All Chapters of The CEO's Toxic Placeholder : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I froze just outside the private room, a cold chill creeping up my spine as I overheard the voices drifting through the crack in the door. “Henry, now that Vivienne’s back from Paris, what’s your plan with Eleanor?” Henry’s voice was smooth, practiced—a perfect Wall Street mask. “What do you mean?” “Come on, man. You and Eleanor have been together for three years. Vivienne’s back in the city. That changes things, doesn’t it?” I peeked through the gap, watching Henry. He took a long drag from his vape, the cloud of smoke swirling in the low light. He exhaled slowly before answering, quieter this time. “I don’t know. I don’t want to hurt Eleanor, but Vivienne... that’s complicated.” A laugh rumbled from one of his friends. “Vivienne was your college sweetheart. You guys were legendary. Everyone at Yale still talks about it. No one’s judging you for not being over her.” “Look,” another voice interjected, “Eleanor’s been ride-or-die for three years, and she’s gorgeous. You’re t

“Are you serious?” I snapped, my voice rising as I stared at Henry. He seemed to wake up all of a sudden, as though I was a ghost he'd forgotten about. His hand slid off Vivienne’s waist like it burned him, and he stepped back, a look of guilt flashing across his face. The guys, following his gaze to me, scrambled. “Let’s keep playing,” one of them said, awkwardly breaking the silence. “Vivienne, skip the drinks if you’re not feeling well—truth or dare is better anyway.” “Yeah, truth or dare’s perfect!” Vivienne cheered, oblivious to the tension in the air. Henry took a deep breath and sat back down on the couch. He was trying to act like everything was fine. He must have thought I was about to throw a fit. I couldn’t blame him; that’s what everyone else probably expected. But I didn’t do anything. Not a word. Not a glance. Nothing. I just sat there, staring at the group like they were part of some weird, distant dream. A part of me wanted to yell, to demand an explanation, b

“Wait—hold up, that’s a watch?” Quentin's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. His eyes flicked from the shopping bag in my hand to my face, his brows furrowed in surprise. I shrugged, not feeling like explaining. “Just picking up some things.” He eyed the bag again. “A gift for Henry?” It felt easier to nod than to lie. Quentin hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. “Eleanor… you don’t need to spend that much on him. Even their basic models go for fifteen grand. Henry—he’s not worth that.” I bristled at the words but didn’t say anything. No need to get into it. He didn’t know the full story. “Last night... he wasn’t exactly a gentleman, was he?” Quentin continued, his voice dropping as if he were choosing his words carefully. "He left with Vivienne right in front of everyone. I don’t know what game he’s playing, but—" I didn’t need to hear more. I already knew. Henry had made it clear—I was a placeholder. Nothing more. He couldn’t get over Vivienne, and me? I w

The ride to the airport was silent. The taxi was old and smelled of stale coffee, a sharp contrast to the polished leather and expensive silence of Henry's cars. As the city lights of Manhattan grew smaller in the window, I felt the heavy, tight coat of the last three years finally slide off my shoulders. I was free. I was no longer on Henry's schedule; I was on my own clock. I held my small carry-on bag close. Inside, safely tucked away, was the stack of Henry's money, now my own escape fund, and the receipt for Jasper's watch. I felt a small, fierce pride in the cold, hard cash. It was payment for three years of being ignored, and now I was using it to buy my freedom. I thought about the word "placeholder." It was a terrible, painful word, but it was true. For three years, I had molded myself to fit Henry’s life. I stopped speaking up, I stopped asking for dates, I stopped suggesting trips. I had stopped being Eleanor and started being the quiet, predictable girl who was always t

I spent the second day at the Blackwood Estate getting organized. I chose my new private suite of rooms. They were large and quiet, with huge windows overlooking a park. It felt safe, controlled, and most importantly, mine. I was enjoying the peace that came from knowing I was finally making my own choices, without Henry's interference. I was in my new study, looking at the schedule Jasper had prepared for me—meetings with the chef, fittings for my formal wear, and lists of important Blackwood charities. Everything was structured and focused. I felt useful. A maid knocked softly. "Eleanor," she said. "Mr. Blackwood is waiting for you in the drawing-room. He said he has a call that you need to hear." My heart jumped a little bit. Jasper was always calm. If he needed me to hear a call, it meant something big had happened. I knew exactly who the problem would be, even before I walked into the room. I walked quickly to the drawing-room. Jasper was standing by the phone console. He look