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Chapter 52: The Crown Fits The Rightful Owner.
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2025-04-26 23:35:31
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The 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
최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-26The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 54: Coward.
************************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
최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-26The CEO’s Temptation chapter 55: The Surveillance
**************************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
최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-26The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 56: Missing Frames.
***********************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
최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-26The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 57: Shattered Calm.
.************************(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
최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-28The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 58: Ours Now.
********************************Claire's POV****************The ride to the top floor with the elevator was silent except for the steady hum of the motor. I stood beside Mack, our hands interlocked as his grip tightened. He glanced at me, his face curved into a smile, a quick reminder that we've just achieved what we've been fighting for. He looked straight ahead, a sharp glint in his eyes, a quiet storm brewing under his cool exterior.He wasn't nervous.He wasn't guiltyHe was ready.This—this power, this place—was exactly where Mackenzie Allister belonged.The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open to reveal the executive floor. Polished floors gleamed. Sunlight spilled through the glass walls. And every head turned to glance at us like a slow, reverent wave.Mack strode forward with me at his side, his hand still on mine__ a silent reminder: You're my wife now.The executives lined up, waiting. There was a moment’s hesitation, the kind bred from fear and respect tangled togethe
최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-28The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 59: Cracks in the Foundation.
[The real battle starts after a war is won]**********************Claire's POV**************************The sun slanted through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long golden stripes across the office. I sat curled up on the couch; a thick folder of contracts sat abandoned in my lap. Mack stood across the room, hunched over his desk, scanning emails on his phone.I watched him quietly, letting the peaceful hum of the city below soak into my bones. For the first time in a long time, it felt like we could finally breathe.But peace never lasted long in our world.Mack's phone buzzed sharply, cutting through the silence like a blade. He stiffened, and his body language changed instantly. I sat upright, my heart skipped a beat.He glanced at his phone, he read the message once. TwiceHis jaw tightened, and his grip on his tightened. His eyes burned with anger."What is it?" I asked. Already aware that whatever it was, it wasn't good.He didn't respond right away. He set the phone down
최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-28The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 60: Beneath the Surface.
*****************************Etian's POV********************The night had been brutal. Restless. My mind refused to shut down, rerunning that damn rooftop footage over and over like some broken record. By the time morning clawed its way through my blinds, I was already on my second cup of black coffee, staring at the laptop screen with bloodshot eyes.Something was off.I felt it in my bones.Sadie hadn’t just fallen.Someone wanted it to look that way.I leaned back in the battered chair, rubbing a hand over my face. The grainy footage played again—Sadie standing at the edge, hair whipping in the wind, the city lights blurring behind her. Then, in the next frame—nothing. Just air and darkness.No struggle. No second guessing. No clear jump. No goodbye.Only a missing dot connected too neatly, too perfectly."Who are you protecting, Sadie?" I muttered under my breath.My new apartment felt suffocatingly still. I shoved back from the chair, pulled on my jacket, and slid the flash driv
최신 업데이트 : 2025-04-28
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The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 70: The Architect.
************************Liam's POV*************************The scent of cedar and the rain drifted through the half-cracked window, but I barely noticed. My study was quite__ too quiet. The kind of quiet that comes after the storm, when you're sure if it's over or just waiting to return.I stood by the fireplace, swirling a glass of bourbon I hadn't touched. The logs hissed softly, flames curling like whispers. On the table behind me, a black duffel bag waited.They were late.I checked my watch for the third time. 12:47 AM. The city below was asleep—or pretending to be. But not me. Not tonight. Not until this final piece slid into place.A soft buzz echoed from the elevator.Finally.I turned just as the elevator door opened with a muffled chime. Three men stepped out __ all dressed in black, soaked from the rain. The one in front__ Roger__tossed the bag on the table with a dull thud."Everything's intact." He said."Phone, USB. Notes. He had backups, but we scrubbed his cloud befor
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 69: Morgan Arizona.
********************Morgan's POV*************************The news hit like a hammer—Etian had been attacked.Rowe isn't safe if Etian had been attacked.I stood by the tall windows of my office, the early morning light bled through the blinds, castung long shadows across the floor. My knuckles were white against the mahogany desk as i gripped the edge tightly, stared blankly at the city skyline. My jaw clenched and unclenched."I should've seen this coming." I muttered under my breath.My aide delivered the report minutes ago. Detective Etian had been found near an abandoned district on the outskirts of the city, bruised, bloodies, his phone and any evidence he had gathered completely destroyed. No cameras. No witnesses. It had been deliberate ___ too clean to be random.My thoughts spun like a storm. "It wasn't an accident Abba. " The exact words Rowe said to me.Someone was trying up loose ends and if Etian had gotten that close to the truth, then we're running out of time.I did
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 68: His Resolve.
****************************Etian's POV*********************The bruises on my ribs ached with every breath I took as I walked. I was still shaken from the ambush. My body felt like it had been seen through a war zone__ my ribs were sore, my lips split, and my shoulders ached deeply from where one of them had kicked me as I tried to crawl away. They didn't say anything. Just left me on the cold gravel like I was trash. Whoever they were, I would dig out what they wanted to be buried.And they took everything I had—my phone, the USB drive, even the photo I was analyzing, they thought they were smart.But they didn’t take what I remembered.My mind kept circling back to that image. That single frame. A woman, half-shadowed, slipped through the side entrance of Sadie’s building. Slender build. Dark hair. Long coat. Her face was turned away, but it was enough to start digging.Enough to point me back to Aliana.Rowe had picked me up that night, finding me bloodied and half-frozen in the
The CEO’s Temptation chapter 67: Stripped To Silence.
