As the days passed, the investigation into Charles’ activities only deepened. My private investigator had uncovered more connections between Charles and several of our competitors, particularly one shady conglomerate that had been sniffing around the edges of Bermudez Group for months.It became clear that Charles was playing a much bigger game than we originally thought.I sat in my office, pouring over the investigator’s latest findings, my mind racing. Every new revelation only made things murkier. Charles wasn’t just after my position—he was after the whole damn company.Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and Lucia poked her head in, looking more concerned than usual."Madame CEO," she said softly, stepping into the room. "You’re going to want to see this.""What now?" I asked, barely hiding my frustration. I had enough on my plate as it was.Lucia handed me her tablet, her fingers shaking slightly. "I pulled another set of CCTV footage from last week. I know we’ve already s
The pressure weighed heavily on my shoulders, but if there’s one thing I knew, it’s that I couldn’t let Charles or anyone else see me crack. Not now, when the stakes were so high. Over the next few days, Lucia worked tirelessly to secure the files and move everything to an encrypted server. I’d also instructed her to set up a digital trap—something that would alert us the second Charles or anyone else tried to access any critical information without authorization. My private investigator, Mira, had stayed on the case as well, digging deeper into Charles’ background, tracking his financial movements, and confirming his ties with the Zorich Group. She was nothing if not thorough, and the deeper she went, the more unsettling details she uncovered.It was late in the evening when Mira called me. I was at home, unwinding with a glass of wine, trying to piece together my next move when the phone rang.“Ms. Bridgette,” Mira’s voice came through, urgent. “I found something. I have this stro
And so a day finally came when I have decided to finally chase Charles towards his trap. Despite knowing that the moment I decided to set Charles up, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. But for some reason, I still was confident that with the evidence Lucia had gathered and Mira's ongoing investigation, I could catch him in the act and end this nightmare once and for all.I called a private meeting with Lucia and Marcus the following morning in my office. They had been my most trusted allies, and I needed their expertise if we were going to pull this off."Here’s the plan," I began, leaning forward across the table, my voice low but determined. "We need to make Charles think he’s getting the upper hand. We’ll dangle something, like a project—a huge project, something that will seem like the perfect opportunity for him to steal. But it’ll be a decoy. We’ll set it as a trap, and after he bites, we’ll have all the proof we need to bury him."Lucia raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You want to feed
I sat there, stunned, my hands cold and trembling under the table. The room’s oppressive silence felt like it was squeezing the air out of my lungs. Charles had pulled the rug out from under me, and the board was already convinced. What seemed to come to be even worse was that, Thiago, the man I thought I could count on, had hesitated to believe me. His silence was louder than the accusations being thrown my way.“I agree,” one of the board members, Mrs. Lavoie, said after what felt like an eternity. “It’s in the best interest of the Bermudez Group to suspend Bridgette while we investigate this fully.”The others nodded in agreement, their faces unreadable, though I could feel the judgment radiating from them.Suspension? My heart dropped even further. They were stripping me of my authority of being their CEO, right before my very eyes. Not officially firing me—not yet—but this was a public shaming. It was like being exiled from my own territory, a place I’d already bled so much for
As I stormed down and outside the mansion, my thoughts were a whirlwind of anger, frustration, and disbelief. I could barely think straight as I grabbed my coat and swung open the front door of the house. I needed air. I needed to get away, to do something, anything, before I lost my mind.But before I could take a step outside, a familiar figure blocked my path. Thiago.“Where the heck are you going this late, wifey?” His voice was calm, almost too calm for how I felt. He was leaning against the doorframe, his hands in his pockets, like he wasn’t even fazed by everything that had just gone down.“Get out of my way,” I hissed, trying to shove past him, but he didn’t budge.“Wifey, hey stop, hey I said, stop.”“I said get out of my way, Thiago!” My voice cracked, anger and hurt lacing every word. I felt the pressure building in my chest, threatening to explode. How could he just stand there, acting like nothing had happened, after everything Charles had done to me?“I’m not letting you
Thiago held me close, his hand rubbing soothing circles on my back as I rested my head against his chest. For the first time in days, I felt the tension in my body begin to ease. But it wasn’t enough. Not yet.I pulled back slightly, looking up at him. “How are you going to do it? How are you going to take down Charles?”He sighed, brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “It’s not going to be easy. Charles is cunning, and he’s been setting this up for a long time. But he’s made a mistake.”“What mistake?” I asked, needing to hear every detail.Thiago’s jaw clenched, a sharp edge to his gaze. “He underestimated you. He thought you’d crumble under the pressure, that you wouldn’t fight back. And that arrogance is going to cost him.”I swallowed, feeling a flicker of satisfaction. Charles had been so sure of himself, but if there was one thing I had learned over the years, it was that arrogance always led to mistakes. “So what’s the plan?”“We need to hit him where it hurts,” Thiago
