From Neglected Wife to CEO’s Obsession novel Chapter 54

Elliot’s tone was serious, the kind that made everyone tense even if they tried to hide it. He ran things with an iron fist, so no one dared show their unhappiness out loud. They’d never dare question him directly, but I knew that didn’t mean they wouldn’t try to trip me up behind the scenes.

Three of my old rivals were now in the tech department. When Zoey started spreading rumors, they were the first to jump in and stir the pot. A fractured team is just an accident waiting to happen. This project was about real people’s lives. If we were going to do this, we had to do it right, no matter what.

After the meeting, I went straight to Elliot and told him my idea: I wanted to set up a special project team, handpicked by me. In the five years I’d been here, no one had ever split off a select team like this. It was a big change, almost like rewriting the rules of the office. I knew it would be tough. It wasn’t just about forming cliques—people who weren’t chosen would be upset, morale would take a hit, and the whole team’s unity and drive could suffer. Not exactly a smooth process.

But I was determined. People with questionable morals had no right to be working on something as important as national research. I figured Elliot would push back, maybe even shoot me down, so I’d come ready with a list of reasons and arguments. But he just nodded and said, “Sounds good. Do it your way. Tell me when you’re ready to start, and Ryan will be there to help.”

His trust caught me off guard. I felt a lump in my throat and asked, “Boss, you really trust me that much? Aren’t you worried I’ll screw up the tech department?”

He pushed his laptop aside and leaned back in his huge leather chair, tilting his chin up. His brown eyes sparkled with something playful, and a crooked smile tugged at his lips, making him look almost mischievous—so different from the intimidating CEO everyone knew. “If I trust someone, I trust them all the way. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t use them at all. Ms. Greenwood, I’m counting on you. Don’t let me down.”

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