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CHAPTER 24
Last Updated:
2025-02-27 17:43:08
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The Ruthless CEO'S Chosen Wife CHAPTER 25
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
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The night air was crisp as Michelle stepped out of the car, her fingers tightening around the small clutch in her hands. The corporate gala was in full swing, with flashing lights and murmured conversations filling the grand ballroom of the Hawthorne Hotel. She had barely recovered from the break-in at her office, but she had no choice—this was an event she couldn’t miss. Not when she needed to keep up appearances. Not when Eleanor was watching. And certainly not when Miranda was lurking in the shadows, waiting for another opportunity to strike. Michelle had barely taken a few steps into the venue when she spotted Raymond. He was deep in conversation with a few board members, his sharp black tuxedo emphasizing his tall, commanding presence. He looked dashing, and for a brief moment, her gaze softened. But before she could approach him, a familiar voice rang out. “Oh, Michelle, you made it.” She turned to find Eleanor smiling at her, though the glint in her eyes told Michelle tha
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Michelle stood on the balcony long after Calvin had disappeared, her fingers curled around the railing. The weight of his words lingered in her mind like a shadow she couldn’t shake off. "I know more about you than you realize." What could that mean? She wondered. He had said it with so much confidence, such certainty, as if he was waiting for her to figure something out on her own. And that was what unsettled her the most. What did he expect her to figure out? What was it that she wasn’t seeing? Her thoughts raced back to the photograph. Calvin had been in it—smiling beside her younger self. A boy she had no recollection of. A connection she didn’t understand. The connection got her confused. And then there was Miranda. Tonight had only confirmed what she already suspected—Miranda wasn’t just after Raymond. She was playing a much bigger game, She wanted Raymond, she wanted power , and Michelle was standing in her way. And she would do anything to take Michelle out of the way. A
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The walls were closing in. Michelle could feel it in the way Miranda’s fake smiles lingered too long, in the way Alex's warnings carried an edge of threat, and most of all, in the way Eleanor and Isabelle seemed unfazed despite knowing she was onto them. Probably because they believed she was powerless. Something was wrong. She glanced at Chloe, who sat across from her in her office, scanning through folders of financial reports seriously. Looking for a clue or anything that looked like evidence. "They’re good at covering their tracks, I give them that" Chloe muttered, flipping a page. "Too good." Michelle leaned back, frustrated. They had been so close. They had collected reports and evidence proving Eleanor and Isabelle had been involved in fraudulent deals, but before Michelle could present them to Raymond or the board, the files had disappeared from her office. And now that they know Michelle was on to them. They would be more careful and wouldn't leave any loose ends. The r
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The air in the Hawthorne estate had become colder, especially at Raymond's penthouse . Not because of the temperature but because of Raymond’s continued distance from Michelle. She had noticed it for days now—the short conversations, the lack of eye contact, the way he no longer reached for her absentmindedly like he used to. At first, she thought it was work stress. But tonight, as she walked into the living room and saw him standing by the window, his hands in his pockets, staring into the night like something weighed on him, she knew better. "Raymond," she called softly. He didn’t turn. "It’s late. You should get some rest." Michelle frowned. "You should too." Finally, he turned, his gaze unreadable. "I have work to do." Michelle studied him, trying to bridge the gap that had widened between them. "Is something wrong?" Raymond let out a humorless chuckle. "You tell me, Michelle. Should I be worried?" The accusation in his tone stung, even though he didn’t say much. Michel
Last Updated : 2025-03-01
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Michelle and Raymond rushed into the hospital, the sterile scent filling her lungs as they approached the reception desk. Michelle’s fingers clenched into fists, her heartbeat hammering in her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was anxiety over Vivian’s condition or the lingering bitterness she still carried toward her mother. The nurse at the desk recognized her immediately. “Ms. Davenport, your mother is in Room 312. She collapsed suddenly, but she’s stable for now.” Michelle barely nodded before heading in the direction the nurse indicated, Raymond following closely. The past few hours had already been overwhelming—Richard’s schemes, Eleanor’s manipulation, and now this. Her mother’s health had never been something she concerned herself with too much, mainly because Vivian had never truly been a mother to her. She had always favoured Millie. Reaching the hospital room, she hesitated at the door. It was strange standing here, knowing that if the situation were reversed, Vivian wouldn’t
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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
The Ruthless CEO'S Chosen Wife CHAPTER 81
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
