All Chapters of Vindication of the Cold CEO: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

20 Chapters

Chapter 11: Boardroom Showdown

Celeste povToday was one of those mornings where I woke up with that jittery mix of anxiety and determination. My alarm went off at six-thirty, and I instantly regretted not going to bed earlier. But there was no time for that I had a boardroom presentation to prep for, and it wasn’t just any presentation. This one would decide if my event proposal got approved by the big players at Sterling Enterprise. And by big players, I mean people with enough money to buy a private island and still complain about the Wi-Fi signal.I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, toothbrush in hand, reminding myself, Celeste, this is your moment. You’re not just here to impress you're here to prove you belong.Choosing what to wear was like playing Russian roulette with my closet. Too formal, and I’d look like I was trying too hard. Too casual, and they’d think I didn’t respect the meeting. I finally settled on a tailored navy blazer over a cream silk blouse, paired with fitted trousers and my

Last Updated : 2025-08-30

Chapter 12: Moments Alone

Celeste POVI swear, some days at Sterling Enterprise feel like they last for five years. By the time I finished wrapping up the event proposal edits Julian had “requested” which, let’s be real, felt more like him dictating than requesting the whole office was practically a ghost town. Lights dimmed in most corners, the constant hum of chatter gone, just me and my tired brain clicking away in the soft glow of my desk lamp.I leaned back in my chair, stretching my arms until I heard a satisfying pop in my shoulder. “Ow okay, maybe not satisfying,” I mumbled under my breath. God, my whole body was screaming for bed, but my brain? No. My brain was still replaying every second of our earlier interaction. Every word. Every single sharp glance.There’s this thing about Julian Sterling he has this way of talking to you like he’s in control of every breath you take. And maybe it’s the stress, maybe it’s just me losing my mind, but there’s something in the way he says my name. Like it’s bot

Last Updated : 2025-09-02

Chapter 13: Sabotage Signs

celeste povToday was supposed to be an easy day. Or at least, that’s what I told myself when I walked into Sterling Enterprise with my to-go coffee, ready to tick off a few final details before the charity gala. But the universe clearly woke up and chose violence.“Celeste, there’s a problem,” Emma said before I even reached my desk. Her tone was flat, but her eyes told me she was two seconds from panic.I froze mid-step. “What kind of problem?”She handed me the delivery confirmation sheet, her nails tapping nervously against the clipboard. “The centerpiece shipment from Fleur & Co. never arrived.”For a second, I thought she was joking. “What do you mean ‘never arrived’? I confirmed it with them yesterday morning.”Emma shook her head. “Tracking shows it left their warehouse, but it’s… gone. No arrival scan. No driver contact.”I could feel my pulse spike. The charity gala’s floral centerpieces were not just decoration, they were the visual focal point of the ballroom layout. Witho

Last Updated : 2025-09-02

Chapter 14: Emma’s Secret

Third POVEmma had been avoiding the legal department’s floor for days.Not because she had anything against lawyers, no not at all well, except for one in particular but that is because every time she saw Kane, she forgot how to breathe well not completely how to breathe but like it is hard to breathe.It wasn’t fair. Kane was the kind of man who could sit in a meeting discussing liability clauses and still look like he belonged in a magazine ad. Sharp suit, easy smirk, dark eyes that saw far more than they should. And worse, he worked with Marcus often enough that Emma couldn’t even hide behind “different departments” as an excuse to avoid him. Honestly she doesn‘t even know why she is avoiding him.She spotted him today, leaning casually against Marcus’s desk, flipping through a file. They were laughing about something, Marcus with his warm, approachable charm, Kane with that lazy, knowing grin.Her stomach tightened.She should have walked past.Instead, she slowed down, pretendin

