Michelle sat frozen, the aged contract trembling in her hands as her gaze flickered over the damning words scrawled across the yellowed paper. Her father’s signature stood out starkly at the bottom, cementing his involvement in a scandal that could destroy everything she’d built—everything she’d fought for. If this got out, her life would be ruined. her reputation destroyed. Her pulse roared in her ears as she struggled to comprehend the weight of what she was holding. “This… this can’t be real,” she whispered, shaking her head. “My father… he—” “It’s real Michelle.” Raymond’s voice was steady, but there was something dark beneath it. Something heavy. “It’s been buried for years, but it exists. And if it ever got out, Michelle, you’d—” He stopped himself, exhaling sharply before running a frustrated hand through his hair. Michelle’s stomach twisted painfully. “You knew,” she said hoarsely, her voice barely above a whisper. “You knew about this and didn’t tell me.” Raymond’s jaw c
Victor Calloway leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping against the polished surface of his desk. His sharp eyes were focused on the glowing city skyline outside his office window, but his thoughts were deep in the past—memories of the moment Eleanor Hawthorne stole everything from him. He had been patient. He had rebuilt everything himself from the ground up, without any support. And now, it was time to make her pay. She had cut him out of a billion-dollar deal, leaving him with nothing but the wreckage of his career. He had been forced into hiding, watching her rise up with what she stole from him. He would always remember. Years ago, Victor had been on the brink of bringing Eleanor down. He had gathered more than enough evidence that would have destroyed her, shattered her empire, exposed her financial crimes and the offshore accounts she used to funnel stolen funds. But Eleanor was always one step ahead of him. Before he could strike, she had flipped the situatio
The private lounge of the Hawthorne estate was dimly lit, the soft glow of the chandelier reflected off the crystal glass in Eleanor’s hand. She swirled the amber liquid in her glass slowly before taking a small sip, her expression one of satisfaction. Everything was going well according to plan. Michelle had lost, her reputation was on the brink of being destroyed, and to Eleanor, that was worth celebrating.Across from her, Miranda sat on a leather couch, her long legs crossed elegantly, a self-satisfied smirk playing on her glossy lips."To victory," Eleanor murmured, raising her glass.Miranda clinked hers against it. "To Michelle’s downfall."Eleanor’s gaze darkened, her fingers tightening around the glass. “She was getting too close. Digging into things she had no business with. This was necessary.” She needed to know her place.Miranda chuckled, swirling her drink. “And the best part? Raymond fell right into our trap. He had all that so-called evidence against me, and yet, one
The morning sun filtered through the penthouse windows, but Michelle felt no warmth from it. Her fingers hovered over her laptop’s trackpad, her heart racing as she stared at the unaltered files Felix had recovered. This was it—her way out, proof that she was not guilty of fraud. The evidence that could reverse everything, undo the damage Miranda and Eleanor had done.She exhaled sharply, steadying herself. The whole staff and the board had branded her a fraud. The media had torn her apart with their false claims. But if she played this right, she could turn the tables.Felix sat across from her, watching her with measured patience. “Are you sure about this?” he asked. “Going straight to the board with this?”Michelle’s jaw tightened. “Yes, that’s the only way. No one will listen to me or hear me out if i go there empty handed. They need to see the truth, If they have any integrity left, they’ll have no choice but to reinstate me.”Felix leaned back, nodding. “Then we have to be smar
The walls were closing in on Miranda, and she had not even realized it yet.From his penthouse, Raymond leaned back against his chair, watching the live feed from Michelle's office from his team's surveillance. The timestamped logs, the digital trails—everything was in place. Felix stood beside him, arms crossed, his expression grim.“She took the bait,” Felix said. “She’s accessing the restricted files right now.”Raymond’s gaze remained fixed on the screen. Miranda sat in her office, unaware that every keystroke, every unauthorized access , every file downloaded was being recorded in real time. She wasn’t just trying to erase evidence of her previous deception—she was attempting something else, something far worse, something that could jeopardize everything they've worked for.“She’s trying to leak company data,” Raymond stated, his voice calm but laced with ice.Felix nodded. “She must be desperate. She’s forwarding documents to an external server.”I’m sure she's planning to frame
Miranda stormed out of Hawthorne Enterprises with a box that contained her things, her mind racing as she clutched her phone. The chill of the night air did little to cool the fury burning inside her. She had played her cards well—at least, she thought she had—but Raymond had flipped the table unexpectedly, leaving her with nothing but shame and humiliation.Nothing, except one last move.She dialed another number, one that she hadn’t dialed in a long time. Her hands trembled, but not with fear—with rage. The call connected after two rings.“Miranda,” a smooth, familiar voice answered. “I was starting to think you’d never call me.”She inhaled sharply, trying to keep herself composed. “It’s time, Alex. Let's do it.”A short pause, then a low chuckle. “That bad, huh?”She clenched her teeth. “Raymond fired me. He set me up—no, she set me up. Michelle. That pathetic excuse of a woman. She turned him against me.”He set a trap for me and I fell right into it.Alex leaned back against his
