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Chapter 12 (Eleanor's POV)

Author: Amiwrites
last update publish date: 2025-11-28 10:42:44
The words settled between us.

He was right. If he'd forced me to leave, I would've resented him. Would've gone back just to prove I could make my own decisions.

I needed to figure it out myself.

We sat in silence for a moment.

Then Jasper spoke again. His voice changed. Got more serious.

"There's something else you should know," he said. "About Henry."

I looked at him. "What about him?"

"His company is under investigation."

I froze. "What?"

"The SEC. Securities and Exchange Commission."
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  • The CEO's Toxic Placeholder    Chapter 60 (Eleanor's POV)

    Two days passed.My father remained in the hospital. Stable. Recovering.The doctors were cautiously optimistic."He's responding well to treatment. Heart function is improving. If he continues like this, we can discuss discharge in a few days."I visited every day. Sometimes twice.Jasper came with me. Victoria too.We took turns sitting with him. Keeping him company. Making sure he wasn't alone.On the third day, he was moved from ICU to a regular room.Better sign. Significant progress.I arrived that afternoon to find him sitting up in bed.No oxygen mask. Color back in his face. Looking almost like himself."You look better," I said."I feel better. Tired. But better.""The doctors are pleased with your progress.""Good. I need to get out of here soon. Back to dealing with everything.""Dad, you need to rest. The company can wait—""The company is dying, Eleanor. Every day I'm in here, it gets worse."I sat in the chair beside his bed."We're working on it. The lawyers are prepar

  • The CEO's Toxic Placeholder    Chapter 59 (Eleanor's POV)

    "We postpone the wedding, they win. We get married tomorrow. Private ceremony. Just us." I stared at Jasper. Processing his words. "Tomorrow?" "Yes. Private. Intimate. Just immediate family." "That's not what we planned—" "Plans changed the moment Vivienne and Angelina leaked those documents. We adapt." He was right. Everything had changed. The big wedding was impossible now. The venue had canceled. Media would make it a circus. "A private ceremony," I said slowly. "Yes. Just us. Just family. Victoria. Richard. My father. The minister. "No publicity?" "None. We don't announce it. We don't invite press. We just do it quietly." "Vivienne and Angelina won't be able to disrupt what they don't know about." "Exactly." I thought about it. Really thought about it. The big wedding had been the dream. Two hundred guests. Beautiful venue. Perfect day. But that dream was dead now. Destroyed by the scandal. This was survival. This was strategy. "After we're married," Jasper conti

  • The CEO's Toxic Placeholder    Chapter 58 (Eleanor's POV)

    The scandal exploded overnight. By morning, every news outlet carried the story. "Winters Family Business Under Investigation" "Fraud Allegations Rock Financial District" "Blackwood Wedding in Jeopardy" I sat in Jasper's study watching my world collapse. The fabricated documents were everywhere. Bank statements. Contracts. Legal papers. All fake. All convincing. All destroying everything. "Financial authorities are investigating," Jasper said. His voice tight. "Investigating what? There's nothing real to investigate." "The documents look legitimate. They have to follow protocol." "This is exactly what Vivienne wanted." "I know." My phone rang. My father. I answered. "Dad?" "Eleanor." His voice sounded weak. Strained. "Have you seen the news?" "Yes. Dad, none of it is real. The documents are fabricated—" "I know that. But the damage is done. Investors are pulling out. Partners are terminating contracts. Everything is falling apart." "We'll fix this—" "How? How do we f

  • The CEO's Toxic Placeholder    Chapter 57 (Eleanor's POV)

    I stared at Jasper. Unable to process. "That's impossible." "The evidence is conclusive. They've been together for over a week." "But why? Why would Angelina help Vivienne?" "I don't know. But we're going to find out." He made calls immediately. To lawyers. To security. To investigators. Coordinating. Planning. Preparing. "We need to understand what we're dealing with," he said. "Two wealthy women. Both connected. Both powerful. Working together." "Against me." "Yes." The weight of it settled over me. Henry's mother. And Vivienne. Two people who should have nothing in common. United in wanting to destroy me. That evening, we gathered in Jasper's study. The investigators presented everything they'd found. Photos of Vivienne at the Ashcroft estate. Entering. Leaving. Meeting with Angelina. Over a week of surveillance. Detailed. Thorough. "They're not just acquaintances," the lead investigator said. "They're working together. Closely." "How closely?" Jasper asked. "The

  • The CEO's Toxic Placeholder    Chapter 56 (Eleanor's POV)

    "Vivienne's been spotted in London." Everything changed with those words. Within hours, security was tripled at the estate. Guards positioned at every entrance. Patrols doubled. Surveillance increased. We moved to the main house. The old stone wing. Most defensible location. Jasper coordinated everything. Made calls. Issued orders. Police were notified. Vivienne Laurent was in the city. Active threat. They promised to investigate. To search. But Jasper wasn't waiting on them. That same afternoon, he hired private investigators. The best in London. Experienced. Professional. Expensive. Their job was simple: find Vivienne Laurent. They started work immediately. Checking hotels. Tracing credit cards. Following digital footprints. Reviewing camera footage. Interviewing sources. Building patterns. Days passed with no concrete results. The wedding was three weeks away. Despite the threat, life continued. Victoria coordinated with vendors. Confirmed final arrangements. Kept

  • The CEO's Toxic Placeholder    Chapter 55 (Eleanor's POV)

    Jasper looked surprised. His eyes widened slightly. "What's this?" I set the box on the desk between us. Small. Wrapped carefully. "I bought this months ago," I said. "In New York. The day after I saw the engagement ring at Chaumet." His eyebrows raised. "The day after?" "Yes. I walked into the watch boutique next door. I wanted to get you something. Something meaningful." I smiled at the memory. That day felt like a lifetime ago. "I told people it was for Henry. Some friends asked about it. Colleagues. I lied to all of them." "Why?" "Because I think, even then, I knew who it was really for." Jasper stared at the box. Not moving. Not reaching for it. "Open it," I said softly. He picked it up carefully. Like it might break. Slowly lifted the lid. Inside was a watch. Sleek black face. Leather strap. Simple elegant design. The kind of timepiece that didn't scream wealth but whispered quality. "It's beautiful," he said quietly. "I chose it specifically. Spent over an hour lo

  • The CEO's Toxic Placeholder    Chapter 53 (Eleanor's POV)

    The morning was too quiet. I should have known that peace never lasts in the Blackwood world. I was sitting in the sunny breakfast nook of the Manor. I was drinking coffee. I was looking at the plans for the new garden. I felt safe. Then, my phone vibrated on the marble counter. It did not stop. I

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-04-02
  • The CEO's Toxic Placeholder    Chapter 54 (Eleanor's POV)

    I sat in the silence of my office. I did not open the door. I did not look at the news. I did what Jasper told me to do. But the silence was not quiet. It was heavy. It was full of the sound of my own heart. It was the sound of a woman waiting for the world to end or begin.I looked at the mahogany

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-04-02
  • The CEO's Toxic Placeholder    Chapter 51 (Eleanor's POV)

    The lobby of the Blackwood headquarters felt different today. For months, I had walked through these glass doors as a stranger. I had walked through as the "placeholder" wife. I had seen the pity in the eyes of the receptionists. I had felt the cold judgment of the security guards.But today, the a

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-04-01
  • The CEO's Toxic Placeholder    Chapter 48 (Eleanor's POV)

    The news from Seraphina was like a cold wind. Vivienne was back. She was not just back in the city. She was back in our world. She was circulating in the elite social circles of London. She was using the Blackwood scandal to make herself look important.I knew Vivienne well. She was the woman Henry

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-31
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