All Chapters of My Contract Marriage with the CEO: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The cleaning staff member nodded politely, maintaining a friendly smile. "I was simply instructed to deliver this directly to you, Eleanor. Please accept it.""But who is it from? I truly don't recall ordering or asking anyone to buy this," Eleanor refused gently, feeling hesitant to accept an item of uncertain origin."I am not entirely sure, miss. I am only carrying out orders to hand it over to you. If you'll excuse me," the man cut in quickly. Before Eleanor could press him any further, he turned on his heel and walked away from her cubicle area.Eleanor could only stare at the warm meal box on her desk in utter confusion. She picked up her phone, quickly located Bella's number, and placed a call."Hello, Bel? You... didn't happen to send food to my cubicle, did you?" Eleanor asked directly the moment the call connected.The sound of Bella chewing echoed from the other end. "Food? No, El. I'm just about finishing up my lunch in the cafeteria. Why? Did someone send you food?""Ah,

Eleanor gasped softly at the cold question Archie threw her way. She clutched the edge of her silk pajamas, feeling intimidated by the intense stare of the man in front of her."That... Ms. Abigail gave me this assignment directly late this afternoon, Mr. Richter," Eleanor answered truthfully, striving to keep her voice steady. "She stated that everything regarding fund usage and budget efficiency ultimately rests with our division. So, I was instructed to conduct an investigative audit directly on site."Archie tossed the thick file back onto the table with a heavy thud, making Eleanor flinch slightly.He slid one hand into his trousers pocket while keeping his eyes locked onto Eleanor."Abigail is inventing things," Archie stated flatly, his tone completely level and devoid of emotion. "The Richter Company has a dedicated field supervision division paid specifically to do that dirty work. A planning staff member's job is to process raw data from behind a desk, not bake in the heat c

Abigail could no longer support her own weight. Her knees gave out, hitting the marble floor of the President Director’s office with a heavy thud.The arrogance that usually marked her face gave way to sheer desperation."Mr. Richter, I offer my deepest apologies for my mistake," Abigail wept, her voice trembling as she looked up at him pleadingly. "I swear I had no ill intent to harm the company. I... I admit I was overly extreme in administering punishment, but my initial intent was purely to discipline a new staff member so she would develop strong fortitude at the Richter Company."Archie remained leaning back in his executive chair, unmoving. His icy gaze did not waver in the slightest at the sight of the woman's tears."Save your breath, Manager Abigail," Archie cut in curtly, his voice devoid of emotion yet strong enough to halt her weeping instantly. "I am not interested in hearing justifications for misconduct wrapped in the guise of discipline."Archie shifted his gaze away

Archie went quiet for several seconds. His dark eyes fixed directly on Eleanor, exuding an icy aura that made the space around the coffee table feel suddenly constricted."Correct. I sent it," Archie answered flatly, without hesitation or any attempt to deny it.He leaned back into his seat and added in a level tone, "I dislike seeing an employee at my company faint in her cubicle simply because her manager lacks sanity. It is bad for operational efficiency."Archie's blunt honesty—wrapped in an icy demeanor—effectively silenced Eleanor. Her intention to press further evaporated instantly.Under the flat, intimidating stare of the President Director, Eleanor hurriedly picked up her fork and began eating the meal before her without another word.Silence lingered between them for a few minutes, broken only by the soft clinking of Eleanor's cutlery.Yet, between her bites, Archie's deep voice broke the quiet once more."Did Abigail cause any more trouble for you after returning from my o

Bella’s warning lingered in Eleanor’s mind.Choosing to remain at her desk, Eleanor stayed entirely focused on the stack of files Abigail had assigned her.Throughout the remainder of the day, she worked with double her usual precision. Drawing upon every bit of experience from her two years at the company, she meticulously verified each line of vendor codes, cross-referenced them with delivery manifests, and recalculated the totals manually to ensure no hidden input errors remained.The task was so time-consuming that, before she knew it, the clock hands pointed to seven in the evening. The planning division was now deserted, as all other employees had cleared out for the night.Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Richter Company headquarters...Sam stepped into the President Director’s office with his work tablet in hand.The expansive room was dimly lit, illuminated only by the desk lamp where Archie remained engrossed in reviewing documents."Mr. Richter," Sam called out in a low,