All Chapters of CEO's Dare Bride : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

82 Chapters

Chapter 31 – Scapegoat

Nathan entered Rafael’s house without knocking. The butler tried to stop him, but Nathan walked past and went straight into Rafael's study. He carried the morning paper with him. The Newspaper headline was engraved in his memory: Scandal in Oceanic Group— Nathan Reed Implicated.Rafael was sitting in his leather chair, with a glass of whiskey in his hand. Patricia sat at the opposite side of the table scrolling on her phone.Nathan threw the newspaper onto the table toward Rafael. “You did this,” Nathan said.Rafael didn’t even look down. He sipped his drink, as though Nathan had not spoken.Patricia glanced up from her screen. “What’s this now?”Nathan stabbed a finger at the headline. “This. My name is all over the news. Fraud. Offshore companies. And somehow, I’m the only one exposed. You leaked it.”Patricia’s brow lifted slightly. “You sound paranoid.”“Don’t play with me,” Nathan snapped. “You think I wouldn’t notice? Everything in that article matches the files we reviewed tog

Chapter 32 – Tired but Fighting

Emma sat at her desk. Her computer screen was open; she had been working, but she was not able to focus on the screen. She was tired and pressed her fingers to her temples. She exhaled slowly.Ace walked behind the chair she was sitting in. He put his hands on her shoulders. His thumbs pressed into the tight spots on her back. She relaxed a little.“Ace, are you trying to bribe me to go and sleep?” Emma asked quietly.“Not bribery,” Ace said. His breath was warm on her neck. “It’s a strategy. You think better when you’re not only on caffeine.”Emma leaned back against him. She tilted her head. His face was close to hers. One of his thumbs moved to her wrist and traced the pulse there.“It looks like we are almost there,” Emma said. “We’re close to catching them.”Ace nodded. “We are.”Emma looked back at the screen. The numbers started to make more sense. She typed faster. She worked through the night. Ace stayed behind her, quietly rubbing her shoulder.They both knew time was runnin

Chapter 33 – The Needed Vote

Ace walked into his office and closed the door behind him. Brian and Mark were already seated, and lots of files were open in front of them. Liam from IT came in last, holding a tablet.Ace sat down. “Let’s begin,” he said.Brian spoke first. “The press statement issued worked. Our investors are calm. But the board is restless, and no one has seen Vane. It looks like Vane is missing. No one has seen him since his suspension.”Ace nodded. “That means he is guilty, and he knows we’re closing in on them.”Mark added, “We traced one more shell company tied to Hermis. Rafael is using a proxy to buy shares quietly. If we don’t act fast, he’ll reach the percentage needed to take charge.”Liam slid the tablet forward for others to see. “And we found something else. Emails from Vane’s private account. It was encrypted. But we were able to break part of it.”Ace looked at the screen. “What’s in it?”Liam pointed to the screen of his tablet. “Vane has been updating Rafael weekly. He has been sen

Chapter 34 – The Board Decision

The boardroom was quiet. Members walked in and sat down. Some opened their folders. Others folded their arms and waited. The agenda said only one item would be discussed. That kept everyone waiting.The door opened. Ace entered with a file under his arm. Mr. Mark Dolgado, the company lawyer, walked beside him. Ace went to the front and stopped near Mrs. Williams, the chair of the board. He placed the file in front of her.Ace said, “Madam Chair, we are ready.”Mrs. Williams nodded. “Proceed, Mr. Blacke.”Ace looked at the members. “The only item today is the permanent removal of Mr. Vane from Blacke Tech’s board.”No one moved; all eyes focused on Ace.Ace held the file up. “We have proof that Mr. Vane leaked company data to Rafael Donovan. This is a serious breach. It has already harmed us and will cause more if not handled fast.”Mark handed out documents. Each member took one and began to read. The pages showed emails between Vane and Donovan. The attachments listed the files Vane

Chapter 35 – First Strike

Emma got to the office early and started working on the papers spread across the desk. Lola’s voice came from the phone on speaker.“Three accounts,” Lola said. “Padita Trust, Valadium Holdings, and a Cayman account under Rafael’s cousin David Hoffman. These three are the anchors.”Emma wrote their names down in her diary. “And they are linked to Oceanic shares?”“Yes,” Lola replied.“Are they also linked with Blacke Tech?” Emma asked.“Yes, these are the prime buyers of the shares. They are the more prominent shell companies. Even though he is using other smaller shell companies for his acquisition, these three are the real deal.” Lola explained. “The purchases are quiet but steady. If you freeze them, he cannot move further.” Lola went on to explain further. Emma said, “How strong is the proof of the purchases?”“The transfers match his public moves. The proxy directors are tied to him. It is clear enough.” Lola said.Emma said, “If I act now, he will be blocked.”“That is why I

