Heather returned to Genoa City in July 2007 to assist district attorney William Bardwell (Ted Shackelford) after he suffered a stroke. However, William dies shortly after and she is assigned all his cases, including the case against Jana Hawkes (Emily O'Brien), Phyllis Newman (Michelle Stafford), and one against opposing counsel Michael Baldwin's (Christian LeBlanc) brother Kevin Fisher (Greg Rikaart) and his friends, Daniel Romalotti (Michael Graziadei) and Amber Moore (Adrienne Frantz). Hoping to establish a connection with his daughter, Paul offers to assist her and decides to tell Heather the truth after much support from Maggie Sullivan, even though April doesn't want him to. Just before Paul tells her the truth, Heather learns of his involvement in the case against Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown), but she decides to forgive him and they slowly start to establish a connection as father and daughter. Heather is later surprised to learn that her old college professor, Adrian Korbel (Eyal Podell), is in town. She is then assigned to prosecute tycoon Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) for the murder of Ji Min Kim, who constantly berates her for going up against him, even after the case is dropped and subsequently loses her job by Victor's orders. Heather contemplates leaving town, but is convinced by her father to remain in Genoa City. She gets a job at Jabot Cosmetics and starts a relationship with Victor's son, Adam Newman (Chris Engen).