All Chapters of The CEO Nobody Knew: Chapter 1
- Chapter 8
8 chapters
Chapter 1: The Moment Everything Shattered
Mac Clement stood frozen in the doorway of his own bedroom, his hand still gripping the bouquet of white roses he'd bought for Jane. The flowers trembled in his grasp as he watched his wife of two years wrapped in the arms of another man, their bodies moving together in a rhythm that made his stomach clench with nausea.David Richardson. The name echoed in Mac's mind like a death sentence. The wealthy heir to Richardson Industries, with his perfectly styled blonde hair and designer suits that cost more than most people's monthly salary. Everything Mac appeared not to be.The roses slipped from Mac's fingers, scattering across the hardwood floor like drops of blood. The soft thud made Jane's eyes snap open, her pupils dilating with shock as she saw him standing there."Mac!" She scrambled to pull the silk sheets over her naked body, her face flushing crimson. "You're... you're supposed to be at work!"David Richardson didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed. He sat up slowly,
Chapter 2: The First Move
Mac sat in his rental car outside the house that had never truly been his home, staring at the divorce papers in his lap. The ink was still wet from his signature, but the words seemed to blur together as rage built like a storm in his chest.Two years. Two years of pretending to be the struggling nobody that Jane believed she'd married. Two years of watching her family's textile business grow stronger while secretly being the architect of their success. Two years of enduring condescending looks from her parents, dismissive comments from her siblings, and Jane's own growing contempt.All for nothing.Mac pulled out his phone and scrolled to a contact labeled "Marcus Webb - Legal." His finger hovered over the call button for a moment before he pressed it.The phone rang twice before a familiar voice answered. "Mac? I wasn't expecting to hear from you until tomorrow's board meeting.""Change of plans, Marcus." Mac's voice was cold, controlled. "I need you to do something for me immediat
Chapter 3: The Revelation
The Grand Ballroom of the Nixon Plaza Hotel buzzed with the kind of energy that only came when the city's most powerful people gathered in one place. Crystal chandeliers cast golden light over men in custom-tailored tuxedos and women draped in designer gowns worth more than most people's annual salaries.Mac stood near the entrance, adjusting his simple black suit, the same one he'd worn to his own wedding two years ago. To everyone else in the room, he looked like exactly what Jane had always claimed he was: a nobody who didn't belong.He watched the crowd with calculated interest, recognizing faces from newspaper business sections and society pages. City council members, bank presidents, real estate moguls, all of them here to celebrate the birthday of Golden Enterprise's mysterious CEO, a man whose identity had been kept carefully hidden from the public for years."Excuse me, sir." A hotel staff member approached Mac with a polite but firm expression. "I'm going to need to see your
Chapter 4: The Art Student
Three days after the Golden Enterprise birthday party, Mac sat in his penthouse office watching news reports about Emrand Enterprise's stock price plummeting. Jane's family company had lost forty percent of its value in seventy-two hours, and financial analysts were predicting bankruptcy within six months without a major investor.His phone had been buzzing constantly with calls from Jane, her parents, and even David Richardson, but Mac ignored them all. Let them scramble. Let them panic. They were about to learn what it meant to truly lose everything.Marcus Webb knocked and entered the office carrying a thick manila folder. "The financial analysis you requested on Emrand Enterprise is complete. Also, I have an update on those mysterious stock purchases we've been monitoring.""Tell me about the stock purchases first," Mac said, not looking up from his computer screen."It's more extensive than we initially thought. Someone has been quietly acquiring minority stakes in over thirty co
Chapter 5: The Contract
Shirley stared at the business card in her trembling hands, the weight of her desperation making the decision for her. "Okay," she whispered. "I'll do it."Mac felt a surge of satisfaction, though he kept his expression neutral. "Excellent. I'll have the paperwork prepared by tomorrow. Can you meet me at this address at seven PM?" He wrote down the location of a small law office downtown that he used for confidential business."Tomorrow?" Shirley looked surprised. "That's very fast.""My clients don't like to wait when they've found someone they want to work with. But if you need more time to think about it...""No!" The desperation in her voice was unmistakable. "No, tomorrow is fine. I just... I need to know this is real. That you're not some kind of con artist taking advantage of desperate people."Mac almost laughed at the irony. "I understand your concern. Tell you what, here's an advance on your first payment." He pulled out his wallet and counted out five hundred dollars in cas
Chapter 6: The Rescue
Mac stared at the message on his phone screen, his blood turning to ice. "We have the girl." The three men surrounding him in the parking garage suddenly seemed like a minor problem compared to what this meant."Surprised, Mr. Clement?" The lead man's smile was cold. "You thought you were so smart, playing games with Thompson Bank. But we've been watching you."Mac's mind raced. If they had Shirley, it meant they knew about their meeting at the café. They'd been tracking him more closely than he realized."What do you want?" Mac asked, keeping his voice calm."Mr. Thompson wants to have a conversation about your recent business activities. You've been causing problems for his bank." The man gestured toward a black car. "You're going to come with us quietly, and the girl stays safe.""And if I refuse?"The man showed Mac another photo on his phone. Shirley tied to a chair in what looked like a warehouse, her eyes wide with fear but clearly alive."Then Miss Chen's situation gets worse.
Chapter 7: The Investigation Begins
The next morning, Mac sat in his penthouse office overlooking Nixon City, reading through every document he could find about Robert Chen's case. Shirley sat across from him, nervously sipping coffee and looking like she hadn't slept much."I still can't believe last night actually happened," she said quietly. "Those men, that place... Mac, who are you really?"Mac looked up from the legal papers. "I told you. I'm Michael Clarke, a business consultant.""Business consultants don't usually have the power to walk into criminal compounds and demand the release of hostages."Mac set down the documents. She was right to be suspicious, but he couldn't reveal his true identity yet. Not until he understood exactly what they were dealing with."Let's focus on your father's case for now. According to these court records, he was convicted of stealing two million dollars from Thompson Bank over a three-year period."Shirley shook her head firmly. "That's impossible. My father is the most honest ma
Chapter 8: Midnight Break-In
The digital clock on Mac's dashboard glowed 11:47 PM as he parked his car in the shadows three blocks from Thompson Bank's headquarters. The towering glass and steel building dominated the downtown skyline, its windows dark except for the scattered security lights that created geometric patterns against the night sky.Shirley sat in the passenger seat, her hands trembling slightly as she pulled on a pair of black gloves. She'd changed into dark clothing as Mac had instructed, but nothing could hide the nervousness radiating from her every movement."Are you sure about this?" she whispered, staring up at the imposing structure. "If we get caught...""We won't get caught," Mac said with quiet confidence, checking his watch. "The security shift change happens at midnight. We'll have exactly fifteen minutes when the building is minimally guarded."He reached into the backseat and pulled out a sleek black bag containing equipment that looked far more sophisticated than anything a simple bu