Transmigrated Into The True Heiress-Chapter 62: Killer Heels

Lyle’s fingers, once tightly gripping the warped railing, slowly relaxed as he gently lowered the phone from his ear, the device slipping back to rest at his side. The tension that had coiled within him moments before dissipated, leaving behind a noticeable change in his breathing—each inhale and exhale deeper and steadier than before.

Behind him, Jania hesitated, her hands clasped tightly together. Her expression was a mixture of concern and uncertainty, the furrow of her brow and the slight bite of her lower lip betraying her inner turmoil. Despite her apprehension, she took a tentative step closer, the soft rustle of her pajamas barely audible in the silence.

"How is she?"

Lyle tore his gaze away from the empty space he had been staring at and fixed his eyes on Jania with an indifferent expression. "She’s fine," he said, returning the phone to her.

Jania nodded slowly, a hint of curiosity flickering in her eyes as she regarded him closely. She remained rooted to the spot, hesitant to step forward and retrieve the phone from his hand. "And you, Master Lyle?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper, infused with concern.

"I’m fine, but I would like it if you could take this from me." His voice was steady but lacked warmth; his expression remained unchanged.

Jania hurriedly moved forward and collected her phone. "I’m sorry, I just... I was wondering how you knew," she said, her brows furrowing as she stepped back to a safe distance.

Lyle turned to face the horizon, his gaze trained on nothing in particular. "I don’t know; I just felt it," he answered in a low voice, as even he didn’t fully understand. Her scent brought him relief from the endless discomfort, but if she was in pain, he could feel it. If she was happy, he felt relieved—even without her scent or her being nearby.

"Can you feel everything she’s feeling?" Jania asked, trying to understand how it worked and if what Doctor Liam had said was close to the truth.

"No. I feel discomfort when she is in pain or unease, and I feel relief when she’s happy and relaxed."

Jania raised a brow, her thoughts swirling. What the hell? "Maybe we should go to the hospital, Master Lyle, and inform Doctor Liam of this new development."

Lyle remained silent, his gaze fixed on the sprawling compound that stretched out before him, its details fading into the horizon. Finally, breaking the stillness, he spoke with his usual calmness. "Ephyra said her stepmother made her lose memories of her childhood. Find out everything about what happened, and bring everyone involved to me. We will be leaving for the hospital tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Master Lyle." Jania hurriedly bowed as Lyle turned and walked away from the balcony.

The sweltering afternoon sunlight fell over the bustling city of California, sparing no place except the narrow alleys between tall buildings, where shadows stretched long and narrow, offering brief respite from the unrelenting heat. Cars honked incessantly as pedestrians hurried along crowded sidewalks, shielding themselves with hats, umbrellas, or simply their hands to block the harsh glare.

Inside the sleek black car cutting through the downtown traffic, the atmosphere was no less tense. Elmira sat in the back seat, her eyes closed, hiding the annoyance swirling inside her as her attractive features were framed by the golden sunlight filtering through the tinted windows.

Almost thirty minutes passed before the driver spoke. "Ma’am, we’re here."

Elmira opened her eyes and looked up to see a glass building. What was peculiar about it was that one couldn’t see a thing inside—the glass was tinted to a mirror-like finish, reflecting the sunlight and the world outside.

Elmira stepped out of the car with a fluid elegance that belied her impatience. Her stiletto heels clicked softly against the pavement as she approached the entrance. She adjusted her sunglasses, the gold accents gleaming as she scanned the surroundings.

There was no security guard at the gate. Instead, a sleek panel embedded into the wall lit up as it scanned Elmira’s face. A soft chime sounded, followed by the seamless sliding of the gate. She stepped into the compound, her gaze landing on a parking area with three cars and a precisely trimmed garden bursting with vibrant blooms.

Her eyes flicked over the vehicles—a black sedan, a navy SUV, and a sleek red convertible—before settling on the building ahead. As she approached the main entrance, she glanced around, searching for a doorbell. The double doors opened soundlessly, and a male voice came from inside.

"I didn’t expect you to come so quickly. You must really want to know, huh?"

Elmira walked in, her eyes locking on the tall man with strawberry-blond hair. He was dressed in a burgundy silk shirt and black pants, tattoos covering his exposed chest. He smirked at her.

"Mr. Rivers, I must say your home is as enigmatic as its owner," Elmira said, her voice cool and measured, though her sharp gaze betrayed her wariness. She removed her sunglasses and slid them into her purse, her movements precise and deliberate.

The man chuckled. "Please, call me Kaelon. Rivers is my father’s name." He gestured to the living room, settling into an armchair. "Sit. I’d like to get straight to the point, Ms. Elmira."

Elmira stared at the man before her for a few moments more, still wondering what he could possibly want to tell her that was so important.

Kaelon looked up and smiled. "You’re wary, and you should be because, honestly, I didn’t want to meet you or talk to you. But because of Cian, I had to, even though I had other effective ways I could have used. So..." He leaned forward. "Sit, Elmira. I assure you, whatever I’m about to tell you is all for your own good."

Elmira’s expression hardened at his words, but after thinking it over, she slowly moved to a chair adjacent to his and sat down, crossing her legs and setting her purse down. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

"I’m listening, Mr. Kaelon."

"That bastard Andrés gave you a job, didn’t he?"

"Wh—"

"To kill Antonio Sanchez and the hacker helping him. A week ago, Sanchez was found dead in his study with a bullet straight through his heart, and it was done by you." Kaelon stared at Elmira with one side of his lips pulled up. "You’ve also got people looking for the hacker, Drk, right?"

