Love In Disguise: Rebirth of the Heiress
Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Chapter 77

Jason sat on the edge of my couch, his expression uncharacteristically serious as he listened to me recount the details of my past life.

"Jessica and Gabriel..." I began, swallowing the lump in my throat. "They didn’t just betray me. They planned it all—every single move. Gabriel... he made me feel worthless, took everything from me, even my child."

Jason’s eyebrows furrowed, and I could see the anger simmering beneath his calm exterior. "Your child?"

I nodded, my voice trembling. "I was pregnant once. I had to terminate because of the cancer treatments, and when I needed support, Gabriel turned my vulnerability into a weapon. He said it was my punishment for being weak, for not... for not being enough."

Jason clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "That bastard."

"And Jessica," I continued, my voice hardening. "She was the one who pushed me down the stairs that day. But even before that, she ruined me piece by piece. She stole my ideas, sabotaged my work, pretended to be my friend while lying to my face. When I caught them together... in my bed... they laughed, Jason. They laughed at me."

The room went silent, the weight of my words hanging heavy between us. Jason leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the floor.

"That’s why I can’t let them win again," I said, my voice resolute. "This time, it’s different. This time, I’m fighting back."

Jason lifted his gaze, his piercing eyes meeting mine. "You’re stronger now, Kiara. And they’re going to pay for what they did."

I gave a small, bitter smile. "That’s the plan. But what about you? Who’s your killer, Jason? What’s your story?"

Jason leaned back, exhaling sharply. For a moment, he didn’t say anything, his eyes clouding over with a mix of pain and anger.

"It was Joselle," he said finally, his voice low but steady.

My eyes widened in shock. "Joselle? Your head over heels girlfriend?"

He nodded, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah. The woman I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with. Turns out, she was more interested in spending the rest of my money."

I leaned forward, unable to hide my disbelief. "What... what did she do?"

Jason’s jaw tightened as he began to speak, his voice filled with barely suppressed rage. "It started small. Little lies, little manipulations. But then it escalated. She started using my name, my resources, to cover her debts, fund her little luxuries. I didn’t notice at first because I was... distracted."

"By what?" I asked softly.

Jason’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Drugs. Parties. I was a mess, Kiara. And she took full advantage of that. She was always there, whispering in my ear, telling me I deserved to let loose, to enjoy myself. She encouraged the chaos because it kept me blind to what she was doing."

I felt a pang of sympathy for him, despite everything. "And then what happened?"

He let out a bitter laugh. "She got greedy. One night, after one of those insane parties, I decided to drive home. She knew I wasn’t in any state to drive, but she didn’t stop me. In fact, she encouraged me. Said I was invincible, that nothing could touch me."

Jason’s voice grew colder as he continued. "The brakes didn’t work. My car spiraled out of control, flipping over and over until it finally crashed. I was bleeding out, broken, and as I lay there, she appeared."

My heart pounded as I listened, my stomach twisting in knots.

"She stood there, Kiara," Jason said, his voice cracking. "She looked down at me, and she smiled. She said I was better off dead, that it was finally her time to shine. And there was another man there as well."

I blinked, caught off guard. "Another man?"

Jason nodded, his jaw clenching. "Yeah. He was standing behind her, watching the whole thing like it was some kind of entertainment. I never got a good look at his face, but the way he carried himself... he was important, powerful."

"How do you know that?"

"Let’s just say I am really good at studying someone. Even in death, I knew he was not just some random guy."

I shook my head, trying to piece it all together. "So, Joselle wasn’t working alone?"

Jason let out a bitter laugh. "No. She never does anything alone. She’s too much of a coward to get her hands dirty unless someone’s there to back her up. That’s her way—let others do the heavy lifting while she reaps the rewards."

His fists tightened, the knuckles turning white. "And it wasn’t just her. Henry, Miles, Ryan... they were all part of it in their own ways."

I frowned. "Wait. What do you mean?"

Jason leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "Henry was the one who started it all. He convinced me to bring him into my company, said he wanted to help expand it, make it better. I trusted him—I thought he was my friend. But he turned everyone against me, including my family. He dug up my worst mistakes, my addictions, and used them to justify pushing me out."

