All Chapters of The Billionaire's Hidden Son-in-Law: Chapter 111
- Chapter 120
196 chapters
Chapter 111: Matters of the Heart
The days that followed Michael’s collapse seemed longer than usual. The offices of both Donovan Industries and Ainsley Group carried a strange calm — the kind that comes after a storm, when everyone waits to see if another will rise.Clarissa found herself checking in on him every day. At first, it was through calls, small and polite. “Sir, just wanted to confirm you received the report.” Or, “Sir, should I forward the investor summary to your mail?”But the truth was, she didn’t care about the reports. She just wanted to hear his voice, to know he was alright.Michael always sounded calm, sometimes tired, but he kept insisting he was fine. “Clarissa,” he would say in that even, steady tone of his, “you don’t have to worry. I’m back on my feet.”Yet, every time she hung up, her heart said otherwise.By midweek, she couldn’t hold back anymore. She drove to Donovan Industries after work hours, claiming she needed his signature on a few documents. When she walked into his office, she
Chapter 112: Shifting Currents
It started with whispers — soft, harmless at first, like the hum of air through the vents. But in the corporate world, whispers never stayed harmless for long.By the end of the week, every corridor in Donovan Industries and Ainsley Group buzzed with quiet gossip. Clarissa’s name had begun to move from one department to another, paired too often with Michael’s.“She’s always around him,” someone said near the elevator.“Did you see how she follows him to every meeting lately?” another added.“I heard she even drives him home sometimes.”Clarissa didn’t have to hear every word to feel their weight. The glances, the half-smiles when she entered a room — they all spoke louder than any rumour could.It hurt, not because the rumours were cruel, but because they carried a grain of truth she didn’t know how to explain, even to herself.*******The monthly Donovan Industries board meeting was meant to be routine. The long mahogany table gleamed under the soft lights, the smell of coffee fill
Chapter 113: An Old Flame Returns
The morning began like any other. Nothing about the day hinted at what was coming.At exactly 10:15 a.m., Mrs. Oduah received a call from the reception. She spoke briefly, then looked toward Michael.“Sir, there’s someone here to see you. She says she’s an old friend — Miss Angela Morris.”Michael’s hand froze midway through signing a document. He slowly looked up. “Angela?” he repeated, almost as if the name carried a ghost.“Yes, sir,” Mrs. Oduah confirmed, adjusting her glasses.For a few seconds, he said nothing. Then he nodded faintly. “Send her in.”When the door opened, time itself seemed to pause.Angela Morris stepped in with the same quiet grace she once had. Her hair, darker now, fell neatly to her shoulders. Her eyes still held that warm sharpness he remembered — confident, knowing, but a little older, a little wiser.“Michael,” she said softly, her voice familiar yet distant.“Angela,” he replied, rising to his feet.For a moment, neither moved. Then he offered a faint s
Chapter 114: Echoes of Jealousy
The ballroom shimmered with quiet sophistication, crystal chandeliers, soft jazz, and the low murmur of laughter that filled the evening air. It was one of those formal corporate dinners where alliances were formed behind polite smiles and champagne glasses.Clarissa arrived early, wearing a sleek navy gown, simple but elegant. She had spent half the day preparing, reminding herself it was just another business event — that it didn’t matter who else would be there. Yet the moment she walked into the hall and saw Angela Morris standing confidently beside Michael, her heart gave a small, painful twist.Angela looked effortlessly radiant, her fitted emerald dress catching the light. She was surrounded by executives and investors, speaking with that same poise that once made her the talk of their university campus. Michael stood beside her, laughing quietly at something she said.Clarissa froze for a second before forcing a polite smile and walking toward their table.“Clarissa,” Micha
Chapter 115: The Investor’s Game
The boardroom of Donovan Industries was quieter than usual that morning. The negotiation meeting with Hemsworth Alliance, represented by Angela Morris, had just begun. Michael sat at the head of the table, his expression calm but unreadable, while Angela spoke fluently about the proposal — her tone confident, persuasive, and charming as always.Across the table, the senior executives listened with cautious interest. They had seen skilled negotiators before, but Angela was in a league of her own. She spoke like someone who already knew the answer to every question before it was asked.“The partnership will open Ainsley Group and Donovan Industries to wider international markets,” Angela explained, her eyes briefly meeting Michael’s. “We’re offering technology integration, export channels, and policy support. In exchange, Hemsworth Alliance seeks a minority investment stake, purely advisory.”Michael nodded thoughtfully. “Advisory stake only?”“Yes,” she said smoothly, her tone steady
