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CHAPTER 23: PROTECTIVE MEASURES
publish date:
2026-07-30 13:02:25
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BREAKING THE RULES CHAPTER 27: TRUST AND DOUBT
RICHARDBenjamin walks into my office with a concerned expression."We have a problem.""What kind of problem?""Someone's been accessing your personal files. Financial records, private correspondence. Everything.""Who?""We don't know yet. IT is trying to trace it but whoever it is knows what they're doing."This can't be happening again. We just got past the last crisis."When did this start?""About two weeks ago. Small intrusions at first, then bigger ones. They're looking for something specific.""Like what?""If I had to guess? Dirt. Something they can use against you."I immediately think of the anonymous text Evelyn received months ago. "This is far from over.""I need a full security audit. Change all passwords, review all access logs. Find out who's doing this."Over the next week, IT works around the clock. They trace the intrusions to an IP address in LA but it's a public wifi, untraceable to a specific person."Whoever this is knows how to cover their tracks," the securi
BREAKING THE RULES CHAPTER 26: CAREER CROSSROADS
EVELYNI'm in a board meeting when my phone buzzes with an emergency call from Emma's daycare."Miss Hart, Emma has a fever. You need to come pick her up.""I'll be right there."I excuse myself from the meeting and rush to get Emma. She's flushed and crying, clearly miserable."Poor baby," I coo, carrying her to the car.At home, I take her temperature. One hundred and three. I call the pediatrician."Bring her in. We want to check her out."Richard meets us at the doctor's office. Emma has an ear infection, nothing serious but she needs antibiotics and rest."Someone should stay home with her for a few days," the doctor recommends.Richard and I look at each other."I have a huge presentation tomorrow," I say."And I have a board meeting I can't miss."The doctor looks between us. "Figure it out. She needs a parent, not a nanny, right now."In the car, we discuss options."I can reschedule the board meeting," Richard offers."No, you're the chairman. You need to be there. I'll cance
BREAKING THE RULES CHAPTER 25: NEW THREATS
RICHARDThree months after the threatening text, life has returned to normal. Evelyn and I are closer than ever. Emma is thriving. The company is stable under Benjamin's leadership.Then I get a call from Anthony Blake."Mister Westwood, I need to talk to you. It's important.""What is it, Anthony?""Not over the phone. Can we meet?"We meet at a coffee shop. Anthony looks troubled, older than his twenty seven years."Thank you for seeing me.""What's this about?""My father. Before he died, he set things in motion. Plans to destroy you. I just found out about them.""What kind of plans?""He hired someone. I don't know who. But he paid them a lot of money to ruin your life. I found the paperwork going through his estate.""When was this?""About a year ago. Before he went to prison. He knew he was going down so he made contingency plans.""Do you know what this person is supposed to do?""No. The paperwork is vague. But Richard, my father was thorough. If he hired someone, they're st
BREAKING THE RULES CHAPTER 24: STANDING TOGETHER
EVELYNI watch Richard fall apart slowly over the next few weeks. The investigation consumes him. He's barely sleeping, barely eating, just working to clear his name."You need to take care of yourself," I tell him after finding him asleep at his desk at four AM."I'm fine.""You're not fine. Richard, you're going to make yourself sick.""I have to fix this. My company, my reputation, everything I've built is at stake.""I know. But you're no good to anyone if you collapse."He looks at me, exhausted and defeated."What if I can't fix it? What if this ruins everything?""Then we start over. Richard, you've built an empire once. You can do it again.""I'm forty three years old. I don't know if I have another empire in me.""You do. But right now, you need to focus on getting through this investigation."The SEC investigation drags on. Every transaction is examined, every email reviewed. It's invasive and exhausting.Meanwhile, the media has a field day. Every day, there's a new article
BREAKING THE RULES CHAPTER 23: PROTECTIVE MEASURES
RICHARDI stare at the photo, rage building inside me. Sylvia was at the park. She was watching my family. She was close enough to Emma to take this picture."I'm calling the police," I tell Evelyn."What good will that do? They'll say it's not a direct threat.""I don't care. I want this documented."Detective Morrison comes to the house. She looks at the photo, her expression grim."This is concerning but you're right, it's not technically a threat. It's just a photo.""She's threatening my family!""I understand your frustration, Mister Westwood. But without explicit language, we can't arrest her for sending a photo.""So we just wait until she does something? Until she hurts someone?""We're monitoring her ankle bracelet. If she comes near you, we'll know."After the detective leaves, I make phone calls. First to my head of security."I want twenty four seven protection on my family. House, office, everywhere. I don't care what it costs.""Consider it done."Next, I call my lawyer
BREAKING THE RULES CHAPTER 22: BALANCING ACT
EVELYNEmma is six months old and I'm drowning. Between running my company, being a mother, and trying to maintain my relationship with Richard, I feel like I'm failing at everything."You need to hire more help," Tonia says, finding me in my office at nine PM, still working while pumping breast milk."I have help. We have a nanny.""I mean at work. You're doing too much. You have fifteen employees now. Delegate.""I do delegate.""No, you micromanage and then fix everything yourself. That's not delegating."She's right but I don't want to admit it.When I get home, Richard is on the floor playing with Emma. She's giggling, reaching for his face."Hey. You're late.""I know. Sorry. Work was crazy.""You said you'd be home by seven. I held dinner."Guilt washes over me. "I'm sorry. I lost track of time."Richard picks up Emma and stands. "She's been fed and bathed. I'm putting her down now."His voice is polite but distant. We've been like this for weeks, polite strangers sharing a hou
BREAKING THE RULES CHAPTER 2: BROKEN GLASS
EVELYN"Get out." The words come out of my mouth, but they do not sound like my voice. They sound cold and dead.Anthony scrambles out of bed, wrapping the sheet around his waist. "Evelyn, wait, let me explain.""Explain what? Explain how my fiancé is sleeping with my cousin? In our bed?"Sylvia st
BREAKING THE RULES CHAPTER 1: THE SURPRISE
EVELYN"So then the model trips on the runway, right in front of Vogue's editor, and I swear my life flashed before my eyes," Tonia's voice crackles through my phone.I try to focus on what she is saying but my mind keeps drifting. The taxi weaves through Los Angeles traffic, and I clutch the gift
BREAKING THE RULES CHAPTER 5: CLAIMING WHAT'S MINE
RICHARDI watch the elevator doors close behind Evelyn. I gave myself ten seconds to remember Thursday night. Her skin under my hands. The sounds she made. The way she looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered.Then I lock it down and turn back toward my office. Benjamin is waiting for m
BREAKING THE RULES CHAPTER 4: COLLISION
EVELYNMonday morning arrives too quickly. I spent the entire weekend preparing for the Westwood presentation, trying not to think about the fact that I will be seeing Richard again but I couldn't stop thinking about him.Tonia attempted to convince me it would be fine, that Richard is a businessma
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