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Chapter 20: Favour For The Betrayer.
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2025-04-22 18:40:08
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The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 21: The First Impression.
***********************Aliana's POV*************************I stood outside of the big company with a smirk on my face as I tucked my designer tote perfectly under my arm.I approached the building; my heels echoed across the polished floor of the cooperate tower; each click a quick announcement: I've arrived.The interior of the office was impressive. All glass, chrome and controlled coolness. It smelled faintly of rich leather, espresso and ambition.I liked it.The receptionist barely looked up as I approached."Aliana Mo Guysore, starting today," I said smoothly as I flashed my worker's ID."Third floor, Analysis Division. Office 5C. Miss. Claire Moore will be your supervisor." She said, without looking up.Not very welcoming, I thought, but I let it slide. I knew how to charm people once they looked directly at me.The elevator doors opened again as I stepped into my new office environment, sleek desks, and busy clicks on the keyboards. Everyone moved with that driven caffeinat
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-22The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 22: The First Fall.
***********************Aliana's POV**********************By noon, I had the meeting room under control. Everything was perfectly arranged; I triple-checked everything. The desk was sleek; the numbers were solid. I added a new strategy plan I would use to impress Mack.I printed out the hard copies needed, uploaded the slides to the shared drive,e, and sent a confirmation email to the exec assistant with a proud little note."Ready to present," I said to myself.As I grabbed a coffee from the lounge, I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflective glass _ Aliana is in Control. Smart. Strategic. Beautiful. Unstoppable.The conference room was already half full when I stepped in ten minutes before the meeting. Executives, assistants and a few department heads. Mack was sitting at the head of the table, focused on his system. Mack's mother, elegant and unreadable in a pale grey suit,t sat across Mack.Liam was on the other side of the table, chatting with someone, his eyes flicked on me
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-22The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 23: The Second Fall.
*************************Aliana's POV***********************The elevator chimed softly as it reached the 28th floor.I stepped out quietly, my second day at work; I'm going to make a difference today to clear my name and impress Mack.I wore my fitted beige blouse, tucked into a designer pencil skirt, my hair sleek and styled. I held my bag tight as I forced my nerves into submission.I just found out this morning that I was moved from the Analysis sector to be a PR consultant.And Claire.She is still my supervisor.I could handle this I thought to myself.I could stay invincible, prove my worth, and eventually climb above a woman whose world I destroyed.As I approached the glass-walled conference room, I saw Claire standing at the head of the table, calmly sipping from a porcelain coffee mug. Her outfit was simple_ black tailored suit, silk ivory blouse_ but it streamed authority."Oh, Good, you made it right on time," Claire said as she looked up."Yep, I'm right on time." "Good
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-22The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 24: Liam's Trap.
**********************Claire's POV**************************I signed as I pressed the elevator button, exhaustion tugging at the corner of my eyes. The past few weeks had been ruthless_ but necessary.I had Aliana dangling by the thread, Liam spinning in circles, and the board meetings carefully tilting in Mack's favour.I should've felt triumphant but a strange chill followed me all day. The subtle glance from my driver. The odd metallic sound when I started the car this morning. I'd brushed it off. Until now.I reached the underground parking lot, my heels clicking against the cold concrete floor. My black sports coupe _ Mack recently got for me sat where I left it, sleek and untouched _ so it seemed.I had to drive myself home today since Kelvin was out of town with Mack.I slid into the driver's seat, dropped my bag on the passenger seat and turned on the ignition."Screech. Clunk."The car jolted unnaturally to the right. The steering wheel resisted my grip as a warning light fl
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-22The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 25: Smacked
**********************Claire's POV**************************The elevator doors opened with a metallic hiss, and I stepped into the penthouse_ where we'd been staying since we got engaged. My heels clicked like a warning against the marble floor. The quiet hit_ heat me first_ a silence too still, too deliberate. My fingers trembled slightly as I pulled my coat off, I scanned the darkened living space. Then, i saw it_ a single lamp on, casting a golden glow across the open room.And the text. Still there.*A dinner with your ex?*I swallowed hard, my throat felt like it was closing in.My pulse thudded in my ears, as I set my pulse down. The silence stretched, taut like a piano wire about to snap. I didn't see his car, didn't hear a crick from the door_ but there he was. I could feel it."Took, your time." A voice from the shadow said.I froze as I swallowed hard.Mack came into view from the hallway, no jacket, shirt sleeves rolled up, and hands casually in his pockets_, but his eyes
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-22The CEO’s Temptation Chapter: 26: Smacked 2: In The Office.
