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Chapter 60: Beneath the Surface.
Last Updated:
2025-04-28 23:52:41
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The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 61: The price of Silence.
[Flashback]*************************Liam's POV************************I sat at the head of a long polished table; the room was dark, lit only by the cold, sterile glow of multiple monitors. The room was surrounded by screens displaying streams of data, video feeds, and images _ each one a thread in a web I'd carefully woven. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, but I didn't type. My eyes were fixed on the largest screen in front of me, where the rooftop footage of Sadie's death flickered in slow motion and paused at the critical moment.It has been two days since the incident, and yet, every time I replayed the footage, it felt like it was happening all over again: The image of her standing at the edge of the rooftop, her silhouette framed by the city lights, was burned into my mind.Sadie had trusted me. And I'd failed her.But that didn’t matter now. She was gone, and what was left was a mess—a mess that I needed to bury.I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly
Last Updated : 2025-04-28The 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,
Last Updated : 2025-04-30The 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
Last Updated : 2025-04-30The 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
Last Updated : 2025-04-30The 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
Last Updated : 2025-04-30The 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
Last Updated : 2025-04-30The 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
Last Updated : 2025-04-30The 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
Last Updated : 2025-04-30
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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
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 71: A Perfect Lie.
**************************Rowe's POV************************The rain had been relentless since morning. The city looked faded, the streets coated in uncertain reflections—like illusions pretending to be real. Just like the truth, I was desperately trying to cling to.Etian sat opposite me in the dim back room of the safe house. A bandage covered his temple, and a nasty bruise darkened the skin around his eye. He didn’t just look exhausted—he looked haunted, like someone. the skin around his eye. He didn’t just look exhausted—he looked haunted, like someone who had been dragged through something too dark to fully explain.“She’s everywhere,” he said as he face was still stung to the Monitor like a stungfish.I opened the file. Inside were surveillance stills, time stamps, device identifiers—Aliana’s name popping up in systems we hadn’t even known she could access. There were USB records, footage of her car near the penthouse on the night Sadie died, her login activity on Etian’s rest
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
