She Was Never Just the Wife novel Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Chapter 65

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At the Lucero Group’s top-floor CEO office, the heavy walnut door closed silently, shutting out the world outside.

Beckham didn’t head for his imposing desk. Instead, he walked straight to the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside, the afternoon sun was harsh, and the skyline looked like a forest of steel.

But to him, it was nothing but cold, fleeting glimmers. He loosened his tie, but the suffocating feeling didn’t ease. If anything, it only grew sharper in the silence.

There were two quiet knocks, and Chad came in, holding a tablet. His expression was more grim than before.

“Mr. Lucero,” Chad said, his voice carrying through the empty office.

“Any progress?” Beckham asked, not turning around. There was a barely noticeable weariness and tension in

his voice.

Chad stood behind him, pulling up the files on his tablet. His tone was steady, but heavy. “We found a few leads about Cloudscape, but they all went nowhere.”

Beckham finally turned around, his brows furrowed. “All the leads are dead?”

“Yes,” Chad nodded, swiping on the screen. “First, the restaurant’s internal surveillance system. During the critical window from 8 PM to 11 PM last night, a cleverly designed worm virus infiltrated and wiped out all the footage from the relevant areas.

“The tech team thinks it was planted remotely, and whoever did it knew exactly what they were doing. There’s basically no way to recover the data.”

“No surveillance footage?” Beckham’s eyes turned cold.

“Second,” Chad went on, his tone tinged with frustration, “So we checked the guest and staff logs from that night. Celia was definitely at the restaurant.

“She reserved the Oak Suite on the second floor, arrived at 7:30 PM, and left around 9:10 PM, Haley was with her. The timing overlapped with your dinner with Colin.”

Beckham felt a heavy weight settle in his chest. ‘She really was there, he thought.

“What about the waiter in the photo?” he pressed.

Chad’s expression grew more serious. “That’s the thing. The restaurant said there was a temp waiter assigned to the Breeze Suite that night. They brought him in from a staffing agency because they were short-handed.

“But here’s the weird part. All the info the agency had on him was fake. The ID number doesn’t exist, and the phone number is dead.

“The restaurant manager said he worked efficiently but kept to himself. He left halfway through the event without collecting his pay. Now, he’s completely disappeared.”

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Chapter 65

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“A temp? Fake info? Disappeared?” Beckham repeated, his lips curling into a cold, mocking smile. “That’s way too convenient. It’s like he was an actor hired for last night’s show, and once the curtain fell, he vanished.

“That’s what we’re thinking, too,” Chad said grimly. “And as for the reporters swarming the apartment this morning, the clues are murkier. The tip came through an encrypted channel, and the funds were routed through several offshore shell companies, almost impossible to track.

“Those anonymous photos sent to Celia were dropped in an old, unmonitored mailbox. The paper and ink are generic, nothing special, and there’s basically nothing to investigate.”

Beckham listened in silence, then walked over to his desk and sat down. His fingers tapped unconsciously on the smooth surface. Every clue pointed to one thing: the other side was thoroughly prepared, their plan meticulous, their methods seasoned and cunning.

And they had a deep understanding of Cloudscape, his schedule, and maybe the inner workings of the Lucero family.

Beckham spoke slowly, his voice low. “Celia showed up at the restaurant; that fake waiter happened to be outside my suite with water; the surveillance got hacked right on cue; the reporters were waiting at the apartment, and Phoebe jumped in immediately…

“Step by step, everything lines up. So, who do you think they’re really targeting?”

Chad replied carefully, “On the surface, those anonymous photos are accusing Celia, as it looks like she’s the main target.

“But with the apartment incident this morning, and the way the public is now putting you and Laylah right in the spotlight… It seems like the real aim is you, or maybe to throw the Lucero family into chaos.”

“Or maybe both,” Beckham said, his gaze sharp. “Two birds with one stone. They can drag Celia through the mud, and use the scandal between me and Laylah to hit the Lucero family, shift the focus, and maybe force someone’s hand.”

He remembered his mother’s aggressive “engagement” announcement earlier that morning. ‘Could that have been part of their plan, too?’ Beckham wondered.

“Keep looking into this,” Beckham said, rubbing his aching temples. “Focus on two things. First, trace where that fake waiter came from and who set it up.

“Dig into the staffing agency to see if anyone on the inside was involved. Second, go over everything Laylah’s done since she got back, especially this past week: calls, meetings, money transfers, anything unusual. Don’t let a single detail slip by.”

“Understood, Mr. Lucero,” Chad replied, jotting it down.

“And one more thing,” Beckham paused, a cold glint in his eyes. “Set up a meeting with Mr. Sommers.

“Tell him I’d like to have a casual dinner with him and his wife, to clear up some recent misunderstandings, offer my apologies, and hopefully get some facts straight.”

Chad looked a bit taken aback. “You want to talk to Mrs. Sommers directly? Her personality-”

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Chapter 65

“I know exactly what she’s like,” Beckham cut him off. “That’s why I’m going through Mr. Sommers first. No matter how headstrong Phoebe is, she still has to show some respect for her husband.

“Talking face-to-face over dinner is better than fighting a PR war from afar. I need to know what kind of dirt she’s got and who gave it to her.

“At the very least, I need her to keep quiet for now, so the Lucero Group can catch its breath and handle things.”

“Got it. I’ll reach out to Mr. Sommers’s secretary right away,” Chad nodded, turning to leave.

Then, Beckham’s personal phone on the desk suddenly vibrated, the screen lighting up with the name “Tanner.”

Beckham looked at the screen, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, and then gestured for Chad to leave.

Chad got the message, gave a slight nod, and quietly slipped out of the office, closing the door softly behind

him.

The room was quiet again, with only the phone’s persistent buzzing breaking the silence.

Beckham stared at the screen for a few seconds, then picked up the phone and swiped to answer.

“Dad,” he said, his voice flat and unreadable.

There was no immediate reply, just the sound of heavy, suppressed breathing on the other end. Then Tanner, usually calm and authoritative, erupted in anger. His voice crashed through the phone like thunder, so intense that it felt suffocating from miles away.

“Beckham! Look at what you’ve done! Now the entire city, no, the whole country, is laughing at the Lucero family, at you, the CEO of Lucero Group, and your scandalous affairs!” Tanner snapped.

Beckham held the phone a bit away from his ear, his expression blank. “It’s not what you think. Someone’s setting us up.”

“Setting us up? I don’t care who’s behind it!” Tanner was practically shouting now, his fury boiling over. “You’re the face of Lucero Group! Every single thing you do affects our reputation and the stock price!

“This morning, those old geezers on the board dragged me in for a ‘chat,’ and every word was dripping with sarcasm! Asking if I’m about to get a daughter-in-law, if the Lucero family is throwing a wedding!

“Every sentence was a jab, and every word cut deep. My face is nowhere to hide. I’m humiliated!”

Beckham could picture his father’s face, dark with anger, and the knowing looks from the board members in the meeting room. He rubbed his temples. “I’ll handle the board. I’ll get the media off our backs as soon as possible.”

“Handle it? And how do you plan to do that?” Tanner snapped. “Laylah had a kid under messy circumstances, and we still gave her enough respect and compensation, because the child might be yours.

“Now it’s blown up. Everyone knows that, and you’ve been caught leaving an apartment together in a

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Chapter 65

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