All Chapters of Obsidian Heir: Chapter 61
- Chapter 70
107 chapters
CHAPTER 61. WORN OUT.
She made her way down the upstairs hallway, pausing to straighten a painting that hung slightly crooked, not because she cared about the artwork, but because she knew the staff would notice and wonder if Elise had done it, sending them into a tizzy of second-guessing. The thought made her smile widen.Elise's bedroom door was closed, but Chloe could hear movement inside. She knocked once, more as a courtesy than a request for permission, and opened the door without waiting for a response.Her sister sat at an elaborate vanity, surrounded by an array of expensive makeup and skincare products that would have made a beauty counter jealous. But it was Elise's reflection that caught Chloe's attention—specifically, the pale, almost sallow quality of her skin that no amount of foundation seemed to fully cover.Elise looked up as Chloe entered, her hand pausing mid-application of concealer. For just a moment, before she caught herself, Chloe saw frustration flash across her sister's face.
CHAPTER 62. HATE.
Chloe launched into the story, describing the encounter from start to finish. From when she saw him walking in the hallways with Serpahina, to the call she had impulsively decided to send, to their conversation at the cafe.She watched her sister's face carefully as she spoke, cataloguing every micro-expression, every hint of emotion that slipped through Elise's usually tight poker face.When she got to the part about Zachary's appearance, how different he looked, how confident he seemed, Elise's eyes narrowed. When she mentioned that he was working at PDG, something flashed across her sister's face too quickly to identify. "So he's back," Elise murmured, more to herself than to Chloe. "After everything, he came—"She cut herself off, her expression shuttering closed again. But it was too late. Chloe had seen it, that moment of vulnerability, of something that might have been bitterness."Elise? What are you thinking?"Before her sister could answer, a sound echoed through the hou
CHAPTER 63. STIRRING FIRE.
"Bennett." Elise's voice cut through his tirade like a knife. "Calm down. You're being too loud."He turned to her, his face still flushed with anger. "How can you expect me to be calm? That bastard nearly ruined everything! If he's back, if he's working somewhere with connections, he could—he might—""He might what?" Elise asked, her tone sharp now. "What exactly are you worried about, Bennett? That he'll tell people what happened? Who would believe him? And even if they did, your father's lawyers made sure every possible legal avenue was closed. He can't touch us.""It's not about legal issues," Bennett snapped. "It's about respect. It's about making sure people like him know their place. He should be too terrified to even think about coming back here, let alone getting a job at—""A job he's apparently very good at," Chloe interjected, unable to resist stirring the pot further. "From what I could tell, he's doing quite well for himself. Very confident, very self-assured. Not at all
CHAPTER 64. ILLUSIONS.
"Not me directly," Elise clarified. "That would be too obvious, and frankly, I don't have the energy for that particular performance right now. No, I think this is a job for you, little sister.""Me?" Chloe's voice came out higher than intended. "You want me to, what, befriend him? Seduce him? What exactly are you asking me to do?""Nothing so crude as seduction," Elise said with a slight curl of her lip. "I simply want you to maintain contact with him. Be friendly. Be sympathetic. Position yourself as someone he can trust, someone who's separate from the unfortunate history he has with Bennett and me. You already work at the same company. It should be easy enough to create casual encounters."Chloe's mind was racing. This was insane. Wasn't it? Zachary had been clear about wanting nothing to do with their family. The moment she'd mentioned Elise and Bennett at the café, he'd shut down completely and left. How was she supposed to overcome that kind of aversion?"I don't think this
CHAPTER 65. LEASH ON A PAWN.
The night air was cool against the windows of Zachary's study, the darkness outside broken only by the distant glimmer of city lights that stretched across the horizon like fallen stars. He sat at his mahogany desk, fingers steepled beneath his chin as he reread through the files on his system once more.The leather chair creaked softly as he shifted his weight, his eyes fixed on the ornate clock mounted on the opposite wall, its brass hands inching toward nine o'clock with agonizing slowness.She should be here by now.The revelation about Bennett Sterling's new position within the company had been gnawing at him since he'd discovered it, like a splinter lodged too deep to extract without causing damage.A knock echoed through the spacious room, three measured raps against the solid oak door.Right on time.As always."Come in," Zachary called out, his voice steady despite the tension coiling in his shoulders.The door swung open with barely a whisper of sound, and Seraphina stepped
CHAPTER 66. THINGS WE DON'T SAY.
