LOGINShare
Chapter Nine – Rumors
publish date:
2026-01-27 15:50:00Rumors did not explode.
They seeped.
Like poison through water.
Slow.
Invisible.
Deadly.
By mid-morning, Reed Holdings’ internal forums were buzzing.
At first, it was vague.
Did you hear about unusual transactions last year?
Someone requested a special audit on the overseas accounts.
Apparently a large amount of money was moved using shell companies.
No names were mentioned.
But everyone knew where to look.
Mark Collins’ division handled overseas investments.
Mark sat in his office staring at his computer screen.
Three unread emails from compliance.
Two missed calls from a junior director.
A message from Lily:
Something is wrong.
Mark’s fingers tightened.
He opened the compliance email.
Subject: Request for clarification – Transfer Batch #7783
His heart pounded.
They were already digging into specific records.
Too fast.
This wasn’t random.
Someone was guiding this.
Mark grabbed his jacket and stormed out of his office.
Ten minutes later, he was in Lily’s apartment.
She opened the door looking pale.
“Mark,” she whispered.
He walked inside and shut the door.
“Tell me everything.”
Lily swallowed.
“This morning, two minor shareholders contacted me. They asked about the stability of Reed Holdings’ overseas investments.”
Mark cursed under his breath.
“Who leaked it?”
Lily shook her head.
“I don’t know. But someone sent them anonymous documents. Not complete files. Just fragments.”
Mark’s blood turned cold.
Fragments.
Someone had their data.
But not everything.
Which meant—
Someone was testing.
“Did they see our names?” Mark asked.
Lily shook her head quickly.
“No. But if the audit deepens…”
She didn’t finish.
They both knew the ending.
Prison.
Ruined reputations.
Total collapse.
Mark paced the living room.
“This can’t be Ava,” he muttered.
“She doesn’t understand finance.”
Lily hesitated.
“Mark… are you absolutely sure?”
Mark stopped.
His mind replayed Ava offering her bag.
Her calm face.
Her obedient tone.
“She’s weak,” Mark said.
“She always has been.”
Lily bit her lip.
“People who seem weak sometimes hide very well.”
Mark snapped.
“Enough. Don’t plant ideas.”
Lily lowered her head.
But doubt lingered.
Mark exhaled slowly.
“We need to delete everything remaining.”
Lily’s eyes widened.
“Now?”
“Now.”
Lily hesitated.
“If we touch records during an audit, that looks suspicious.”
Mark clenched his jaw.
“Leaving them is worse.”
Silence fell.
Finally, Lily nodded.
“Tonight.”
At Kane Estate, Ava sat with Lucas reviewing real-time monitoring.
Lucas’s screen showed encrypted activity logs.
“They’re accessing hidden folders,” Lucas said.
“Good,” Ava replied calmly.
Lucas glanced at her.
“You expected this.”
“They’re predictable,” Ava said.
“When cornered, they destroy evidence.”
Lucas smiled faintly.
“And when they destroy evidence…”
“They leave fingerprints.”
Lucas nodded.
“Our system is already mirroring their deletions.”
Ava watched lines of code scroll.
Every erased file was being captured.
Every timestamp logged.
Every account recorded.
Perfect.
Ava’s phone vibrated.
A message from Mark:
Are you free for dinner tonight?
Ava replied:
Yes.
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
“He’s seeking comfort.”
“He’s seeking reassurance,” Ava said.
Lucas leaned back.
“Do you ever feel conflicted?”
Ava didn’t hesitate.
“No.”
Lucas studied her face.
“There’s no hesitation in your eyes.”
Ava replied quietly.
“They killed me once.”
Lucas fell silent.
That evening, Ava met Mark at a quiet restaurant.
Mark looked tired.
He forced a smile.
“Ava, you’ve lost weight.”
Ava lowered her eyes.
“I’ve been stressed.”
Mark reached across the table and held her hand.
“I’ll take care of everything.”
Ava nodded.
“I trust you.”
The words fed exactly what Mark needed.
He leaned closer.
“Ava… if anything happens… will you stay by my side?”
Ava looked into his eyes.
“Yes.”
Mark felt a strange sense of comfort.
He didn’t notice the emptiness behind Ava’s gaze.
After dinner, Mark walked Ava to her car.
“Come home tonight,” he said.
Ava shook her head gently.
“I promised Aunt Kane I’d stay.”
Mark hesitated.
Then nodded.
“Okay.”
He kissed her forehead.
Ava did not flinch.
As she drove away, her phone vibrated.
Lucas:
They started deleting files.
Ava:
Log everything.
Lucas:
Already done.
Ava smiled faintly.
The trap was closing.
Slowly.
Perfectly.
