促銷資訊載入中...
The Secret Heiress: CEO's Dangerous Love
NovelMaster
new
已完結
Tags: Secret Marriage, Surprise Promotion, Identity Reveal, Betrayal and Redemption In the third year of our secret marriage, without telling my husband, Ethan, I transferred directly to his corporate...
章節（3）
第1章
Tags: Secret Marriage, Surprise Promotion, Identity Reveal, Betrayal and Redemption
In the third year of our secret marriage, without telling my husband, Ethan, I transferred directly to his corporate headquarters as the new head of strategic development.
I wanted to give him a surprise.
I wanted to end our three-year, long-distance marriage for good.
I walked up to the front desk, gave my name, and said with a faint smile, "Hi, I'm Vivian Sterling. I'm the new head of Strategic Development—and your CEO's wife."
The receptionist sneered. Looking at me like I was something dirty, she shoved my paperwork right back across the counter, her voice rising sharply.
"I'm sorry, but our CEO's wife is Chloe Vance."
Before I could even process what she had just said, she held up her phone for me to see.
Her voice dripped with mockery.
"Mr. Hayes just named the brand-new downtown commercial plaza after his wife to celebrate their three-year anniversary. It's on our company's public portal. See for yourself."
On the screen, my husband, Ethan Hayes, had his arm wrapped affectionately around an unfamiliar woman, smiling with absolute radiance.
The woman was wearing a lavender silk button-down. On the collar was an embroidered hummingbird.
That shirt had been my birthday gift to Ethan last year. I designed it by hand. It was the only one in the world.
I froze. I pulled out my phone to call him.
As if reading my mind, the receptionist added, "Don't bother calling, Miss Sterling. Just last week at the gala, Mr. Hayes announced in front of all the press that Chloe Vance is the only true love of his life."
"He even said that any woman trying to use past ties to cling to him won't be shown an ounce of mercy."
My hand holding the folder went stiff.
If Chloe Vance was his public love, his true Mrs. Hayes...
Then what did that make me—Vivian Sterling, the woman whose name was actually on his marriage certificate?
The receptionist's sharp words echoed in my ears.
"Our boss's wife is Chloe Vance, not Vivian Sterling."
"Honey, pretending to be the CEO's secret wife to climb the ladder is an old trick! Mr. Hayes despises shameless women like you!"
The boss's wife?
Chloe Vance?
My mind went completely blank.
Ethan and I hadn't gone public with our marriage, but our close friends, family, and the company's founding board members knew all about it.
"There must be a misunderstanding," I said, swallowing the sudden wave of dread and trying to keep my composure. "I'm here for my first day of work."
"Ha! Still playing dumb?"
She scoffed, picking up the desk phone. "Security? We have a woman causing a scene in the lobby, claiming to be Mr. Hayes's wife..."
Before she could finish, a sweet, slightly spoiled voice drifted over from across the lobby.
"What's going on here? Why is it so noisy this early in the morning?"
I turned toward the sound. A woman in a brand-new Chanel suit was walking over, holding the arm of the HR director.
Her makeup was flawless, and the sharp lines of her brows carried an edge reminiscent of Ethan's own cold elegance. She carried herself like royalty.
Employees nearby bowed their heads one after another. "Morning, Miss Vance!"
So this "Miss Vance" was the wife they were talking about—Chloe Vance.
When the HR director spotted me, his brow furrowed, his tone hostile. "Miss, if you're here for an interview, follow the standard procedure. If you're looking for someone, I'm sorry, but we don't entertain loiterers."
Chloe let go of his arm and stepped toward me, looking me up and down with amused condescension.
I had zero recollection of this woman. My brows knit together.
I had never imagined someone like this being connected to Ethan.
I had never seen her before, but she looked as if she already knew exactly who I was.
The flash of jealousy in her eyes didn't escape me.
"Oh? So it's her," she murmured with a light laugh. Turning to the crowd, she pitched her voice just loud enough for everyone in the lobby to hear. "Don't worry, everyone. This Miss Sterling probably just thinks my husband, Ethan, is too impressive, so she's letting her little delusions run wild."
She paused, her eyes turning ice-cold while her voice stayed sickeningly sweet.
Snickers broke out all around us.
"Too bad. If you think you're qualified to be a stand-in for Chloe Vance and steal the title of Mrs. Hayes, you're out of your league."
In an instant, every gaze in the lobby locked onto me—filled with scrutiny, mockery, and pure contempt.
It was as if I weren't the second-largest shareholder holding fifteen percent of the Hayes Group, but a brazen homewrecker barging in to demand a ring.
I trembled with rage, my fingers gripping the appointment letter.
My expression hardened, and I forced myself to stay calm.