************************Etian's POV*************************The van growled as it rattled over broken pavement, the engine muffled by the chaos thumping in my head. My wrists were tied behind my back, my ankles bound, and a strip of thick cloth was cinched tight around my eyes, making everywhere dark as the darkness clung to me like smoke. I could hear their voices__ gruff, low, calculated __ but the words were indistinct, distant like a bad memory.They took a sharp turn which flung me into the van's metal wall. Pain bloomed across my shoulder, but I barely flinched. My ribs ached from the blows I'd received earlier, and the taste of blood still lingered on my tongue. The bastards had taken everything __ my phone, the USB, the photo, even my watch. Every piece of evidence I'd managed to secure had vanished in a whirlwind of fits and black cloth.I had no idea where we were going or where they were taking me.I gritted my teeth as I focused on the rhythm of the van's movement. Rough
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 66: Behind Closed Doors.
**********************Claire's POV**************************The drive back to our main house was far quieter than it had any right to be. The city's light blurred past us, a collection of neon lights and faded shadows, as if it were trying to forget the chaos of the e last few hours. I sat in the passenger seat, my mind still churning over the cryptic message and the cold dread that had followed it.Mack's eyes were fixed on the road ahead, his jaw clenched tight. He didn't even glance at me nor did he speak, but his presence was a constant force beside me. It was a comfort in a way that it was just us, but it also felt like he was carrying something heavy__ something he wasn't ready to share.When we reached the main house, the feeling of danger intensified in the air. The property was large and _ expansive; even__ but tonight, it looked more like a fortress than a home. The light was dim, casting long shadows over the carefully manicured grounds. Security cameras were visible at e
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 65: A warning in the Dark.
*****************************Claire's POV*******************The air in the warehouse grew colder as the minutes dragged by.I tugged my sleeves down over my wrists as I leaned back against Mack's truck, watching the alley stretch into endless shadows. The tech guy was late, and something about it doesn't sit right in my gut.Mack stood nearby, his arms crossed, eyes sharp and restless. He hadn't said much since we parked, he kept scanning the street like he expected trouble to come walking out of the darkness.I shifted, as I pulled my phone put my phone to check the time__ and saw a new message blinking at me from an unknown number.My heart gave a quick, stuttering thud as i clicked it open.**You think it’s that easy?**That was it. Just that. No name. No threat spelled out. But it hit me harder than if they had screamed it in my face.I stared at the screen for a second longer than I should have.”Claire?" Mack's voice was low, rough with warning. He stepped closer, already picki
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 64: Unearthed Lie.
*************************Etian's POV************************The city never really slept. It just toned itself down at night, humming low like it was trying to act innocent. I wasn’t buying it. I knew exactly what was hidden underneath.Pulling my jacket tighter, I headed up the broken sidewalk toward an old rundown building off 7th Avenue — the kind of place that reeked of mildew and bad choices.But it was where my contact said the package would be.Inside, a single overhead bulb flickered and buzzed like it was on its last legs.The guy behind the counter didn’t even bother glancing up from his beat-up laptop."Name?" the guy asked, his voice dull and bored."Etian," I said.Without lifting his eyes, he slid a small manila envelope across the counter.Cash passed between us — fast, no fuss.I didn’t hang around.Out in the alley, I ripped the envelope open with stiff, impatient fingers.Inside: a lone USB drive, a few blurry copies of what looked like security access logs... and on
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 65: The Art of Deception.
********************Liam's POV****************************The warehouse smelled like old metal and secrets.I stood at the centre of it all, my hands tucked inside my pockets, watching the glow of a dozen monitors flickering against the dark wall. Each screen showed a different feed: traffic cams, security systems, building blueprints, and access logs. Information flowed around me, a current I controlled with a surgeon's precision.In a corner, hunched over keyboards and monitors, three of my best techs worked in near silence, the rapid tapping of keys the only sound besides the occasional hum of cooling fans. They were young — barely out of college — but hungry for money and direction. I gave them both.I walked past them slowly, scanning the lines of code being written and the files being manipulated. They were almost done. Another hour, maybe two, and the narrative i needed would be perfect.Evidence was a funny thing. It didn’t have to be true — it only had to be convincing.I s
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 62: Quiet Before The Storm.
*****************************Mack''s POV*******************The morning sunlight slanted through the apartment’s windows, casting pale stripes across the floorboards. Dust floated in the air, catching the light like the place had been holding its breath all night long.Claire sat curled up on the worn couch, my hoodie swallowing her frame. Her hair was messy, her face bare of any makeup, and still — even like this — there was something quietly fierce about her. A fighter’s stubbornness simmered just under the surface.I leaned against the kitchen counter, sipping from a chipped mug. My eyes never really left Claire's, even when I told myself they should. Watching Claire had become a habit, the kind I didn’t even notice forming until it was too late to stop."You don't have to hover," Claire said, breaking the silence without looking at me. Her voice carried a dry, teasing lilt."I'm not hovering," I lied easily, shifting my weight and crossing my arms. "I'm strategically supervising,
