The Heiress He Abandoned
Chapter 4
My heart was pounding so loudly I could hear it in my ears.
I slowly turned my head and looked through the back window of the taxi again.
The black car was still there.
Still following us.
A cold chill crawled down my spine.
“Driver…” I said carefully, trying to keep my voice steady. “Can you take the next right turn instead?”
The driver glanced at me through the mirror.
“But you said Maple Street—”
“Please,” I said quickly.
Something in my voice must have convinced him because he nodded and turned the wheel.
The taxi took a sharp right turn.
For a moment, I held my breath.
Then I looked back again.
The black car turned too.
My stomach dropped.
“They’re still behind us,” I whispered into the phone.
Attorney Carter’s voice remained calm, but I could hear the urgency in it.
“Two streets ahead you’ll see a black car with a Hayes Conglomerate driver. Step out of the taxi immediately and get into that car.”
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“What if they follow that car too?”
“They won’t,” he replied. “Our driver is trained for situations like this.”
Situations like this?
My life had fallen apart only a few hours ago.
Now I was suddenly in the middle of something that felt like a dangerous movie.
The taxi slowed as we approached the next street.
Then I saw it.
A black car parked near the corner.
A tall man in a dark suit stood beside it, scanning the street carefully.
“That’s him,” the lawyer said.
“Get out now.”
The taxi stopped.
I quickly paid the driver and stepped out with my suitcase.
The moment my feet touched the ground, the man in the suit opened the car door for me.
“Miss McGraw,” he said quickly. “Get in.”
I didn’t hesitate.
The moment I went into the back seat, he closed the door and rushed to the driver’s seat.
Seconds later, the car sped away.
I glanced through the rear window again.
The black car that had been following my taxi drove past the street.
They hadn’t seen me switch cars.
A shaky breath escaped my lips.
For the first time since leaving the mansion, my heart slowed slightly.
The driver spoke through the mirror.
“Don’t worry, Miss McGraw. You’re safe now.”
I nodded quietly, though my hands were still trembling.
The car drove smoothly through the city streets before finally stopping in front of a massive glass building.
I slowly stepped out and looked up.
HAYES CONGLOMERATE
The name stretched across the top of the building in bold silver letters.
My stomach twisted.
This was one of the most powerful companies in New York.
And somehow… I was connected to it.
The driver led me inside.
The lobby was enormous, filled with polished marble floors and glass walls. Employees in expensive suits walked confidently through the building, carrying files and tablets.
Everything felt intimidating.
A woman at the front desk immediately stood when she saw me.
“Miss McGraw?” she asked politely.
“Yes.”
“Attorney Carter is waiting for you.”
She guided me toward the elevator and pressed the top floor button.
As the elevator doors closed, my reflection stared back at me in the mirror walls.
My hair was scattered from the wind outside, my eyes still red from crying.
I barely recognized myself.
The elevator finally stopped.
The doors opened into a quiet hallway.
The receptionist led me to a large office and knocked gently before opening the door.
A middle-aged man stood near the window, holding a thick file.
“Miss McGraw,” he said warmly. “I’m Daniel Carter.”
I stepped inside slowly.
He gestured toward the chair across from his desk.
“Please sit.”
I placed my suitcase beside the chair and sat down, my heart still beating nervously.
The lawyer opened the file in front of him.
“Before we discuss the company shares,” he said, “there is something important you need to know.”
My stomach tightened.
“What is it?”
He pulled out a document and slid it across the desk.
I looked down at it.
It was a birth certificate.
My name was on it.
But the name under Father made my breath stop.
Andrew Hayes.
My fingers trembled as I looked up at the lawyer.
“You’re saying… he was my father?”
“Yes.”
The room felt like it was spinning.
“But… my parents died in a car accident when I was ten,” I said slowly.
“That is correct,” the lawyer replied.
“But they were not your biological parents.”
The words hit me like a stone.
“What?”
“They adopted you.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
“My entire life… they were my parents.”
“And they loved you very much,” he said gently. “But Andrew Hayes was your biological father.”
My mind struggled to process everything.
“Then why didn’t he come for me?” I whispered.
The lawyer sighed.
“He wanted to.”
He pulled out a small envelope and placed it on the desk.
“This letter was written by him for you.”
My fingers shook slightly as I opened it.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
The ink looked slightly faded.
I began reading slowly.
Leah,
If you are reading this, it means I am no longer alive.
I regret every day that I could not raise you myself. Powerful enemies forced me to keep your identity hidden to protect you.
But the day will come when you must take your place in the Hayes family.
When that day comes, trust only one person.
Ethan Hayes.
I looked up suddenly.
“Who is Ethan Hayes?”
Before the lawyer could answer, the office door opened.
A tall man stepped inside.
He looked around thirty-four, with calm eyes and sharp features. His dark hair covered his forehead, and his presence carried a quiet confidence.
The lawyer stood.
“Perfect timing.”
The man’s gaze slowly moved to me.
Something about his expression softened slightly.
“Leah McGraw,” he said.
My heart skipped.
“Yes?”
He stepped closer.
“My name is Ethan Hayes.”
Then he said the words that made my entire world shift again.
“I’m your cousin… and the next CEO of Hayes Conglomerate.”
And judging by the serious look in his eyes…
My arrival had just changed everything.
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