The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife novel Chapter 41

41 The Traitor Within

Liam’s POVO

The whiskey burned down my throat, a familiar sensation in the last twenty-four hours. I sat in darkness, blinds closed against the afternoon light. Shattered glass from a broken tumbler still littered the floor near the wall where I’d thrown it.

My phone lay dead on the coffee table. I’d turned it off after the fifteenth call-a mix of Damian, Evelyn, and board members wanting updates about the security breach.

I didn’t care. Let it all burn.

The image of Hazel’s tear-streaked face haunted me. Her pleading green eyes, her trembling voice as she swore innocence. For a fleeting moment, I’d almost believed

her.

Almost.

The whiskey wasn’t working anymore. The numbness I craved remained elusive, leaving only rage and pain.

A key turned in the lock. I didn’t move. Only two people had access to my apartment

besides me.

“Jesus Christ, it smells like a distillery in here.” Damian’s voice cut through the darkness. Light flooded the room as Evelyn flipped the switch.

I winced. “Get out.”

“Not happening” Damian crossed his arms, surveying the mess of empty bottles and takeout containers. His usual immaculate suit looked rumpled, like he’d been up all

night.

Evelyn moved silently around the room, opening windows. Her elegant face was drawn with concern.

“I said get out.” I reached for the bottle again.

Damian snatched it away. “You’ve had enough.”

/ I surged to my feet, swaying slightly. “You don’t tell me what’s enough.”

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41 The Traitor Within

“Someone has to.” Evelyn’s voice was soft but firm. “You’re falling apart.”

“So what if I am?” I laughed bitterly. “Turns out I’m a fucking idiot. I let her in. I trusted

her.”

“Did you?” Damian asked.

I glared at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“If you’d truly trusted her, you would have at least listened.” He held my gaze unflinchingly. “You convicted her without a trial.”

“The evidence was clear.” My voice sounded hollow even to my ears.

“Was it?” Evelyn stepped closer. “Liam, I’ve known you since you were a boy. You’re smarter than this. Something doesn’t add up.”

“What doesn’t add up is why you’re defending her!” I shouted. “She betrayed us all!”

Damian shook his head. “Think about it, man. Why would Hazel sabotage the company now? If she were the mole, why not take the information months ago? Why wait until she was sleeping with the boss, when suspicion would naturally fall on her?”

His words hit like ice water. I hadn’t considered that.

“The timing makes no sense,” Evelyn added gently. “And the method was sloppy. A personal email account? For industrial espionage? It’s too obvious.”

I sank back onto the couch, head in my hands. “Then what are you suggesting?”

“That someone wants you to believe it was Hazel.” Damian sat beside me. “Someone who knows exactly how to hurt you.”

The idea slithered into my mind, tempting and terrifying. Could it be true?

“Who?” I asked, voice rough.

“Someone on the inside.” Evelyn perched on the arm of a chair. “Someone who’s been with the company long enough to know its weaknesses.””

“Bianca,” Damian said firmly. “She’s been with Sterling Group for fifteen years. She has access to nearly everything.”

I shook my head. “That’s absurd. She was practically family to my parents.”

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41 The Traitor Within

“Which makes her the perfect wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Damian countered. “She’s never raised suspicion. But did you know she’s been taking extended ‘family emergency’ leaves that coincide with major project launches?”

My head snapped up. “What are you talking about?”

“We’ve been looking into it since yesterday,” Evelyn explained. “When the breach was discovered, it seemed too convenient. Too targeted.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me?”

Damian gestured around the apartment. “Would you have listened? You shut down completely.”

He was right. I’d been blinded by pain, consumed by betrayal.

“What evidence do you have against Bianca?” I asked.

“Nothing concrete yet,” Damian admitted. “But we’ve set a trap.”

Evelyn nodded. “We’ve strategically ‘leaked’ false information about Project Horizon to her. Information that only she has access to. If it reaches Blackwood, we’ll know.”

I stood and paced the room, mind racing. “And if you’re wrong? If it was Hazel all along?”

“Then at least we’ll know for certain,” Evelyn said softly. “But Liam, my gut says she’s innocent. And in thirty years of business, my gut has rarely been wrong.”

“Mine too.” Damian’s expression was solemn. “You should have seen her face when you accused her. That wasn’t the face of a guilty woman.”

Pain lanced through me at the memory. Hazel collapsing into that chair, color draining from her face, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“If you’re right,” I said slowly, “I’ve made a terrible mistake.”

“Yes,” Damian said bluntly. “But it’s not too late to fix it.”

I shook my head. “You didn’t see her eyes when I fired her. She’ll never forgive me.”

“One problem at a time.” Evelyn stood, her practical nature taking over. “First, we catch the real traitor.”

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41 The Traitor Within

The thought of someone else someone I’d trusted for years-being the actual mole ignited something in me. If it wasn’t Hazel…

“How long until we know about Blanca?” I asked.

“A day, maybe two,” Damian said. “We’re monitoring all communications.”

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