Latest chapter
Reborn as the CEO’s Contract Wife Chapter Eighteen – A Choice
The night was quiet at Kane Estate, the kind of stillness that carried both reflection and possibility. Ava stood on the balcony, looking down at the city’s endless web of lights. Each flicker reminded her of the lives intertwined with Reed Holdings—the employees, the shareholders, the families unknowingly affected by power, greed, and ambition. Her mind, however, was no longer caught in the chaos of revenge or fear of betrayal. Those days were over. Now, clarity ruled every thought. She had reclaimed her life, her power, and her dignity. Mark Collins and Lily Reed were contained, their schemes dismantled, and the company’s operations secured under her careful, unassailable guidance. Yet despite the victory, a subtle emptiness lingered, one she had not anticipated. Triumph in the material sense had been hers for days, but the personal—emotional, human connection—was still a terrain she had yet to navigate.Lucas Kane stepped onto the balcony, his
Reborn as the CEO’s Contract Wife Chapter Seventeen – Aftermath
The city woke to headlines that would never be forgotten: “Reed Holdings in Shock: Majority Shareholder Ava Reed Takes Control,” “Mark Collins and Lily Reed Suspended Amid Fraud Investigation,” “Corporate Scandal Unfolds: Shareholders Demand Answers.” News channels dissected every possible angle. Analysts speculated on the downfall of one of the most influential executives in the financial sector, while social media exploded with discussions, memes, and conspiracy theories. Ava Reed watched from her office atop the skyscraper that once symbolized her defeat. She did not celebrate. She did not revel. Instead, she observed quietly, sipping her tea, scanning the messages, the news alerts, the emails of congratulation, fear, and inquiry flooding her inbox. Every reaction confirmed one undeniable fact: the world had finally been forced to recognize her, not as the victim, but as the architect of justice and power.Investors called immediately. S
Reborn as the CEO’s Contract Wife Chapter Sixteen – New Queen
Reed Holdings’ headquarters had not changed, yet everything felt different. The same towering glass building pierced the skyline, the same marble floors reflected polished shoes, the same employees moved through the halls with tablets and files in hand—but the invisible hierarchy had shifted. Power had changed hands. And everyone knew it. Ava Reed walked through the main entrance with calm, unhurried steps, flanked by two legal advisors and Lucas Kane. Conversations died the moment she passed. Heads lowered. Eyes followed her with a mixture of awe, fear, and curiosity. Only days ago, she had been whispered about as a disgraced woman who survived on charity. Now, she was the majority shareholder of Reed Holdings.Inside the executive boardroom, the remaining directors were already seated. Some wore forced smiles. Others couldn’t hide their unease. The empty chairs where Mark Collins and Lily Reed once sat were glaring reminders of how fragile power truly was.
Reborn as the CEO’s Contract Wife Chapter Fifteen – The Confrontation
The detention center smelled of disinfectant and despair. The kind of place where hope quietly went to die. Ava walked through the sterile corridor with steady steps, her heels clicking softly against the tiled floor. A guard escorted her to a private visitation room separated by thick glass and a metal table bolted to the floor. On the other side of the glass sat Mark Collins. Gone was the polished executive, the confident manipulator, the man who once believed the world bent at his will. His hair was unkempt, his eyes bloodshot, his suit replaced by a dull gray detention uniform. He looked smaller. Older. Broken.When he saw Ava, his body stiffened.For a long moment, neither of them spoke.Then Mark laughed hoarsely. “So… you came to see me.” His voice carried bitterness, disbelief, and something close to desperation. “To enjoy the view?”Ava sat down calmly. “No. I came to close something.”Mark grippe
Reborn as the CEO’s Contract Wife Chapter Fourteen – Checkmate
The boardroom of Reed Holdings had never felt heavier. The massive glass table reflected the tense faces of executives, shareholders, and legal advisors seated around it. No one spoke loudly. Even breathing felt intrusive. At the head of the table, Mark Collins sat stiffly, his hands folded together, his knuckles white. Lily sat beside him, her makeup flawless, but unable to hide the fear in her eyes. Across from them sat representatives from compliance, internal audit, and two external law firms. The atmosphere was no longer corporate. It was judicial.The chairman cleared his throat. “This emergency meeting was convened due to a formal submission received early this morning.” He glanced at his tablet. “The submission contains extensive documentation of illegal financial activities, unauthorized offshore transfers, falsified reports, and internal manipulation of company audits.” His eyes lifted slowly. “The evidence directly implicates Vice Pres
Reborn as the CEO’s Contract Wife Chapter Thirteen – Collapse
Mark Collins paced his penthouse like a man possessed. The city skyline gleamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, a cold reminder that wealth and power offered no protection against exposure. His hands trembled, his mind raced, and every shadow in the room seemed to mock him. He couldn’t believe how quickly the world he had built was crumbling. One wrong move. One underestimated opponent. One woman.Lily Reed sat on the couch, pale and trembling. Her laptop was open, her fingers flying over the keyboard, but her eyes were wide with panic.“Mark…” she whispered. “It’s everywhere. Shareholders are calling. Compliance is auditing more than we anticipated. Even minor investors are asking questions.”Mark slammed his fist on the desk. “Stop panicking, Lily! We can still control this!”Lily shook her head. “No, Mark. You can’t. Ava… she’s gone beyond anything we’ve seen. S
You may also like
Satisfying Her Darkest Fantasies
Shile1.0M viewsOne Night Stand
Favor V April1.0M viewsMy Marriage Is A Contract
Marvy514.1K viewsOur Billion-Worth Twins
Velvet Antler610.6K viewsDaddy’s Hidden Desire
PRESHGOLD52 viewsShattered Lives
Author TM Pigatt 97 viewsBound by Contract, Owned by Hate
Nurulwrytss47 viewsSINFUL ADDICTION: Short Dirty Stories
Favouritelily5.4K views
