Chapter 3

Within two weeks, Nora had moved into the Hartwell estate.

The house had been maintained by a trust for over two decades. It sat on a hill overlooking the harbor — white stone, tall windows, wisteria climbing the east wall. When Nora stepped through the front doors, the caretaker, Mrs. Finch, burst into tears.

"You look just like Miss Eleanor. Welcome home."

Home. Nora tested the word and found it didn't sting the way she expected.

The Hartwell fortune wasn't just money — it was influence. Hartwell & Ashford Architecture had built half the landmarks in the city. The firm had been dormant since her grandfather's death, but its name still carried enormous weight.

The lawyer Margot found — a sharp, no-nonsense woman named Diane Park — laid everything out over the dining table.

"The company is yours outright. The board has been waiting for a legitimate heir to reactivate operations. Once you sign these papers, you'll control a firm worth approximately four hundred million."

Nora signed them.

But she didn't make any announcements. She didn't attend parties or call press conferences. She moved quietly, learning the business from the inside, meeting with architects and project managers who remembered her mother.

Meanwhile, she also filed a formal complaint against Sebastian for breach of their surrogacy contract. The original terms stated that if Sebastian terminated the agreement early without cause, Nora would receive full compensation plus damages. He had violated this by demanding she abort and evicting her.

Diane grinned when she reviewed the contract. "Whoever drafted this for his side did a terrible job. He's liable for the full payout, plus emotional damages, plus medical expenses for the remainder of the pregnancy. This isn't a lawsuit — it's a gift."

Nora didn't smile. "I don't want his money. I want him to know he can't throw people away without consequences."

News of the lawsuit reached Sebastian within days. His reaction, relayed through mutual acquaintances, was disbelief followed by fury.

"She's suing me? For what? I gave her everything she needed for three years."

Nora heard this secondhand and said nothing. She had a company to rebuild and a baby to grow. Sebastian Cross could rage all he wanted.

But the universe wasn't done delivering surprises. Two days before her first board meeting, Nora received a call from Diane.

"We have a problem. Hartwell & Ashford's biggest pending project — the Meridian Harbor development — requires a co-investor. The previous partner pulled out years ago." Diane paused. "The only firm with both the capital and the construction portfolio to fill the gap is Cross Industries."

Nora closed her eyes. Of course it was.

"There's more," Diane continued. "Sebastian Cross personally bid on this project six months ago. He doesn't know you're the new owner of Hartwell & Ashford. When he shows up to the partnership meeting next week, he'll be sitting across the table from you."

Nora opened her eyes. The woman who stared back from the window's reflection looked nothing like the ghost who'd ironed Sebastian's suits.

"Good," she said. "Let him come."