*********************Claire's POV*************************The door slammed behind us, a definitive sound, the last echo of the boardroom's chaos.I stood in the centre of the room, my arms crossed against my chest, my jaw tight, my eyes burning with fury.Mack's footsteps were slow and deliberate, he rolled up his sleeves like someone ready to get to do something dirty."You didn't have to hit him that hard." I said."You're defending someone that almost had you killed?" He asked as he raised his eyebrows."I_ I, Mack don't...." I stuttered."He's lucky because I'm not pressing charges." He cut me off." Well, I was going to do that," I said. My voice was calm."When? Before he kills you?" He asked."And, he had the guts to smile at you ." He said. His tone was a mixture of jealousy and fury. "Mack, let's focus on the fact that he almost sold us today in the board meeting." I said as I changed the topic."You think I'm going to let him walk away clean? Take everything I've built? A
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-22The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 27: The trap.
*********************Aliana's POV*********************** My heels clicked against the marble floor gently as I headed for my car after a long stressful day at work.Each click shows my tiredness and the urgent need to get home and have a cold bath.I exhaled sharply and pulled my coat tighter around my body. The day had been long _excrutiatingly long. My presentation fell apart the third time because Claire choose to MIA from our meeting. Again."Co-workers," I muttered under my breath as I pressed the unlock button on my key fob."She said we're just co-workers," I muttered again.My car chirped somewhere ahead, but I wasn't in a rush anywhere; I dragged my feet against my will, weighed down by more than just exhaustion."Su, re Claire," I mumbled to myself as I reached my car."I threw my bag into the passenger seat and sat behind the wheel. My hands clutched the steering but I made no attempt to move.All day I'd kept it together. But now alone in the dimly lit garage. The cracks
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-22The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 28: The Line Crossed.
Chapter 28: The Line Crossed. ********************Mack's POV************************** "Morning Mack." A voice called.I glanced up and froze."Aliana_ " I called.She leaned against the reception desk, dressed in a crimson blouse unbuttoned just enough to raise eyebrows and a black pencil skirt with a slit far too high for an office dress code.Her heels clicked as she approached me, slowly, deliberately, every movement calculated."Now....that outfit is against the company's dress code." I said as my jaw tightened. What does she think this place is?"Thought you do like......I wore it for you." She said as she twirled her hair around her finger playfully.My eye brows arched."What do you mean?" I asked. My tone was urgent and confused."I came to say_ thank you _ for the other day at the garage," she said."Ohh, about that, I did what I ought to do," I said as I shifted uncomfortably."And your dress is a little_ too much for work," I said. My tone was firm with authority."C'mon
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-22
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The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 80: The Broadcast.
*************************Claire's POV***********************The morning sun filtered through the gauzy curtains, casting a soft glow over the living room. I hadn't slept well, nightmares had worsened since the message from the unknown. Neither has Mack, who's trying his best to protect me. I hate the fact that he has to worry so much about me. If i ever get a hold of that son of bitch behind this, I'm so going to kill him.I sat curled up on the soft velvet couch, a steaming mug of tea cradled in my hands. The television murmured in the background, whisking me away from my train of thoughtThe volume was low, but it was the only sound audible in the quiet penthouse. Mack was still asleep and didn't intend to wake him up.I reached out for my tablet as I inspected the market analysis of the company.My phone buzzed on the coffee table, displaying a flurry of messages. I didn't take it. I continued my work on my tablet.My phone buzzed the second time; this time, the message was from L
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 79: A calculated Betrayal.
****************************Liam's POV********************The heavy silence and tension that my father brought still lingered. His words still lingered like smoke, wrapping around my thoughts, burning slowly. I could still feel the ghost of his stare__ sharp, disappointed, final.He said he’d dig quietly. He wouldn’t protect me.But I didn’t need him to.I stood up, my spine stiff, and walked to the cabinet hidden behind the bookshelf. A flick of a concealed latch, a click, and the wood panel slid open, revealing a slim black case nestled in the dark.Inside it were the things I kept for leverage. Not safety. Not protection. Just control.And Aliana's file was at the top.I pulled it free, flipping through crisp pages and glossy prints. Photos. Screenshots. Copies of conversations. Recordings transcribed into neat blocks of text. She’d been clever. Careful. But not perfect. No one ever was.She’d met with Sadie twice—both meetings undocumented, off the record. One of them was the day
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 78: A visit Cloaked in Shadows.
***************************Liam's POV**********************The late afternoon sun streamed through the tall windows of my study, casting long streaks of gold across the floor. I lingered by the shelves, idly turning a glass paperweight in my hand, trying to steady the chaos swirling in my mind.It had been weeks since I’d heard from my father, at least, not face-to-face. But the aftermath of Morgan’s visit rippled through everything. The board's tone had subtly shifted, my assistant barely met my eyes today, and conversations always seemed to cut off the moment I walked into a room.The walls were closing in. I could sense it.And then came the knock. Slow. Intentional.I didn't get it right away. I just stared at the door, willing it to stay closed. But it creaked open anyway and there he was, __ Henry__ my father. Impeccably dressed, as always, in a tailored navy suit that did little to mask the exhaustion buried beneath his polished surface."Liam," he called out to me simply, as
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 77: A thin line Between Duty and Doubt.