"Chloe Vance, was it? I don't care who you are or what lies you've fed these employees, but Hayes Enterprises isn't your private playground."
"Now. Tell HR to process my paperwork immediately."
Chloe reacted as if she had just heard the joke of the century. She leaned playfully against the HR director. "Mr. Miller, did you hear that? She wants you to onboard her. Since when does the head of Strategic Development at Hayes Enterprises go to some random nobody off the street?"
Mr. Miller wagged his tail like an eager pet. "Miss Vance is right. We only answer to you and Mr. Hayes. As for this supposed appointment letter... Photoshop is everywhere these days. Who knows if it's even real?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the massive digital billboard behind Chloe flickered to life.
A slideshow of photos began to loop across the screen—every single one showing Chloe and Ethan in intimate poses.
From candlelit dinners to black-tie galas, all the way to him fastening a diamond necklace around her throat and kissing her forehead...
In those photos, Ethan's expression was soft and tender, showing a warmth I had never seen before.
Most glaring of all was a shot taken in the rooftop garden of the corporate tower, with the city's glittering skyline in the background.
Chloe was wearing that lavender silk shirt, the delicate hummingbird embroidered on the lapel.
That shirt had been my birthday gift to Ethan last year. A one-of-a-kind piece I personally designed.
Now, another woman was wearing it.
And my husband was holding her close, smiling with all the warmth in the world.
"Do you see now, Miss Sterling?"
Chloe's voice dripped with triumphant cruelty. "Everyone at Hayes Enterprises knows how much Ethan loves me. To celebrate our third anniversary, he even named the newly developed commercial complex after me—the 'Chloe Center.'"
"Do you still want to insist that you're his wife?"
The whispers of the crowd drowned me like a tidal wave.
"God, the side chick actually showed up at the front desk! The nerve!"
"She's pretty, but her vibe is totally cheap compared to Miss Vance. Looks like a total gold digger."
"She wanted to be department head? She's clearly lost her mind over his money. How could Mr. Hayes ever look at someone like her?"
My world spun violently. Every ounce of composure and logic shattered to dust.
With trembling fingers, I dialed that number burned into my memory.
"The number you have dialed is currently busy..."
Once. Twice. Nothing but the cold automated voice.
Blinded by fury, I opened SnapChat and fired off a message: *Ethan, you'd better give me an explanation right now!*
The message sent, and a bright red exclamation mark popped up instantly.
He had blocked me.
第2章
Just as humiliation and rage threatened to tear me apart, Chloe's phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID, smirking smugly, and answered it on speaker with video in front of everyone.
Ethan's handsome yet visibly exhausted face appeared on the screen.
"Chloe, what is it? Didn't you say you were inspecting the new project today?" His voice was as deep and velvety as ever, carrying a faint trace of weariness.
"Ethan..." Chloe immediately melted into a victim, her eyes welling up with tears. "An uninvited guest showed up at the office. She's claiming to be your wife and trying to hijack the Strategic Development division. She's practically bullying me to tears."
Ethan's brows instantly snapped together, his gaze turning razor-sharp.
"Someone did that? Turn the camera toward her."
Chloe turned her phone toward me.
The moment our eyes met, I caught the briefest flicker of shock in Ethan's eyes. But it vanished in an instant, replaced by a bottomless pit of cold disgust.
"Vivian Sterling?" He said my full name, his voice completely devoid of warmth. "I thought I made myself very clear. Leaving you that suburban villa and the ten million dollars was out of respect for our past. Don't get greedy. My patience has limits."
"Making a scene at the office—are you trying to let everyone know about our shameful past?"
He paused, his voice booming with icy fury.
"My wife has only ever been Chloe Vance from start to finish. As for you... I don't ever want to see your face again. My assistant will handle the rest. Watch yourself."
The video call cut off abruptly.
The entire lobby fell deathly quiet. Everyone looked at me like I was a pitiful clown.
Chloe walked up to me, raised her hand, and delivered a stinging, resounding slap across my face.
*Smack!*
"Did you hear that, you fake?" she whispered into my ear, her voice barely loud enough for only the two of us to hear. "You're just garbage he threw away after getting bored. Did you really think you mattered?"
The burning pain spread from my cheek straight into my chest, but I laughed.
I laughed at my own naivety. I laughed at how utterly stupid I had been.
So those two months of "business trips abroad" were just his excuse to cut ties.
All those sweet "I love yous" and "I miss yous" were just lies to keep me pacified.
In the end, I was the one kept in the dark like a fool.
"Get her out of here!" Chloe straightened up, returning to her haughty demeanor. "Hayes Enterprises doesn't welcome trash with no morals!"
Several security guards immediately closed in, reaching out to drag me out.
