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CHAPTER 20
Last Updated:
2025-02-26 18:18:13
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Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken accusations. Michelle’s heart pounded as she watched Raymond’s gaze shift from her to the scattered documents on the floor. “I asked you a question,” he said, stepping further into the room, his expression unreadable. Michelle forced herself to stand tall despite her fear, and the tremor in her hands. “I was looking for answers,” she admitted. “And now I have them.” Raymond’s jaw tightened. “You think sneaking around my study and going through my stuff is the way to do that?” She exhaled sharply, frustration bubbling to the surface. “You act like I’m the enemy, but if you actually looked at these documents, you’d see that I’m not the problem—they are.” She gestured toward the files, her voice rising. “Eleanor and Isabelle are planning to take everything from you!” His eyes darkened. “You think I don’t know that?” Michelle faltered. “Then why—?” Raymond turned away, running a hand through his hair. “You think you’re the only one
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The whispers hadn’t stopped. Michelle knew that proving her innocence once wasn’t enough. Eleanor’s false accusations had been debunked, but the office gossip had a life of its own. “She’s only here because of her last name.” “She seduced Raymond to secure her position.” “I heard Eleanor wants her gone. I wonder how long before she succeeds.” Michelle sighed, gripping her coffee cup tighter as she walked past a cluster of employees who immediately fell silent after seeing her. Their forced smiles didn’t fool her. She wasn’t naive enough to think they were scared of her or had suddenly started respecting her. Reaching her office, she found Chloe already inside, arms crossed,lips in a thin line, and her expression set to serious business mode. “You look like you’re about to drop a bomb,” Michelle said, setting her coffee down. “Because I am.” Chloe handed her a folder. “Isabelle’s making moves, and I don’t mean her usual passive-aggressive nonsense.” Michelle frowned as she flip
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For a long moment, silence stretched between Michelle and Raymond. Her heart pounded as she racked her brain to come up with an excuse , a reasonable explanation—one that didn’t make her sound like the corporate version of a cat burglar. “This isn’t what it looks like, I promise” she blurted. Raymond arched a brow. “Oh? Is that so? Because it looks like you’re snooping through Miranda’s emails.” Michelle let out a nervous laugh. “Snooping is such a strong word. I prefer… accidental investigation.” His expression didn’t change. Okay, so he wasn’t buying it. She sighed. “Fine. I was looking for proof. You said you needed real evidence to stop Eleanor and her minions. Well, I just found an email about a plan moving forward—which sounds pretty incriminating, don’t you think?” Raymond stepped inside, his gaze flicking to the screen. But before he could read the email— Click. The laptop screen went dark. Michelle’s stomach dropped. “No, no, no, don’t you dare—” She frantically ji
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Michelle stared at the folder in her hands, her mind still in a state of shock and confusion. The weight of the discovery settled heavily on her chest—Alex had been working with Eleanor this entire time. Initially, she had thought Eleanor was just using Alex to cause a rift between Her and Raymond but it turns out they were actually working together. He wasn’t just a thorn in her side. He was a full-blown dagger aimed at her back. Chloe sat across from her, arms crossed, brows drawn in frustration. “I knew that sleazeball was bad news, but this? This is next-level villainy.” Michelle let out a humorless laugh. “Great. So, not only is he blackmailing me, but he’s also in cohort with my worst enemies.” “Unfortunately, yes.” Chloe exhaled sharply. “We need to be smart about this and be careful. If Eleanor and Alex are teaming up, then whatever they’re planning—it’s big and it's not going to be good. We need to hit back before they have the chance to strike.” Michelle nodded, but insid
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Michelle couldn’t shake Miranda’s parting words. They clung to her thoughts like a stubborn stain, refusing to fade no matter how hard she tried to focus on her work. What did she mean about Alex? What secrets was he hiding? And more importantly—why was Miranda suddenly offering clues? It felt like a trap. But Michelle didn’t have the luxury of waiting or ignoring any tiny clue. If there was something to uncover, she needed to find it before Eleanor or Alex used it against her. The problem was, she didn’t know where to start. While Michelle struggled with her own thoughts, Eleanor Hawthorne was playing a far more dangerous game. She had always known that her son was a man who operated on trust and control. If he doubted someone, it was only a matter of time before he shut them out completely. And that was exactly what she intended to make happen. She wanted Michelle out of his life and out of the Hawthorne family. Seated in her lavish office, Eleanor swirled the wine in her glas