I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. "Your own family sided with him?"

Jason nodded, his lips curling into a bitter smile. "Of course they did. The Lincoln name is everything to them, and I was ruining it. My father disowned me, saying I wasn’t fit to carry on the legacy. My brothers didn’t even try to fight for me. My younger brother tried to but my father sent him away far far away from here. The rest just... let it happen."

I stared at him, my heart aching. "Jason..."

"And Miles," he continued, his voice growing colder. "He was the one who introduced me to the drugs. Said it would help me relax, take the edge off. I didn’t realize at the time that he was profiting from it, that he was using me to cover his own tracks."

My hands clenched into fists. "He used you?"

Jason nodded, his gaze distant. "Yeah. And Ryan... Ryan was the worst of them all. He pretended to be my closest friend, but he was just waiting for the right moment to strike. He’s the one who put me in a coma."

My eyes widened. "What?"

Jason’s expression darkened. "It was the same drug that killed him. He gave it to me, said it was something new, something better. I trusted him, and it nearly killed me. He left me there, unconscious, while he walked away without a second thought."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "And Lucas? Where does he fit into all of this?"

Jason sighed, rubbing his temples. "Lucas... I betrayed him. His father trusted me, and I hid the truth. Ryan was responsible for Lucas’s father’s death. He delayed treatment on purpose, out of spite, out of some sick game. And I covered it up. I didn’t want to believe it at the time, but deep down, I knew."

"Jason..." I whispered, unable to hide the pain in my voice.

He let out a shaky breath, his shoulders slumping. "I was so blinded by my own mess, my own mistakes, that I let them destroy me. I lost everything, Kiara. My company, my family, my friends... I was nothing."

Silence hung heavy between us, the weight of his confession pressing down on both of us.

Finally, I spoke, my voice soft but firm. "I think we’re both stupid then."

Jason looked at me, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What?"

I managed a small, bitter smile. "For trusting the ones we thought cared about us the most. For letting them take everything from us."

He stared at me for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, to my surprise, he chuckled. "You’re not wrong."

I leaned back against the couch, letting out a sigh. "So, what do you think about all this Lucian stuff? The mark, the revenge, the whole ’unlocking the underworld’ thing? Feels like a bad thriller novel."

Jason smirked faintly but didn’t respond immediately. He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes distant. "I think it’s insane. But," he paused, leaning forward, "it’s not like we have much choice. If we want to survive, we have to play the game."

I nodded, my gaze fixed on the faint scar on his wrist. "But how do we even go about it? Revenge is easy to say but harder to pull off, especially when you’re dealing with people like Jessica and Gabriel. They’re slippery."

Jason tilted his head, his smirk turning sharp. "You seem to have a lot of experience with their slipperiness."

I rolled my eyes. "You have no idea. Jessica has been a parasite in my life for as long as I can remember. She stole my ideas, manipulated everyone around me, and ruined my reputation. Gabriel—" I stopped, taking a breath to steady myself. "He made me think I was nothing without him. Used me. Took everything I had and laughed in my face when I begged for help."

Jason’s gaze hardened, and his jaw clenched. "Sounds like they deserve each other."

I laughed humorlessly. "They do. Which is why I want them to bring each other down. Two birds, one stone."

Jason raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching into a sly grin. "Two beds, one stone might be more accurate."

I shot him a glare, but he ignored it, leaning back and crossing his arms. "So, what if Gabriel marries Jessica?"

I blinked, caught off guard. "Excuse me?"

Jason shrugged, his smirk widening. "Think about it. They’re already close. They’re both conniving and greedy. If they’re tied together legally, it’ll be easier to pull them down at the same time."

I stared at him, trying to process his suggestion. "You want me to... what? Push them into a relationship? Play matchmaker for my two worst enemies?"

"Exactly," Jason said, his tone casual but his eyes glinting with amusement. "Let them destroy each other from the inside. All you have to do is nudge them in the right direction."

I scoffed, crossing my arms. "And how do you suggest I do that? Bake them a wedding cake?"

Jason laughed, the sound surprisingly light. "No need to go that far. Just plant the idea in Gabriel’s head. Make him think it’s his own brilliant plan. Men like him love to think they’re in control."