Elmira’s eyes now held an annoyance that was slowly turning into anger. "You seem to know a lot of things, Mr. Kaelon. Though I’m not surprised. As the son of the director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, you must have a lot of ways to get information. Now, I’d like you to get straight to the point."

"Drk’s real name is Cian Sterling. He will be 18 years old in a few weeks. He’s someone I care for more than my family, and because I wouldn’t want you to do something you’d regret for the rest of your life by touching him, I’m telling you this: Forget about Drk and worry about what exactly that drive Andrés asked you to get is—and what it means."

Elmira narrowed her eyes, not expecting that a job from Andrés would have so many complexities. Though she was surprised by the real identity of the hacker, she wasn’t entirely shocked, as it explained why he couldn’t be found. She also wasn’t worried about not getting the hacker because Andrés didn’t make it compulsory. Instead, there was something else she was concerned about.

"Mr. Kaelon, now that you’ve told me who Drk is, there’s no reason for me to go after him anymore. But I’d like it if you could tell me what you know about the drive."

Kaelon grinned. "Why would I tell you? You wanted to kill Cian, and just thinking about it makes me furious. You should be thankful that you’re here, sitting in front of me, and not where you should rightfully be." He stood up, placing one hand in his trouser pocket as he glanced at the watch on his other wrist. "I’ll have to ask you to leave. In a few minutes—"

"Kaelon! Guess what?! We found the built-in system for the microchip!"

The interruption came from a lively voice echoing down the hallway. Elmira’s sharp gaze shifted toward the source as a young man with dark, curled hair falling over his eyes burst into the room. He held a tablet in his hands, his excitement palpable.

Kaelon turned toward him, his smile softening. "Cian, perfect timing."

The young man, Cian, paused when he noticed Elmira. His eyes lingered on her poised figure.

"Who is she? Why does she look so much like—"

"She is Elmira Kingston, your idol’s twin sister."

"The one who’s trying to kill me?" Cian’s lips twitched into a crooked smile as he casually leaned against the doorway, his tablet still clutched in one hand. "Oh, so you’re her," he said, his voice teasing yet sharp. His dark eyes flickered with curiosity, though the faintest edge of caution lingered in his tone.

Elmira’s gaze hardened as she studied the young man before her. The playful charm in his demeanor was disarming, but his sharp tongue hinted at a dangerous intellect beneath the surface.

"And you must be Drk," she replied coolly. "Though I must say, you’re not quite what I expected."

Cian smirked, unfazed by her words. "Disappointed, are we? Sorry to ruin the image of the big, bad hacker you had in your head." He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "But since you’re here, I might as well thank you for not succeeding in killing me. I quite enjoy being alive."

Kaelon cleared his throat, stepping between them with an easy grace that belied the tension in the room. "All right, you two. That’s enough sparring for now. Elmira, I believe you have what you came for. I suggest you leave while I’m still feeling generous."

Elmira’s lips pressed into a thin line as she stood, smoothing the fabric of her tailored suit. "Very well, Mr. Kaelon. Consider our business concluded—for now." She glanced at Cian one last time, her expression unreadable, before turning on her heel and striding toward the door.

As she reached the threshold, Cian called out, his voice light but laced with something unspoken. "Hey, Elmira."

She paused, her back still to him. "What is it?"

"You and your twin sister are nothing alike."

Elmira turned to face him, a faint smile on her lips as she raised a brow. "And how do you know that?"

"I’ve met her once, and that one time was enough for me to know what type of person she is—just like you."

Elmira snickered and slowly walked back toward him. "Really? You must be a very observant person. But I must tell you now that not everything you see is true, and not every truth is something one can see." She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I must tell you that you have no idea how deep the darkness in my sister’s heart is. It is very dark and destructive, but it’s all covered by an impenetrable facade. So, little hacker, be careful who you trust. Even your sharp mind can be deceived."

Cian tilted his head, his smile unwavering as he met her gaze. "Noted. But you should know, I don’t trust easily. Especially not people with killer heels." His eyes flicked briefly to her stilettos before returning to her face, the teasing glint never leaving his expression.

Elmira smirked, her amusement genuine for a fleeting moment. "Smart boy. Let’s hope that wit of yours keeps you alive." She straightened, casting a fleeting glance at Kaelon. "Until next time, Mr. Kaelon."

Kaelon inclined his head, his expression cool and unyielding. "There won’t be a next time, Elmira."

Elmira offered a mock salute before striding out of the room, her heels clicking rhythmically against the marble floor. The sound echoed until it was swallowed by the quiet hum of the building.

Once she was gone, Cian let out a low whistle, finally dropping onto the couch. "Well, that was fun. She’s definitely not as boring as most of your enemies."

Kaelon frowned, his tone sharp. "She’s not someone you should be underestimating, Cian."

Cian shrugged, pulling his legs up onto the couch as he studied the screen of his tablet. "Don’t worry, Kaelon. I know the type. People like her only reveal what they want you to see. It’s the secrets they hide that are the real danger. Besides," he grinned, "if she’s not someone I can underestimate, she’s someone you can underestimate."

Kaelon walked over and ruffled Cian’s hair again, though his usual playful demeanor was clouded by worry. "Just promise me you’ll stay out of her way. I don’t want to see you hurt."

Cian rolled his eyes but smiled softly. "You worry too much. I’ll be fine, Kaelon. Besides, she seemed more interested in that drive than in actually killing me."