The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife novel Chapter 42

42 The Villain’s Grand Design

42 The Villain’s Grand Design

Arthur Vance swirled the amber liquid in his crystal tumbler, admiring how the afternoon light caught the expensive whiskey. He lounged comfortably on the plush leather sofa in his secret downtown loft – the perfect hideaway for his ongoing affair with Isabella Clairemont.

Isabella emerged from the bathroom wrapped in nothing but his dress shirt, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders. She smiled seductively and crossed the room to join

him.

“You seem pleased with yourself,” she purred, settling beside him.

Arthur pulled her close, kissing her neck. “Why shouldn’t I be? Everything is going exactly according to plan.”

“Sterling was devastated when he found those emails I planted on his precious assistant’s computer.” Isabella laughed, tracing her finger along Arthur’s jawline. “You

should have seen his face when he confronted her.”

“I wish I could have.” Arthur’s smile was cold. “Ten years working toward this moment, and it’s finally happening. The mighty Liam Sterling is crumbling.”

Isabella took a sip from his glass. “What about that friend of his – Knight? He’s suspicious.”

“Let him be. By the time he figures anything out, it will be too late.” Arthur’s eyes gleamed with malice. “Besides, you’ll keep him distracted at the charity gala next

week.”

“With pleasure.” Isabella’s smile matched his cunning. “And your daughter? Is she ready for her part?”

Arthur nodded. “Victoria knows what to do. With you distracting Knight, she’ll have her opportunity to console poor, broken-hearted Liam.”

“She’s always been good at playing the caring friend.” Isabella laughed. “Though I doubt she’ll be satisfied with just friendship.”

“That’s the point.” Arthur stood, walking to the window overlooking the city. “Once Sterling is vulnerable enough, Victoria will be there to pick up the pieces. Before long,

he’ll be my son-in-law, and everything he has will be under my control.”

Isabella joined him at the window, wrapping her arms around his waist. “It’s brilliant, darling. Though I’m a little jealous your daughter gets him in the end.”

Arthur turned to face her, his expression suddenly hard. “Don’t forget your place, Isabella. This isn’t about attraction. It’s about power.”

She stepped back, sensing the shift in his mood. “Of course. I should get dressed. I have a meeting with the board in an hour.”

“Yes, you should.” His tone softened slightly. “Keep feeding me information. We’re

close now.”

Once Isabella was dressed and gone, Arthur poured himself another drink. With no one to perform for, his smile transformed into something truly sinister.

“Fools,” he muttered to the empty room. “All of them.”

He walked to the desk in the corner and opened his laptop, scanning the latest financial reports from Sterling Group. The stock was already beginning to dip following rumors of a security breach. Perfect.

Arthur had been patient. Ten years ago, when he first convinced Isabella to sleep with the then-CFO of Sterling Group, he hadn’t known how valuable she would become. As she climbed the corporate ladder, eventually becoming Chief Marketing Officer, her access to classified information had proven invaluable.

But Isabella was merely a pawn. She actually believed he loved her – that they would be together once his plan succeeded. The thought made him laugh out loud.

“Poor, stupid Isabella,” he said to himself. “So eager to believe in love.”

He’d used her ruthlessly, extracting every bit of insider information while keeping his true intentions hidden. She thought they were building a future together. In reality, she was digging her own professional grave.

When the time came to frame someone for the security breach, Isabella had suggested herself as the one to plant the evidence. She had no idea she was setting herself up as the fall person if things went wrong.

Arthur opened the hidden safe behind a painting and pulled out a folder containing forged financial documents. During the chaos following Hazel’s dismissal, he’d

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42 The Villain’s Grand Design

arranged for his paid accountant to access Sterling Group’s system and replace key documents. Years of careful embezzlement had been covered up, with the trails now pointing directly to Sterling himself.

The board was already questioning Liam’s leadership. The consecutive scandals – first the breach, then the discovery of financial irregularities – would be enough to force him out. And Arthur would be there, ready to buy the company at a fraction of its worth with the very money he’d stolen from it.

“All these years watching that arrogant brat take over his daddy’s company,” Arthur muttered. “When I was the one who should have been running it.”

He’d worked for Sterling Senior for twenty years, always the devoted second-in-command. When the old man died and left everything to his son, Arthur’s resentment had hardened into hatred. Liam was half his age with none of his experience, yet he’d inherited everything Arthur had worked for.

The final insult had been Liam’s refusal to make Arthur COO three years ago. “Not the right fit,” he’d said. After that rejection, Arthur had dedicated himself to Liam’s

destruction.

The plan was exquisite in its complexity. Frame Hazel Vance, the woman Liam was clearly falling for. The emotional devastation would cloud his judgment, making him miss the financial manipulation happening right under his nose. By the time the board discovered the extent of the “mismanagement,” Liam’s reputation would be beyond

repair.

Arthur walked back to the window, satisfaction warming his chest more than the whiskey. Across the city, the Sterling tower stood tall against the skyline – but not for long.

His phone rang. Victoria.

“Hello, sweetheart,” he answered.

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