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Chapter 98: Shadows in the Light
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2025-05-18 23:49:06
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The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 98: Shadows in the Light
***************************Claire’s POV*********************The morning sun barely filtered through the blinds as I sat at the kitchen counter, my fingers wrapped around a mug of lukewarm coffee. Sleep had come in fragments last night, splintered by flashes of Aliana’s face and Liam’s cold, calculating smile. The weight of everything pressed down on my chest—Sadie’s death, the evidence, the secrets unravelling far too quickly.Mack walked in, still tugging a hoodie over his head. He moved with the kind of energy I couldn’t fake anymore—purposeful, quietly burning.“You’re not dressed,” he said, tossing a glance at me as he reached for an apple from the bowl.“I know,” I murmured, taking a small sip. “I’m not sure if we should go back today.”Mack paused, then leaned on the counter opposite me. “You think it’s too soon?”“I think we stirred a hornet’s nest yesterday. Liam’s not going to let that slide.”The name alone made my skin prickle. Every time I thought I had a grasp on who Lia
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 96: shifting Ground.
*************************Claire’s POV***********************The morning sunlight did nothing to warm the icy tension in my chest.I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, barely recognising the woman who stared back at me. My hair was a mess of sleep and stress, and my eyes held a kind of heaviness no amount of rest could cure. My last conversation with Etian still echoed in my mind—every theory, every uncertainty, every dangerous possibility he and Rowe had unravelled like a noose tightening.Aliana’s story wasn't just true—it was explosive.The idea that Liam had ties to Sadie's death and was systematically erasing anyone who got too close… It was more than disturbing. It was horrifying.And worse? We had no idea how far he'd go next.I stepped out into the kitchen where Liz was already seated, nursing a cup of coffee like it was the only thing tethering her to reality. Her face was pale, expression unreadable, but I could tell she hadn't slept either."You look like hell," she said
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 94: Smoke and Mirrors.
***********************Etian’s POV**************************The city outside my window was all lights and noise, a glittering facade masking something much darker underneath. I stepped into my apartment, shutting the door behind me with a click that echoed louder than expected. For a long second, I just stood there, the silence swallowing me whole.The precinct had left a sour taste in my mouth. Aliana’s voice, her words, her insistence on being framed—it looped in my head like a broken recording. Claire, Mack, Liz—we’d all heard her out, but I still wasn’t sure if what she said was clarity or desperation disguised as logic.I dropped my keys on the counter and ran a hand through my hair in frustration and confusion. The apartment smelled like stale coffee and paper. I hadn’t been home much lately—too many things unravelling too fast. I kicked off my boots and made for the kitchen. I needed caffeine, or maybe whiskey, but I reached for water instead.Ten minutes later, there was a kn
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 95: The Doubt that Follows.
************************Claire’s POV************************Back at the for the second time. All to get the truth and get a hold of the culprit behind everything.The smell of old coffee and wet paper lingered in the air as we walked into the precinct. Fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting a sickly hue on everything. Liz stood beside me, arms folded, expression unreadable. Etian and Mack flanked the opposite side of the room, both tense in different ways—Etian like a soldier waiting for orders, Mack like a boxer in round eight.Me?I felt like I was cracking.We were waiting for another minute with Aliana. It wasn't easy getting another visiting minutes, but Daniel and Mack pulled some strings.The officer led us down the hall, his keys jangling at his hip. The sound echoed in my head louder than it should have. We passed glass offices, interrogation rooms, and an exhausted janitor mopping up something that looked too red to be spilt coffee.Then, finally, we stopped.“Five
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 94: The Trap Tightens.
******************************Liam’s POV*****************My tablet buzzed just after nine—a discreet vibration against the glass of my desk. I didn’t flinch, nor did I rush. Calm control had always been my style. I glanced at the tablet screen where a secure message blinked beneath layers of encryption.**Subject Visited: Aliana Moore.Visitors: Claire, Mack, and Elizabeth. Etian.Duration: 38 mins. Surveillance attached.**My fingers paused on the rim of my coffee cup, the steam curling upward like smoke from a fire I thought I’d already put out.Claire.I tapped the screen, and the image expanded—grainy but clear enough. Claire’s dark eyes were pinched with an impassive expression. Etian’s shoulders were tight, brimming with tension. Mack’s jaw clenched like he’d just bitten into something bitter. And Liz... Liz looked like she was already ten moves ahead.My gaze settled on Claire. The softness in her face wasn’t for me anymore. It was for Aliana.A flicker of something bitter tigh
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 93: The Trap Tightens.
