Taming the Billionaire Heir

CHAPTER THREE- CRACKS BENEATH THE SURFACE

The dawn after the blackout, Zara woke up to butterflies in her tummy. She couldn't let go of the memories created during the blackout. Nothing serious happened- just slight hand touches that sent shivers down her spine and a normal conversation, with a gentle, handsome man, not her boss, which made her see a different side of him. Her lips curved into a beautiful smile as she stepped out of her house. Accra traffic noticed her mood and paved the way for her without any commotion. Zara, the often straight-faced head, was smiling at each greeting. Her assistant, Eva, approached her and asked if an angel had kissed her at dawn. She laughed heartily over it and entered her office. The day had started with a spike she didn't know was on.

By 9, she had fully recovered and was engrossed in work. A few paper works needed to be done, and she could go spend some time in the kitchen- her favourite spot. A knock at the door interrupted her. Eva peeked in, her expression uneasy.

She breathed heavily as if being chased to the office "Mr Owusu is here. He says he wants to speak to management right now."

Zara frowned. "The investor? Why today? Did he call or leave a message to pre-inform you?"

"Apparently, he's been notified about… irregularities in our books."

Leo's voice echoed from the hallway, calm and in control, before Zara could say a word.

"Send him to the conference room. I'll be there in five."

Moments later, he stepped into Zara's office, composed. It didn't look like he's been talking to an investor who is furious.

"We'll need the full quarterly report and expense sheets within the next twenty-four hours," he said with authority.

Zara blinked. "Within twenty-four hours? How do you want me to do that?"

"Impossible, maybe," he replied, his brown eyes fixed on her. "But needed. I trust you'll do well."

She laughed bitterly. "You're using this to test me, aren't you? You want to see me fail and report back to the headquarters, right?"

Leo's jaw tightened, but his voice remained even. "Efficiency has been my mantra since day one. If you cannot do this, then you weren't cut out for it in the first place."

Her lips parted in disbelief and fury. "I've run this resort for three years without a single complaint or supervision. Don't question my capability, Mr Grant."

"Then prove it," he said quietly, then turned and walked away without looking back.

The day continued with numerous phone calls, cross-checking folders, and her keyboard could have screamed for help. But Zara barely looked up from her laptop as she so much needed to complete this task. The three cups of tea and snacks Eva brought still comfortably sat on the table, but this time, they were cold. She was poised for determination not to let Leo win. To her, this was more than work. It was war.

By nightfall, her desk was a battlefield of papers and highlighted reports. She rubbed her eyes, which had turned red with her left index finger, yawning at every given chance. The room was silent except for the sound of the rain that had begun to fall outside. Her thoughts drifted again to the night before — the touch of his hand, the strange steadiness in his voice when he said, "Don't go alone, it might be dangerous."

She immediately screamed at herself and inhaled deeply. "Get out of my head, Leo Grant."

The next morning, tension had crept into the room. Mr Owusu, an older man with a deep frown and gold-rimmed glasses, sat at the head of the table. Leo, by him, calm as always, was going through Zara's report. He switched back to the boss Zara met. Not the man he saw during the power outage.

Zara stood in front of them, shoulders stiff.

"This," she started, handing over her files, "is the financial report of the last quarter. Every expense accounted for. There are no irregularities."

Owusu looked through the pages one after the other, nodding slowly. "Impressive," he muttered. Then looked up, eyes narrowed. "But how do you explain the drop in revenue last month?"

Zara straightened. "That was due to maintenance on the west wing, which was approved by corporate…”

Owusu raised a brow. "I see no approval form."

Her stomach dropped. She had submitted that form months ago. Before she could speak, Leo's voice cut through the air.

"It was approved," he said firmly, eyes still on the papers. "I saw the clearance myself."

Owusu turned to him. "You did?"

Leo nodded. "Yes. It's not Zara's fault if corporate misplaced a copy. The renovations increased our revenue by eight percent. You can check the financial report again."

The room went silent. Zara stared at Leo, stunned. He'd just defended her.

Owusu left the meeting satisfied but stern, "I'll be back in a month". Zara stood rooted to the spot as Leo gathered his things.

"Why did you do that?" she asked softly.

He looked at her, unreadable. "You were right. You've run this resort well. Not everyone here wants you to succeed, but I do."

"Why?" she whispered.

For a moment, his eyes softened. "Because I hate seeing talent wasted by politics."

He walked away before she could say anything.

A paper dropped from his file as he left. Zara picked it up but froze at the sight of what was in her hands. It had the Thorne Empire's logo on it.

Beneath it: “Quarterly field report — Ghana Division. Confidential. Prepared for Lucas Thorne."

It was signed in neat ink: Leo, but without a surname. Zara studied the signature carefully. She had seen it somewhere before.

She stood still as her hands shook "Thorne Empire?" she whispered.

Everything made sense now— his calm confidence, his authority, his mysterious phone calls, his early arrival.

"Is he really the heir?"

She folded it quickly, stuffing it into her folder and dashed out to her office.

From somewhere down the hallway, she heard footsteps — his voice, faint but distinct.

"Send the report to New York. No, not yet. She's smarter than we thought."

Zara's heart pounded.

The memory of the blackout scene flashed through her mind, but this time, there were no smiles in sight; rather, panic. The same hand that walked her through the dark is holding her career?

Her lips trembled. She closed her eyes, and hot tears dropped. Her heart sank in. Was there more trouble coming for her than she had seen and assumed?