Lahat ng Kabanata ng MARRIED TO THE CEO BY CONTRACT: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

The venue was deliberate.Neutral. Public. Impossible to control.Elena Ricci had chosen it.Alessandro would have expected nothing less.They arrived separately.That had been Elena’s condition.No dramatic entrances.No united front.Elara stepped out of her car first.Her dress was understated but sharp—cream silk, structured shoulders, no jewellery except her wedding band.She wasn’t dressing for intimidation.She was dressing for clarity.Alessandro arrived five minutes later.Black suit. No tie. Controlled expression.They did not touch as they walked inside.But their silence aligned.The rooftop lounge overlooked Victoria Island, Lagos, stretching gold beneath twilight.Soft music.Low lights.Too many witnesses for violence.Perfect for psychological warfare.And she was already there.Elena Ricci did not stand when they approached.She studied them first.Assessing.Calculating.Alive.Very much alive.Alessandro stopped two feet from her table.“Elena.”His voice didn’t crac

The name echoed long after Alessandro said it.Marco D’Ambrosio.Elara didn’t know the man personally.But she knew what he represented.Old power.Old loyalty.Old grudges.And those were always the most dangerous.They were back in the penthouse by evening.No staff.No assistants.No distractions.Just the quiet weight of escalation.“You should tell me everything about him,” Elara said.Alessandro removed his cufflinks slowly.“There isn’t much to tell.”She gave him a look.“That’s not true.”He met her eyes.“He was my father’s enforcer.”“Legally?”“And otherwise.”The air shifted.“He cleaned problems,” Alessandro continued.“Closed investigations. Pressured regulators. Neutralised threats.”Elara folded her arms.“And now he’s auditing me.”“Yes.”“Why would he agree?”Alessandro’s jaw tightened.“Because he believes I betrayed my father.”Her pulse slowed slightly.“You did.”“Yes.”The honesty was immediate.“And he never forgave you.”“No.”Elara moved toward the window, st

By morning, the city was already waiting.The financial district pulsed with cameras, satellite vans, and whispered speculation. News tickers looped the same phrases:Offshore accounts.Legacy signature.Foundation ethics.Corporate concealment.Elara De Luca stepped out of the car into a storm she had chosen.And she did not flinch.Alessandro walked beside her, composed as ever. Controlled. Calculated.But todayHe was not leading.She was.Inside the main conference hall of De Luca Holdings, a long row of microphones waited under bright lights. Logos. Financial networks. Political commentators.In the second row sat members of the board.Including Marco D’Ambrosio.Watching.Always watching.And near the backUnannounced but unmistakableMarcus Hale.Elara noticed him immediately.Marcus Hale did not belong to De Luca Holdings.But he belonged to the market.To volatility.To opportunity.He met her eyes and offered the faintest smile.Not friendly.Not hostile.I'm interested.She

Durability begins tonight.Elara read the message again as the car pulled away from the Verona building.No signature.No number traceable.But she did not need one.This was not Marcus.Not Marco.Not Luke.This was architecture.And architecture meant Dante.She slid the phone into her bag without comment.Beside her, Alessandro stared ahead, jaw set—not in anger.In calculation."Tonight", he said quietly, “means the market is closed.”“Yes.”“Public detonation would maximise visibility.”“Yes.”He glanced at her briefly.“You’re calm.”“I’m focused.”That was true.Calm implied absence of emotion.This was containment.By the time they reached the headquarters of De Luca Holdings, volatility had begun.Verona shares surged again.Speculation forums buzzed.Financial anchors used words like:Succession fracture.Legacy interference.Hostile consolidation.Inside the executive floor, Elena Ricci was already waiting.She did not waste time.“There’s a dormant liability structure nest

The email arrived at 6:12 a.m.Not to Alessandro.Not to De Luca Holdings.To the general inquiry inbox of the Hart Foundation.Subject line:Request for Clarification — International Disbursement IrregularitiesElara was already awake when her secure device vibrated.She read the message once.Then twice.Don't panic.Pattern recognition.By 7:00 a.m., she was seated at the long glass table in the Hart Foundation’s private conference room.Morning light streamed in, soft and deceptive.Across from her sat two senior programme directors.To her right, Elena Ricci.A screen displayed the inquiry.Anonymous filing.Routed through a regulatory compliance channel.Not an accusation.Not yet.Clarification request.But clarification requests create headlines.“Which grants?” Elara asked calmly.Elena tapped the screen.“Three international allocations. Eastern corridor education initiative. North African medical supply chain. Balkan women’s legal advocacy network.”Elara nodded slowly.“Al