The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife novel Chapter 131

131 From Corporate Fraud to a Painful Past

131 From Corporate Fraud to a Painful Past

“Are you feeling alright?” I asked quietly, placing a cup of herbal tea in front of her while the others arranged their papers.

I took my seat at the head of the table. Damian sat to my right, Noah to my left. Hazel positioned herself across from me, flanked by Evelyn and Albert.

Hazel was taking careful notes, though I noticed her hand trembling slightly. The headache must be worse than she was letting on.

Before she could respond, Albert cleared his throat loudly. The forensic auditor had spent the past two weeks digging through every corner of Sterling Group’s finances.

I paced the length of my kitchen while my team settled around the dining table. The gentle hum of voices mixed with the clinking of coffee cups provided a strange backdrop to the high–stakes meeting we were about to have.

Damian’s face darkened. “All of them were appointed by your father.”

“Just a headache,” she admitted reluctantly. “It’s nothing.”

“We need to move quickly,” Albert said. “I’ve prepared legal packages for each director involved. We’ll need to coordinate with law enforcement for the arrests.”

Albert’s eyes held mine steadily. “Now I need to talk to you about your parents‘ accident.”

“What would their goal be beyond money?” Hazel asked, speaking for the first time.

“Blackmail?” Noah asked.

“The fraud at Sterling Group is even more extensive than we initially thought,” he began. “This wasn’t just embezzlement. It was a coordinated effort to systematically drain the company of resources while simultaneously stealing clients.”

“How much?” Noah asked, his voice tight.

“Congratulations,” I said sincerely. “You both deserve happiness.”

Liam’s POV

131 From Corporate Fraud to a Painful Past

Albert nodded grimly. “The good news, if you can call it that, is that we’ve identified one of the lower–level participants who might be convinced to turn informant. A young accountant named Melissa Parker seems to have been pressured into helping them.”

I made a mental note. “Ensure her brother’s medical expenses are covered. We’ll need her cooperation.”

“The business matter is concluded,” he said quietly. “But there’s one more thing we need to discuss.”

“That’s what we need to find out,” Albert replied. “It’s unusual behavior for fraudsters. They typically continue until caught or until they’ve achieved their goal.”

Albert’s normally stern face softened. “When I was hired for this audit, I didn’t expect to find love along with fraud.”

“That explains the client exodus,” I said, connecting the dots. “But something doesn’t make sense. If they’ve been doing this for three years, why has it only become noticeable in the past six months?”

“Approximately $78 million,” Albert replied.

Noah cleared his throat. “The timing of the escalation might be significant. Eight months ago was when you returned from London to take over daily operations, Liam.”

The implication hung heavy in the air. They had accelerated their plan when I returned. This wasn’t just business. It was personal.

She looked startled by my concern. “I’m fine.”

“Destruction,” I answered grimly. “They wanted to bring down Sterling Group.”

“What is it?” I asked, noticing how the others paused in their movements.

“Five directors,” I muttered, gripping my coffee cup tightly. “People I’ve trusted for years.”

The room went completely still. My heart seemed to stop beating for a moment. Noah nodded. “I’ve already alerted trusted contacts at the FBI’s white–collar crime division. They’re standing by.”

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131 From Corporate Fraud to a Painful Past

“What about their accident?” I asked, my voice barely audible.

“Before we start,” Evelyn said suddenly, a smile brightening her face, “Albert and I have a small announcement.”

“There’s more,” Albert continued. “Julian has been using a front company called Nexus Consulting to poach Sterling Group clients. They approach clients with insider knowledge about their contracts, then undercut our bids by tiny margins.”

The moment of celebration passed, and Albert’s expression turned serious again. He opened his laptop and pulled up a series of spreadsheets.

“You don’t look fine.”

The room grew silent. Hazel leaned forward, her professional mask firmly in place despite her obvious discomfort.

Albert glanced at the others, then back to me. “I believe it may not have been an accident at all.”

For a moment, the tension in the room lifted. Hazel gasped in delight while Damian let out a wolf whistle.

All eyes turned to them. Evelyn reached for Albert’s hand, intertwining their fingers.

The room fell silent as we processed this information.

“Jesus Christ,” Damian whispered.

“Well, it’s about time,” Noah chuckled. “You two have been dancing around each other for weeks.”

As the others began gathering their materials, Albert turned to me with an unusually solemn expression.

All eyes turned to her.

eyes

My eyes kept drifting to Hazel, She looked tired, dark circles visible under her despite her attempts to hide them with makeup. Her skin seemed paler than usual. I’d been watching her carefully since she arrived, noting how she winced slightly when she thought no one was looking.

“Ceased entirely?” Damian repeated. “Why would they stop if they were succeeding?”

3/6

131 From Corporate Fraud to a Painful Past

I frowned. “There’s pain medication in the bathroom cabinet if you need it.”

“If everyone’s ready, we should begin,” he announced.

Three years. Not coincidentally, around the time my parents died. I felt sick.

“Precisely. Ms. Parker has a brother with significant medical bills. They leveraged that.” “We’re officially a couple,” she announced, her blue eyes sparkling.

Hazel’s sharp intake of breath was audible in the stunned silence that followed.

I watched them with mixed emotions. Happiness for Evelyn, certainly. But also a pang of envy. Albert had found his second chance at love after losing his wife to cancer years ago. Would I get another chance with Hazel?

The meeting continued for another hour as we finalized our strategy. Throughout, I kept stealing glances at Hazel. Her complexion had grown increasingly pale, and twice I caught her massaging her temples when she thought no one was looking.

“That’s what makes this particularly disturbing,” Albert agreed. “These weren’t new hires. They’ve been executing this plan for at least three years.”

“Five directors were directly involved,” Albert continued. “Julian Clairemont was the ringleader, but he had significant help from Thomas Wilkins, Edward Norton, Victor Chen, and Maria Gonzalez.”

Albert’s expression shifted. “That’s the strangest part. According to the financial records, their activities increased dramatically about eight months ago, then ceased entirely two months ago.”