All Chapters of Masks Around Me: Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
22 chapters
CHAPTER 21: The First Step
The heavy silence of the conference room was a stark contrast to the storm that had just passed. The echo of angry voices still lingered in the air, but now it was just Cedric and me, two men trapped in the aftermath of a corporate firing squad. I felt a strange sense of relief, a brief moment of calm before the next wave of chaos. My mind, still reeling from the events, tried to process everything that had just been said and done.I spent a moment gathering my thoughts, taking a deep breath to steady myself, before finally getting up. I had to get back to my office, to the work that was now a ticking clock, a deadline hanging over my head. But as I reached for the door, Cedric’s voice, a low and even tone, stopped me dead in my tracks.“Ed, you know those people want you gone, right?”Of course I knew. It was a fact that had been drilled into me since the first day my father introduced me as his heir. The board saw me as an imposter, a placeholder for the "true" heir, James. I turned
Last Updated : 2025-08-07
CHAPTER 22: Dinner With The Devil
The office clock finally showed 6:00 p.m., a time that felt like a distant dream just hours ago. The afternoon had been a blur of strained smiles and hushed apologies in conference rooms, a desperate tour with Cedric to placate a host of agitated investors. The meetings were exhausting, but we managed to buy ourselves a little time. Most of them agreed to wait for a solution, a faint glimmer of hope in a very dark day.I packed up my briefcase, the leather feeling heavier than usual, and left the office, eager for the solace of my car and the silence of the road. I needed to go home and rest my head, hoping that a few hours of peaceful slumber could erase the relentless stress of the day.The twenty-minute drive to the family house was a journey into anxiety. As I pulled into the sweeping driveway, my foot hovered over the brake, and I just sat there. The imposing mansion, with its perfectly manicured lawn and grand facade, had always been a symbol of comfort and belonging. Tonight, i
Last Updated : 2025-08-08