Chapter 116: Crossfire
Clarissa barely slept that night. The documents on her desk seemed to breathe beneath the glow of her office lamp — figures, signatures, and company seals dancing like ghosts. What she had uncovered wasn’t just a clerical inconsistency; it was deliberate concealment.The more she traced the ownership lines, the clearer it became — Hemsworth Alliance wasn’t entirely what Angela had claimed. Buried deep under legal jargon were unpaid debts, questionable transactions, and connections to dormant shell companies that linked back to PresLead’s former offshore accounts.Clarissa’s heart raced as she gathered the files together. She knew what it meant and what it could cost her.The next morning, she walked into Michael’s office with the file in her hands. Her steps were steady, but her palms trembled.He looked up from his desk, surprised. “Clarissa? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”“I need to talk to you,” she said quietly.He motioned for her to sit. “What’s wrong?”She placed the fol
Chapter 117: Sophia’s Reckoning
The news reached Sophia not through gossip this time, but through an internal memo that made its way across the departments at Donovan Industries. It was brief, almost too brief but every line carried the weight of what could have been a full-blown disaster.The Hemsworth partnership deal had been temporarily suspended pending further verification.No one outside the boardroom knew the full story, but Sophia didn’t need a detailed report to piece it together. She knew Michael well enough to recognise when he had been close to another storm and when someone had stepped in to pull him out.And this time, that someone was Clarissa McCann.The knowledge hit Sophia harder than she expected. She sat at her desk, staring blankly at the printed memo in her hands, her eyes scanning the lines again and again though the words had already sunk deep into her heart.“Protected him again,” she muttered under her breath. “Always her.”Her phone buzzed. It was Victoria, asking if she was free to tal
Chapter 118: The Apology
The afternoon sun hung low over the city, washing the streets in a soft, golden haze. Sophia sat in her car for nearly ten minutes, parked outside Michael’s gate, hands gripping the steering wheel, heart pounding with a mix of fear and anticipation.She had written her apology the night before, rehearsed it over and over until the words felt almost foreign. But now, sitting here, everything she’d planned to say seemed to slip away. All that remained was the quiet truth; that she was tired of fighting, tired of pretending she didn’t care anymore.Finally, she stepped out, her heels clicking lightly against the pavement. The security guard recognised her immediately.“Good afternoon, ma,” he greeted politely. “Do you have an appointment with Mr. Ainsley?”Sophia hesitated, then shook her head. “No, but please tell him Sophia Donovan is here.”The guard nodded, called inside, and after a brief pause, opened the gate. “You can go in, ma.”As she walked toward the front door, memories fl
Chapter 119: The Heart’s Confession
The evening rain had just stopped, leaving a faint scent of wet earth in the air. Inside Donovan Industries, most of the offices were empty, lights turned off, except for one — Michael’s. A soft glow poured out through the frosted glass of his door, faintly illuminating the corridor.Clarissa stood outside for a few seconds, holding a brown envelope filled with financial summaries and project reports. She had told herself she was only here to drop the documents and leave. But somehow, her heart had other plans.She took a quiet breath and knocked gently.“Come in,” Michael’s voice called from inside.When she entered, he was seated behind his desk, half-absorbed in paperwork. He looked up, surprised. “Clarissa? You’re still here?”“I wanted to hand you the final reports for the quarter,” she said, placing the envelope on his desk. “The audit team completed the review this evening. I thought it was better you got it tonight instead of waiting till tomorrow.”He smiled faintly. “You
Chapter 120: The Wild Whispers
Rumors had always existed in corporate buildings, floating quietly like unseen dust. But this one, this one carried speed, heat, and venom. The news of Clarissa’s late-night visit to Donovan Industries spread through the Ainsley Group headquarters before noon. It started from one voice, then two, and soon the whispers became the tone of the entire building.“Did you see her leaving?”“At that hour? Alone with Mr. Ainsley?”“Who visits a man’s office by 10pm if nothing is happening?”Clarissa pretended not to hear. She kept walking, shoulders straight, head high. But deep within her, her pulse thudded painfully. She had expected rumors. She just hadn’t expected them to grow teeth this quickly.Her phone buzzed, an internal memo:“Urgent: Executive Board Meeting – Conference Room Two.”She froze for a second. Then she took a deep breath and walked toward the room, her heels sounding louder than usual on the marble floor.******The boardroom was already filled when she entered. The a