The True Heiress's Return

Shakira finally accepted the truth-she couldn't expect Walter to say anything nice.

Seeing her sulking but not daring to say anything, Walter couldn't help but feel a bit satisfied. A rare smile flickered on his lips as he said, "Take me to the study." "Okay," Shakira said, rolling her eyes discreetly. He thinks he can boss me around, huh?" Then a mischievous thought popped into her head, and she cleared her throat. "What do you want for dinner, Mr. Lopez?" "Just a main dish is is fine," Walter replied, glancing at her. "Did you learn to cook in Belaris?" Shakira shrugged. "Sort of. It's easy."

Her tone was light, but the truth was a bit darker. Back when she lived with the Smith family, she'd desperately tried to win their attention. She would grocery shop, cook, and study hard, thinking that if she did well enough, they might be happy- maybe even notice her. But no matter how much effort she put in, they stayed indifferent and treated her like a servant. When she finally found out she wasn't even their biological child, she thought it wasn't her fault. She'd just mistook them for "family."

After everything, Shakira had hoped the Nelson family would reignite her dreams. But unfortunately, they turned out to be another dead end.

A bitter

r smile appeared on Shakira's face-thanks to the Smith family, she had gained some skills during her time in Belaris.

Just as she sank deeper into her musings, Walter studied her reflection in the mirror. He noticed her drifting away, her usual boldness faded to a dull gray, as if the world had turned its back on her. An unexpected annoyance bubbled up inside him. As Walter realized his mood had shifted because of Shakira, his expression darkened. "Shakira, go clean Baby Fishy's pond."

"Uh?" Shakira blinked, snapping back to back to reality as she met his gaze. It It took her a a moment t to process his his words.

"You're calling that massive lake, which is bigger than two football fields, a pond?" She stared at him, wondering if he learned geography from a gym teacher.

Without even looking her way, Walter wheeled himself out of the elevator. "You chose to be my servant. If you don't like it, then leave."

"Hey! I stick to ! I stick to my word!" Shakira shot him the finger behind his back. She couldn't help but wonder, 'What's wrong with this guy? One minute he seems fine, and the next, he is a total jerk!' The rest of the

of the afternoon passed as she scrambled around the so-called "pond." She couldn't get back at Walter, but could she deal with a crocodile?

The sunny afternoon morphed into Baby Fishy's worst nightmare. The poor crocodile, with its hefty body, could only hide in the tall grass, quaking in fear while Shakira chased it around. Meanwhile, Walter sat in the study, running an international meeting, sipping coffee, and enjoying the view of the frantic Shakira from the surveillance feed.

Shakira's frustration simmered until dinner. She rolled the food cart over, announcing, "Mr. Lopez, dinner's ready."

Walter glanced down at the meal-all simple, homestyle fare. He nodded. "Thanks for your hard work."

Shakira replied with a smirk, "Not hard work-just hard life."

The other servants struggled to hold back their laughter. Even Levi fought to contain a smile.

<

Ever since Walter returned from his incident, the villa had been full-dreary and cold like an empty castle. But since Shakira showed up, everything had changed. Walter was now capable of anger, laughter, and even playful teasing-it was how a living person should be. Levi wiped away a tear that had formed in the corner of his eye as he felt a gentle nudge at his side. He turned to see a servant looking horrified, gesturing frantically at him. Confused Levi followed their gaze, and instantly, his face went pale.

Walter had just popped something white into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed. He frowned-the taste was savory, with a chewy and crunchy texture, but there was also an indescribable odor. He pointed to the dish and asked Shakira, "What is this?" Shakira blinked and replied cheekily, "Did you like it?"

"It's okay, but the taste is a bit odd," he said, trying another piece

Levi and the others exchanged nervous looks, but none of them dared to say a word.

Shakira smiled as she watched him swallow. "That's kinda the point. It's pig intestines-basically what they use to store waste. The smell might be because I didn't clean it well enough."

Walter's expression changed dramatically. But before he could explode, Shakira turned and bolted out of the room.

Levi and the others rushed to Walter's side. "Drink some soup, Mr. Lopez. Don't get mad."

Even as she ran off, Shakira turned back to shout, "You never said you didn't eat offal. Just a heads-up-there are pig intestines in that soup too."

Walter, who had just taken a sip of soup, felt a surge of rage, his handsome face contorting into an almost monstrous expression. His voice echoed throughout the villa. "Shakira Nelson!"

*****

The next morning, before Walter woke up, Shakira slipped out of Eastlake Valley Estate quietly. She had overheard the servants chatting about how Walter had thrown a fit the night before, spending nearly half an hour brushing his teeth. Shakira had shuddered. 'Goodness, I never thought Walter would be such a neat freak. Luckily, he didn't come looking for me. Maybe just seeing me reminds him of those pig intestines and their contents?'

gross

Just then, her phone buzzed with a new text. Shaking her head, she opened it and found it from Sean: [Everything's ready.]

Shakira replied: [I'm on my way.] She glanced out the window, her eyes narrowing.

Not long after she left, Walter's internal clock woke him right at 7 AM. He opened his eyes and instinctively scanned the

room.

"Mr. Lopez," Brian knocked and entered. Noticing Walter's peculiar expression, he hesitated for a moment before saying carefully, "Ms. Nelson left earlier this morning."

Walter's brows knitted together, irritation radiating from him. "I told you, I don't want to hear about her."

He pushed himself up, and his displeasure only grew. "Does she really think she can come and go as she pleases from the Lopez residence?"

Brian kept his gaze low. After a moment, Walter's gravelly voice broke the silence. "Where did she go?"

"Uh, Ms. Nelson took a half-day off with Levi-said she had something to take care of."

Walter fell silent, giving Brian a piercing look.

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<Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Hesitantly, Brian added, "Should I go look for her?"

Now left. quickly Walter didn't

as a sign and object, and Brian took Ms. Nelson or not? Lately, his feelings seem more complicated than ever!

that

he was

really

confused. 'Does

Mr. Lopez

want

to see

In the heart of Crescentville's new CBD, towering twin skyscrapers reached for the clouds, standing out prominently in the steel city. Their luxurious, sleek elegance was hard to ignore, drawing the attention of everyone around.