"Back off!" I snapped, my icy glare sweeping over everyone in the room. "I am Vivian Sterling, sole heir to the Sterling Empire and the second-largest shareholder of Hayes Enterprises! Lay a single finger on me today and see what happens to you!"
My identity had always been hidden beneath Ethan's shadow. We had agreed that until I formally stepped into Hayes Enterprises, neither of us would reveal it to the public.
Now, it had become the only weapon left to protect my dignity.
At the mention of "the Sterling Empire," the color drained from several people's faces. In this city, the Sterling name carried absolute weight.
Chloe's face paled for a second, but she quickly regained her footing and sneered, "An heiress to the Sterling family? How hilarious. Everyone knows the Sterling heiress has been recovering abroad for years, keeps to herself, and never shows her face in public. You think making up a fake identity is going to scare me?"
"Whether it's fake or not, you're about to find out."
Ignoring her completely, I dialed my father's senior executive assistant, Arthur, and put the call on speaker.
"Arthur, it's me. Vivian."
第3章
"Miss Sterling!"
Arthur's voice was steady and profoundly respectful. "You've finally reached out. The Chairman has been very worried about you. Everything you requested has been handled. The legal documents confirming your personal fifteen percent stake in Hayes Enterprises, along with your proof of identity as the sole Sterling heir, have just been faxed directly to the legal department and the board of directors."
He paused, then added, "Furthermore, I have formally submitted a motion to the Hayes board requesting an emergency shareholders' meeting. We will re-evaluate the appointment of the Head of Strategic Development... and launch a formal investigation into Mr. Hayes's personal misconduct."
Arthur's words dropped like a bomb across the lobby.
Everyone stood frozen in shock, including Chloe.
The blood drained from her face as she stared at me in disbelief.
I wiped the blood from the corner of my lip and stepped toward her, the sharp clicking of my heels sounding like a death knell.
"Miss Vance, do you still think I'm a fake?"
I snatched the desk phone from Mr. Miller's hand and dialed the board secretary directly.
"This is Vivian Sterling. Notify every board member. Emergency meeting in the top-floor boardroom in thirty minutes. Anyone absent will face the consequences."
My voice wasn't loud, but it held absolute authority.
Hanging up, I leveled a cold gaze at the ash-faced Chloe.
"And you, Miss Vance. Instead of wasting time here, you'd better think long and hard about how you're going to explain your title of 'CEO's wife' to the board in thirty minutes."
"And what, exactly, your relationship is with my husband, Ethan Hayes."
Thirty minutes later, the top-floor boardroom of Hayes Enterprises was locked in a suffocating chill.
Seated along the massive mahogany table were all the board members. Their expressions were deadly serious, their complicated gazes darting back and forth between me, Ethan, and Chloe.
Ethan sat at the head of the table, his face as dark as a storm cloud. He glared at me, his eyes filled with fury, confusion, and an internal conflict I couldn't quite decipher.
Chloe sat huddled beside him like a terrified rabbit, completely stripped of her earlier arrogance.
I sat directly opposite Ethan, cold and detached, twirling a pen between my fingers.
"Since everyone is here, let's begin," I said, breaking the silence. "I called this emergency meeting for two reasons."
"First, regarding my identity. I am Vivian Sterling, sole heir to the Sterling Empire and the second-largest shareholder of Hayes Enterprises. You should all have copies of the verification documents in front of you."
The directors nodded one after another, their gazes toward me tinged with newfound respect.
"Second," I paused, my eyes locking like daggers onto the man and woman across the table, "I'd like to ask Mr. Hayes: who exactly is this Chloe Vance? And in what capacity did you permit her to parade around the company calling herself your wife, even laying hands on a legal major shareholder?"
Every eye turned to Ethan.
He took a slow, heavy breath and spoke, his voice raspy. "Vivian, this is a private matter between us. There's no need to air it out in front of the board."
"A private matter?" I scoffed. "Mr. Hayes, you cheated on your marriage, kept a mistress on company grounds, allowed her to ruin the corporate reputation, and nearly had the second-largest shareholder thrown out the front door. This severely threatens our business and public standing. How is this private?"
Every word hit like a bullet. Ethan's face turned completely pale.
An older board member cleared his throat. "Mr. Hayes, Miss Sterling makes a valid point. You owe everyone an explanation."
"Indeed, Ethan. Miss Vance's 'Chloe Center' project tied up nearly two billion dollars of corporate capital. If there's an issue with her background, we can't answer to the public shareholders."
In an instant, outrage spread through the room, every finger pointing straight at Ethan.
Under the table, Ethan's fists clenched so hard the veins bulged across the back of his hands.
He stayed silent for a long moment. Just when I thought he was going to defend Chloe against the world, he suddenly turned to her, his gaze devoid of any warmth.
"Chloe Vance. Tell them yourself. Who are you?"