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31: Rumors, Reactions, and the First Crack
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2025-12-08 01:27:00
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The Billionaire's Contract Wife 122: The Evidence Drop
Grace didn’t sleep.She sat at the dining table long after midnight, the city lights blinking beyond the glass like watchful eyes. The laptop in front of her glowed softly, illuminating the sharp calm that had settled over her. Fear still existed—but it no longer ruled her. It had crystallized into something far more dangerous.Resolve.Jordan stood by the window, phone pressed to his ear, voice low as he spoke to three different people across two continents. Every call tightened the net around Calder Hayes a little more.When he finally turned back to her, his expression was grave. “Once this goes live, there’s no pulling it back.”Grace nodded. “I know.”“This won’t just destroy him,” Jordan continued. “It will expose judges, senators, donors. People who will fight to survive.”Grace’s fingers hovered over the trackpad. “Then let them fight. I’ve been surviving my whole life.”Jordan crossed the room and rested his hands on the table, leaning close. “Say the word, and I’ll shut eve
The Billionaire's Contract Wife 121: Calder’s Last Move
Calder Hayes had never believed in losing.Not in business. Not in family. Not in war.So when the courtroom emptied and the murmurs of reporters faded into the marble halls, he did not retreat. He recalculated.From the back seat of his car, Calder stared through the tinted glass as Grace and Jordan disappeared into the swarm of cameras. His fingers rested calmly on the head of his cane, but his jaw was locked so tightly it ached. The girl—no, the woman—had stood in open court and dismantled him piece by piece.And worse… she hadn’t flinched.“Sir,” his attorney murmured carefully, “we need to prepare for the injunction hearing tomorrow.”Calder didn’t look at him. “No,” he said quietly. “We need to remind the world who pays the price for disobedience.”The attorney stiffened. “With respect, this is no longer a matter of influence. The evidence—”“—can be buried,” Calder snapped, finally turning his cold gaze on the man. “Evidence is only powerful when people are alive to present it
The Billionaire's Contract Wife 120: Testimony
The courtroom smelled of polished wood and sterile air. Every chair, every bench, every cold tile was a reminder that this was no longer just a fight between Grace and Calder—it was a war with rules, witnesses, and consequences.Grace’s heels clicked against the floor as she walked toward the stand. Her pulse raced, not from fear, but from the weight of knowing that every word she spoke could dismantle an empire built on lies. Jordan followed closely behind, a quiet sentinel, his presence grounding her with a steadying hand on the small of her back.The room fell silent as the judge gestured for her to take the oath. She raised her right hand, repeating the words: “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”The first question came from the prosecutor, calm but firm. “Ms. Hayes, can you describe the circumstances surrounding your mother’s disappearance?”Grace inhaled, steadying herself. “My mother uncovered financial misconduct at the Hayes Group. When int
The Billionaire's Contract Wife 119: The Price of Truth
Victory didn’t arrive with applause.It came quietly, in fragments—sealed envelopes, silent phone calls, doors that once opened without question now closing with deliberate care.Grace felt it first in the stillness.The city outside her apartment moved as always—traffic humming, lights blinking—but inside, the air felt heavier, as if the truth she had released was now pressing back against her chest.Jordan stood by the window, phone pressed to his ear, listening without interrupting. When he finally ended the call, he didn’t turn around immediately.“They’re preparing a formal request,” he said at last. “Federal prosecutors. Calder’s name is officially on it.”Grace nodded, as if she’d expected nothing else. “So it begins.”Jordan faced her. “It already has.”She sat at the kitchen table, fingers wrapped around a mug that had gone cold. For months—years—she had imagined this moment. The exposure. The reckoning. The end.She had not imagined the cost.Her phone buzzed again.A messag
The Billionaire's Contract Wife 118: When Empires Bleed
The first sign that Calder Hayes was wounded came not from a courtroom or a boardroom—but from the market.At exactly 9:32 a.m., the Hayes Group stock dipped three percent.By 9:47, it was down seven.By ten o’clock, the word freefall was being whispered on every financial network in the country.Grace watched the numbers slide across the massive screen in the conference suite, her coffee untouched beside her. The red arrows felt surreal—like watching a giant stumble in slow motion.“Trading desks are panicking,” one of Jordan’s analysts said from across the room. “Institutional investors are pulling back. Nobody wants to be the last one holding his name.”Jordan leaned against the table, arms folded, eyes cold and focused. “This is only the opening bleed.”Grace exhaled slowly. “Calder won’t stay quiet.”As if summoned by her words, her phone buzzed.An alert.HAYES GROUP RELEASES OFFICIAL STATEMENTJordan reached for the remote, projecting the press release onto the wall.The langua
The Billionaire's Contract Wife 117: The Moment of Exposure
The studio lights were unforgiving.They burned hot against Grace’s skin, a harsh contrast to the calm she forced herself to project. Beyond the glass walls of the broadcast room, producers moved with urgent precision—headsets on, fingers flying across keyboards, voices lowered but frantic. Screens flickered endlessly with news feeds, social media alerts, and legal disclaimers scrolling in red.Everything was ready.And everything could still go wrong.Grace folded her hands in her lap to keep them from shaking. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, loud enough that she feared it might be picked up by the microphone clipped to her collar.Across from her, the anchor studied her with professional composure, eyes sharp with curiosity and caution.“Once we go live,” the anchor said gently, “there’s no pulling this back.”Grace nodded once. “I know.”Behind the camera—just out of frame—Jordan stood perfectly still. His presence grounded her more than any deep breath ever could. She didn’t
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