THE BILLIONAIRE HEIRESS' COMEBACK

CHAPTER 19

The next day, after finishing my workout, I headed to the kitchen for breakfast.

There, I found two notes on the counter—one from Lily, saying she was going out again to discuss her chosen designs with Michelle, and another from Irene, explaining that she had gone home but would try to return before lunch.

Apparently, she had tried waking me earlier but couldn’t, so she left the note instead, and I didn't see it earlier before I went to the gym.

Despite living under the same roof for the past two months, Irene still didn’t have my number, and I had forgotten to give it to her—probably because I hadn't left the hotel until yesterday.

Luckily, she left her contact information, so I quickly grabbed my phone and sent her a message, telling her to take her time since Lily and I wouldn’t be home until dinner anyway.

With that, I ate my breakfast before heading to my room to take a bath and prepare for my meeting with Vincentius, but I met with a dilemma when I was looking for a set of clothes in my closet

Since I had lost some weight, most of my clothes no longer fit me properly and there was not much time before our meeting, and because I didn't have many options to choose from I just settled on an oversized shirt and a pair of denim jumpers before looked at myself in the mirror and realized I should really needed to go shopping.

But that could wait—meeting Vincentius came first, so I texted my bodyguard, instructing him to wait for me at the hotel entrance.

By the time I arrived at the lobby, he was already there, standing by the car. He greeted me with a nod before opening the door to the backseat.

I told him where we were heading to, and during the entire car ride, I just gazed out the window, taking in the scenery as the city buzzed with life.

When the car finally slowed to a stop in front of a tall, luxurious building, I stepped out and made my way to the entrance.

A uniformed guard immediately stepped forward, giving me a polite nod.

"Good morning, ma’am," he greeted. "Do you have an appointment?"

"I do," I replied with a small smile, reaching into my bag and pulling out an ID card.

The guard’s eyes widened slightly as he took in the black card with gold lettering that read Montemayor.

Vincentius had given it to me—one of the many things I found in the box Jonas left in my room.

"I—I’m sorry, ma’am," the guard stammered, straightening his posture immediately.

"Please, go right in."

I nodded in acknowledgement and stepped past him as he pushed through the heavy glass doors into the grand lobby.

When I reached the reception desk, I noticed a small commotion unfolding nearby.

A woman, elegantly dressed in a white outfit that perfectly complemented her figure, stood in front of the receptionist.

Her posture exuded frustration, and despite the light makeup she wore, her natural beauty was undeniable.

Her hair was styled gently, framing her youthful face, but the distress in her voice was evident.

"Hey, can you just tell Vincentius that it's me?" she asked, her tone growing impatient.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we can't do that," the receptionist responded professionally. "The Chairman is busy, and if you don’t have an appointment, we can’t allow you to meet him."

"Just one call, please! Tell him it’s me, and he’ll know!" The woman’s voice wavered between frustration and desperation.

"The Chairman is currently in a very important meeting, ma’am," the receptionist replied firmly. "He has specifically instructed us not to disturb him."

The woman scoffed, crossing her arms. "What could possibly be more important than me?" she exclaimed, her distress turning into disbelief.

I watched the exchange in silence, curiosity piqued, especially with the mention of Vincentius' name.

Though she was bold enough to cause a scene like this, what really caught my attention was the receptionist’s reaction. Instead of immediately calling security, she remained patient—almost hesitant to turn her down.

That alone told me that this woman wasn’t just anyone. Whoever she was, she clearly had some level of importance here especially in Vincentius’ life to demand immediate access to him but there's one way for me to confirm that and I could already smell some gossip worth teasing Vincentius about.

With that in mind, I stepped toward the reception desk.

"Hi, good morning," I greeted with a polite smile.

The receptionist, momentarily flustered, quickly composed herself. "Hello, ma’am. What can I do for you?"

"I have an appointment with Mr. Vincentius Montemayor."

"A-ah, yes," she nodded, immediately turning to her monitor. "Let me check on that first. May I have your name, ma’am?"

"Clara," I replied smoothly. "Mr. Montemayor has been expecting me."

The receptionist’s expression shifted, and she straightened up slightly, her professionalism returning in full force. "Of course, Miss Clara. Let me place a quick call to the secretary’s desk."

