The CEO's Contractual Wife (Olivia and Alexander) novel Chapter 296

Chapter 296

Chapter 296

Alexander

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Stars dotted the LA sky, barely visible through the city’s light pollution. A handful of remaining valets chatted near their station, their voices carrying across the parking lot.

Thomas stood by Victoria’s car, phone pressed to his ear. He straightened when he spotted me, ending his call.

Victoria emerged from the restaurant a moment later, her heels clicking against the pavement with deliberate precision. She stopped a few feet away, her expression calculating in the dim light.

“Forget something?” I asked, pulling my keys from my pocket.

“Actually, yes.” She reached into her purse, extracting her phone. “Something I thought you should see before you drive away feeling so confident.”

She tapped the screen a few times, then turned it toward me.

The document was clear even in the low light. Our names. Terms. Signatures. The contract Olivia and I had signed.

My stomach tightened, but I kept my expression neutral. “Where did you get that?”

“Does it matter?” Victoria’s smile was triumphant. “The important thing is I have it. Every word. Every clause. Every detail of your little business arrangement.”

I forced my breathing to remain steady. “And?”

“And I can use it.” She tucked the phone back into her purse. “I can leak this to every media outlet in the city. Show the world exactly what your marriage really is.”

“Go ahead.”

Her smile faltered slightly. “You think I’m bluffing?”

“I think you’re desperate.” I opened my car door. “But here’s the thing, Victoria. Even if you leak that, what does it actually prove? That I made a business arrangement? So what?”

“It proves your marriage is fake,” she shot back. “That you manipulated Grandfather’s requirement. The board will demand your resignation.”

“Will they?” I met her eyes directly. “Or will they see a CEO who found a creative solution to an unreasonable demand? You think the board cares about my personal life as long as the company’s profitable?”

“They’ll care when it’s splashed across every headline,” Victoria insisted.

“Maybe for a week. Then the next scandal breaks, and everyone moves on.” I slid into the driver’s seat. “But you know what won’t blow over? Embezzlement, Fraud. Prison time.”

“You can’t prove anything.”

“Can’t I?” I started the engine. “Here’s what happens if you leak that contract. I release every shred of evidence I have on your financial crimes. Not just the Cayman records. Everything. And I make sure it goes to federal prosecutors, not the media.

Victoria’s face went pale. “You wouldn’t.”

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4:08 pm P &00

Chapter 296

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“Try me. I gripped the steering wheel “You leak that contract, I bury you. Completely. No second chances, no plea deals, nothing. You’ll spend the next decade in prison while I rebuild my reputation.”

Your marriage will be exposed as a fraud

And you’ll be a convicted felon 1 shifted into gear. “So go ahead. Post that contract online. Send it to the Times. See which one of us ends up worse off

Thomas moved closer to Victoria, his hand on her elbow. “Victoria, maybe we should think about this.”

She jerked her arm away from him. ‘Don’t tell me what to do?

Tm just saying, if he has evidence-

“He’s bluffing Victoria’s voice rose. “He wouldn’t risk everything just to take me down.”

“Wouldn’t ” I smiled without humor. You’ve spent months trying to undermine my position. Spreading rumors, leaking photos, doing everything possible to destroy what I’ve built. You really think I won’t return the favor?”

This isn’t over, she warned.

You keep saying that. But every time you threaten me, I end up with more ammunition. So please, keep going. Keep pushing. See where it gets you

Fine Victoria pulled her phone back out. You want to play hardball: Tll show you hardball. I’m not just going to leak the contract. I’ll show everyone the financial arrangements, the timeline, everything. And yes, maybe you’ll release your so- called evidence on me. Maybe I’ll even face some consequences

She stepped closer to my car, her eyes glittering with malice.

“But here’s what you’re missing. Even if you claim the contract’s fake, even if you say you’re truly in love now, the damage will already be done. Public opinion doesn’t wait for explanations. Your wife will be labeled a whore who sold herself for millions. Your reputation as a businessman will be shattered because everyone will know you bought a wife to keep your

inheritance.

Thomas shifted uncomfortably. Victoria-

Tm not finished‘ She cut him off her attention fixed on me. “Sure, I might go to jail for a few years. White collar crime. minimum security probably out in eighteen months with good behavior. But you? You’ll lose the company. The board won’t tolerate this level of scandal Grandfather will be humiliated. You’ll be stripped of your position, your influence, everything you’ve worked for

She smiled, cold and calculating. “So ask yourself, Alexander. Is protecting your fake marriage really worth destroying your entire life? Because that’s the chonce you’re making right now.

I leaned back in my seat, studying her face in the dim parking lot light. “You’ve really thought this through.”

I’ve had nothing but time to think.” Victoria crossed her arms. You put me in an impossible position Now I’m returning the

favor

“Except you’re forgetting something crucial

What’s that?

I smiled. Tm very good at winning. Always have been. So go ahead. Leak the contract. Do your worst. Let’s see who’s still standing when the dust settles”

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4:08 pm P XDD

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Chapter 296

“You’re that confident?”

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“I’m that prepared. Unlike you, I don’t make threats I’m not willing to follow through on. And unlike you, I’ve spent months building a case that will hold up in federal court. So yeah, I’m confident.”

Victoria’s jaw clenched. “We’ll see about that.”

“We will.” I glanced at Thomas. “You might want to get a good lawyer. When this goes down, you’re going with her.”

His face went even paler.

“Bastard,” Victoria spat.

“Probably.” I smiled. “But I’m a bastard who’s going to win. See you at Sunday dinner, cousin.”

I pulled away, watching in the rearview mirror as Victoria stood frozen in the parking lot, her phone clutched in her hand. Thomas tried to speak to her, but she pushed him away, stalking toward their car.

How the hell did she get that paper?

My mind raced through possibilities as I merged onto the highway. The contract had been locked in my office safe. Only three people had access to the original: me, my attorney, and Olivia.

Unless someone photographed it.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, jaw clenching. Victoria had resources. Money to hire people who specialized in getting information others wanted buried. Private investigators, hackers, people who could slip into offices unnoticed.

But when? The office had security cameras, badge access logs, and everything was monitored. Unless she’d gotten to someone on the inside. A cleaning crew member. A security guard looking to make extra cash.

Fuck.

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