Love In Disguise: Rebirth of the Heiress
Chapter 74

Chapter 74: Chapter 74

Constant tapping of shoes of the employees in front of Jason ticked like a metronome in the silence of the room.

He leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes fixed on the trembling HR team. Their discomfort amused him slightly, but his patience was thin today.

"You had one job," Jason said, his tone clipped. "And yet, bullying, slacking, and an overall lack of competence seem to be your real specialties."

One of the HR managers opened their mouths to respond, but Jason raised a hand to silence them. "Save it. Your actions, or rather inactions, have spoken volumes."

He gestured to Vincent, who handed them sealed envelopes.

"What’s this?" one of them stammered, flipping the envelope open.

"Termination," Jason said bluntly. "Legal reasoning included. I don’t need slackers. I don’t need bullies. Pack your things. You’re done here."

The room fell into a stunned silence. Jason’s gaze swept over them, cold and unyielding. "If you can’t handle the weight of professionalism, you’re not fit to work here."

The group filed out, their faces pale. Jason turned to Vincent, who stood nearby, arms crossed, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"Finally cleaning house?" Vincent asked.

Jason leaned forward, pulling up reports on his tablet. "Not just cleaning house. Restructuring the damn place. HR is just the start."

He swiped through various files, his eyes scanning names and titles. His fingers paused briefly when Kiara’s name appeared under the tech department.

A faint smile tugged at his lips, but he quickly rolled his eyes and swiped past her file.

"Focus," he muttered to himself, though his thoughts lingered on her for a moment longer.

Then another name caught his attention, Gabriel Anderson. Recently promoted to managing director.

Dude got skills.

His eyes narrowed as he scrolled through the attached reports. Gabriel’s performance reviews were surprisingly glowing, almost suspiciously so.

"Vincent," Jason called, his tone sharp.

"Yes, boss?"

"Look into Gabriel Anderson and Jessica Wilde," he ordered, his fingers drumming on the desk. "Dig up everything you can on them. Connections, performance, off-hours activities, everything. I want a full report by tomorrow."

Vincent raised an eyebrow, nodding. "On it. Anything else?"

Jason leaned back, his expression hard. "Start scouting for replacements across all departments. If I’m restructuring, I want fresh blood. Competent people who can actually do their jobs."

Vincent gave a low whistle, admiring the decisiveness. "Big changes, huh? About time."

Jason didn’t respond, his mind already moving on to the next task. He was about to pull up another file when Vincent’s phone buzzed.

Vincent glanced at the screen, his casual demeanor shifting as he read the message. "Uh... Jason?"

"What now?" Jason asked, not looking up.

"News just came in," Vincent said, his tone serious. "Kiara Williams. She’s been arrested."

Jason’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. "For what?"

Vincent hesitated, then said, "Murder."

Jason froze, the air between them thick with tension. His jaw tightened as a flicker of worry crossed his face.

"Find out everything," he said coldly, standing abruptly. "Now."

****

Kiara’s POV

This person is rude, and it’s ticking me off.

The officer at the desk barely looked at me as I finished filling out my forms, the disdain dripping from their tone every time they addressed me. I’d already explained myself five times, shown them the evidence from my phone, and clarified I wasn’t involved in Lola’s death. Yet here I was, still being treated like a criminal.

I let out a sigh, pushing the papers back to the officer with more force than necessary. "Here. Everything you asked for."

The officer didn’t even bother to glance up. "You can go once everything is processed."

I bit my tongue, resisting the urge to snap back. Instead, I grabbed my bag and turned toward the exit, ready to leave this suffocating place behind.

As I stepped outside, the cool breeze hit my face, calming me just enough to keep me from losing it entirely. But then I saw them.

Two sleek black cars, parked side by side, the kind of vehicles that turned heads and screamed money.

The first door opened, and out stepped Jason, his sharp black blazer catching the sunlight. His usual smirk was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a worried frown as his eyes scanned the area, landing on me almost instantly.

The second car’s door opened in unison, and out came Lucian Hartford. Unlike Jason’s anxious energy, Lucian moved with calculated calm, his black blazer tailored to perfection, his dark gaze locked onto me as if he could see straight through me.

"What the hell?" I muttered under my breath, my steps faltering.

Jason was the first to reach me, his long strides eating up the distance between us. His brows furrowed as he looked me over. "Kiara," he said, his voice low but urgent. "Are you alright? What happened? Murder? What the hell is going on?"

I blinked at him, the rush of concern in his voice throwing me off. "I’m fine," I said, holding up a hand. "It’s... complicated. But I am Innocent."

Lucian approached slower, his gaze sweeping over me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, almost eerily so. "How did this happen?"

I stared at him, my surprise growing. "Why do you care? Why are the both of you here anyways?"

Jason shot him a look before stepping closer to me, his eyes searching mine. "Murder charges? What’s going on?"

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "It’s not what it sounds like. Lola Wright’s dead, and someone thought it’d be fun to tie me to it. I had proof to clear myself, but it’s still... messy."

Jason’s frown deepened. "Proof? What proof?"

I glanced between the two of them, their vastly different energies clashing in my mind. Jason’s worry was almost suffocating, while Lucian’s calmness was unnerving.

"I showed them footage," I said, crossing my arms. "From the warehouse where I last saw Lola. It cleared me, but the fact that I was even dragged into this is ridiculous."

Lucian tilted his head slightly, his gaze never leaving mine. "Footage? And they let you go?"

"Yes," I snapped, irritated by his tone. "Do you want me to send you the timestamp too?"

Jason ran a hand through his hair, letting out a low growl of frustration. "This is insane. How does something like this even happen to you?"

I shot him a glare. "Gee, thanks, Jason. Really helpful."

Lucian chuckled softly, the sound dark and oddly amused. "You seem to have a talent for attracting chaos, Kiara."

I rolled my eyes. "If you’re both done playing detectives, I’d like to go home now."

Jason stepped forward, his concern morphing into determination. "Not happening. I’m taking you home myself."

"Excuse me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I can handle myself, thank you very much."

"Clearly," Lucian said dryly, gesturing to the police station behind me.

I glared at him. "You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?"

His lips twitched, the closest thing to a smile I’d ever seen on his face. "I wouldn’t say that."

Jason groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Can we focus, please? Kiara, let me take you home. It’s the least I can do."

"I said I’m fine," I insisted, my tone sharp.

"Humor me," Jason said, his voice softening just enough to make me pause.

I hesitated, glancing at Lucian, who was watching me with that same unreadable expression. His presence was unsettling, like he knew more than he was letting on.

"Fine," I muttered, finally relenting. "But just to my apartment. And then you’re both leaving."

Jason’s lips quirked into a small smile, the first hint of relief I’d seen from him. "Deal."

Lucian stayed silent, his gaze lingering on me for a moment longer before he turned back toward his car.