All Chapters of THE CEO'S HIRED WIFE : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

"What?! What do you mean they found out?" Avalynn exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief as she stared at Jace. The fury in his eyes left no room for doubt, and the blood drained from her face."Damien Coates from Liam was in my office. He is aware of the contract," Jace snapped back, balling his fists at his sides."But how How on earth could he be aware of that? We were very careful!" Avalynn's thoughts was racing as she stammered.With a somber and contemplative gaze, Jace shook his head.They remained silent for a brief while. They were silent for a long time, their eyes scouring each other's features for answers that none of them could provide.At last, Jace shattered the quiet. His voice resigned, "Damien didn't say how he found out, but he made it clear that he knew," he remarked.It broke Avalynn's heart. That expression, which belonged to a man who knew a storm was coming and that there was nothing he could do to stop it, had already been seen in Jace's eyes.Jace stopped,

At Jace's residence, meanwhile, he was standing in the living room still holding his phone to his ears. He had felt sick to his stomach after the call. He cast a quick glimpse toward Avalynn's bedroom, where she was wrapping up her packing. He had to let her know.Calling out, "Avalynn," his voice was tense.Her bag was just partially packed as she stepped through the door, her countenance a mixture of resolve and concern. "What is it, Jace?"With a tense expression in his eyes, he ran a hand through his hair. "Grandpa gave me a call. He wants to see me right now. He said it's urgent."With wide eyes, Avalynn put down her suitcase and approached him. "What do you think he's going to talk about?"Jace shook his head, his emotions was obviously mixed, moving between fear, confusion and anger. "I'm not sure, but I feel uneasy. I believe Aunt Linda may have said something to him when she was here earlier, asking funny questions."Avalynn had a pallid face. "Do you think she told him ab

As Alice completed setting up their dinner, the smells of succulent roast chicken and creamy mashed potatoes filled the room. There was an intense tension between Jace and Avalynn when they sat down to eat, and the silence was deafening.Before eating, Jace sliced soft pieces of chicken meat and put them on Avalynn's plate. Their tastebuds were melted by the delicious flavor of the perfectly seasoned potatoes. However, the tension persisted and ruined the otherwise pleasant dinner.With a careful and hushed voice, Jace said, "I couldn't tell you everything when I got back, but my meeting with Grandpa went better than I expected."Avalynn's fork paused halfway to her mouth as her eyes widened with surprise. "Are you serious? How?"Grasping the table with his fingertips, Jace inhaled deeply."I was able to persuade him that we are actually working on creating something genuine, despite his worries about our marriage. He has faith in us for the time being, so we must establish credibil

Elena's heartbeat echoed in her ears as she called Liam's phone, her hands shaking. She made sure no one was nearby by taking a quick look around the poorly lighted parking garage.It took two rings on the phone before Liam answered."Elena," Liam's voice was almost too silky. "What's the status?"Elena took a long breath, her voice faltering slightly. "We have a problem, Liam. Jace is starting to become skeptical. He's started asking questions about internal communications."There was a pause at the other end. "Why do you think he's suspicious?"Elena gulped hard. "He's been acting differently and more cautiously. He also acknowledged the likelihood that someone close to him was the leak. I think he's starting to distrust me."Liam sighed. "We can't afford a slip-up now. We are too close. Just keep playing your part and being regular. Do not give him any reason to distrust you."Elena nodded, but Liam could not see it. "I will do my best. But he's not an easy man to deceive.""Speak

Jace stood at his office window, his reflection a ghostly double in the glass as he stared out at the city skyline. The distant sound of traffic was a low background noise to the racing thoughts in his head. He continued on clenching and unclenching his fists, trying to keep himself focused.He turned at a faint knock on the door. With a pile of documents held in her arms, Elena stood there looking calm as ever."Come in," Jace gestured for her to go inside.With deliberate movements, she placed the paperwork on his desk and walked in. "These are the communications you requested, sir."He said, "Thank you, Elena," taking a minute to look at her more intently than usual. The doubt lingered in the back of his mind, but he forced himself to ignore it.For a short while longer, Jace's gaze lingered on Elena, and he could nearly make out the obvious symptoms of anxiety on her face.Her gaze flitted from him to the files and back as her fingers fidgeted with the pile of documents she'd pl