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Michelle wasn’t one for reckless decisions, but tonight, she was making an exception. After what she saw at the restaurant, she knew she couldn’t sit around waiting for answers to come to her. Miranda was dangerous and very calculative, and if Michelle wanted to get ahead of whatever she was plotting, she needed to take action. The woman had only ever shown her gentle side when they worked together previously at Harper & Co, but now she was showing her true colours. Which was why she found herself standing outside Miranda’s office late at night, heart pounding against her ribs. She needed anything, any information at all that could help her uncover Miranda's plans. The building was mostly empty—most employees had gone home hours ago. Only the night security and a few late workers remained. That gave Michelle a small window to get in, search for whatever Miranda was hiding, and get out of there before anyone noticed. She had thought about asking Chloe to come along, but after giving
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Michelle kept her expression neutral, refusing to let Miranda see the panic on her face. If she showed even a flicker of fear, Miranda would pounce. Instead, she straightened her shoulders and looked Miranda straight in the eyes. “So, you admit you’re working with Eleanor and Calvin?” Miranda let out a low chuckle, her perfectly manicured fingers tracing the edge of the desk. “Oh, Michelle,” she sighed, shaking her head as if she pitied her. “You think you’ve uncovered some grand conspiracy, don’t you?” Michelle tightened her grip on her phone. “I don’t think—I know.” And I have evidence of it. Miranda smirked, unfazed. “And yet, here you are, sneaking around in my office like a common thief, looking for what's not lost. If you were so confident, why not confront Eleanor directly? Or better yet—run to Raymond?” Michelle’s stomach twisted. That was the problem, wasn’t it? She had evidence, but nothing concrete enough to make Raymond believe her. If she went to him now, Eleanor woul
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Michelle sat frozen on her bed, her fingers tightening around the edges of the photograph as if holding it any looser would make it slip away. Her younger self. And Calvin Hawthorne. The boy in the picture was unmistakable. The same sharp features, the same calculating eyes—even at a young age, there was something unsettling about the way he looked at the camera. But why? Why was he in this picture with her? How did they know each other? A deep sense of unease settled in her stomach. She had no recollection of ever meeting Calvin when she was a child. Her memories of that time were fuzzy, but if she had met him—if she had known him—surely she would have remembered. Wouldn’t she? Her mind raced with possibilities. Was the photograph real? Or was this just another one of Calvin’s twisted games? Her first instinct was to believe the latter. He was always trying to get into her head, to make her question herself. This could be another one of his manipulations—a way to rattle her a
Last Updated : 2025-02-28
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The tension in the office was palpable as Michelle processed Charles’s words. Her inheritance was being contested, and Richard wasn’t the only one involved. But who else was pulling the strings? Was he working with Eleanor? Do they even know each other? She couldn't find answers to the question. Raymond remained beside her, his presence steady and unwavering. "We need to find out exactly how deep this goes," he said, his voice firm. "If Richard thinks he can take this from you, he’s severely underestimated who he’s dealing with." Michelle nodded, determination settling in. "I want to know everything. If someone is backing him, I need to know who." Felix, always prepared, stepped forward with his tablet. "I did some digging into Eleanor’s sudden involvement. And you’re not going to like what I found." Michelle's stomach twisted. "What is it?" Felix swiped across the screen, pulling up a series of old legal documents and confidential files. "Eleanor has known about your inheritance
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Michelle’s fingers trembled slightly as she clutched the legal document, her mind struggling to process Damian’s words. "I don’t understand," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "How is this possible? I don’t recall any distant relatives who would leave me such a massive inheritance for me." Damian leaned against Raymond’s desk, his expression thoughtful. "That’s because this relative wasn’t directly in your life. But legally, they had ties to your family. The inheritance was sealed under a confidential clause. It was only unlocked now because of Richard’s recent moves. Raymond’s grip on Michelle’s hand tightened as he exchanged a glance with Damian. "Meaning someone wanted this hidden. And now that it’s surfaced, Richard is desperate to get his hands on it." Michelle exhaled sharply, forcing herself to stay composed. She had been manipulated before, but she refused to be a pawn again. "Who was this relative? And why was I chosen as the heir?" Felix handed her another
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The night at the gala had barely ended, yet its repercussions were already unraveling. Raymond sat in his office the next morning, his fingers drumming rhythmically against his desk, his gaze cold as he waited. Felix stood nearby, his expression grim. “He’s here,” Felix announced. Raymond’s jaw tightened. “Send him in.” The door swung open, and Richard Smith strode inside with the same arrogant confidence he had displayed the previous night. He took a seat opposite Raymond without permission, stretching his arms and legs like he owned the place, his smirk firmly in place. “You certainly don’t waste time,” Richard mused, adjusting the cufflinks on his tailored suit. “I admire that.” Raymond’s eyes remained hard. “Cut to the chase.” Richard chuckled, leaning forward. “Fine. I’ll be direct. Michelle owns something I want—an estate that’s far more valuable than she realizes. If she signs it over to me, I’ll stop my... interference in Hawthorne Enterprises.”Richard wasn't actually i
