Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask (by Silver Spoon) novel Chapter 144

Chapter 144: Chapter 144 The Setup Exposed

Caleb’s POV

I arrived at Thorne Group headquarters before dawn, my mind consumed with one singular purpose: finding Ivy and making her understand the truth. The legitimate front of our family operations felt suffocatingly empty without her presence. My plan was straightforward: explain everything, beg for her forgiveness if necessary, and somehow repair the catastrophic damage I had inflicted over the past few days. But Xavier crushed those desperate hopes the moment he spotted me prowling through the reception area like a caged predator.

"Get to your office. She’s not coming in today. I gave her time off because she needs distance from this mess and frankly deserves it. And I promised the crew you wouldn’t harass her today," Xavier stated with the firm authority of a consigliere who had grown tired of cleaning up his Don’s emotional disasters.

"Damn it, Xavier!" I snarled like a wounded animal. "Let’s grab some coffee and talk."

In the break room, Katelyn, Jude, and Gemma were huddled together in whispered conversation, their voices dying the instant we appeared in the doorway. After some awkward pleasantries that fooled no one, Xavier, Jude, and I retreated to my office where the real business could be conducted behind soundproof walls.

"Alright, Jude, what aren’t you telling me?" I confronted him directly, my patience evaporated after days of cryptic behavior from my most trusted soldiers.

"I have no idea what you mean, Boss," Jude responded, but his refusal to meet my eyes betrayed him completely.

"Cut the bullshit! You know exactly what I’m talking about!" I stepped closer, using every inch of my height and reputation to intimidate him. "What’s happening with Ivy? Why are you suddenly acting like her personal bodyguard? Why are you having secret conversations with the women? What information are you keeping from your Don?"

"It’s not my place to share that intelligence with you," Jude finally admitted, his loyalty to whatever secret they were protecting clearly outweighing his fear of my wrath.

"So there is something?" I pressed, feeling the familiar rage building in my chest like a slow burn.

Jude’s discomfort was obvious, but before I could extract more information, my phone interrupted the interrogation. Dr. Taylor’s private number appeared on the screen. I answered immediately, knowing that the family’s most trusted medical contact would only call with urgent matters. His secretary apologized profusely before explaining that the doctor had personally requested she contact me about critical test results he had sent via encrypted email.

My pulse quickened with anticipation. The tests had arrived. I rushed to my computer and opened the secure communication channel we used for sensitive family business. The message blazed across the screen with information that would change everything.

From: Dr. Gilbert Taylor

To: Caleb Thorne

Subject: URGENT - Your Toxicology Results

Caleb,

Forgive the delay, but a family emergency required my immediate attention, and I only reviewed your samples this morning. The results are quite shocking and have serious implications for your situation. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Regarding your toxicology screening, my suspicions were completely confirmed. Your blood work returned positive for morphine at concentrations that would render a grown man unconscious within moments. Someone dissolved pharmaceutical-grade pills in your drink, administering a massive dose that would have made you physically incapable of standing upright, much less engaging in any coherent activity. You were deliberately and systematically drugged by a professional.

The DNA and pregnancy test results are even more damning. The samples you provided cannot be processed because there is no pregnancy to test. Your alleged victim has never been pregnant, not recently, not currently, not ever based on her hormone levels. The entire situation is an elaborate fabrication designed to destroy you.

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