******************************Liam’s POV*****************The ping came just after nine—a discreet vibration against the glass of my desk. I didn’t flinch, neither did i rush. Calm control had always been my style. I glanced at the tablet screen where a secure message blinked beneath layers of encryption.**Subject Visited: Aliana Moore.Visitors: Claire, Mack, and Elizabeth. Etian.Duration: 38 mins. Surveillance attached.**My fingers paused on the rim of my coffee cup, the steam curling upward like smoke from a fire I thought I’d already put out.Claire.My heart skipped a beat when, I saw her on the screen.I tapped the screen, and the image expanded—grainy but clear enough. Claire’s brown eyes were pinched with concern. Etian’s shoulders were tight, brimming with tension. Mack’s jaw clenched like he’d just bitten into something bitter. And Liz... Liz looked like she was already ten moves ahead.My gaze settled on Claire. The softness in her face wasn’t for me anymore. It was for M
The CEO’s Temptation chapter 92: Face to Face.
**************************Claire's POV**********************The precinct smelled like burnt coffee and old paper. The kind of place where time moved slowly, where the hum of fluorescent lights drilled into your skull and everything felt a little too still. I hadn’t been inside one in years—not like this. Not with a knot of dread sitting in my stomach like a stone.Etian walked beside me, his face unreadable. Mack trailed just behind, one hand hovering at my lower back like he needed to feel I was still there. Liz had said nothing since we stepped inside—her arms crossed, her jaw tight, her eyes scanning every corner like the walls might betray us.“I pulled some strings to get us ten minutes,” Etian said, his voice low as he leaned closer. “She’s still in holding, not yet moved. We’re lucky.”I wasn’t sure if lucky was the word.A young officer led us through two sets of doors, down a quiet corridor, and into a dimly lit interview room. There was a mirror along one wall—two-way—and a
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 91: A Tangled Web.
*************************Claire’s POV**********************The silence that followed the discovery was thick—stifling, like a storm just before it broke.Aliana. Stalking me.The words felt foreign, sharp-edged and impossible to swallow. My throat tightened as Liz scrolled through the photos one more time—grainy screenshots, security footage, timestamps. All this places Aliana near my building, near Mack’s place, and even outside my office.“She followed you,” Liz breathed, her voice was low and tight. “This wasn’t just a casual coincidence,” she continued.I leaned back against my seat, my arms crossed so tight it hurt. “She said she was jealous,” I murmured. “That she wanted what I had with Mack.” Etian exhaled sharply. “Jealousy doesn’t explain this. This is surveillance, Claire. Strategic. She wasn’t just watching—you were being monitored,” he rasped as he pointed at the photos in front of us.Mack stood beside me, jaw clenched. I felt his hand hover near mine, but he didn’t
The CEO’s Temptation Chapter 90: The Conflicted Truths.
**************************Claire's POV**********************The air in the cafe was thick with the aroma of caffeine and the sharp bitterness of secrets waiting to be told. Amongst that, the warmth in the room felt comforting, almost making the atmosphere unreal. An inaudible advert played on the TV plastered against the wall. Almost everyone was busy on their phones.I sat at a corner table, my fingers traced the rim of my untouched cappuccino. I couldn't get the phone call out of my mind. Alaina's voice echoed on my head, playing on a row, like a broken song. Framed. Liam. Help me. I looked up almost immediately as the bell above the entrance jingled. Mack entered first, his dark coat damp from the spring drizzle outside. His eyes scanned the room until they landed on me. I offered a soft smile as I wavee him to my direction.Behind him came Liz.She smiled warmly at me. Her warm ole held the kind of strength only time and pain could forge. Her hair was pinned back, her eyes sharp
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