The next few days just became more intense, but everything went according to Thiago’s plan. We kept up the facade—me, particularly, pretending to be on the verge of collapse, and Thiago, feigning indifference as Charles continued to push me out of the Bermudez group. Meanwhile, we gathered every piece of evidence we could find. Lucia worked tirelessly, pulling surveillance footage, cross-referencing emails, and even enlisting some of her own contacts to dig deeper into Charles’s shady dealings. Then, the day that we’ve all been waiting for finally came.I sat in my office, pretending to work through the paperwork that Charles had left behind. I knew he was watching me, probably enjoying the sight of what he thought was a defeated woman. But what Charles didn’t know was that Thiago had already set the trap for him.Just after lunch, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Thiago: ‘It’s time. Come to the 14th-floor conference room.’My heart raced as I grabbed my things and left my offi
I couldn’t shake the rush of adrenaline as I stood there in Thiago’s arms, the reality of the situation finally sinking in. Charles was being escorted out of the building, and I could almost hear the whispers spreading like wildfire through the company. This wasn’t over yet, but we’d taken a massive step forward. The board still needed to be convinced, and I needed to reclaim my seat as temporary CEO. And I knew that with Thiago by my side, there would be nothing that I should even worry about..“I can’t believe this is happening,” I whispered, resting my head against his chest. “For a long while I really thought I’d lost everything.”Thiago cup my chin and gently lifted it up, letting me meet his eyes. His expression was serious but filled with something deep. “You won’t ever lost anything, Wifey. While I am around, I will make sure of that.”There was a raw honesty in his voice that I hadn’t expected. It made me realize just how much he had been working behind the scenes, despite t
The weight of Lucia’s words lingered long after she was gone, settling over me like an unwelcome shroud. The air in my apartment felt heavier, thick with the ghost of Thiago’s presence.I set the wine glass down with a soft clink, pressing my fingers against my temples. My head throbbed, not from the alcohol but from the war waging inside me. Thiago was a storm—unrelenting, consuming, and I was the fool who kept stepping into the rain without an umbrella.I forced myself to move, needing to shake off the static thrumming in my veins. One step, then another, until I was standing before my bedroom mirror. The woman staring back at me looked like a stranger. There was defiance in her eyes, yes, but beneath it, something else lurked—uncertainty.My gaze dropped to the ring, still snug on my finger. I could almost feel the phantom trace of Thiago’s touch lingering there. My hands curled into fists. I should take it off. I should have done it the second he walked out that door.With a sharp
The elevator ride to my apartment was silent except for the dull hum of the machinery. My fingers hovered over the ring on my hand, debating whether to rip it off before I stepped through the door. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I stepped out into the hallway, my heels clicking against the polished floor, my pulse a steady drumbeat in my ears. As I neared my door, a whisper of hesitation curled in my chest, but I ignored it. My fingers trembled only slightly as I unlocked the door and stepped inside.The lights were already on.I froze.And then…“I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind.”Thiago’s voice curled through the space, rich and smooth, wrapping around me like a silk noose. He was there, lounging in my living room like he belonged. A bottle of wine sat open on the table, two glasses half-poured. Like he’d planned for this. Like he knew I’d come.My breath stuttered. “You broke into my apartment.”Thiago smirked, tilting his head. “Now, now, wifey. You gave me a key, reme
The night air was thick with the scent of the ocean, the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore a stark contrast to the storm still raging inside me. Lucia’s grip on my wrist didn’t loosen until we were a good distance away from the bar, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement as she all but dragged me down the sidewalk.I let her.Because if I didn’t, I wasn’t sure if I’d turn back.Lucia finally stopped near the edge of the boardwalk, whirling around to face me. “What the hell was that?”I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples. “Lucia—”“No.” She held up a finger, her eyes blazing. “No, don’t you Lucia me. You just stood there and let him put that ring back on your finger. Do you want to keep playing his little games?”I didn’t answer.Because I didn’t know.Lucia groaned, running a hand through her hair. “I swear to God, Bridge, I love you, but you’re killing me.”I let out a humorless laugh. “You think I don’t know that?”She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms.
