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Chapter 20 — Pressure Points

Author: Monica Wild
last update publish date: 2026-05-05 16:51:28

The hospital room was quieter than it had been the day before.

Too quiet.

The steady beep of the monitor felt louder now that Estella was fully awake—no longer drifting in and out of sleep, no longer shielded by exhaustion.

Now, everything was clear again.

Including the problem waiting for her outside those walls.

Vivianne stood near the foot of the bed, tablet in hand, posture straight—but there was tension in her shoulders that she didn’t bother hiding.

Linda sat on the couch by the window, a
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    The television mounted on the wall near the executive lobby had always been nothing more than background noise inside Valcor.Financial reports.Stock updates.Morning business news.No one really paid attention to it.Until today.“…the victim’s family officially announced their intention to pursue legal action against Valcor Technology following the Aether incident—”The newsroom footage shifted.A crying middle-aged woman appeared on screen, clutching a framed photo against her chest while reporters surrounded her.“My son trusted that technology,” she said through tears. “And now he’s dead.”The atmosphere inside the office changed instantly.Keyboard sounds slowed.Conversations stopped halfway.Some employees exchanged glances while others quietly looked toward the elevator area.Right at that moment, Estella stepped out of the pantry holding a paper cup of coffee.Her heels slowed against the marble floor.The warmth from the cup slowly faded against her palm.Just like the cal

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  • The CEO's Dangerous Line   Chapter 20 — Pressure Points

    The hospital room was quieter than it had been the day before.Too quiet.The steady beep of the monitor felt louder now that Estella was fully awake—no longer drifting in and out of sleep, no longer shielded by exhaustion.Now, everything was clear again.Including the problem waiting for her outside those walls.Vivianne stood near the foot of the bed, tablet in hand, posture straight—but there was tension in her shoulders that she didn’t bother hiding.Linda sat on the couch by the window, arms crossed, watching both of them like she already knew this wouldn’t be a simple conversation.Estella adjusted her position against the pillow, wincing slightly before masking it.“Start from the beginning,” she said.Vivianne didn’t waste time.“The Veil contract is being challenged.”Estella’s gaze sharpened instantly.“By who?”“Third-party legal representation,” Vivianne replied. “But unofficially… connected to the same group that’s been slowing down the project.”Estella didn’t respond r

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