All Chapters of The CEO's Dangerous Line: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Estella Duan adjusted the thin strap of her black dress as she stepped into the ballroom. Too bright. Too loud. Too calculated. Crystal chandeliers scattered gold across the room, reflecting off polished glasses and expensive watches. Conversations flowed in low, controlled tones—nothing here was ever said without purpose. She didn’t belong. But she wasn’t here to belong. She was here because she had been told to come. “Attend the Vraux investor gathering tonight,” Terry had said that afternoon, voice precise, leaving no room for questions. “You’ll meet one of Valcor’s potential partners. Keep it professional.” A simple instruction. Except nothing involving Vraux was ever simple. Estella moved deeper into the room, her steps measured, her gaze observant. Faces blurred together at first glance, but she noted what mattered—who stood close to whom, who spoke too quietly, who avoided certain names. Patterns. That was always where the truth hid. A waiter approac

The investigation room wasn’t cold.It just felt that way.Estella sat straight, hands folded on the table, posture flawless—too flawless for someone being accused of breaching a restricted system.Across from her, three members of internal audit reviewed the data projected on the screen.No one smiled.No one softened their tone.Good.That made things easier.“Miss Duan,” the lead investigator began, “your credentials were used to access Orion files at 02:14 AM.”A beat.“Explain.”Estella didn’t rush.Didn’t defend.Didn’t react.“I was at home,” she said calmly. “My devices were inactive. No login initiated from my end.”“That’s not evidence.”“No,” she agreed. “But it’s verifiable.”A slight shift in the room.Confidence always made people uncomfortable—especially when it wasn’t backed by panic.She opened the folder in front of her and slid a document forward.“I didn’t review just the access,” she continued. “I reviewed the behavior.”The investigator frowned. “Behavior?”Estel

The city lights blurred beneath Estella’s gaze.She stood on the balcony of her apartment, arms folded tightly across her chest, letting the cold night air bite into her skin. It helped—slightly. Kept her grounded.But not enough.Because the file was still there.Burned into her mind.Duan Dyne — Internal Risk Factor.Her father.Not a victim.A liability.Estella exhaled slowly, her breath unsteady for the first time that day.“Just a system error…” she murmured.But even she didn’t believe it.Her phone vibrated in her hand.A message lit up the screen.Linda: You’re not okay. Don’t lie. Come to Circle Sky.Estella stared at it for a moment.Then typed back.Estella: Ten minutes.The bar was already alive when she arrived.Low lights. Soft music. Conversations blending into white noise.Normal.Everything felt normal.Too normal.“Wow,” Linda said the moment she saw her. “You look like you’ve been run over by your own life.”Estella let out a quiet laugh and slid onto the stool bes

Morning arrived like nothing had happened.The glass facade of Valcor Technology still reflected the same pale sunlight. Employees still walked in with their coffee, their schedules, their quiet ambitions.But the moment Estella Duan stepped through the lobby doors, something shifted.It wasn’t loud.It never was.It was in the way conversations dipped half a tone too low. The way a group near the elevators paused just a second too long before resuming their chatter. The way someone glanced at her—then quickly looked away.“That’s her…”“The one from last night.”“CEO’s favorite, huh…”The words weren’t meant to reach her.They did anyway.Estella didn’t slow down. Her heels clicked steadily against the polished floor, her posture straight, her expression unreadable.Good. Let them look.At least now I know exactly what I am to them.The elevator ride to the executive floor felt longer than usual, even in silence. When the doors slid open, the atmosphere sharpened—more restrained, mor

The bar was louder than Estella remembered.Or maybe her mind was just too full.Music pulsed low beneath the chatter, glasses clinked, laughter rose and fell in waves—but none of it settled into her. It all felt distant, like noise behind glass.She sat across from Linda, one hand loosely wrapped around her drink, the ice already half-melted.“You look like you haven’t slept in days,” Linda said, narrowing her eyes.Estella let out a quiet breath. “I haven’t. Not properly.”Linda leaned back in her chair, studying her like she was trying to solve a problem.“So let me get this straight,” she said, lifting her glass slightly. “You slept with your boss, got dragged into an internal investigation, your name is all over the media, and now you’re basically working under restriction?”Estella gave her a flat look. “When you say it like that, it sounds worse.”Linda snorted. “Because it is worse.”Despite herself, Estella huffed a small laugh. It didn’t last.Her gaze drifted to the rim of