I should have walked away.Should have left him standing there in the dim glow of the city lights, his arrogance hanging in the air like the scent of his cologne—rich, dark, and impossible to ignore.But my feet wouldn’t move.Thiago was waiting. Watching. That infuriating smirk still curled at the corner of his lips, like he had already won.Like he knew I wouldn’t leave.I lifted my hand again, staring at the ring on my finger. It looked the same as before, but now it felt… different. He had put it back on me. Not a question. Not an offer. A statement.I clenched my fist. “I should take this off.”His smirk didn’t waver. “But you won’t.”I exhaled sharply. “You’re so sure of yourself.”Thiago stepped closer, and just like that, the space between us disappeared. His fingers brushed against my wrist, featherlight but firm enough to make my pulse jump.“I don’t need to be sure of myself, Wifey.” His voice was low, dark, coaxing. “I just need to be sure of you.”I hated the way my body
I should have looked away. Should have turned my back on him, pretended he wasn’t there.But that was the thing about Thiago. He didn’t just take up space—he consumed it.And right now, he was consuming me.Lucia muttered a curse under her breath, shooting me a knowing look. “Seriously? Does he have some kind of tracking device on you?”I swallowed, forcing my shoulders to stay squared even as my pulse quickened. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”Thiago didn’t move right away. He just stood there, watching me, his gaze dark and unreadable. It was infuriating how effortless it was for him. How he could make an entire room feel smaller just by existing in it.Then, finally, he walked forward.And just like that, the air shifted.My grip tightened around my glass. Every part of me screamed to act unaffected—to act like he didn’t get to me. But then he was standing beside our table, his presence like a brand against my skin.Marcus, still chatting up some poor woman, glanced up and let out a
The moment the door shut behind him, I let out a shaky breath, my knees threatening to give out beneath me.Thiago was gone—for now.But I knew better than to believe he would stay away.I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling the frantic beat of my heart beneath my fingertips. He had gotten too close again. Worn me down with his words, with the weight of his presence. And damn it, he knew it.I crossed the room in quick strides, locking the door as if that would somehow keep him out. Keep him from creeping into my thoughts, my skin, my resolve.I needed air.Without a second thought, I stepped onto the balcony, the cool night breeze wrapping around me like a much-needed embrace. The ocean stretched before me, waves crashing against the shore in rhythmic defiance.I wished I could be like the tide. Constant. Unwavering. Unaffected.Instead, I was a mess.My fingers curled around the railing as I stared at the dark horizon.How had I let this happen?How had I let him slip back in, take
The moment the door shut behind him, the tension in the room thickened.Thiago didn’t move right away. He simply stood there, watching me, his gaze dark and knowing. He had won this round, and he knew it.I turned away, walking toward the minibar just to put some distance between us. My fingers curled around an empty glass, gripping it as if it could anchor me."You enjoy this, don’t you?" I muttered, not looking at him. "Back and forth, push and pull. You like knowing that no matter how much I fight you, I’ll still let you in."Thiago’s slow footsteps echoed in the room as he approached. "I don’t enjoy it, Wifey," he murmured, his voice low, dangerous. "I need it."My breath caught.Before I could turn, his hands were on my hips, his chest pressing against my back. I felt the heat of him, the possessiveness in his touch."You say you want to be free," he murmured against my ear, his lips barely brushing my skin. "But we both know you never will be. Not from me."I squeezed my eyes sh
I sat on the edge of the bed, my heart still hammering against my ribs long after Thiago had left. My body felt taut, wound up like a spring that had been stretched too far. I ran a hand through my hair, inhaling sharply, willing my thoughts to clear.But how could I, when his presence still clung to the air like a lingering storm?I needed to focus.I grabbed my phone and re-read Marcus’s message. The launch. My project. The moment I had been building toward for months. The reason I had tolerated sleepless nights, constant battles in boardrooms, and a relentless war against my father’s company.I couldn’t afford to let Thiago distract me. Not tonight. Not ever.With renewed determination, I typed out a response to Marcus, confirming that I’d review the final details in the morning. Then, I placed my phone on the nightstand, staring at it for a long moment.Would Thiago leave me alone for the rest of the night?Or had he only retreated to strike again when I was vulnerable?The though
I swallowed hard, my fingers gripping the door. Thiago’s presence was suffocating, demanding, and yet... a part of me was drawn to it like a moth to a flame."Let you in?" My voice came out quieter than I intended.His gaze never wavered. "Yes."I hated the way my pulse quickened. The way my body responded even when my mind screamed at me to slam the door in his face.I exhaled sharply. "You think you can just show up, say a few words, and I’ll let you in?"A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "I think we both know you want to."God, I hated him.And I hated that he was right.My grip on the door tightened. I could still shut him out. I could still choose to keep him at a distance. But deep down, I knew that if I let him in, I wasn’t just opening the door to my hotel room. I was opening something much more dangerous.Thiago saw my hesitation and took a step forward, his body close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating off him."I’m not going to force you, Wifey," he murmu