His Last Command Came Back to Kill Him novel Chapter 35

She couldn't let her own personal mess destroy PurePath Biologics—the company Chisholm had built from the ground up. She couldn't be the reason her colleagues, who had poured years of their lives into this project, suddenly found themselves unemployed.

Chisholm looked at her forced composure, his throat bobbing as guilt washed over him. "I'm so sorry you have to deal with this. It's not fair."

Whitley offered a small smile. "Work is work. There's no room for personal grudges in business. If we let our emotions dictate every corporate decision, how would we ever get anything done?"

Chisholm didn't know what else to say.

"If you really can't stand being around her, I can handle all direct communication with her on the project," he offered.

Whitley shook her head. "It's fine."

Yelena was going to get her way regardless. If they blocked her today, Clive would just invent another brutal tactic to force her in tomorrow. He had limitless resources to make it happen.

It was almost funny. Clive had never gone to such lengths for her. During the years he worked abroad, there were times she had been hospitalized with a severe fever, entirely alone, unable to even reach him on the phone.

After their conversation, Whitley threw herself back into her research. She analyzed the data endlessly, running the pharmacological compounds over and over, using the relentless workload to numb the stinging humiliation in her chest.

It wasn't until the sky outside turned pitch black and the office had practically emptied out that she finally packed her bag, her body aching with exhaustion.

She just had to wait for the divorce. Once the papers were finalized, all of this would finally be over.

Whitley arrived at the rundown apartment building. Just as she raised her hand to push open the heavy front door, she caught the muffled sound of voices coming from inside.

The thin walls did nothing to hide the frantic, hushed tones of her family.

"The hospital needs Grandma Winona's payment immediately," Josiah was saying, his voice tight. "My project approvals just got frozen. Every single permit is blocked at the final stage. Someone is deliberately blacklisting us. I can't get the cash."

Then came Lamont's heavy, defeated sigh. "My construction site is shut down too. The developer unilaterally voided the contract. They even paid the cancellation penalty upfront. Someone high up made a call. Nobody dares to work with me."

Martha's voice trembled, trying to suppress a sob so the neighbors wouldn't hear. "All my custom textile orders are being cancelled. Clients who already paid are demanding refunds. I'm being stonewalled everywhere I turn..."

Whitley froze in the doorway, the words hitting her like physical blows.

Her blood turned to ice.

Her grandmother was lying in a hospital bed, requiring exorbitant medical fees every single day just to stay alive. The family was already barely scraping by.

"My family. Did you do this?" Whitley gripped the phone, her knuckles turning white. "They have nothing to do with us. Why are you targeting them?"

Silence stretched over the line.

When Clive finally spoke, there was zero attempt to deny it. "Come home. Cole is downstairs waiting for you."

That one sentence told her everything she needed to know.

Whitley understood instantly.

This was her punishment for leaving.

He had come to her in person once. She had rejected him.

So now, he was holding her family hostage. He was using their utter ruin to force her compliance.

She couldn't understand it. He clearly didn't love her. He had Yelena. He found Whitley utterly repulsive. Yet he still insisted on keeping her chained to his side, refusing to let her go.