sure you’re not imagining things?"

I shook my head, unable to look away. "I’m sure."

His expression softened, and before I could say anything else, he kissed me again—this time with more urgency, as if he didn’t want to lose whatever moment we’d just stumbled into.

My head spun, and when we finally broke apart, I could only whisper one thing.

"Jason... what’s happening to you?"

He didn’t answer. Instead, he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me once more, as if that was the only answer that mattered.