[{"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-68":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},1266509,1695,"Chapter 68 - 67 - You Fall,I Rose To The Top","the-reborn-heiress-strike-back-chapter-68",68,"\u003Cp>The hospital corridors were quiet at night—too quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Machines hummed softly. Nurses whispered. Rain tapped against the long windows like a restless ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha walked slowly down the hall, her heels muted against the polished floor. She carried no files, no tablet, no guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a small bouquet of white flowers she bought on impulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Lynn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl who once brought her coffee with shaking hands. The girl who stayed late without being asked. The girl who believed Samantha was invincible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha wasn’t sure if that made her feel stronger...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>or guilty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Samantha entered the room, the dim light fell over Lynn’s pale figure—still, fragile, lost between life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Machines beeped rhythmically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A steady heartbeat. Hanging on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha set the flowers on the bedside table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, she simply stood there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, very quietly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>she pulled the chair closer and sat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She took Lynn’s cold hand in hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was soft, barely a whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lynn,\" she murmured, \"I’m sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her throat tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You were loyal. You were scared, but you stayed. And instead of protecting you, I dragged you into my war.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She inhaled shakily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her other hand brushed Lynn’s hair gently off her forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You deserved a safer world than the one I built.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice cracked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wake up. Please. I need you to wake up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She squeezed the girl’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha’s shoulders sagged slightly—just for a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mask slipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lynn’s fingers twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely a flutter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha’s breath caught, her head snapping up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lynn?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A second twitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ghost of movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Real, fragile hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha leaned in, eyes stinging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You hear me,\" she whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re fighting. Good. I’ll wait for you. However long it takes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lips trembled, but she smiled—small and broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will not let anyone hurt you again. That is a promise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A promise carved from bone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She kissed Lynn’s forehead softly, like a sister would.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she stood and walked to the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before stepping out, she turned one last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re not alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the door closed quietly behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Night She Pulled the Trigger\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The penthouse was dark when Samantha returned—lights off, the city below glowing like dying embers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She slipped off her coat. Poured herself a glass of water. Walked straight to her office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now she stood alone in the dark room, illuminated only by the harsh glow of her computer screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The master financial key Chloe gave her sat next to the keyboard like a loaded gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pressed \"EXECUTE.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A symphony of destruction began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Client Transfer Protocol Activated\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—48 of Carter Group’s highest-value clients automatically rerouted their portfolios to Elevate Strategy Group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confidential Financial Irregularities Revealed\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anonymous whistleblower packages—prepared by Samantha long ago—were delivered to key regulatory agencies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boardroom Scandal Leaks\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emails Chloe provided went public. Internal arguments went viral. Investor confidence shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emergency Funds Locators Deactivated\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carter Group’s offshore reserves were locked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Completely inaccessible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha watched it unfold with unblinking calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No regret. No tremor. No hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The storm she’d waited seven years to unleash finally arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>6:12 A.M. — The Carter Mansion Wakes to Ruin\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phones rang violently throughout the mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Servants rushed. Security shouted. Sophia, half-asleep, wandered into the hall clutching her stuffed bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kate burst from her bedroom in a panic, mascara smeared from a sleepless night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s happening? Why is everyone shouting—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A frantic advisor shoved a tablet into her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stared at the collapsing stock numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stock down 70%.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clients withdrawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Funds frozen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regulators investigating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her scream echoed through the mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"NO! NO, NO, NO—THIS CAN’T BE REAL!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She collapsed against the wall, shaking uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then the front doors flew open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naomi Carter entered, dragging her suitcase—fresh from her three-week break in Singapore, blissfully unaware.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why is the house in chaos? Where is everyone? Why is the market—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stopped mid-sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes landed on the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The numbers plummeting. The name Elevate rising. The headlines accusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Samantha Bradley Leads Market Surge as Carter Group Collapses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naomi’s lips parted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She swayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And fainted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right on the marble floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick woke to thirty missed calls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rushed downstairs, heart pounding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found Naomi unconscious. Kate hysterical. Staff running in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Screens across the house showed the same devastation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t shout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He whispered only one thing, under his breath:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Samantha...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not with anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With heartbreak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With acceptance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had finally fired the shot she’d been holding for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she hit her target perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at Elevate\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha stood in her office at sunrise, watching the world turn gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake arrived breathless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sam... the Carters—Nick—everyone—they’re in freefall. The media’s exploding. The stock... everything...