The absence of Miranda had left a noticeable void and increased the workload for Michelle in Hawthorne Enterprises, Chloe had been away since she was attacked, she was taking some time off. So Michelle had to do everything herself, but instead of crumbling under pressure, she stepped up. She poured herself into her work, proving that she wasn’t just some helpless and useless woman in Raymond’s life—she was capable, determined, and brilliant in her own way. The board had initially been skeptical after she was reinstated, whispering doubts about her ability to handle her responsibilities well. But when Michelle confidently presented a new design proposal for one of their real estate projects, even the most loud voices were silenced. “Miss Davenport,” Victor Calloway who recently became one of the senior executives through Eleanor adjusted his glasses as he glanced over her presentation. “This is really… impressive.” Michelle offered a polite smile. “I believe this approach will not o
Michelle gripped her phone tightly, staring at the blank screen long after the call had ended. Alex’s words lingered in her mind, sending a cold shiver down her spine. "I hope you’re ready for what’s coming next." She didn’t know what he meant by that, but she wasn’t naive enough to brush it off. Alex had always been cunning, but this time, there was something about the way he said it –like he was up to something. Taking a deep breath, Michelle quickly snapped out of her thoughts, pushed aside her unease and focused on the documents in front of her. She refused to let Alex rattle or distract her from completing her work. But just as she started reviewing the files, her office door suddenly swung open. Raymond stood in the doorway, his hands in his pocket , and his expression unreadable. “We need to talk,” he said firmly, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. Michelle looked up, her heart still pounding from the call. “What’s wrong?” Did something happen? Raymond pla
The following morning, the tension of last night still hung in the air like a heavy fog over Hawthorne Enterprises. Raymond had received the anonymous message on his private phone—“Your mother is playing a dangerous game. If you want to save your company, meet me tomorrow. Alone.”—and had spent a sleepless night wrestling with whether to go or not and its implications. Now, as the first rays of dawn filtered through the penthouse windows, he made his way to the boardroom with determination. Inside the boardroom, silence had fallen over the gathered executives just as Raymond made his way inside the room. The crisis meeting had been called abruptly, and whispers filled the space as everyone awaited the reason behind the unexpected meeting and Raymond’s address. At the head of the long mahogany table, Raymond’s eyes swept over their tense faces. But what caught his attention wasn’t just the anxious murmur of the board and the expression on their faces that showed their worry—it was Mic
Millie sat gracefully across from Raymond in his office, a cup of coffee in her perfectly manicured hands. She had been patient, carefully planting seeds of doubt and saying negative things about Michelle over the past few weeks. Now, it was time to take the next step. “Raymond, I really hope you don’t take this the wrong way,” she started, her voice laced with fake concern. “But I think you need to be careful about Michelle.” Raymond, who had been reviewing a contract, lifted his gaze. His expression remained blank and unreadable, but his eyes carried a bit of coldness and sharpness that made her uneasy. “Careful about what?” he asked. Millie let out a soft sigh, as if burdened by the weight of her next words. “I love my sister, I really do, but she's not like me. You should choose me instead… I’m worried she might not be as sincere and innocent as she seems.” Raymond leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepling together. “Go on,” I'm listening. Millie hesitated, making sure
Michelle stepped into the sleek, glass-walled lobby of Hawthorne Enterprises, still adjusting to the idea of being tied to Raymond’s world in such an overwhelming way. The whispers that followed her weren’t as vicious as before—Raymond had made sure of that by helping her clear her name—but the lingering stares reminded her that people still doubted her place here. As she made her way to the executive floor where her office was, a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks. “Michelle!” She turned to see Millie hurrying toward her, a radiant smile on her pretty face. Dressed in a stylish beige coat and heels that clicked loudly against the marble floor, drawing attention as she took each step , she looked effortlessly put together. But Michelle knew better than anyone that her sister’s polished exterior hid something else beneath. “Millie, what are you doing here?” Michelle asked, forcing a small smile. Millie linked her arm with Michelle’s, a casual display of sisterly affection th
