The Untouchable Heiress He Regrets Losing

The Unveiling

Zara�s POV

�Please come with me, ma�am,� a hotel staffer said, his voice calm but professional as he gestured towards a private. The soft carpet rubbed my heels as I followed him down the hallway. The crystal chandeliers above us glittered like constellations, reminding me of just how high the stakes were tonight.

As I approached the room, my breath hitched slightly, not from nerves but sheer disbelief.

Standing there, where I didn�t expect him to be, was Zane.

For a moment, I froze. The man I once gave my heart to�the man who shattered it like it didn�t matter- was here. Not that I still felt something for him. I did not. The sight of him didn�t hurt. It didn�t weaken my knees or twist my stomach like it used to. Instead, it steadied me and grounded my resolve. He was nothing more than a symbol of hate, betrayal, and greed- a ghost of the woman I used to be.

I had healed, or so I�d like to tell myself.

Just then, Mia rushed in, slightly breathless from walking quickly in heels, �Miss Zara, these are the questions for the panel session,� she said as she handed me my tablet.�

I scanned the pages but didn�t see what I was looking for. None of them would make Zane squirm in his seat. I needed to answer a question I knew would shock Zane, and that mistress turned wife of his. Because tonight wasn�t just business. It was vindication.�

I need to make him regret losing me before I begin to destroy him and take everything he has.�

Mia returned to the event host to deliver the modifications I asked for.�

She forgot to leave my tablet with me.

As I stepped out into the corridor to go retrieve it from her, an unwanted figure appeared in front of me again.�

�Zara?� His voice was low, incredulous, almost mocking. He scanned my body from head to toe, taking in every inch like he was trying to place who I had become. His brows furrowed as though my transformation shocked him.�

I rolled my eyes at him, trying to walk past him, but he was not done with me yet.

�What are you doing here?��

Without giving me a chance to speak, � Wait�don�t tell me. Which rich man are you trying to seduce around here?�

He chuckled, releasing an ugly shallow sound, � I couldn�t expect more from a nobody, written off by this city three years ago.� His voice laced with condescension.

�You must think you can regain favors in the eyes of the attendees tonight, but let me warn you, the people that'll be here tonight are high-profile people that could never blink twice at low lives like you,� he sneered, glancing towards the grand ballroom.

I stood there giving him a long, disappointed look. I wondered how someone couldn�t have changed a bit after such a long time.�

I shook my head at him and tried to make my way out of his presence, unwilling to waste more of my energy. I wasn�t ready for him. It wasn�t time. I also had to preserve the little energy I had left tonight

�Have you seen Leo?� I asked Mia as I approached her, trying to shift my focus. My so-called �fianc� was nowhere in sight.

Maybe he realized his proposal was too extreme and ridiculous, so he decided to call it off. Way to go, though.

I stood there in the lobby of the hotel, scanning the crowd, and trying to catch a glimpse of him. Then, I felt a presence behind me, warm and familiar.

��Missing me already, babe?�. His voice, teasing as he playfully placed his arms around my waist.

I turned back to him with a raised brow. �Babe?�

�Yes, babe,� he smirked. �People are watching. We have to make them believe this, right?� He locked eyes with mine.

Before I could remove myself from him, he leaned in, almost placing a kiss on my cheek. I quickly wrapped my arm around him in a side hug instead, before he could put me in an awkward position.�

He smiled softly. �This is pure business, Zara. You don�t need to feel uncomfortable�.

�It�s time, sir.� A young man in a suit called out to Leo.

Leo took my arm in his with a gentle but confident grip. �Don�t be afraid, I�m with you�. He said reassuringly.�

My smile deepened. �I�m not the one who should be afraid. They�re the ones who should be afraid�.

�Let�s get those riffraffs�, he said, his voice like silk laced with venom.

We were led into the grand ballroom filled with expensive-looking people. Chandeliers bathed the crowd in golden light. Diamonds sparkled on dresses, and glasses clinked softly with champagne. Every guest present was clearly at the top of their field. Cameras flashed and reporters whispered behind their laptops, and waiters were professionally stationed.

This was my life again, and I was mentally prepared for it.

My eyes narrowed as I saw Zane and his glittering second wife as they walked into the room

The host mounted the stage with theatrical flair. �Ladies and Gentlemen, highly esteemed guests�without further ado, let�s get into the most awaited moment of the year!�.

�Drum roll, please!�

�Welcome to the� Company Owners� and Investors� Annual Summit.� Following his statement was a roaring clap throughout the room.

�Let�s start by introducing our owners one by one, then we will have the panel session of the investors.�

�Are you ready?!� He screamed with everyone shouting �Yes� at the top of their voices.

I was more than irritated when Zane and his bitch of a wife were introduced as company owners and high-profile people. They beamed like royalty, completely unaware their world was about to crumble. Only if they knew, they wouldn�t have been smiling so much.

Later, it was time for the unveiling. Arm in arm with my fianc�, we were led to the front row. Every step echoed like prophecy.

�And to the moment we have been waiting for,� the host boomed. �It�s time to introduce our investors.��

�First on the list is someone new to the scene, and she goes by the pseudonym Z.S.�

�Z.S.?� The host looked around.

That was my cue.

I rose from my seat, my heels clicking with power as I slowly walked up to the stage. I intentionally scanned the crowd to make sure Zane had seen me. He looked so confused, his face pale, like he had seen a ghost. I smiled and waved at the crowd before taking my seat at the panel.

The other investors were called up, but the focus had shifted. Z.S. lit a fire in the room,

��Now we would begin the panel session. Thank you�. The host said.

�Is it true the startup you invested in last year is now valued at $1 billion, and your name is not even in the papers?�. He asked, turning to me.��

�Yes, and I plan to fund even more female-owned businesses this year,� I said proudly.

�Female?� the host blinked.

�Is there a reason why they must be female-owned?� He asked curiously.

I leaned into my seat slightly. �I am passionate about helping women who have nothing and are trying to build something up by themselves and for themselves.��

�Is there a story behind this passion?� He asks further.

�Yes�

I paused for a minute, just enough to be dramatic whilst turning my head in Zane�s direction. �Three years ago, I was married but brutally betrayed and cut off. I had to build myself up from scratch.�

Zane�s face was drained of colour. His wife stiffened beside him, loudly uncomfortable.

Zane looked at me as though begging me not to reveal his name and identity to the world.��

�Do you care to reveal who your ex might be?� the host asked.

I smiled softly.

Looking in Zane�s direction again, �He�He�would be revealed later,� I turned back to the host.�

�Okay. To my last question,� He scrolled to the end of the question page. He suddenly paused, his eyes widening.

�Is�is it true you�re the true heir to Smith Holdings?� He asked with so much shock written all over him.

The entire room gasped. Then murmurs filled the room.�

I chuckled and nodded my head gently.�

This time, many reporters rushed to the front with their cameras, trying to get a picture of me. The flash of their camera lit up like a thunderstorm. Murmurs had turned to chaos.

I shot Zane that look again. He stared hard at me with his eyeballs bulging like they were about to fall off. He looked like a man who�d seen his entire empire crumble in one night. His lips parted, but no words came out.

I locked eyes with him, raised my chin, and smiled�a smile sharp enough to cut through his skin.

Everyone rose as the event had come to an end, with the room filled with uproar at the shock that the true heiress of Smith Holdings was back.

And she was me.