Chapter 36 – The Intruder

The private entrance of the building was quiet when Ace arrived. Two guards waited, their faces tense.One of the guards said, “The door was locked. No signs of force. The system shows valid access.”Ace’s voice was calm. “Whose access was used?” he asked.The guard said, “Yours, sir.”Brian stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. “That means someone cloned your card,” he said.Ace pointed directly at the guard. “Check the logs. Compare the times with my real location,” he said.The guard nodded quickly. “Yes, sir,” he said, then left at once.Brian turned back to Ace. “If it was cloned,” he said, “then it was someone with inside access.”Ace shook his head. “Or someone trying to make it look that way,” he said.The two men walked into his office. The desk drawers were open, papers stacked out of order. The faint heat from the computer spoke of recent use.Ace stopped by the desk. “What was accessed?” he asked.The IT head came in carrying a laptop. “We tracked logins,” the man said. “Se

Chapter 37 – The Next Move

Ace walked into the kitchen. Emma was at the table, coffee in her hand, her phone buzzing on the counter.“Any word?” he asked.Emma nodded. The freezes went through, Padita. Vanadium and the Cayman account. All locked.”Ace sat down across from her. “Then, Rafael has lost his anchors.”Emma said, “He will notice soon. that is, if he hasn't noticed already.”The door opened, and Brian came in with a folder. His face was serious. “Morning. I came straight here,” he said.Ace asked, “What do you have?”Brian set the folder down. “I learned that the accounts that Emma petitioned have been frozen. The court confirmed the freezes. Orders are official. The accounts are frozen until the hearing.”Emma asked, “Any sign Rafael has moved yet?”Brian shook his head. “Not yet. We are watching for any sign of transfers, but none yet. He is quiet, which is unlike him.”Ace said, “He is planning. He will react when he sees it.”Emma looked at Brian. “Are we safe from leaks?” Brian said, “I spoke to

Chapter 38 – The Audit Findings

The room was quiet as the audit team finished their report. Papers shuffled. Screens went off.Mrs. Lawrenzo, the audit committee head, spoke. “The investigation is complete. The records point to Nathan Reed. No other names surfaced.”A board member leaned forward. “You are saying he acted alone?”Mrs. Lawrenzo nodded. “Every path led to him. His login. His approvals. His traces. No outside account tied to the breaches.”Another board member frowned. “But we suspected Rafael Donovan. Where is his name?”Mrs. Lawrenzo shook her head. “There is no trace. We found no connection. Every trail ended at Nathan.”Whispers moved across the table. Some nodded. Others exchanged doubtful looks.Emma raised her hand. The room settled. “If the findings show Nathan, we acknowledge them. But we must be careful how we act.”Mr. Shaw spoke. “Careful? He compromised us. The press already has leaks. His name is everywhere. We must go to the authorities now.”Mrs. Cole countered. “No. If we rush, we expos

Chapter 39 – Unknown Caller

Nathan sat alone. His phone lit up again. Unknown Caller. He stared at it. He whispered, “What do you want from me?”The phone rang on. He pressed the answer. A voice came through, low and firm. “You are in danger, Nathan.”Nathan gripped the phone. “Who is this?”Silence for a few seconds. Then, “Not your enemy. Listen,” said the caller.Nathan muttered, “Everyone says that before they stab me. Tell me who you are, or I will cut this call.”The voice said, “They used you. You know this already. Rafael. Patricia. They left you with the blame. They were not the only ones to be blamed; you were too greedy and resentful. That is why you allowed yourself to be used by those two.”Nathan pressed his forehead with his palm. “You think I don’t know? You think I’m blind? My name is everywhere. They’re free. I’m ruined.”The voice replied, “Not yet ruined. You still have proof. Use it.”Nathan frowned. “You know about the files? How do you know about the files? Are you stalking me?”The voice

Chapter 40 – Trust

Brian set two glasses on the coffee table. “Mia,” he said, “pasta’s ready.”She came out of the kitchen with a smile. “You’re spoiling me,” she said. “You didn’t have to cook.”Brian shrugged. “It’s only pasta,” he said. “Nothing fancy.”Mia sat down. “Better than takeout,” she said. She twirled the pasta and took a bite. “Delicious.”Brian smiled faintly. “Glad you like it.”She leaned on her elbow. “So, how was work?” she asked. “Long day?”“Busy,” Brian said. He avoided her eyes. “Meetings. Reports. Nothing exciting.”Mia tilted her head. “Come on. You’re holding back. Blacke Tech is one of the biggest tech companies in the country. How can working there not be exciting every day? I heard that it was compromised recently.Brian’s fork paused. “Where’d you hear that? Who told you my office was compromised? Nothing of such happened,” he asked.Mia laughed softly. “Come on, don't lie to me, it's out there, I know you guys may want to hide it from the media, which is a good thing, but

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