Rebirth: Revenge of the abandoned heirress
Chapter 104: Walking into the Lion’s Den

Chapter 104: Walking into the Lion’s Den

"President Harrison, are we not headed back to the hotel?" Rolf glanced through the front mirror at her reflection. Jazmine Harrison was looking outside with a persistent small smile. Rolf had observed that whenever they traveled by car, she would glance outside the whole time, absorbed in her own thoughts.

"I insist again. We must get back to President Crowne as soon as possible. They might be after us."

"Rolf," Jazmine replied without shifting her gaze, propping her face on her wrist, "where do you think they’ll expect us to go once they hear their ambush failed?"

"To President Crowne..."

"Exactly." She yawned and leaned back into the seat, unbothered. "Dorian Blackwood might seem shallow, but he’s not stupid. Today is my last day in Hong Kong, so it’s his final chance. He’ll do all he can to get to me. They’ve probably set up more ambushes already."

Even though she spoke of danger, she sounded almost amused.

"Have the signals returned?"

"No, President Harrison."

"I expected that." She folded her arms, eyes still watching the lights outside blur past the window. Dorian must have worked hard for this—cutting communication across such a large area wasn’t a trivial task. Jazmine remembered the day she’d spent in the forests, desperate to find a signal, checking her phone every few minutes. It had to be his doing.

"It seems after today, I’ll have to find a permanent solution to deal with him," she said calmly, as though discussing dinner plans rather than revenge. She had delayed long enough, first in ignorance of Dorian’s presence, and later in reluctant tolerance. But her memory had returned, and with it, her resolve.

"But President, this location... where we’re headed..." Rolf’s voice was tight with tension. "Isn’t it like jumping into the lion’s den?"

He had been assigned to protect Jazmine, and now they were walking right into danger. Still, there was something in her presence—her certainty, her control—that made following her feel like the only option. Against his better judgment, he drove where she directed, trusting in her instincts.

Jazmine had a quality that commanded submission—a quiet, unshakable authority that made her seem destined to lead.

"That’s exactly why they won’t expect us there," she said, her voice quieter now. Her expression turned serious as she resumed watching the city roll past the window.

In a private room of a high-class nightclub

A woman sat alone in dim, sultry lighting. Slender fingers curled around a wine glass, the red liquid gleaming beneath her manicured nails. Just before she could bring the bitterness to her lips, the door opened without permission.

"She’s here," said a voice behind her, female, strained with both hesitation and urgency. "I told you—we should’ve gotten rid of her sooner. Back when she didn’t have his protection. But now? Now you’ve lost him. You’ve lost him once and for all. She’s returned, and your place is gone. And it’s all because of your hesitation."

The woman put the glass down with a soft click on the counter. Her long lashes dipped low, hiding her expression as she looked down. Her grief was not dramatic, but quietly devastating.

"Sarah Blackwood..." the voice softened, suddenly regretful. Perhaps she’d gone too far.

"He was never mine," Sarah said softly, fingers returning to the glass. "He could never be mine."

She swirled the wine with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

"What’s the use of all this? If Sebastian Crowne could ever be mine, he would’ve been—years ago. Six years is a long wait. I tried everything. But he always kept a wall between us."

"Always this sentimental, aren’t you?" the other woman sighed.

It was Annabel Blackwood, Sarah’s elder sister. She stepped inside and made herself comfortable. "Feelings are one thing, Sarah. But profit—power—is another. You know President Anderson won’t last much longer. After his death, the Crowne family will face strong opposition. They’ll need allies. A marriage between our families is the only way forward."

"You don’t know Sebastian Crowne," Sarah said, laughing bitterly.

"And you do?" Annabel raised a brow.

"You really won’t let me wallow in peace, will you?" Sarah hissed, placing the wine down more forcefully. She had come here to be alone, to drown out the noise and expectation pressing down on her. But Annabel was relentless.

"I’ve noticed how you’ve changed since his visit to Beijing. You’ve shut yourself in. You’re becoming the way you were six years ago. And I won’t allow that. Not over her."

Jazmine.

That name always returned like a curse. If Sarah could erase one person from the face of the earth...

"If you marry him, our family stands to rule alongside his. Can’t you see that? Right now, he may not like you. But time will heal his wounds. He will forget her. He has to."

The Blackwood family had lived comfortably under Sebastian’s favor for the last six years. If one of their own married into the Crownes, their legacy would be secured. Status, power, protection—it would all be theirs.

Sarah didn’t respond.

"You say you know him," Annabel pressed. "If you really knew him, you would’ve made him fall for you."

"You don’t understand. He will never fall for me. I’ve done everything I could. And I say this because I do know him."

"That doesn’t matter. He doesn’t need to love you to marry you."

Annabel’s voice was like ice. "Have you not seen what he’s been doing since Jazmine came back into his life? He’s already begun dismantling our hold, one piece at a time. Less than a month, Sarah. That’s all it took for her to undo six years. If he marries her—we are finished."

Sarah opened her mouth to respond.

But before a word could leave her lips, the private room’s door swung open again.

And someone unexpected walked in with a calm, devastating smile.

...

Sarah opened her mouth to respond.

But before a word could leave her lips, the private room’s door swung open again.

And someone unexpected walked in with a calm, devastating smile.