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Chapter 22: Public Humiliation
Tanggal publikasi:
2025-09-29 13:55:56
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Contract Marriage: The Heiress Returns Chapter 25: Between Loyalty and Fear
The boardroom was an arena. Long glass walls reflected faces sharpened by suspicion, and the polished oak table gleamed like a stage light trained on the woman standing at its head. Lisa straightened her blazer, her file of reports in hand, but her palms were slick with sweat.It was the third meeting in a week, and the murmurs hadn’t stopped. Rumors, leaked numbers, whispers of mismanagement spread like fire, and today, she was the one expected to douse the flames.“I assure you,” Lisa began, forcing her voice to remain steady, “the numbers you’ve seen in the press are false. Our real projections remain strong. Revenues from the Greenstone Project have not collapsed. In fact….”A director with silver hair and narrowed eyes cut her off. “Then how do you explain the discrepancy? The press doesn’t invent figures out of thin air, Mrs. Hale.”Heat rose in her chest, but she pressed forward. “I have with me the authenticated data. The problem is not in the projects; it’s in the leaks.” She
Contract Marriage: The Heiress Returns Chapter 24: The Cracks in Trust
Morning sunlight bled into the glass walls of Lisa’s office, casting long streaks across the mahogany table. The golden rays did nothing to soften the tension in the air. The front page of the business section lay sprawled before her, bold black letters screaming:“Scandal Brews at Hale Industries: Inaccurate Reports Suggest Collapse in Projects.”Her hand tightened on the paper until it crumpled. She could almost hear the laughter of the board members, see Dane’s smirk echoing from the gala, as if fate refused to let her catch her breath.“This is deliberate,” Lisa muttered, her voice sharp with contained fury. “Someone inside leaked these numbers. False numbers. They’re trying to ruin me…..” She broke off, her chest rising and falling as though each word required too much strength.Joseph stood by the window, listening. He hadn’t touched the coffee she ordered for him. His silence wasn’t disinterest, it was patience, letting her burn the edges of her anger before he spoke. Finally,
Contract Marriage: The Heiress Returns Chapter 23: After The Gala
The first gulp of whiskey burned its way down her throat, searing her chest, but the second came easier too easily. Her hand shook as she lifted the glass for a third, desperate for the numbness it promised.But the glass never made it to her lips. A firm hand caught it, tugging it away.“You don’t need a drink, Lisa.” Joseph’s voice was low but unyielding. “You need to rest.”She looked up, startled, into his steady green eyes. He stood in front of her, glass still clutched in his hand, his jaw set with quiet authority.“You don’t know that.” The words flew out sharper than she meant, her voice trembling. “I need it. I need something to calm my nerves.”Her shoulders quaked under the weight of the night. She had survived the gala, she had stood her ground. She had silenced Dane at least for the moment. But victory felt hollow now, leaving only fear in its wake.“What do you think, Joseph?” she pressed, words tumbling out as her chest tightened. “Do you think Dane will stop after toni
Contract Marriage: The Heiress Returns Chapter 22: Public Humiliation
The ballroom glittered with polished glass and golden light, but Lisa felt the weight of a hundred eyes on her with every step she took. She had barely taken a sip of champagne when Dane’s voice rose above the music.“Ladies and gentlemen!” The clinking of his glass rang out like a bell of doom. The crowd quieted, heads turning toward him, toward her. Lisa’s pulse spiked. She knew that tone mockery laced with charm, the kind of performance that made poison taste sweet.Dane strode into the center of the room, his grin stretched too wide. “A toast,” he declared, lifting his glass high. “To our radiant CEO, Lisa. The woman of the hour, the woman… of temporary power.”A ripple of laughter shot through the crowd. Lisa’s spine stiffened, but she forced her expression to remain calm, unreadable.Dane continued, savoring every word. “Oh, don’t look so surprised, the news travels fast. Isn’t it fascinating how the board moves quietly, preparing for change? Preparing, perhaps, for new leadersh
Contract Marriage: The Heiress Returns Chapter 21: The Gala Began
The chandeliers blazed overhead, their crystal arms scattering light across the ballroom like fragments of a thousand watchful eyes. The air shimmered with perfume, polished laughter, and the sharp clink of champagne glasses. Behind every smile, Lisa could hear the whispers low, hissing currents that twisted through the crowd like smoke.“She won’t last the year, the board has already lost faith.”Lisa’s heels struck the marble floor with deliberate rhythm, her back straight, chin high, every step a silent battle cry against the doubts that trailed her. But still, her stomach tightened with every glance thrown her way, every subtle shake of the head among board members gathered in small, judging circles.At her side, Joseph matched her stride perfectly. Impeccable in his tailored suit, he was more than a shadow, he was a shield. When he quietly bent his arm toward her, offering it without a word, Lisa hesitated only a breath before taking it. His hand was steady, warm, unyielding, an
Contract Marriage: The Heiress Returns Chapter 20: Gala Loom
The press releases for the upcoming annual gala stacked higher than the files on Lisa’s already cluttered desk. The gala was supposed to be a showcase of triumph, a night to reaffirm the company’s legacy under her leadership. Instead, it felt like a battlefield being polished for her public execution.Whispers followed her wherever she walked, she caught fragments of the gossip in the breakroom, in elevators, even in the corridors outside the boardroom. Dane’s coming, he’s going to make his move. She won’t last the night after this, she didn't know what to do if this turns out to be true.The thought of seeing her ex husband left a huge knot in her stomach. Lisa huffed as she thought about it, he had made himself quite popular in ruining her name and now he tends to follow her to the one gala that could save her company's reputation.What an Idiot! She hated his guts.And she tried not to allow any of the whispers to affect her, she totally ignored them with every ounce of strength s
Contract Marriage: The Heiress Returns Chapter 4: Hello, Mrs Bronson
Lisa stood in front of the luxurious restaurant where she would be having her date with her so-called fiancé whom she had never met. She had only heard of him once when her father had rejected her marriage to Dane. He had told her she had a fiancé from a young age and it was the son of his best fr
Contract Marriage: The Heiress Returns Chapter 3: The Heiress Returns
“You’re a disgrace to the Morgan family! Get out!” Lisa stood in front of her father with her head bowed low as she listened to him rage. She didn't say a word no matter how she was insulted. She wasn't a kid anymore and life had taught her patience. The young her, had been so arrogant, hot-head
Contract Marriage: The Heiress Returns Chapter Two: A Drunken Night
Lisa’s car drove on the highway, her eyes which were focused on the road suddenly turned red and teary, she swallowed and tried to keep her emotions in check but it wasn’t just working. Suddenly, she swerved her car to the side of the road then turned the engine off before falling on the steering
Contract Marriage: The Heiress Returns Chapter 1: Divorce
Lisa was about to cause a scene, something she had never thought she would do but found herself in the situation. Her face remained expressionless with her eyes fixed on the hotel entrance, three seconds later, she checked her phone and a small sneer appeared on the corner of her lips, “Just abou
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