All Chapters of The Ruthless CEO'S Chosen Wife : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

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

Michelle gripped her phone tightly as Chloe’s urgent voice came through the line. "Michelle, we have a huge problem." Michelle’s stomach knotted. "Tell me everything." "I found proof, Michelle," Chloe said, her voice rapid and slightly breathless. "Alex has been making unauthorized transactions—money being funneled through offshore accounts, and your name is on one of the documents." Michelle’s breath hitched. "He’s setting me up for fraud?" "Exactly. And it’s worse than that," Chloe continued. "His connection to Eleanor? It’s not just business. I don’t know what it is yet, but there’s something deeper." Michelle closed her eyes briefly, anger bubbling beneath her composure. "I should have known they were up to something. Eleanor and Isabelle have been too smug lately. They think they’ve already won." "They haven’t," Chloe said firmly. "But you need to be very careful, Michelle. This isn’t just about your position anymore—it’s about your entire future." Your life. Before Michel

Michelle couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about Chloe. At first, she had been grateful for her help, but now… there were too many coincidences. Too many times Chloe showed up exactly when Michelle needed her, too many times she seemed to know things before Michelle even said a word. And then there were the phone calls. Chloe was always slipping away, lowering her voice, speaking in hushed tones. She would glance over her shoulder, watching if someone was listening to her call. She had been on guard these days. Michelle had tried not to overthink it. Chloe had proven herself trustworthy so far. But tonight, she decided to pay closer attention. Just as she suspected, Chloe excused herself from their conversation when she got another call, stepping out onto the balcony. Michelle quietly followed her, curiosity got the best of her..she wanted to know what Chloe was up to . Through the slightly open glass door, she heard Chloe’s urgent whisper. "I told you, I’m hand

Raymond’s grip on his phone tightened. “Speak.” Felix’s voice was steady, but there was an edge to it. “Eleanor has been shifting money through multiple shell companies, hiding transactions, making them disappear before anyone can trace them back to her.” Raymond wasn’t surprised. Eleanor had always been cunning. But Felix’s next words made his blood run cold. “One of those transactions leads back to Michelle.” Silence. Raymond sat up straighter. “Explain.” Felix hesitated. “It’s not directly under her name, but an old foundation her family was involved in. There was a large deposit made years ago—money that was later funneled into a different account. And that account… is tied to Eleanor.” Raymond’s jaw clenched. Michelle had nothing to do with her family’s past dealings, but if Eleanor had a way to link her to something shady, she wouldn’t hesitate to use it. And she wouldn’t just sit back and do nothing. Eleanor was going to strike. The only question was—when and how? Mich

Raymond had always been a man who trusted his instincts. And right now? His instincts were at war with each other. He paced his office, his mind replaying the details of the file Felix had sent. Michelle’s family had business ties with Alex. The transactions were there in black and white. But was it really proof of Michelle’s involvement? Or was she just another pawn in whatever game that was being played? He pondered over it for a long time but couldn’t figure it out. His grip tightened around the glass in his hand. Damn it. Just a few days ago, he wouldn’t have doubted Michelle for a second. Now, with Miranda’s words whispering in the back of his mind, with the evidence staring him in the face, uncertainty gnawed at him. He was confused and didn't know how to react. He had never been afraid of the truth. But for the first time, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know it. Because if Michelle had betrayed him… he wasn’t sure what he’d do. Michelle felt the shift between them before s