All Chapters of I’m Back, Mr. CEO : Chapter 281 - Chapter 290

{LIN POV}Something is wrong with Sophie Monroe.I’ve known it from the moment she walked into my house. The way she moves through rooms like she’s claiming territory. The way she watches Maya with an intensity that makes my skin crawl.The way she cries at all the right moments but her eyes stay cold.I’m making tea in the kitchen when I hear Maya’s bedroom door open. Footsteps down the hall. The front door closing softly.Through the window, I watch my daughter get into her car and drive away. Early morning, not even seven a.m. She didn’t tell me she was leaving.Five minutes later, Sophie emerges from the guest room, already dressed, makeup perfect. Too perfect for someone who just woke up.“Good morning, Lin.” She smiles, pouring herself coffee. “Is Maya up yet?”“She just left. Didn’t you hear her?”“No, I must have been in the shower.” But her hair is dry. Has been styled. “Did she say where she was going?”“No.”Sophie’s smile tightens. Just for a second. Then it’s back, bright

{DEREK POV}Getting into Sterling Industries after hours takes more planning than I expected.Anthony Martinez gave me his access card. Took another five thousand dollars and the promise that I wouldn’t implicate him in anything, but he finally broke. Told me about Sophie paying him to disable the cameras. Told me about the exact system he tampered with.And told me something crucial: the main security footage might be gone, but Sophie had installed her own cameras. Hidden ones. To record everything.“She wanted proof,” Anthony had said, hands shaking as he took my money. “Proof that she could use if things went wrong. She had me install two mini cameras in Sophie’s office. One behind a plant. One in the bookshelf. She didn’t know I kept the login credentials.”Now I’m standing outside the building at eleven p.m., Anthony’s card in my hand, his login information on my phone.The card reader beeps green. The door unlocks.I’m in.The lobby is dark, empty. Just the hum of the HVAC syste

I’ve been staring at the footage for six hours straight.Rachel gave up trying to get me to sleep around three a.m. Now she’s curled up on the couch, occasionally checking on me with worried eyes.“You need to rest,” she says for the hundredth time.“I need to figure this out.” I rewind the footage again, watching Sophie position Ethan’s unconscious body. “We have everything. Undeniable proof. But how do we get Maya to actually watch it?”“Call her. Tell her you have evidence she needs to see.”“She’s blocked my number. Blocked Ethan’s. Blocked everyone who questions Sophie’s story.” I lean back in my chair, rubbing my eyes. “If I somehow get through to her, if I tell her I have video evidence, she’ll think it’s fake. Doctored. Desperate manipulation.”“Then show it to the police.”“And say what? That I broke into a private office building and hacked into an unauthorized surveillance system?” I shake my head. “The evidence would be inadmissible. Fruit of the poisonous tree. Sophie’s l

**Few Hours Later**Detective Chen won’t help us.“I’m sorry, Mr. Park, but what you’re describing is illegally obtained evidence. Even if I wanted to pursue this, any warrant I requested based on your information would be fruit of the poisonous tree.” She’d closed her notebook, the meeting over before it really began. “My advice? Forget you ever saw that footage and hope Sophie Monroe doesn’t press charges for breaking and entering.”So now I’m sitting in my car outside the police station, trying to figure out my next move, when my phone rings.Unknown number.“Derek Park.”“Mr. Park, this is James Sterling. Maya’s uncle. We met briefly at the family dinner.” His voice is sharp, professional. “I hear you’ve been investigating Sophie Monroe.”“How did you—”“Lin called me. Told me about the surveillance footage you found. About Sophie staging the entire assault.” He pauses. “I want to see it.”“With all due respect, Mr. Sterling, I’m not sure how that helps. Maya won’t listen to you a

{SOPHIE POV}Maya isn’t softening.I’ve been watching her for weeks now. Waiting for the moment when she’d turn to me. When she’d see me not just as her best friend, but as something more.When she’d realize that Ethan is gone and I’m the one who’s been here all along.But it’s not happening.She’s distant. Distracted. Going through the motions of our friendship but not really present. And yesterday, I overheard her on the phone with someone. I couldn't hear the whole conversation, but I caught enough.“Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I should have listened.”She’s doubting me. Doubting the story. Starting to question whether Ethan really assaulted me.Which means I’m running out of time.I’m sitting in my room at Lin’s house, door locked, staring at my laptop screen. I’ve been researching for hours. Reading articles about false accusations. About how to stage evidence. About what would be impossible to explain away.The first setup worked perfectly. Maya found us exactly as I planned. Belie