All Chapters of THE MAN THEY TRIED TO ERASE: Chapter 11
- Chapter 20
43 chapters
11
The Callahan Group boardroom filled up again. Reporters waited outside the building; cameras tracked Finn’s every step as he stepped out of the car. The scandal over Ruth’s heart attack still dominated the papers, but now a new set of rumors had been added:“Did Finn Hargrove Marry Ruth Callahan for Her Money?”“Former Asylum Patient Now CEO — Qualified or Not?”Inside, the PR manager looked pale as he stacked media reports on the table. “Sir, this wave of coverage can’t be taken lightly. If we don’t issue an official clarification, the company’s reputation could collapse.”Finn spun a pen between his fingers. His face was calm, but his mind moved quickly. “A clarification? That’s exactly what they want. If we play on their turf, they’ll always have another card to bring us down. No.”“So what do you propose?” asked a director whose patience was thinning.Finn looked each of them in the eye. His gaze was cold but controlled. “We make a new story. One stronger than their gossip. Tomorr
Last Updated : 2025-09-30
12
The Callahan Group office that morning looked normal—too normal. Employees were absorbed in their laptops, phones rang, financial reports lay scattered across the conference table. But Finn felt something off. A few glances turned away too quickly, a few whispers were too soft yet clearly aimed at him.He walked into the main meeting room, followed by his new secretary, Clara. The girl looked nervous. “Sir, there’s an urgent meeting request from the finance department. They say it’s urgent.”Finn simply nodded, though his eyes narrowed. “Who requested it?”“Mr. Stephen, deputy of finance,” Clara answered softly.Finn gave a faint smile. So, the game had begun.In the meeting room, Stephen stood with a stack of reports in his hands. Daniella and Hans weren’t physically present, of course, but Finn could smell their fingerprints behind this.“Mr. Hargrove,” Stephen began, “there are several discrepancies in the Asia branch expenditures. The sums aren’t small. The board needs an explanat
Last Updated : 2025-09-30
13
Finn’s footsteps echoed sharply down the hospital corridor. Ever since he’d learned Ruth had been rushed to the ICU, his mind hadn’t rested. He’d stationed two personal bodyguards outside her room, yet suspicion gnawed at him relentlessly.When he pushed the door open, Ruth was sitting up in bed, looking healthier, accompanied by a new nurse preparing her IV.Finn studied the nurse for a long, deliberate moment. “Who are you?” he asked flatly.The nurse flinched. “I-I was transferred from the second floor, sir. The doctor requested it—”Finn stepped closer, his eyes tracing her every movement. “Name?”“Linda.”Finn still wasn’t satisfied, but Ruth touched his arm. “Finn, it’s okay. Don’t worry too much.”Yet behind Ruth’s calm smile, Finn sensed something was moving beneath the surface. He memorized the name. If Hans dares to infiltrate here, I’ll find a way.Meanwhile, in a hidden café, Hans lit a cigarette. Daniella sat across from him, her face twisted with hatred.“He stationed bo
Last Updated : 2025-09-30
14
Ruth stared at the television screen, watching footage from the last gala she had attended with Finn. The cameras lingered on his gentle gaze as he draped an arm around her shoulders, and the commentators had dubbed their relationship a “lightning romance,” sparking a city-wide frenzy. Social media and news outlets were abuzz with critiques and gossip. Some called Ruth “naive” for marrying a man with such a dark and complicated past, while others lauded Finn for his courage, applauding the way he faced societal stigma head-on.Ruth set the remote down, a sigh escaping her lips. “Every day it gets crazier,” she muttered, shaking her head slightly. Her reflection flickered on the television screen, merging with the images of the gala. She saw herself laughing beside Finn, but now it felt distant, surreal, like a memory someone else had lived.From the adjacent room, Finn emerged, his sleeves rolled up and his shirt slightly rumpled, as though he had been buried in work. His presence was
Last Updated : 2025-09-30
15
The phone cut through the hush of Finn’s office like a sharp swallow of cold air. He glanced at the screen — an unknown number. After a beat of hesitation, he answered.“Finn Hargrove,” he said, clipped.There was a pause, then a hoarse male voice. “You think you’re safe just because you sit in the CEO’s chair? You’re gravely mistaken. Your past sticks to you like glue. This time, we’ll make sure you break.”Finn didn’t flinch. “Hans?” he asked.A short, mirthless laugh. “Consider me… someone with every reason to see you fall.” The line went dead.Finn stared at the blank screen as if it might blink back at him. The words weren’t empty. There was an electricity to them — the cold certainty of someone who had already put a plan in motion.Hours later, a headline exploded across the news portals:“New Callahan Group CEO Accused of Manipulating Asylum Records to Secure Early Release.”The piece was a meticulous smear campaign: alleged documents, doctored records, and claims that Finn had
