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Chapter 69

Author: Naj
last update publish date: 2026-03-31 17:33:46

ETHAN’S POV

A doctor appeared in the doorway of the ICU.

We stepped outside.

He spoke quietly to Isabella in French. She listened without interrupting, then nodded.

“I’ll be right back,” she said.

I watched her follow him down the corridor until they disappeared into an office.

Then I was alone.

I stayed where I was, standing outside Brahms’s room, watching through the glass. Machines surrounded his bed, tracking every fragile function, his breathing, his heartbeat, everything keeping him alive
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  • The CEO’s Contract Bride   Chapter 103

    ISABELLA’S POV The emergency board meeting notice had arrived at midnight. Formal language. Urgent attendance required. Leadership review.By 8:45, every member of the board was already seated.Waiting.I entered the room with Lucia beside me.No one spoke immediately.That silence told me enough.Samuel sat near the center of the table instead of at the far end this time. He looked calm.The chairman looked toward Samuel.“You requested this vote. You may begin.”Samuel stood slowly.“I do not make this request lightly,” he said calmly. “Isabella Moretti has contributed significantly to this company. Her work with Moretti Luxe and ISMARA has strengthened our global position considerably.”His voice carried evenly through the room.Every sentence balanced carefully.That made it worse.I watched several board members nod slightly.Samuel continued.“However, leadership is not judged only during successful periods. It is judged during instability.”There it was.He turned slightly to

  • The CEO’s Contract Bride   Chapter 102

    ETHAN’S POV I found out through Caleb.He did not say it directly at first. He eased into it like it was normal conversation.“Isabella’s under pressure,” Caleb said during a late call.I set the phone down for a second and looked out the window. “What kind of pressure?” I asked.Caleb did not answer immediately.That told me more than words.“She’s dealing with board issues at Moretti Corp. Internal instability. Samuel is targeting her position.”I exhaled once.“Is she handling it?”A pause.“She says she is.”That was Isabella.I ended the call after that. Not because I was done listening, but because I already knew what I needed to do.~~~~~The next morning I caught her just before she left.“Isabella–”“I’m busy,” she said immediately.“I know,” I replied. “But I need to talk.”“I don’t have time for long conversations, Ethan.”“Then it won’t be long.”A pause.“Go ahead.”“I heard about Moretti Corp.”Silence.Then, carefully, “From who?”“Caleb.”Another pause.“I’m fine.”“

  • The CEO’s Contract Bride   Chapter 101

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  • The CEO’s Contract Bride   Chapter 100

    ISABELLA’S POV The board meeting ended but Samuel’s words stayed in the room even after everyone stood up. Not because they were loud. Because they were placed carefully enough that no one could ignore them.Doubt was now part of the conversation.I left the conference room with Lucia walking beside me. In the elevator, Lucia pressed the button for the lobby and leaned slightly back against the wall.“That went exactly how he wanted,” she said.I didn’t answer immediately.My hands were still folded. Still controlled.“It didn’t collapse,” I said.“That’s not the goal,” Lucia replied. “The goal is erosion. Small questions. Repeated often enough that they start to feel like facts.”The elevator moved quietly between floors.I stared at the doors.“He wants the board to doubt my judgment.”“He already planted it,” Lucia said. “Now he just needs time.”The doors opened. We walked out together.The lobby felt too bright after the room we just left.Lucia stopped walking near the entran

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    ISABELLA’S POV The statement went live at 8:03 AM.By 8:05, my phone started vibrating.Press requests. Investor inquiries. Media alerts. Messages from the board.I stood in the dressing room of the penthouse, staring at my reflection while Lucia monitored the response from her tablet.“Read it again,” I said.Lucia looked up. “You memorized it.”“Read it anyway.”She sighed softly but obeyed.“Mr. Ethan Dexter and Mrs. Isabella Moretti-Dexter confirm that they share a son, Brahms Moretti-Dexter, whose recent medical treatment required privacy and temporary withdrawal from public engagements. The family appreciates the concern shown during this period and asks for continued respect regarding their child’s health and privacy.”She lowered the tablet.“It’s controlled. Clean. Minimal. Exactly what we agreed on.”Minimal.That was the point.No age. No timeline. No details about Paris. No explanation for why no one knew the child existed.Just enough truth to stop speculation before the

  • The CEO’s Contract Bride   Chapter 98

    SOPHIA'S POV The club was exclusive. The kind of place where powerful people handled problems quietly.I arrived at seven and was led straight to a private room.Samuel Moretti was already there."Ms. Vale," he said. "This is unexpected.""Mr. Moretti. Thank you for meeting me.""You said you had a proposition that benefits us both.”“I do.”I sat across from him and waited until the server left.Then I got straight to the point.Then I laid it out. Simply. Directly."I want to destroy Isabella Moretti's reputation. You want her out of the family company. We can help each other."Something flickered in his eyes.“What makes you think I want Isabella removed?”“I did my research. You’ve wanted control of Moretti Luxe Group for years. Isabella stands in the way.”“That’s quite an assumption.”“It's an observation. And it's accurate."He took a slow sip of his drink."Even if it were true, what exactly are you proposing?"“You pressure the board. Raise concerns about Isabella’s judgment

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    ISABELLA’S POV Four weeks flew by before I realised an evaluation board meeting was called.Lucia had been with me days before the evaluation to ensure everything was good and properly catalogued.The boardroom had few people present when I arrived.They filtered in slowly. Conversations lingered

  • The CEO’s Contract Bride   Chapter 17

    ETHAN'S POV The office was quiet in a way that felt intentional.I sat alone at my desk, jacket draped over the chair, sleeves rolled to my forearms. The building’s lights were dimmed to night mode, but my floor remained lit. I had asked for it that way. Silence helped me think. Or at least it use

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    ISABELLA’S POVMy phone buzzed on the table.Once.Twice.Then again.Lucia glanced at it.“Do not answer it.”I picked it up anyway.An email notification sat at the top of the screen.Emergency Board Session Scheduled. Attendance Mandatory.Beneath it was another message from an unknown number.“

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