All Chapters of THE HEIR BEHIND THE CREST: Chapter 71
- Chapter 80
119 chapters
Chapter 71: The Echo Beneath the Throne
The moment Quinn left the boardroom, the atmosphere shifted like a room exhaling after holding its breath too long. The board members sat frozen, trying to process the shift in power. John remained standing at the head of the table, calm but sharp, as if the crown he carried had finally settled onto his shoulders.Morgan stepped closer, lowering his voice. “They are going to look to you for direction now.”Celine scanned the table. “And they look terrified. Good. Fear keeps them honest.”John did not respond immediately. He allowed the silence to breathe again. He wanted them to feel the weight of what had just happened. Power did not always come from shouting or threats. Sometimes it came from stillness.Finally, John spoke.“This meeting is not over.”The board straightened instantly.John continued, “We have addressed Quinn. Now we address the larger threat.”Hale.The name hung in everyone’s mind even if he had not spoken it yet.A senior board member cleared his throat. “John… co
Chapter 72: The Gathering Storm in the Tower
The announcement was set for noon, yet by ten in the morning.The Tower was already vibrating with rumours that moved through corridors like an approaching quake. Staff whispered in corners. Senior managers stalked around with restless eyes. Even long-standing Circle members arrived earlier than scheduled, pretending they had business to attend to, when everyone knew the truth.John Raymond had summoned the Circle.Not for a negotiation.Not for a warning.For a declaration.And declarations were dangerous things.Morgan reached John’s suite with quick steps, carrying the kind of urgency that hinted at bad news or unwanted surprises. When he entered, he found John adjusting his cufflinks with steady hands, as if the entire Tower were not bracing for an explosion.“John,” Morgan said, lowering his voice. “You might want to see this.”John turned calmly. “What is it?”Morgan handed him a tablet. A live feed played from the main lobby of the Tower. Dozens of high-ranking Circle members we
Chapter 73: The Advisor Steps into the Light
The hall felt like it was trembling. Not from movement, but from anticipation that stretched so tightly across the room it felt ready to snap. The envoy’s warning still lingered in the air like smoke after a gunshot. Yet no one moved, no one spoke, no one dared shift their weight as John gave his next command. “Bring Rita in.” The security team moved instantly. Two of them slipped through the side entrance and disappeared behind the heavy curtains. The moment they vanished, the murmurs returned, louder than before. Morgan muttered under his breath, “They are losing their minds.” Celine kept her attention fixed on the crowded hall. “Good. Confusion makes people clumsy. Fear makes people honest.” John said nothing. His focus was trained on the stage entrance like a man waiting for a storm, he summoned himself. Then the curtains parted. Rita stepped out. The hall went silent. Not the tense, restless silence from before. This was sharper. Heavier. Like the air held its breath. S
Chapter 74: When the Lion Approaches
The moment the young member announced Hale’s message, the hall changed. Not slowly. Not subtly. It changed like a room that suddenly lost oxygen. People shifted uneasily. A few whispered. Others simply froze, knowing the storm they feared was no longer approaching from a distance.It was already inside the building.Morgan stepped closer to John, his tone tightening. “He is not sending another envoy this time. He is coming himself. This is serious.”John kept his gaze fixed forward. “I know.”Celine raised her wrist device, scanning the security feeds. “He arrived five minutes ago. He is moving through the private elevator.”Morgan laughed humourlessly. “Of course he is. He wants a grand entrance.”Rita remained perfectly still beside John, though tension rippled beneath her composed exterior. The last time Hale had crossed her path, he had nearly crushed her life. His involvement in the scandal that shattered her reputation was still a buried truth, but she felt it burning behind her
Chapter 75: The Circle Splits
The moment Hale left the hall, the atmosphere twisted into something darker. No one moved. No one spoke. It felt as if the walls themselves were holding their breath, waiting to see who would be the first to break under the tension.John stood at the centre of the stage, unshaken. Morgan and Celine flanked him like two shadows ready to strike. Rita remained close, her presence steady, her eyes sharp as she scanned the room for any shifting loyalty.The Circle had not collapsed.But it had cracked.A senior member rose slowly, clearing his throat. “John… Hale carries influence that cannot be easily dismissed. If he considers this an act of hostility, the consequences will be severe.”John replied, “He considers anything he cannot control a threat.”Another board member stepped forward. “This decision places us all at risk. The Circle is meant to remain unified.”John faced him calmly. “Unity built on fear is not unity.”Whispers spread.Celine scanned their faces. “Half of them are alr