After she called, the woman in white suddenly turned toward me, her sharp eyes scanning me with barely concealed irritation.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

I met her gaze evenly and offered a calm smile. "I just said—my name is Clara.”

The woman’s expression twisted into a mix of shock and indignation.

"I know, I heard! I'm not deaf!" she snapped, her tone sharp.

"Then why did you ask for my name?" I countered smoothly, tilting my head slightly.

She scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "Obviously, that's not what I meant! I’m asking why Vincentius would be expecting you."

I raised a brow, pretending to consider her question before firing back, "And what about you? Why would my fiancé know you?"

Her face froze, and her lips parted slightly as if to respond, but no words came out.

Gotcha.

Of course, that was a complete lie—Vincentius was my brother, but judging by the way her expression crumbled for a split second, she believed it.

Looking at her face, I struggled to bite back my smile as I turned my gaze back to the receptionist, who looked just as stunned as the woman in white. The phone was still pressed to her ear, her expression frozen in shock.

I flicked my thumb and index finger together in front of her face, snapping her back to reality.

"Well?" I prompted, arching a brow.

"Y-yes, ma'am!, please proceed to the Chairman’s private elevator," she stammered, quickly gesturing to the elevator with a sign private use only, reserved for Vincentius

"Thanks," I said smoothly before turning on my heel and making my way toward the elevator.

I wasn’t sure if my words had been a trigger, but the woman in white suddenly snapped out of her daze.

Just as the elevator doors began to close behind me, her voice rang out, laced with disbelief and frustration.

"H-hey! What do you mean by that?!"

I didn’t answer, but I could feel my smile widening as the doors slid shut, cutting her off completely.

I leaned against the elevator wall, letting out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.

That was fun.

I don't know who she is, but I can sense something with this exchange but as soon as I stepped onto the top floor of the building, where Vincentius’s office was located, I was greeted by the sight of four desks neatly arranged in the outer office—each belonging to one of his secretaries.

Among them, the eldest and most distinguished was Alfred, a man who had been by Vincentius’s side for as long as I could remember.

To me, he felt less like a secretary and more like a grandfatherly butler—always composed and dependable, and he always looked out for us in ways that went beyond his job description.

The moment his warm, familiar voice reached my ears, I felt a lump form in my throat.

"It’s been four years, Lady Clara," Alfred greeted, his tone gentle and his wise eyes crinkling with warmth.

A rush of emotions hit me all at once, and before I could stop myself, I hurried toward him, throwing my arms around him in a tight hug.

"Alfred!" I called out, my voice slightly muffled against his shoulder.

He let out a low chuckle, his arms wrapping around me in return, the embrace carrying the comfort of years long past.

"You’ve grown taller and even more beautiful, Lady Clara," he mused, pulling back slightly to get a better look at me.

I blinked up at him, my eyes still stinging with unshed tears before flashing him a playful smile.

"I was always pretty in your eyes, Alfred," I teased lightly because that was the truth. In my family, I was the prettiest even though the whole world screamed that I was not.

He chuckled again, shaking his head fondly. "That you were, my lady. That you were.”

"I thought I could finally have an emotional sibling reunion, so why do I feel like the third wheel here?"

I pulled away from Alfred just in time to see Vincentius standing a few feet away, arms crossed, his expression caught somewhere between amusement and exasperation.

His sharp and handsome features remained as composed as ever, but there was a distinct softness in his eyes.

I smirked. "To be fair, the only reason I agreed to meet you is because of Alfred."

Vincentius let out an exaggerated gasp, clutching his chest as if I had just gravely wounded him. "You heartless little—are you seriously not going to hug your own brother?"

I let out a laugh before finally stepping forward and wrapping my arms around him.

"It's good to see you, Vince," I murmured.

His grip tightened slightly.

"Is that your way of saying you missed me?" he mused, his voice quieter now. "Because I missed you too, pluff."

I rolled my eyes at the old childhood nickname, but I couldn’t deny the way my heart clenched at his words.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, squeezing him just a little tighter before pulling away. "Let’s not get too sentimental."

Vincentius chuckled, ruffling my hair like he used to when we were kids. "Too late for that.”