Michelle sat in the backseat of Raymond’s car, her fingers still trembling from the weight of everything that had just happened. The press conference had ended, but its impact still lingered. Raymond had defended her so fiercely, publicly, that it left her shaken in ways she couldn’t quite explain. She stole a glance at him. His jaw was tight, his fingers tapping rhythmically against his thigh—a subtle sign of agitation. Yet, despite the cold mask he wore, he had protected her when she had expected him to distance himself instead. Just like he did in the past. “Why did you do that?” she finally asked the question that had been on her mind, her voice quiet but firm. Raymond’s gaze didn’t shift from the road ahead. “Because I won’t let anyone tarnish my name, and right now, you’re tied to me and anything that affects you affects me too.” The answer was direct and logical—exactly what she had expected him to say. Yet, for some reason, it didn’t sit right with her, she felt like there
Michelle’s hands trembled as she scrolled through the article, her breath catching in her throat as she read each line. The words on the screen twisted the truth beyond recognition, turning her life into a grotesque narrative designed to ruin her. Michelle Davenport: The Troubled Heiress With a History of Lies. Her heart pounded as she read on. According to the reports, she had been an unruly, rebellious troublemaker from a young age—constantly defying authority, picking fights with teachers, and refusing to follow school rules. They painted her as a reckless child who had been a burden on her family, someone incapable of discipline or responsibility. Her lips parted in silent disbelief as she read further. There were claims that she had a history of dishonesty, that she was known for manipulating situations to her advantage. One particular story stood out—a fabricated account of how she had allegedly stolen exam answers in high school and framed another student just to avoid pun
Michelle sat frozen, Alex’s words kept replaying in her mind. "You have no idea what’s coming." What did he mean by that? She kept wondering. Her fingers curled around the phone as a creeping unease settled in her chest. Raymond studied her, his sharp gaze narrowing. “He’s bluffing, don't let him get into your head” Raymond stated firmly, but Michelle wasn’t so sure. “What if he isn’t?” she murmured, glancing at him. “What if he knows something I don’t?” he said "our business", what if he's planning something disastrous? What If Eleanor and Maybe Miranda are involved? Raymond exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “Even if he does, we’ll deal with it when the time comes. But for now, you need to stop worrying about it and focus on more important things. We can’t let him get into your head.” Michelle nodded, though the pit in her stomach refused to go away. Across the city, Eleanor Hawthorne sat in her dimly lit study, her fingers tapping furiously against her desk. The tens
Michelle gripped her phone tightly, staring at the blank screen long after the call had ended. Alex’s words lingered in her mind, sending a cold shiver down her spine. "I hope you’re ready for what’s coming next." She didn’t know what he meant by that, but she wasn’t naive enough to brush it off. Alex had always been cunning, but this time, there was something about the way he said it –like he was up to something. Taking a deep breath, Michelle quickly snapped out of her thoughts, pushed aside her unease and focused on the documents in front of her. She refused to let Alex rattle or distract her from completing her work. But just as she started reviewing the files, her office door suddenly swung open. Raymond stood in the doorway, his hands in his pocket , and his expression unreadable. “We need to talk,” he said firmly, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. Michelle looked up, her heart still pounding from the call. “What’s wrong?” Did something happen? Raymond pla
The absence of Miranda had left a noticeable void and increased the workload for Michelle in Hawthorne Enterprises, Chloe had been away since she was attacked, she was taking some time off. So Michelle had to do everything herself, but instead of crumbling under pressure, she stepped up. She poured herself into her work, proving that she wasn’t just some helpless and useless woman in Raymond’s life—she was capable, determined, and brilliant in her own way. The board had initially been skeptical after she was reinstated, whispering doubts about her ability to handle her responsibilities well. But when Michelle confidently presented a new design proposal for one of their real estate projects, even the most loud voices were silenced. “Miss Davenport,” Victor Calloway who recently became one of the senior executives through Eleanor adjusted his glasses as he glanced over her presentation. “This is really… impressive.” Michelle offered a polite smile. “I believe this approach will not o
Miranda stormed out of Hawthorne Enterprises with a box that contained her things, her mind racing as she clutched her phone. The chill of the night air did little to cool the fury burning inside her. She had played her cards well—at least, she thought she had—but Raymond had flipped the table unexpectedly, leaving her with nothing but shame and humiliation.Nothing, except one last move.She dialed another number, one that she hadn’t dialed in a long time. Her hands trembled, but not with fear—with rage. The call connected after two rings.“Miranda,” a smooth, familiar voice answered. “I was starting to think you’d never call me.”She inhaled sharply, trying to keep herself composed. “It’s time, Alex. Let's do it.”A short pause, then a low chuckle. “That bad, huh?”She clenched her teeth. “Raymond fired me. He set me up—no, she set me up. Michelle. That pathetic excuse of a woman. She turned him against me.”He set a trap for me and I fell right into it.Alex leaned back against his