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CHAPTER 9
Last Updated:
2025-02-22 19:06:54
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Raymond’s grip tightened on the edge of his desk, knuckles turning white. The office suddenly felt suffocating, each breath heavy with disbelief and anger. Felix’s revelation echoed in his mind, unraveling every certainty he’d clung to. The idea that Eleanor—his own mother—was behind the setup sent a fresh wave of fury coursing through him. Even Felix could feel the anger radiating off his boss from where he was standing, he wished he had a reasonable excuse to leave. He clenched his jaw, eyes fixed on the security footage playing on his computer screen. The original, unaltered version that Felix had managed to recover. It was nothing like the photos and videos his mother had presented to him. Michelle hadn’t leaned into Alex’s touch at all, hadn’t even smiled at him. If anything, she had looked distressed, shrinking back as Alex’s hand reached for hers. The fear, and discomfort in her eyes were unmistakable, and it hit Raymond with brutal clarity how wrong he had been. “Who else kn
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The Hawthorne estate loomed ahead, a pristine symbol of power and wealth, but to Raymond, it had never felt so cold and lonely. The sleek black car drove up the curved driveway, parking smoothly in front of the entrance of the house. Raymond stepped out, his expression of controlled fury. The chill in the late morning air was nothing compared to the ice running through his veins. He walked swiftly through the marble-floored hallways, ignoring the startled greetings of the butler and maids. His gaze was fixed and cold, his strides purposeful. The echoes of his footsteps were a warning—one Eleanor Hawthorne chose to ignore as she sipped tea in the drawing room, lounging elegantly in a high-backed chair. Like she hadn't noticed his cold aura. She glanced up as he stepped into the room, a smile curving her red-painted lips. “Raymond, what a surprise. To what do I owe this—” “You set her up.” Raymond’s authoritative voice cut through the room, sharp and deadly. His eyes were dark with ba
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Raymond’s footsteps were heavy as he entered the penthouse, the tension from his confrontation with Eleanor still coiled tight in his chest. He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly, trying to steady his breathing before facing Michelle again. The guilt was still fresh, it reminded him of how he had wronged her. His steps faltered as he took in the sight in the living room. Michelle was on the couch, laughing softly at something Chloe had said. She seemed genuinely happy, he hadn't seen her smile in days. Her eyes, still red-rimmed but lighter than he’d seen them in days, sparkled with a warmth that pulled painfully at something in his chest. Chloe was beside her, gesturing animatedly, her presence filling the room with a lively energy that hadn’t been there before. Their laughter died down when they finally noticed him. Michelle’s smile wavered, her gaze dropping almost instinctively. Chloe, however, was bold, she turned fully, eyes narrowing slightly as if assessing him. Ra
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Michelle’s fingers drummed nervously against the edge of her phone, the screen dark and reflective under the soft office lights. The anonymous message from earlier replayed in her mind, each word etched deep with a foreboding chill that refused to fade. “Be careful whom you trust. Not everyone is who they seem.” Her eyes flickered to Raymond’s closed office door, uncertainty coiling tight in her chest. She needed to tell him—about Eleanor, about Calvin’s unsettling friendliness, about the text she had received, that made her skin prickle with unease. But the past few days had been tense between them, conversations clipped and distant, weighed down by lingering guilt and misunderstandings. They had barely talked in the past few days. Steeling herself, Michelle took a deep breath and walked towards his office, hesitating only a moment before knocking softly. “Come in,” Raymond’s voice was brisk, distracted. She stepped inside, clutching her phone tightly. Raymond was at his desk, his
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Calvin's presence seemed to linger, something that Michelle couldn't quite shake. His charm was effortless, smooth words laced with an undertone that left her uneasy. It started with casual remarks, harmless enough to dismiss—a compliment here, a lingering glance there. But as the days passed, his attention grew more pointed, his questions more probing, and he lingered more than necessary. It made Michelle uneasy and suspicious. "So," Calvin drawled one afternoon, leaning against her desk with that easy smile that never quite reached his eyes. "How are things with Raymond? Must be a bit overwhelming, huh? The sudden marriage, all these changes..." Michelle’s fingers stilled on the file she was organizing, her eyes flickering up to meet his own. "We're… managing," she replied cautiously, forcing a polite smile. "It's an adjustment." Calvin chuckled, the sound low and warm. "I bet. Must be hard, though, considering how cold and distant he's been lately." His gaze was speculative, his
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That night, the door to their penthouse clicked shut with a dull finality, the silence inside was thick and suffocating. Michelle's fingers trembled slightly as she turned, watching Raymond walk across the living room without a single glance in her direction. His shoulders were rigid, each step deliberate and unyielding, his anger barely contained. “Raymond, please, can you just listen to me please” she started softly, voice cracking around the edges. “It wasn’t what it looked like. I was just—” “Just what?” Raymond's voice cut through the air, icy and sharp. He turned abruptly, his eyes glinting with something darker than she'd seen before—anger, betrayal, something that twisted painfully in her chest. “Entertaining him? Laughing behind my back?” The accusation struck deep, leaving her breathless. “No I wasn't laughing behind your back, I—I would never,” Michelle stammered, throat tight. “He just wanted to talk. And I was trying to be polite.” “Polite?” Raymond's laugh was harsh,
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Morning came dull and heavy, dragging Michelle from a fitful sleep on the living room couch. Her eyes were swollen, her head throbbing with exhaustion and the weight of everything that had happened in the past few days. The penthouse was eerily quiet, a silence that pressed her down with an almost suffocating weight. Raymond’s study door was still tightly shut, no sign of him stirring since last night’s confrontation, he had refused to come out of the study or talk to her. Three days. The words echoed in her ear relentlessly, a countdown ticking in her mind. She had to prove her innocence somehow—to find out who was setting her up and why. Calvin and Eleanor's faces flashed in her mind, their sly smiles and veiled comments, and her fists clenched at the thought. They were behind this; she was sure of it. But proving it was a different matter,and she had just two days left. The vibration of her phone jolted her out of her thoughts. Michelle hesitated, glancing at the screen. A name s
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The tension in the penthouse was suffocating, a cold war of silence that left Michelle on edge with every step. Raymond had barely looked at her since last night’s confrontation, his words still echoing mercilessly in her mind. You’re running out of time. She moved through the living room like a ghost, nerves frayed and exhaustion pulling at her limbs. Three days to clear her name, to find proof that Eleanor and Calvin were behind the setup. But Miranda's unexpected appearance had complicated everything , her words replaying relentlessly in Michelle's head. Sometimes, the real enemy is closer than you think. A knock at the door disrupted the quiet living room. Michelle flinched, snapping out of her thoughts and hesitated before pulling it open. A hotel staff member stood outside, expression polite and detached. “Mrs. Hawthorne, Mrs. Eleanor Hawthorne has requested your presence for lunch in the dining hall,” he announced. “She insisted it was urgent.” Michelle’s stomach twisted at
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