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t ask him to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ice and steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It has begun, Jake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake swallowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sam... are you okay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She simply watched the city fade into morning light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her war was no longer a secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a headline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Carters were finally paying the price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chloe Plays Innocent\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Carter Group boardroom had never felt so cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phones buzzed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Screens flashed red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Executives murmured in frantic whispers as numbers bled across every monitor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick Carter stood at the head of the long table, shoulders stiff, jaw clenched, looking like a man holding back a storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Call them again,\" Nick said quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sir, we’ve called all of them twice,\" an executive replied, voice trembling. \"Every investor— every single one—has declined emergency support.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Try the Rydell Fund,\" Nick said, swallowing hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We did.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Crescent Capital?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Carter... Elevate bought them out last night.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dead silence fell over the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick closed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course it was her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chloe sat two seats down, face pale, one hand squeezing her designer bag so tightly the leather wrinkled. She forced a shaky voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is—this is unbelievable! Why would Elevate... why would Samantha do this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick didn’t look at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if he did, he’d see it—the guilt flickering beneath her mascara, the panic behind her forced innocence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You seem awfully nervous today, Chloe,\" he said quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She flinched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But kept her voice high, dramatic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How can I not be? My entire career is burning!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick didn’t respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew this wasn’t about careers anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was about truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About punishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About Ally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus Makes His Move\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boardroom screen suddenly changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A live broadcast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus Reed stepping up to a podium, cameras flashing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake—watching from Elevate—saw it seconds before Samantha did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sam,\" he said, eyes widening, \"turn on the news.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus smiled at the cameras, voice smooth, polished, heroic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Given the tragic instability at Carter Group,\" he announced, \"I have acquired several of their subsidiaries at a premium value to prevent job losses and stabilize the market. We will keep thousands employed. We will rebuild what was broken.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reporters exploded with applause and questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus basked in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha leaned back in her chair, lips curling slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake glanced at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re not angry?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gave a small laugh—sharp as glass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Marcus wants to be the savior in my story,\" she murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let him. Heroes tend to die faster.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake stared at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My God, Sam... you’re terrifying when you do that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled without apology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick’s Breaking Point\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in the Carter boardroom, people were applauding Marcus’s broadcast like he was their rescuer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick slammed his hands onto the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"STOP applauding the man who’s cutting our limbs off!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick exhaled shakily, gripping the chair for balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we don’t act now,\" he said, voice hoarse, \"then this company dies today. All of you—your families, your futures—we lose everything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He inhaled deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We need liquidity. We sell our remaining ownership stake. All of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seventy percent?\" one board member whispered. \"Are you insane?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick’s voice cracked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m trying to save what little is left.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chloe swallowed hard, her guilt growing by the second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And right on cue—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the door opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus stepped in, smooth as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nick,\" he greeted warmly, like an old friend, \"I heard the news. You look... tired.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick’s jaw tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you want, Marcus?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To help.\" Marcus sat casually, crossing one leg over the other. \"I have a buyer lined up. Someone very private. Very capable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick narrowed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you trust this buyer?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Completely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’ll save the company?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’ll buy the company,\" Marcus corrected. \"Whether he saves it is... optional.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chloe’s stomach twisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick looked at the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the faces watching him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the legacy falling apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then he whispered the words he never imagined he would say:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine. Arrange the meeting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>********\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later that night, Jake stormed into Samantha’s penthouse office, hair tousled, face tight with worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sam, Marcus convinced Nick to sell the company. All seventy percent. Tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t react.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake slammed the folder on her desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If that buyer takes the deal, Nick loses EVERYTHING. His home. His employees. His legacy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samantha’s expression remained perfectly still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake stepped closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sam... let him breathe. Please.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at him slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He already died, Jake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was soft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hollow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deadly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He died seven years ago.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake’s chest tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And what about the man standing now?\" he whispered. \"Is he not worth saving?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned to the window, watching the city lights shimmer beneath the night sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The man standing now,\" she said quietly, \"will understand the cost of burying a woman who loved him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake’s face filled with worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Sam... you’re letting him walk into destruction.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, she looked at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes were calm, frighteningly calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not letting him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stepped closer, lifting the folder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m the buyer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake’s breath stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You... you’re—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" she whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am the one Marcus will bring to the table. But he himself does know I’m the one behind the curtains\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jake stared at her, horrified and mesmerized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re taking Carter Group from underneath them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" Samantha corrected gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m taking back what was stolen from Ally Miller.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She closed the folder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound echoed like a final verdict.\u003C\u002Fp>",1696,"2026-06-05T16:26:33.786Z",1,"novelbin.me","655c02c4fdebf9e6bba6a39df5059dc3f016d3f8aca372faeed715a53107540d","the-reborn-heiress-strike-back-chapter-69","the-reborn-heiress-strike-back-chapter-67",88,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-reborn-heiress-strike-back-cover.jpg"]