[{"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-9":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},1266450,1695,"Chapter 9 - The Locked Doors Of Power","the-reborn-heiress-strike-back-chapter-9",9,"\u003Cp>\"Good afternoon, sir,\" she said, her voice smooth, unreadable. \"How may we assist you today?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick smiled, straightening his tie with reflexive confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m here to see your boss — the CEO of Elevate Strategic Group.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman offered a practiced nod and tapped her tablet with manicured fingers, never once glancing toward the receptionist behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One moment, please.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone remained polite, but her eyes didn’t flinch — not at his name, his presence, or his status. She didn’t ask him who he was. She didn’t need to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick waited, unaware that the conversation he had just started was about to turn his ego inside out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sorry, sir,\" she said coolly. \"But your name doesn’t appear on today’s schedule.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick’s smile faltered slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t the answer he expected. This wasn’t how things usually worked for Nicholas Carter. In most companies, his name alone opened doors. Here, he was just... unlisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Check again, please,\" he said, keeping his voice smooth. \"Maybe it was a last-minute change.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He already knew it wasn’t. He hadn’t booked anything — but the name Carter usually meant he didn’t have to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman glanced up, expression unreadable. \"What name, sir?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted his chin slightly. \"Nicholas Carter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She took a slow breath and ran through the listings again. After a few seconds, she looked back at him and said with professional finality, \"There’s no one by that name expected today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick’s jaw tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe your system’s behind. I’m Nicholas Carter — CEO of Carter Group.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand that, Mr. Carter,\" she said without blinking. \"But as I said, you don’t have an appointment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to stay composed, but there was a strain in his voice now. \"Do you know who I am?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, she set the tablet down and met his eyes directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t need to,\" she replied, her tone icier now. \"You may be well-known elsewhere, but this is Elevate Strategic Group. Our CEO only meets with scheduled parties.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick’s temper flared just beneath his expensive suit. He was used to deference — not dismissal. But this woman had authority in her voice, and worse, she seemed utterly unimpressed by him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I suggest,\" she said, \"next time, you call ahead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without waiting for a reply, she turned sharply on her heel, her high heels clicking confidently across the polished floor. She stepped into the executive elevator, pressed the private-access button, and offered him one last look before the doors slid closed — with the faintest smirk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick stood frozen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humiliated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slid on his sunglasses, even though he was indoors, trying to mask the sting. \"Fucking amateur,\" he muttered, and stalked toward the exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at the mansion, the door slammed as he stepped inside. Kate turned quickly from the dining table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How did it go, babe?\" she asked with a hopeful smile, reaching to take his coat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick brushed past her without a word and dropped into the living room couch, running a hand through his hair in frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sophia came skipping in, holding a piece of paper in her hand. \"Daddy! Look what I made for you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She climbed onto the couch beside him and proudly held up a colorful drawing — a family portrait, with stick figures and crayon hearts. Nick took it slowly, scanning it with tired eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is lovely,\" he said. \"Who’s this one?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s Ally,\" she said brightly. \"She’s beautiful. I made her the princess in the picture.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence fell like a blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kate froze where she stood, eyes locking with Nick’s. For a moment, neither spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick forced a smile. \"Sweetheart... maybe don’t call her that next time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood abruptly, dropped the drawing on the table, and made his way upstairs without another word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sophia’s eyes welled with tears. \"Mommy... did Daddy hate my drawing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kate knelt quickly and hugged her close. \"No, baby. Daddy’s just very tired from work, that’s all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She kissed her daughter’s forehead, helped her to her room, then climbed the stairs and pushed open the master bedroom door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick was pacing, shirt unbuttoned, tension heavy in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve said nothing since you walked in,\" Kate said gently. \"What happened?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You want to know what happened?\" His voice cracked with frustration. \"I was humiliated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kate blinked. \"By who?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not even the CEO,\" he snapped. \"By a damn assistant. A receptionist. She made me feel like an intern begging for a seat at the table.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dropped into the edge of the bed. \"And to make it worse, I come home, hoping to find some peace, and my daughter is drawing pictures of my ex-wife.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kate sat beside him and tried to place a hand on his. \"Nick... Ally is dead. We both saw the body. Her face was ruined in the crash. She’s not coming back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick turned toward her slowly, then kissed her — harder than usual. It wasn’t affection. It was desperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A knock interrupted them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come in,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chloe entered the room, tablet in hand, looking more serious than usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I thought you should see this,\" she said, holding the screen toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick frowned. \"What is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You remember that Elevate Expansion project you mentioned this morning?\" she asked. \"Well, turns out... it’s not just some local startup. Major players are involved.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick sat up straighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chloe swiped through the files. \"I cross-referenced investment patterns, media silence, and hidden shareholder activity. Do you want to know who’s backing this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She scrolled one more time, then handed him the tablet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick’s eyes scanned the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apple. Google. Saudi Aramco. Tesla. LVMH. Mitsubishi. Tata. A global lineup of tech, finance, oil, fashion, and manufacturing giants — all funneling investment into Elevate’s New York expansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is...\" he paused. \"This is beyond anything I expected.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know,\" Chloe said, arms folded. \"And it’s being run completely in the shadows. No CEO listed. No photos. No leaks. And you know what that means?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick nodded slowly. \"Someone’s building a weapon behind glass.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chloe smiled faintly. \"And we’ve just been invited to a war we didn’t see coming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked out the window, fists clenched. Something was shifting. Power. Money. Control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t at the top anymore — not yet. But he was going to find out who was behind this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they’d regret ever humiliating Nicholas Carter.\u003C\u002Fp>",1055,"2026-06-05T16:26:33.508Z",1,"novelbin.me","9522658f486f913ab29cd5dbf51f66195ed50b0a6af976080319353971bbb2b1","the-reborn-heiress-strike-back-chapter-10","the-reborn-heiress-strike-back-chapter-8",88,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-reborn-heiress-strike-back-cover.jpg"]