Last Updated : 2025-09-30
16
Directors sat in a long row, their faces hard and carefully composed; some whispered to their neighbors, others leafed through printed copies of the smear articles, their eyes skimming for anything that might confirm their unease. The city’s light slanted through the floor-to-ceiling windows, indifferent to the storm inside. Ruth sat at Finn’s side, fingers folded in her lap, striving for a calm expression while her stomach churned.After a few minutes of strained silence, the eldest director, Mr. Wallace, cleared his throat and spoke. His voice was the kind that carried from one end of the room to the other. “Mr. Hargrove, what’s in the press has raised real doubts. We value your ideas these past weeks, but allegations like this could destroy the company’s image overnight.”Finn met Wallace’s tone without flinching. There was a quiet steadiness to him that had nothing to do with performative confidence—it came from a place of tempered resolve. “Wallace, I’ve been a rumor for a long t
Last Updated : 2025-09-30
17
Morning light filtered through the tall windows of the Callahan residence, casting long shadows across the expansive dining room. A chill lingered in the air, settling into the corners of the grand space. Ruth sat at the polished oak table, her hands wrapped around a cup of coffee she hadn’t touched. The steam curled lazily above it, but she hadn’t brought it to her lips once. Her face was pale, eyes red-rimmed and swollen from a night without sleep. Across the table, her phone lay illuminated, the screen displaying the medical record photograph she had received the night before, a silent reminder of the storm brewing around her.Finn entered the room, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, briefcase in hand, ready for a morning board meeting that would demand every ounce of his focus. His eyes softened as they fell on Ruth. “You look exhausted,” he said gently, the warmth in his tone in stark contrast to the chill in the room. “I can cancel the morning meeting if you’d rather we talk
Last Updated : 2025-09-30
18
Ruth held a crumpled sheet of the medical record in her hands, the edges worn and torn from being repeatedly clenched in frustration. Her chest felt tight, as if the weight of unseen hands pressed upon her lungs, and her mind spun in endless circles, chasing thoughts she could neither catch nor quiet. Every headline, every whisper, every shadow of doubt gnawed at her resolve.The soft click of the door startled her. She turned just as Finn stepped into the room, his expression hard, his eyes sharp and focused, a controlled storm behind them. In his hand, he carried a document identical to the one Ruth clutched. The sight of it made her stomach twist.“So, you’ve seen it?” Finn’s voice was low, almost a growl, carrying a mixture of anger and determination that immediately made Ruth’s pulse quicken.Ruth nodded slowly, forcing herself to remain composed. “You didn’t intend to tell me about your past in the asylum? About all these records?” Her voice was quiet, tentative, yet loaded with
Last Updated : 2025-09-30
19
The boardroom was suffocating. A dozen directors sat in their leather chairs, their eyes shifting between Finn and the breaking news scrolling across the massive wall screen: Sterling Capital Withdraws Investment in Callahan Group.Whispers spread like wildfire. Ruth sat at the head of the table, her face pale but composed, while Finn stood beside her, shoulders squared, gaze steady.One director slammed his pen against the table. “This is catastrophic! Thirty percent of our market confidence just evaporated. How do you expect us to recover from this, Mr. Hargrove?”Another leaned forward, his voice cutting. “You’ve been CEO for less than six months, and already investors are fleeing. Perhaps Sterling Capital saw something in your… questionable background.”The insinuation stung the air. Ruth’s jaw tightened, but before she could speak, Finn raised a hand. His voice, calm yet unyielding, filled the room.“Gentlemen, Sterling Capital’s withdrawal is not the end of Callahan Group. It’s
Last Updated : 2025-09-30
20
Finn stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse, rain tapping against the glass. The city below seemed alive with rumors and whispers, each headline Daniella and Hans had seeded clawing at the minds of investors and the media alike. But Finn didn’t panic. He never did.He spread maps, charts, and notes across the table, each one meticulously annotated. “They think they can undermine me with fear and gossip,” he murmured, almost to himself. “They underestimate patience and precision.”His phone buzzed. It was Albrecht.“Finn,” Albrecht’s voice came calm but firm, “I’ve heard about the leaks. Investors are asking questions. You need to act quickly, but carefully. Daniella and Hans are not just playing dirty—they’re attempting to corner you.”Finn’s lips curved into a thin smile. “I’ve been cornered before. It doesn’t end the same way twice.”He drafted a series of responses: statements to the press, reassurances to the board, subtle signals to investors showing confidence an
Last Updated : 2025-09-30