The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife novel Chapter 92

92 Secrets, Spies, and a Painful Truth

92 Secrets, Spies, and a Painful Truth

Monday morning arrived with a flurry of text notifications on my phone. I blinked awake to find three messages from Liam.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

“Missing you and Leo today.”

“Hope your week starts well. There’s a surprise coming your way.”

I smiled despite myself. True to his word, Liam had been persistent all week. Each day brought a new gift-flowers on Monday, chocolates on Tuesday, a silver bracelet on Wednesday. By Thursday, my coworkers were placing bets on what would arrive next.

Today’s surprise turned out to be a gorgeous leather-bound planner with my initials embossed in gold. The card read: “For planning our future together. -L”

“He’s not giving up, is he?” Chloe remarked when I showed her the gift during our lunch break.

“Not even close,” I admitted, tracing the embossed initials with my fingertip.

“And those nightly phone calls?”

I felt my cheeks warm. “They’ve been… nice.”

“Nice?” Chloe raised an eyebrow. “The flush on your face says those calls are more than

nice.”

She wasn’t wrong. Each night, after Leo was asleep, Liam would call. We’d talk about everything and nothing-his day at the office, Leo’s latest achievements, the ongoing company audit. Sometimes the conversation would shift, his voice dropping lower, and I’d find myself curled under my sheets, breathless from his words alone.

“He mentioned they’re making progress with the audit,” I said, changing the subject. “Apparently they found new information.”

“Speaking of information,” Chloe leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Girls’ night tonight. Stella has updates.”

I nodded, curiosity piqued. Stella had been unusually quiet since taking the job at

Sterling Group.

The bar was crowded when we arrived that evening. Scarlett waved us over to a corner booth where Stella was already nursing a cocktail.

“There she is, our undercover agent, Chloe announced, sliding into the booth.

Stella rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. “Keep your voice down. These walls have ears.”

“Spill it,” I urged after the waitress brought our drinks. “What’s happening at Sterling Group?”

Stella took a deep sip of her martini before leaning in. “That Bianca woman is a snake. Complete psycho. She’s been digging into everything about you, Hazel.”

My stomach tightened. “What kind of things?”

“Your employment history, where you lived before, even asking about Leo.”

“How do you know this?” I asked.

“I’ve been playing dumb,” Stella explained. “Pretending I don’t know you. She thinks I’m just another office drone, so she talks freely around me.”

“Smart,” Scarlett nodded approvingly.

“There’s more,” Stella continued. “She’s working with Isabella Clairemont. I overheard them on the phone yesterday. They were discussing some plan to ‘take care of the Hazel problem once and for all.””

My blood ran cold. “What exactly does that mean?”

“I don’t know specifics, but I did catch one thing-they mentioned Leo’s father.”

The glass nearly slipped from my hand. “What about him?”

“They’re trying to figure out who he is. Isabella said something about DNA tests and leverage.”

Chloe reached for my trembling hand. “They can’t do anything without your consent, Hazel. They’re just fishing.”

92 Secrets, Spies, and a Painful Truth

“There’s one more thing,” Stella said, her expression grim. “The worst part.”

We all leaned closer.

“I caught Bianca with Julian Clairemont in the supply closet yesterday. She was on her knees, and he was… well, you know.”

“Oh my God,” Scarlett gasped.

“Wait, there’s more,” Stella continued. “After, I heard him say, ‘Keep this up and you’ll get everything we promised. She’s being bribed.”

“Did you tell Liam?” I asked.

Stella’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. “Better. I recorded it on my phone.”

“You didn’t!” Chloe exclaimed.

“I did. I heard them go in, so I set my phone to record video and slid it under the door crack. Got everything.”

“That’s either brilliant or illegal,” Scarlett remarked.

“Probably both,” Stella admitted with a shrug. “But now we have proof.”

I sat back, processing this information. “So Bianca is working with the Clairemonts to sabotage Liam and dig up dirt on me.”

“And they’re specifically interested in Leo’s father,” Chloe added quietly, giving me a meaningful look.

The implications hung heavy in the air. If they somehow discovered Liam was Leo’s father, they could use that information against both of us-especially since Liam himself didn’t know yet.

“What are you going to do?” Scarlett asked.

“I need to talk to Liam,” I said, decision forming. “After our trip this weekend. I’ll tell him everything when we get back.”

Two days later, I found myself across the table from Levi at a quiet café near the office. He’d texted asking to meet for lunch, and I’d accepted, knowing I owed him clarity

about my situation.

“You look beautiful today,” he said as I settled into my seat. “That blue brings out your eyes.”

“Thank you,” I replied, appreciating his genuine compliment. “How’s work going?”

“Busy. The foundation’s annual fundraiser is coming up.” He studied me over the rim of his coffee cup. “But I didn’t ask you here to talk about work.”

I nodded, folding my hands in my lap. “I know.”

“You’re going away this weekend?”

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