Seraphina fell silent, and in that silence, a dozen unspoken things passed between them. Zachary felt something rise in his throat.Because he thought he was stronger…..better.It was the deal. He had to get stronger so she wouldn't defend him anymore but here she was still doing the same thing over and over and over again!‘This isn't just about Bennett. This is about trust. About decisions made without me, about being treated like I still need to be protected from harsh realitie! I'm sick of it!’"I'm not that naive young man anymore, Ms. Knowles," he said quietly, straightening to his full height. "I've trained. I've adapted. I've learned. Yet you still treat me like I'm fragile, like I need to be shielded from difficult truths.""That's not—" she began, but he raised a hand, cutting her off."Stay for dinner." It wasn't a request, despite the polite phrasing. "We're not finished discussing this, and I suspect we both need time to... process."Seraphina's jaw tightened, but she
CHAPTER 67. TICK TOCK.
Seraphina's breath hitched, but she held her ground. "There is nothing.""Are you sure?" He stopped just outside her personal space, close enough to catch the subtle scent of her perfume, something floral with an underlying note of metal.She met his gaze unflinchingly, and for a long moment, neither spoke. Then, so quietly he almost didn't hear it: "Let us not be mistaken but you were the one who affirmed our places. I know my boundaries sir, and I won't cross them."The rejection stung more than he wanted to admit, especially when she threw back his own words at him.Talk about consequences of his actions.‘I shouldn't have said those things to her!’Still. He needed her to know. Needed her to understand that this wasn't just going to disappear, no matter how much professional distance they tried to maintain."I should go," Seraphina said, her voice carefully neutral again. "Tomorrow's preparations for the party will require early coordination."Zachary nodded slowly. "I'll walk
CHAPTER 68. INFERO.
Zachary felt something like a purr rumble in his chest at the sight of her bared neck from the collar of her dress.She looked so breathtaking as she stood near the entrance, greeting each guest with the perfect balance of strictness and politeness.Watching her work was like watching a master chess player executing a complex strategy. She remembered names without hesitation, made subtle assessments of each arrival, positioned herself to overhear conversations without appearing to eavesdrop. Even through the camera feed, he could see the way people responded to her, simultaneously charmed and slightly intimidated by the intelligence that shone in her eyes."Guest list verification is running smoothly, Young Lord," reported one of the security technicians seated at a nearby console. "No red flags so far. All arrivals match their RSVP confirmations."Zachary nodded absently, his attention fixed on the screens. His dragon energy pulsed through his system in a slow, steady rhythm, not
CHAPTER 69. FIRST MOVE.
And Seraphina—Zachary could see the exact moment she recognized the potential threat. Her posture shifted almost imperceptibly, her smile remaining pleasant but her eyes going sharp as she approached the newcomer."Pull up everything we have on Marcus Zhao," Zachary commanded, already rising from his chair. "Family connections, business holdings, known associates. I want it on my phone in the next sixty seconds.""Young Lord, should we alert additional security?" one of the Shadow guards asked.Zachary shook his head, already moving toward the door. "No. I don't want to spook him. If he's here to make contact, let's see what he wants. But have teams ready to move on my signal. And tell Ms. Knowles I'm coming down."He was already in the corridor, striding toward the elevator with Shadow guards forming a protective formation around him, when his phone buzzed with the incoming data file. He scanned it quickly as the elevator descended.[Marcus Zhao, age twenty-six, officially listed a
CHAPTER 70. HUNTING.
Marcus narrowed his eyes at him, mouth twitching into a smile as he raised a hand to his head and brushed through the errant curls that trialed along his forehead."Zachary," Marcus repeated, his expression friendly but his gaze still calculating. "Just Zachary? No surname?""In my line of work, surnames can be complicated," Zachary replied with a slight smile that never truly touched his eyes. "Better to keep things simple, don't you think?"Something flickered in Marcus's expression, was that recognition? Surprise?but it was gone too quickly to be certain. "Simple. Yes, I suppose that has its advantages." He turned his attention back to Seraphina. "Ms. Knowles, thank you for the warm welcome. I look forward to exploring potential synergies between Zhao Technologies and Prism Dragon Group. Perhaps we could schedule a more formal meeting?""Of course, Mr. Zhao. Please have your people contact my assistant to arrange something," Seraphina replied, smoothly professional. "Now if you'