Page 83 of The Secret Heir Next Door

With that, she’s gone, leaving me alone in my office, my mind racing.

What an odd turn of events.

19

SERENA

Ican’t tear my eyes away from the screen. The comments keep rolling in, one after the other, and each one feels like a punch to the gut. I know I should stop reading them, that it’s not healthy, but I can’t help it. How did things get so out of control?

I scroll through the latest posts, trying to catch my breath as the words blur together. People are calling me a gold digger, a fraud, saying I’m just looking for a handout.

They’re dragging my business through the mud, accusing me of all sorts of things. And the worst part? They don’t even know me.

I thought the community would support me, and to some extent, they have. I’ve seen posts defending me, calling out Levy and whoever’s behind him for trying to shut down my store.

But it’s not enough. The more people speak up for me, the more the attacks intensify. It’s like the powers that be are getting angrier with every kind word spoken in my defense.

My phone buzzes, and I glance down to see another notification from the website. I’ve been getting a lot of online orders since the news broke that my store might be gone soon.

Thank goodness for Logan’s website-building skills. Maybe, if nothing else, I can run things out of my apartment and stick to the online stuff until I can save up for another building.

It’s all overwhelming, really. The thought of losing my store, my livelihood, and everything I’ve worked so hard to build... It's like the ground is crumbling beneath my feet.

I close the laptop with a snap, forcing myself to take a deep breath. The orders are great, but they’re coming in for the wrong reasons. People aren’t buying from me because they love my work; they’re buying out of pity or maybe as some kind of protest. It doesn’t feel right, and it certainly doesn’t feel good.

The bell above the door chimes, and I look up to see Emily walking in. She has a sad look on her face, one that immediately makes my heart sink. Something’s wrong. I can see it in her eyes.

“Hey,” I say, trying to sound more cheerful than I feel. “What’s up?”

Emily hesitates for a moment, and that hesitation makes my stomach twist. “We need to talk.”

I swallow hard and nod, gesturing for her to come sit with me at the small table in the back of the store. We sit down, and I can’t help but notice the way she’s avoiding my eyes. This can’t be good.

“What is it?”

She takes a deep breath, finally meeting my gaze. “Serena, I didn’t want to believe it, but... I did some digging, and I found out something that I think you need to know.” Her voice is thick with concern, and it makes my chest tighten.

“Spill it. You’re being too dramatic.”

“Logan’s family... they’re the ones who bought the building.”

“What?”

“I know, it sounds crazy,” she says quickly, trying to soften the blow. “But it’s true. Logan’s name is on the company thatbought the building. I double-checked everything. It’s all there in black and white.”

I shake my head, trying to process what she’s saying. “No, that doesn’t make any sense. Why would Logan do this to me? Why would he...?”

“I don’t know, Serena. But the only thing that makes sense is that he’s been after insider information. Maybe he’s been playing you this whole time.”

The words hit me like a ton of bricks, and I feel like I can’t breathe. “No,” I say, shaking my head more forcefully this time. “No, that’s ridiculous. Logan wouldn’t do that. Why would he need insider information from me? He could do this with any of the other stores in the building. Why would he single me out?”

She doesn’t answer immediately, and that silence is almost worse than anything she could say. I can see the doubt in her eyes, the worry, and it tears at me.

“I overheard Lisa, the coffee shop owner, talking about how she had dinner with Logan a few days ago. She didn’t seem to know about your relationship with him, but...”

I feel like the floor is falling out from under me.

Lisa? Logan had dinner with Lisa? Why didn’t he tell me?

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