The CEO's Midnight Remedy novel Chapter 235

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“Perfect.” I hung up and exhaled slowly, feeling a mixture of anticipation and the faintest flicker of guilt. I pushed the latter away. Victoria deserved this. After everything she’d done–to me, to my mother’s memory, to our family–she deserved to be exposed.

At dinner, I played the role of dutiful daughter. I asked about his golf game. Complimented his tie. Inquired about Harper Group’s latest acquisition. Each smile was calculated, yet I couldn’t deny a small part of me responded to his obvious pleasure at my attention. William looked more relaxed than I’d seen him in months, the perpetual crease between his brows temporarily smoothed.

I checked my watch discreetly. 8:55 pm. My stomach tightened with anticipation, and I took a sip of water to steady myself.

My phone vibrated silently in my lap. The text read: “Actress in position.”

“Dad,” I said, leaning forward conspiratorially, “isn’t that Victoria?” I nodded toward the window, carefully maintaining an expression of innocent curiosity.

Through the restaurant’s large windows, we had a perfect view of The Pinnacle Hotel across the street. Victoria, dressed in a fitted black dress I’d never seen before walking briskly through the entrance. Her posture was different–younger somehow, more eager than her usual measured grace.

Wa

I watched my father’s expression shift–first confusion, then disbelief, then the first flickers of suspicion. His fork paused halfway to his mouth, suspended in air as his eyes tracked Victoria’s movement.

“She said she was having dinner with her sister tonight he said slowly, his eyes not leaving the spot where Victoria had disappeared into the hotel.

“Her sister?” I raised an eyebrow, injecting just the right amount of surprise into my voice. “At a hotel?”

William’s jaw tightened. A muscle twitched at his temple–the same tell I’d inherited from him when angry. He set down his fork with deliberate care. “Excuse me,” he said, standing abruptly. “I need to make a call.”

I watched him step away, phone to his ear, his back rigid. When he returned, his face had hardened into a mask I recognized all too well–the look he wore when business deals went south.

“She’s not answering.” He threw cash on the table, movements sharp and precise. “I need to go.”

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Chapter 235

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“Dad, wait-” I called after him, infusing my voice with concern while my heart raced with dark satisfaction. He was already striding toward the door.

I followed him across the street and into the hotel lobby, maintaining enough distance that it didn’t seem

obvious we were together. He approached the front desk, and I could see the tense set of his shoulders as

he spoke to the clerk. His hands were flat on the counter, fingers spread wide as if bracing himself for bad

news.

When he turned and headed for the elevators, I quickened my pace to catch up. “Dad, what are you doing?” I asked, arranging my features into an expression of concern.

“Going home, Aria,” he snapped, jabbing the elevator button repeatedly, the gesture betraying his agitation.

“Then why are you taking the elevator?” I pointed to the hotel’s grand staircase, my voice deliberately gentle. “The exit is that way.”

His eyes met mine, and for a moment I saw something rare there–vulnerability. It made my chest tighten unexpectedly. The elevator arrived with a soft chime, and William stepped in. I followed, standing beside him as he pressed the button for the sixth floor.

“Room 606,” I said quietly.

He looked at me sharply. “What?”

“That’s where she is,” I replied, my heart pounding against my ribs. “Room 606.”

His eyes narrowed, suspicion overtaking the hurt. “How do you know that?”

The elevator doors opened, saving me from answering. William stormed down the hallway, finding room 606 and pounding on the door with a closed fist. I hung back, watching the scene unfold with a strange mix of satisfaction and unease.

“Coming, darling!” Victoria’s voice called from inside, sultry and warm in a way I’d never heard before.

1 watched my father go completely still at the sound. His shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come.

The door opened. Victoria’s face transformed from anticipation to horror when she saw William and me standing in the hallway. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Behind her, I could see a hotel room with champagne on ice and rose petals scattered across the bed.

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19:33 Sat, Jan 3 GOD

Chapter 235

“William!” she finally gasped. “What are you-”

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