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Chapter 49: Press Conference
Last Updated:
2025-04-25 23:18:20
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The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 50: The weight of the Crown.
*********************Mack's POV**********************As I stepped inside the boardroom, the conversations hushed__ their gazes met mine. The room that was once filled with voices was now silent that I could hear their breathing.Every seat at the long table was occupied, suits crisp, jaws tight, eyes flickered toward the door behind me as if expecting someone.But the footsteps they anticipated didn't follow mine.Liam’s not here.I didn't say anything. It wasn't needed. His absence says enough already. He's a crowd for not showing up on the final day.I dropped my bag as I sat at the centre of the mahogany table."Where's Liam?" Ms.Rutherford__ the boardhead asked."He hasn't been taking his call." Jare,d one of the assistants, chipped in.For three months now, we waited for this day and now? Now he is no way to be found. He must be a coward. I wanted to see his expression when I win___ I wanted to see his arrogant face turn pale. I wanted to see how he would take it. How his mother
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[Two Days Ago.]********************************Rowe's POV*****************---I lingered by the study window, surrounded by symbols of my father's authority. The room's grandeur was palpable from the mahogany to the velvet drapes.Liam's voice. Polished. Cold. Hollow. Still echoed in my head from the press conference that ended 20 minutes ago.{I want to make it clear that I am not responsible for Sadie’s death.}He said it like he rehearsed it from a script. Like he was erasing her name in real time."You believe him? I asked.Behind me, my father poured himself a glass of Scotch. Twelve _year. No ice. Business as usual.He didn't respond immediately, the only sound being the clinking glass and the leather armchair's soft groan as he sat."Rowe," he finally said. "Grief plays tricks on the mind. We see what we want to see. Or don't want to see." I turned slowly.There he was__ the pain in his eyes was almost unbearable to witness, a poignant reminder of the human cos
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{Back To The Present Day} ***********************Claire's POV****************"*I stood by the window of the conference room, my fingers crossed tightly around my flute, as I watched Mack receive congratulatory backslaps and handshakes from the Board members. His eyes sparkled as he smiled back at them.And now they cheered for him like the golden king.He caught my eye across the room and gave me that smirk__ the one that said we did it. I raised my hand to wave but returned it. I smiled at him.I've always known that he was going to win. He was the acting CEO before Liam thought he could do it better than him hence the election. And today, the devil is nowhere to be found."I think Liam just disappointed his supporters?" He said, his voice was low and laced with satisfaction.“Yeah, he did," I replied, cool and precise. “They should,” I replied, cool and precise."Don't think they will trust him again." "Well, they've got a new CEO to trust, a real on
Last Updated : 2025-04-26The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 53: Etian Ari
*****************************"Rowe's POV*******************Airports have always held a strange kind of energy. A restless pulse in the floor tiles, in the artificial breeze of the climate control, in the way voices bounced and echoed through the polished terminals. Even in the private hangar of the smaller charter wing, the air trembled with motion—jets rumbling in the distance, luggage carts clicking across the concrete like distant insects. I stood beneath the cool shadow of a steel support beam, one hand in my coat pocket, the other clutched the thick envelope. The leather folder I held was warm, even through the cardboard. I hadn't let go of it since leaving his father’s house.Outside, the afternoon sun pressed hard against the windows, smearing light over the glossy floor like a pale fire. Inside, everything was clinical—cool steel, blue-grey walls, crisp echoes of footsteps. I hated airports. They were always beginnings or endings, never in-betweens. And today was most definit
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************************Liam's POV*************************The house stood still, it's windows like empty eyes staring back. The only sound was the soft ticking of a clock that hung on the wall.The house was too quiet.The kind of quiet that made your thoughts louder, your guilt heavier, your memories too damn sharp. I hadn’t left in weeks—not really. The staff came and went like shadows, never speaking unless spoken to, which suited me fine. I didn’t want to explain myself. Not anymore.I settled into thd old armchair, my gaze fixed on the fire's hypnotic flicker.. Above the mantel, her picture stared back—Sadie, caught mid-laugh in a summer dress, frozen in time just before I lunged on her. She hated that photo. Said she looked too happy, too alive. I’d loved it for exactly that reason.And now it haunted my every waking moment.I was set to face the boardroom today, had prepymy speech choosed a tie that she would have loved and perfected a composed demeanor.But when the car came
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**************************Etian's POV***********************"Here we are." Rowe Arizona said. He hand-cutting a lazy arc through the door.With a metallic groan, the door swung open, and Rowe Arizona entered his fluid and commanding.It wasn't unattractive__ the high ceilings scared beans, and expansive windows let it in a soft, wearing light that danced across the polished floor.To the left, a sleek living space unfolded__ bed, desk, dresser, all in quiet shades of 'get the job done.'On the right, my improvised office set up stood, with desk, chair, and cork board, awaiting the revelation I'd pin.A strip of tape on the floor demarcated the boundary between professionalism and necessityRowe scanned around it was his first time seeing. "Best I could do on short notice," he said as he scratched the back of his neck.I gave a small grunt. Approval, maybe.Honestly, I was somewhat impressed, but my expression remained impassive, revealing nothing.Rowe handed me the key__ a plain br
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***********************Etian’s POV**************""The walk to my new home lingered that it should have.The streets still pulsed with leftover noise—blaring horns, laughter pouring out of crowded bars, and a siren crying faintly somewhere in the city's gut. I walked with my head low, hands buried deep in my coat pockets, the stolen footage weighing against me like a silent ghost.The dusty smell of rain clung to the concrete, even though the sky stayed stubbornly dry.My shouders ached by the time I reached my door. The weight of a day that wasn't finished yet.Inside, the room sat heavy and untouched. I slung my coat over a chair, kicked off my boots, and drifted through the motions without thinking.Dinner was just something to fill the silence—scrambled eggs, toast burned at the edges, and a glass of water. I ate standing at the counter, barely tasting any of it, my eyes already pulling toward the laptop waiting on the table.The drive sat next to the laptop like a dare.I wiped m
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.************************(Aliana’s POV)********************** Two Days Ago.The sound of fork scraping plates, voices rising and falling like waves, and the occasional burst of laughter from a crowded booth in the corner. The smell of roasted garlic and buttery bread filled the air. But my plate sat in front of me untouched, the pasta cooling with every passing minute.The restaurant buzzed around me in its grandeur.I teased the pasta with my fork, not getting the taste of the glass of wine I sipped from. My focus was half on my phone and half on the growing knot of anxiety that had become my permanent shadow these days.I was supposed to be happy or at least pretend be to.Mack's victory as the CEO had left the whole city talking and Liam had been labelled a coward for not showing up on that day. And if he was angry, it somehow always landed back to me.I played with my food as I carved a line through the tomato sauce. I needed something that would take my min
Last Updated : 2025-04-28
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The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 81: Her Arrest.
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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