Chapter 76: Hale’s First Strike
By the time John, Rita, Morgan, and Celine reached the private suite, the Tower was humming like a disturbed hive. Staff did not speak. They reacted to John’s presence with stiff nods and wide eyes, sensing the atmosphere had shifted into something dangerous and unpredictable.Inside the suite, the curtains were half closed, allowing thin beams of light to cut across the room. It made the space feel sharper, harsher, as if the sun itself anticipated conflict.Morgan shut the door behind them. “We need to assume Hale is already mobilising.”Celine moved straight to the central desk, pulling up files and surveillance feeds. “Mobilising is too slow a word. He is already acting. He would never walk out of that hall without executing the next step.”Rita remained near the window, arms folded. “He is going to target me first.”John stepped behind her. “Not if we anticipate him.”Rita looked at him. “He knows I am your weak point.”John’s voice remained steady. “No. You are my leverage.”Mor
Chapter 77: The Advisor Faces the World
The elevator descended like a silent bullet, carrying John, Rita, Morgan, and Celine toward the ground floor where a storm waited. The tension inside the cabin throbbed like a heartbeat. No one spoke. They did not need to. Every mind was fixed on the battlefield below.The doors opened.Noise slammed into them at once. Reporters’ voices collided in a chaotic chorus. Camera flashes turned the lobby into a burst of electric light. Security officers formed a strong line near the glass entrance, holding back a crowd that grew larger by the minute.Morgan scanned the scene. “They multiplied. This is a swarm.”Celine looked down at her screen. “Hale contacted the press, fed them doctored files, and told them the Advisor is hiding. He wants to corner Rita.”John stepped forward. “Then we show them she does not hide.”As they approached the entrance, the crowd surged. Reporters shouted questions, pushing microphones toward the glass.“Is Rita James under investigation?”“Is the Circle coverin
Chapter 78: Hale Hits Back Harder
The moment the doors sealed behind them, the noise outside became a distant echo, and the tension inside the Tower thickened like smoke trapped in a sealed room. The security officers guided them toward the private elevator, forming a protective circle around John and Rita.Morgan let out a low breath. “That press conference was a clean hit. But Hale will respond. He will not let this play out quietly.”Celine checked her tablet again “We have trending topics already. Rita is dominating every major platform.”Morgan grinned. “Good. That means Hale did not control the narrative.”Celine’s expression darkened. “Not yet.”Rita turned toward her. “What did he do now?”Celine did not answer immediately. She opened a second alert, then a third. Her brows pulled together tightly. “He accelerated his retaliation.”John faced her. “How.”Celine handed him the tablet.A message glowed across the screen.A new headline.A new wave of fabricated documents.A new scandal.This one aimed directly a
Chapter 79: The Advisor Walks into the Fire
The call for an emergency Circle assembly went out within minutes. Not one member refused. Not one was delayed. Hale’s challenge had been a strike straight at the crest, and every person with power in the organisation wanted front row seats to the fallout.The great hall filled faster than ever before. Not with whispers this time, but with open tension, sharpened eyes, stiff posture, and the unmistakable scent of war brewing.Morgan stood on the upper balcony overlooking the crowd. “They look hungry. Like they came to watch someone get burned.”Celine scanned the faces below. “Some came for truth. Others came for blood. Hale gathered them brilliantly.”Morgan narrowed his gaze. “Look at the first row. His loyalists arrived early. They want to dominate the room.”Celine checked her tablet. “Hale is not here yet. Which means he wants the crowd heated before he enters.”Morgan looked toward the entrance. “Then we counter the heat with fire.”The doors opened behind them.Rita walked in.
Chapter 80: Hale’s Hidden Hand
The hall was still shaking from the uproar when John, Rita, Morgan, and Celine retreated into the private corridor behind the stage. The sound of arguing Circle members echoed behind them like a storm trapped in a cage.Morgan shut the door with a heavy push. “That was madness. You dragged Hale out by the throat in front of everyone.”John replied calmly, “He had already declared war. I simply accepted it.”Celine moved straight to the nearest console. “We need immediate surveillance. Hale will not retreat quietly. He is already planning his counterstrike.”Rita leaned against the wall, catching her breath. Her white suit carried the attention of a thousand eyes moments ago, and now the weight of that moment settled into her bones.John noticed. “You handled the Circle better than most who have held that podium.”She exhaled slowly. “I did not handle them. I confronted them.”Morgan chuckled. “And they felt it. You silenced half the room.”Rita shook her head. “No. Hale silenced them.