The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife novel Chapter 46

46 A Desperate Plea and a Friend’s Fury

Liam’s POV 1

My hands trembled as I pushed through the glass doors of Cole Industries. Three days of pretending everything was normal at Sterling Group had nearly broken me. Three nights without sleep, haunted by Hazel’s devastated expression as I accused her of betrayal.

“I need to see Hazel Vance,” I told the receptionist, my voice rougher than intended.

She looked up, eyes widening with recognition. “Mr. Sterling? Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but it’s urgent.” I struggled to keep my composure. “Please, just tell her I’m here.”

“I’ll see if she’s available.” She reached for the phone.

Before she could dial, a familiar voice cut through the lobby like ice.

“Over my dead body.”

I turned to find Chloe Dalton glaring at me, arms crossed. Her typically friendly face

was twisted with rage.

“Chloe, please.” I stepped toward her. “I need to explain-”

“Explain what?” she hissed, keeping her voice low but sharp. “How you humiliated her? How you called her a thief and a liar? How you broke her heart?”

Each accusation landed like a physical blow.

“I was wrong,” I admitted. “I have proof now. She was framed.”

Chloe laughed bitterly. “Oh, so now that you have proof, you think you can just waltz back into her life? Do you have any idea what you’ve done to her?”

The receptionist watched our exchange with wide eyes.

“Is everything okay here?” A tall man in a tailored suit approached. Adrian Cole. My childhood friend turned business rival.

“No,” Chloe answered before I could. “Liam Sterling was just leaving.”

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Adrian assessed the situation quickly. “Let’s take this to my office.” He gestured toward

the elevator. “All of us.”

The ride up was silent and tense. Chloe’s glare could have melted steel. Adrian maintained a neutral expression. I stared at the floor numbers, my heart pounding harder with each ascending digit.

In his office, Adrian closed the door and turned to me. “What brings you here, Liam?”

“I need to speak with Hazel,” I said, my voice unsteady. “It’s important.”

“Important to who? You?” Chloe snapped. “You’ve done enough damage.”

I ran a hand through my disheveled hair. “I discovered who framed her. My secretary, Bianca. She planted fake documents and forged Hazel’s signature.”

Adrian’s eyebrows shot up. “You have proof of this?”

“Yes.” I pulled out my phone and showed them the security footage Carter had recovered. “She was working for Maxwell Industries. It was industrial espionage.”

Adrian whistled low. “That’s quite a revelation.”

“So what?” Chloe’s voice trembled with anger. “You think this changes anything? You think saying ‘oops, my bad’ fixes what you did?”

I turned to her, desperate. “Please, Chloe. I know I don’t deserve her forgiveness. But I need to apologize.”

“You don’t get it.” Chloe stepped closer, jabbing a finger at my chest. “You didn’t just fire her. You destroyed her. She trusted you completely. She-” She stopped herself, shaking her head.

Adrian placed a gentle hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “What exactly happened at Sterling Group, Liam? I only know what Hazel told us during her interview.”

I swallowed hard, the shame burning my throat. “I called her into my office and accused her of selling company secrets to competitors. I had financial documents with her signature.” My voice cracked. “She denied it, but I didn’t listen. I said… horrible things.”

Chloe’s eyes flashed. “Tell him what you called her, Liam.”

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I looked down. “I called her a liar. A snake.”

“And?” Chloe pushed.

“I said I should have known better than to trust someone like her.”

Adrian winced. “Jesus, Liam.”

“Do you know what she did after you fired her?” Chloe asked, her voice eerily calm now. “She didn’t cry. Not at first. She packed her things while your security guards watched. She walked out of that building with her head high.”

My chest tightened painfully.

“But when she got home,” Chloe continued, “she collapsed. She couldn’t breathe. I had to hold her for hours while she sobbed. She kept saying, ‘He thinks I betrayed him. He

hates me.””

Tears stung my eyes. “I don’t hate her. God, that’s the furthest thing from—”

“She loved you!” Chloe shouted, her composure finally breaking. “And you treated her like she was nothing!”

The word “loved” hit me like a physical blow. Past tense. Had I lost her completely?

“Is that true?” I whispered. “She loved me?”

Adrian looked between us. “Liam, I’ve known you since we were kids. I’ve never seen you this broken up over anyone.”

“Because I love her,” I admitted, my voice cracking. “I love her so much it’s killing me to be away from her. To know I hurt her.”

I sank into a chair, burying my face in my hands. “Please. Just let me talk to her. Five minutes. That’s all I’m asking”

The room fell silent. When I looked up, Adrian was watching me thoughtfully. Even Chloe seemed taken aback by my raw emotion.

“You really do care about her,” Adrian said, not a question but a realization.

“More than anything.” I wiped at my eyes, not caring anymore about appearing strong. “I’ve never begged for anything in my life, but I’m begging now.”

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