******************************Claire's POV******************The company's towering glass structure shimmered under the morning sun, defiant and pristine __ like nothing had happened. Like no one had died. Like our lives hadn't been turned inside out over the last week.I walked into the company's building slowly behind Mack, my heels clicking softly against the polished marble floors, echoing in a rhythm that didn't quite match my heartbeat. It felt wrong to be here.But also..... It felt like I needed to be here.The receptionist stood almost immediately when she saw us, her eyes wide with something between surprise and sympathy.“Mrs. Claire, Mr. Mack,” she greeted as she flashed her perfect dentition in a warm smile.“It’s good to see you both again,” she spurted out.Mack gave her a nod and a warm smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thanks, Ellen. Good to be back,” he said.We walked past her into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, I let out a breath I didn’t realise
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 76: Whispered Confessions.
************************Claire's POV************************The room spun around me; that message __ just one line__ was enough to unravel the last thread of composure I had.**Someone's behind Sadie's death… and the person is closer than you think.**I stared down at my phone's screen, hoping the message might change if I looked long enough. But the words stuck themselves into my brain like a blood tick, repeating again and again like a cursed chant. My hands trembled as I slowly handed kelvin back the phone.His jaw tightened as his expression was dreary."I don't know who sent it. It's an unknown number but I've already forwarded it to Mack." He rasped.I nodded."Thanks," I said. Though my throat had gone dry.He stayed with me for a moment as if he noticed I didn't want to be alone. He looked like he wanted to say something, but then he just turned and left. The door shut with a muted click behind him.I was alone again.I paced around the room like I was a soldier trying to pay
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 75: She Lied.
******************************Etian's POV*******************The rain started around the time we hit the intersection out of Aliana’s neighbourhood. Heavy, angry drops pounded against the windshield, smearing the lights of the city into long, distorted streaks. Rowe drove in silence, one hand gripping the wheel tighter than necessary, the other drumming a quiet rhythm against his thigh.I watched the wipers move in a sluggish arc, my mind stuck on Aliana’s face. That first flicker of shock. The way her hand hovered over the folder was like it might burn her. She tried too hard to stay composed—and it only made me trust her less."She's hiding something." I finally said. Breaking the silence.Rowe didn't respond right away. His jaw tightened as he glanced at my direction. “You think she killed Sadie?” he breathed. His voice was low and calm.I couldn't respond. Not yet. My mind was tangled with thoughts already ten miles ahead, racing through every inconsistency we'd gathered."She li
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 74: Fractured Reflections.
***********************Aliana's POV*************************The door creaked shut behind them, the echo threading through the quiet like a final verdict. I stood still in the kitchen, my fingers clenched around the edge of the counter, my pulse a thunderous rhythm in my ears. The folder they'd brought still lay on the marble island, its presence louder than an argument.Detective Etian __ sort of. Not sure if it was official or not. But enough to knock the breath from my lungs.Rowe__ didn't recognize him at first but the eyes gave him away__same as Sadie's, piercing through me like he's seeing everything in my head.I gave out a heavy breath, as I tried to keep my hands from shaking. I wasn't afraid of them__ at least not exactly. But I was afraid of what they brought along with them. That file. That is fake evidence. Fabricated, yes. But convincing. Too convincing. Whoever did this didn't just want to frame me__ they wanted me buried.I picked up the folder again and flipped it op
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 73: Fractured Truth.
************************Etian's POV***********************By the time we pulled into the quiet, upper district neighbourhood__ one of those gated areas that whispered wealth instead of shouting it, the rain had let up. Rowe drove, his hands tight on the wheel, eyes fixed on the winding road ahead. We sat little. There wasn't much left to say.Then, came Aliana's house. A sleek two_story with minimalist lines and pale stone walls, tucked behind manicured hedges and a row of white_blossomed pear trees. It wasn't ostentatious like I'd expected _not the sprawling estate of someone with generational mon, ey__, but it had class. Discretion. Like her.Soft light glowed from narrow vertical windows at the front of the house, casting a calm, welcoming hue. A single matte-black hybrid sedan rested in the driveway—spotless and well-maintained. I instantly noticed the security setup: motion detectors, a front-facing camera, and a digital keypad by the door.“She lives alone?” I asked quietly as
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 72: Old Bonds and New Shadows.
************************Morgan's POV********************* The sun cast a golden hue over the manicured lawn of Henry's estate. The familiar crunch of gravel under my shoes stirred memories of the countless visits, shared cigars, and debates that stretched into the night. It had been years since I'd last walked this path, but here I am this late afternoon because of the weight of the recent events___ which made the distance between us feel even longer. Henry greeted me at the door in a quick hug, his once jet-black hair now peppered with grey, but his posture remained as upright as ever. "Morgan," he said, extending a firm hand. "It's been too long." His lips curved into a smile. "Far too long," I replied, gripping his hand with equal strength. He led me into his study, a room that had always been a sanctuary of sorts. Shelves lined with books, artefacts from our travels, and the ever-present decanter of aged whiskey. He poured us both a glass, and we settled into the leather