Last Updated : 2025-09-08

Chapter 15 – Business Dinner

(Celeste POV)Today started like any other buried under files, emails screaming for replies, and Julian Sterling’s cold voice echoing in my head from the last time he’d said, “Don’t waste my time, Marshall.”Except today, I was not expecting to be summoned to his office at exactly 3:17 p.m.“Sit,” he said the moment I stepped inside, like I was a suspect in some corporate interrogation.I crossed my arms. “If this is about the shipment, I..”“It’s not,” he cut in, leaning back in that impossibly expensive chair like he owned not just Sterling Enterprise, but the air in the room. “I have dinner tonight. Business partners. You’re coming.”My brain froze. “Me?”“Do you see anyone else in this room?” His gaze flickered briefly to my blouse before returning to my face. That one millisecond was enough to make my heart trip over itself. “Six p.m. Sharp. Wear something… presentable.”I opened my mouth to argue to remind him I was an events planner, not his arm candy but he’d already shifted

Last Updated : 2025-09-08

Chapter 16: Late Night Confessions

The building was almost dead quiet. The kind of silence that makes you hyperaware of every single sound, the hum of the air conditioner, the faint click of the elevator doors closing somewhere far below, the distant echo of a cleaner’s cart rolling past in another hallway. Celeste had stayed behind to finalize the guest seating chart after the dinner. Julian’s last-minute adjustments had thrown her plan off balance, and she was determined not to give Evelyn any ammunition to use against her in tomorrow’s morning meeting. She was bent over her laptop, hair falling forward like a curtain, when she heard it. The low click of a door opening behind her. She didn’t need to turn around. His presence filled th

Last Updated : 2025-09-11

Chapter 17: Unexpected Passion

The office was too quiet for this hour.Outside the glass walls, Sterling Enterprise’s corridors were emptying, the hum of printers and low chatter replaced by the soft whoosh of the central air system. Celeste had been pacing in her chair for the last ten minutes, biting her lip so hard it almost hurt. The day had been a mess, deadlines moved forward, suppliers refusing to cooperate, and Julian acting like she was personally trying to ruin his empire. And now… now he’d summoned her. She stepped into his office without knocking.He was behind his desk, dark suit jacket discarded on the back of his chair, shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His tie was loosened, the top button undone still immaculate, but with a sharp edge

Last Updated : 2025-09-13

Chapter 18: Aftermath

Celeste’s POV I told myself I’ve slept fine.I told myself that the warm, heavy arm draped over my waist in the middle of the night had meant nothing.I told myself that Julian Sterling had not looked at me like he’d been starving and I was the only thing on the menu. But none of those lies explained why I was brushing my hair for the fourth time that morning just to keep my hands busy. The elevator ride up to Sterling Enterprise’s top floor felt twice as long as usual. I stared straight ahead, keeping my expression neutral, trying not to think about the fact that my blouse today was buttoned all the way up like some sort of makeshift armor.

Last Updated : 2025-09-16

Chapter 19: Emma’s Drama

Third pov It was supposed to be a simple Thursday morning.Check emails. Organize her calendar. Maybe steal a coffee from the events floor before Celeste caught her. But by 10 a.m., Emma’s morning had been hijacked by a text message that made her want to throw her phone out the nearest window. From Marcus: Lunch today? Kane’s joining. Her thumbs hovered over the screen.No. Absolutely not.She had been doing so well avoiding one-on-one or, God forbid, two-on-one situations with Kane. But the idea of refusing Marcus made her stomach twist in a completely different way. She settled

Last Updated : 2025-09-21

Chapter 20: Office Rumors

Celeste’s POV The first whisper hit me like a gust of cold air.It happened on the way to the break room a pair of junior associates paused mid-conversation when I walked past. The smile one of them had been wearing slipped into something tighter, something that said I know something about you. I didn’t stop walking. I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction. I poured myself coffee, ignoring how their voices picked back up the second my back was turned. I didn’t have to hear the words to know they were about me. By mid-morning, it was everywhere.Laughter that cut off too quickly when I entered a room. Side glances exchanged over computer screens. The receptionist at the front desk

Last Updated : 2025-09-26

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