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Raymond’s grip tightened on his phone as he processed Sebastian’s warning. His mind worked at lightning speed, piecing together the puzzle Richard Smith had been crafting in the shadows. What is Richard up to? He thought to himself. “This isn’t just about business,” he murmured, more to himself than to Sebastian. “It’s about Michelle.” Sebastian sighed. “Exactly. Richard has been playing this game for a long time, and if you don’t move fast, he’ll gain the upper hand.” Raymond exhaled sharply. “I won’t let that happen.” He ended the call and immediately called Felix back to his office. Within minutes, Felix arrived, his face tense, already sensing the urgency. “We need to dig deeper,” Raymond said, flipping open the file Felix had given him earlier. “I want a full breakdown of every deal Richard has been involved in, every collaboration, every investment he has made, every business, every contact. I want to know where he’s going to be before he even gets there.” I want to know w
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Michelle felt the weight of Raymond’s gaze pressing down on her as she stared at the video on his phone. The grainy footage played continuously, showing her in a tense argument with a tall, handsome shadowed figure. Her heart pounded violently, and she clenched her fists, knowing she could no longer avoid the truth. She needed to tell Raymond the truth. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "His name is Richard Smith." Raymond's expression was cold, but his grip on the phone tightened. "And who exactly is this Richard Smith?" Michelle hesitated, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "He was my ex-fiancé." But it was a long time ago. My father wanted me to marry him but it wasn't what I wanted, so I rejected him. The room fell into a heavy silence. Michelle could see the flicker of emotions behind Raymond's cold, calculating gaze, but he didn’t interrupt. He was waiting for the full explanation. She swallowed hard and continued. "It was an arranged engagement. My father set it u
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Michelle sat at the long mahogany dining table, her laptop open before her as she sifted through every financial document she could find in the company records. She had spent hours working with Felix to trace the origins of the false transactions. If Eleanor wanted a fight, Michelle was more than ready to give her one. Her fingers moved swiftly over the keyboard as she compiled her defense, pulling up every records, bank statements, and financial reports she could find. Raymond sat beside her, watching in silence like a good kid who just got treats. She was still mad at him. He had already apologized—twice—but she wasn’t in the mood to listen to his apologies. Felix entered the room, placing a file on the table. "I gathered everything we need to prove your innocence. These are records tracing the embezzled funds back to Eleanor. We can use this. The transactions were made using an alias linked to her offshore accounts." Michelle picked up the file, flipping through the pages. Every
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Raymond sat in his office, staring at the latest headline on his phone. His grip on the device tightened as he read the accusations against Michelle. The evidence was damning—too damning. Someone was orchestrating this with precision. But who? Could it be his mother? Raymond thought to himself. His gut told him Eleanor was behind this and his instinct was never wrong. But there was a nagging thought in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but think—what if Michelle was actually involved? It was irrational, he knew that, but he still didn't know what to believe. She had just saved the company with the international deal. Yet, he had spent years trusting no one, building walls that even Michelle had struggled to breach. His head throbbed. The woman he had fought to protect was now the center of another scandal, and this time, the accusations were even worse. "Sir?" Felix’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. His assistant stood at the door, an urgent expression on his face. "W
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The days following the investigation had been tense, but in the end, the truth prevailed. The forensic team had meticulously combed through the financial records, and after an exhaustive review, it was confirmed that Michelle had been framed, and that she was innocent. The transactions were traced back to a dummy account linked to an offshore entity, and the supposed security footage had been manipulated using advanced AI-generated imagery. Whoever was behind this had gone to extreme lengths to ensure she took the fall and destroyed her reputation, but they had underestimated Raymond’s determination to prove her innocence. When the news broke that Michelle had been cleared of all accusations, a wave of relief washed over her and she felt a little better. But the victory was bittersweet. The damage had already been done—her name had been dragged through the mud, and despite being proven innocent, some people still whispered, still doubted her. The weight of the scandal lingered, but M
