[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-reborn-heiress-strike-back":3,"chapter-the-reborn-heiress-strike-back-the-reborn-heiress-strike-back-chapter-26":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Reborn Heiress Strike Back",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1266467,1695,"Chapter 26 - The Queen’s Floor","the-reborn-heiress-strike-back-chapter-26",26,"\u003Cp>Nick extended his hand, palm open, eyes fixed on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shall we?\" he asked, voice smooth, gaze unreadable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha held his stare for a moment. Not too long. Just enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sure,\" she said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She placed her hand in his, and they moved together through the golden-lit crowd toward the ballroom’s dance floor. The space parted for them like water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick pulled her gently into his frame, one hand on her waist, the other guiding hers. The music swelled — a slow jazz instrumental with just enough swing to keep the atmosphere seductive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha forced a faint smile. Polished. Composed. But beneath the silk of her white dress, her blood boiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t just a dance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was part of her plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From across the room, Jake caught sight of them. He said nothing. He kept his hands folded behind his back, continuing his quiet conversation with a French investor, but his eyes flicked toward Samantha and Nick for the briefest second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he looked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha moved with calculated grace, letting Nick lead. His hand hovered just barely at her waist, respectful but intimate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You look beautiful tonight,\" he murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t flinch. \"Thanks,\" she said, her voice even. \"But not more than your wife.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick chuckled, a low sound in his throat. \"You’re sharp.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I prefer honest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a short silence as the music slowed into the next loop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick leaned in slightly. \"Tell me something... why is it no one knows who the CEO of Elevate is?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha looked away, just for a beat. \"Maybe not everyone craves attention,\" she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick studied her. \"I guess not. But I have a feeling that’s going to change tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said it with a coolness that made him hesitate. He was about to respond when—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tap on Samantha’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing a dress that fit like intention and a smile that barely masked irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you mind if I dance with my husband?\" she said sweetly, her voice dipped in forced charm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha blinked once, then stepped aside without emotion. \"Why not?\" she said. \"After all... he’s your husband, not mine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gave Nick a neutral glance, then walked off the floor without another word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kate slid closer to Nick, lacing her arm through his. \"What the hell was that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you doing, Kate?\" Nick asked, trying to keep his voice low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Doing what any wife should when another woman’s dancing with her husband,\" she said, gripping the lapel of his suit. \"Marking my territory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pulled him into a kiss. Nick didn’t kiss back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I love you, babe,\" she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A commanding voice rose through the music. Clear. Crisp. Male, with authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A host executive, one of the partners from the event board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ladies and gentlemen,\" he said, voice echoing from the stage. \"Tonight isn’t just about celebration. It’s about unveiling something — or rather, someone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tension buzzed through the room. Conversations dimmed. Heads turned. Champagne flutes lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is my honor,\" the host continued, \"to finally introduce the genius behind Elevate Strategic Group. The force behind this expansion, this vision, and this revolution in innovation...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kate glanced nervously at Nick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chloe, standing across the room in a wine-red gown, shifted forward, brows raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The host smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ladies and gentlemen... Miss Samantha Bradley.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silence shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gasps rippled across the room like a live current. A few claps. Then stunned quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s her?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait, that Samantha?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Media surged forward. Photographers began snapping shots like gunfire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha didn’t smile. Not yet. She stood still for half a second, then turned toward the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick and Kate stood frozen, champagne forgotten in their hands. Chloe’s mouth fell open slightly. She didn’t blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd parted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one dared to block her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her heels clicked like war drums on marble as she walked. White silk slicing through air. Back straight. Jaw set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t look left or right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Security stepped discreetly behind her — not for safety, but because power has an entourage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she ascended the stage, lights caught the gold-thread detailing of her gown. The Elevate logo behind her glowed like a crown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The host handed her the microphone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She accepted it slowly, then turned to the audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phones raised. Flashbulbs blinding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She paused. Scanned the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good evening,\" she said, voice cool, clear, and commanding. \"Thank you for being here tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know most of you came with questions. Some came to make deals. Others came to see who was pulling the strings behind Elevate Strategic Group.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She let the silence linger again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well — now you know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My Dad built Elevate New York Division seven years ago from the ground up,\" she continued. \"Not with handouts. Not with a family name. But with vision. With strategy. With silence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of glances in the audience — investors, CEOs, politicians, publishers. Everyone was listening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I watched while people said Elevate was a myth. That it was just another ’shell tech brand.’ I let them talk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled faintly now — just enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because while they were talking, I was building. While they were guessing, I was executing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People began nodding. A few claps. Then more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I chose to remain anonymous not because I was afraid... but because sometimes power moves best in silence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The applause grew louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha turned slightly toward the row of industry executives on the side. Jake stood there now, arms folded, gaze fixed on her with unshaken calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tonight marks the beginning of a new Chapter — the Elevation Expansion Project. We are not just scaling... we’re reprogramming the very definition of global innovation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A.I. integration. International logistics. Real-time sustainability metrics. This is what’s next. And Elevate isn’t following the curve — we are creating it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Applause erupted. Now standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cameras couldn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The host returned, holding a crystal plaque framed in platinum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"On behalf of the Global Business Alliance,\" he announced, \"we present Elevate Strategic Group with the Best Tech Visionary Award of the Year.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thunderous applause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Samantha held the award, the room seemed to bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked out again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick. Still stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kate. Speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chloe. Stone-faced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Samantha did something quiet — but surgical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned her head, locked eyes with Nick for a heartbeat... then smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elegant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deadly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned back to the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you,\" she said, voice even. \"We’re just getting started.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lights cut to gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flashbulbs exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the crowd leaned forward — desperate to know what would come next.\u003C\u002Fp>",1102,"2026-06-05T16:26:33.508Z",1,"novelbin.me","de1e75e939db639ff27ee4065a4981f38599029ffedae16cc22914937448134d","the-reborn-heiress-strike-back-chapter-27","the-reborn-heiress-strike-back-chapter-25",88,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-reborn-heiress-strike-back-cover.jpg"]