The CEO and the Country Wildflower chapter 5

[adminnovelsaudio]

Listen Audiobook Version:



The CEO and the Country Wildflower


Chapter 5: Blood and Betrayal


The dim glow of Emelly’s laptop screen was the only light in the otherwise dark office. Everyone had gone home hours ago, but she’d stayed behind, determined to crack the mystery of the mole sabotaging York Group. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, her photographic memory piecing together fragments of encrypted emails and deleted transactions. There. A single file, buried under layers of security, blinked on her screen.


It was a transfer log—one that linked Linda Crow to an offshore account under Brown Group’s shell company.


“Got you,” Emelly muttered, her pulse quickening. She reached for her phone to call Lucas, then hesitated. He’d been unbearable all week, barking orders and dismissing her theories. No, she’d confront Linda first, get undeniable proof before dragging the CEO into it.


Big mistake. The moment she stepped into the underground parking garage, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. The air was too still, the shadows too sharp. A hand clamped over her mouth. She reacted on instinct—elbow back, heel down on a foot, a sharp twist to break free. But there were two of them, both twice her size.


One grabbed her wrist, twisting it painfully as the other ripped her bag away. “Looking for this?” A mocking voice echoed through the garage. Leo Brown stepped into the flickering fluorescent light, holding up the flash drive she’d tucked the evidence onto. Emelly’s blood ran cold. “You’re smarter than you look,” Leo drawled. “But not smart enough.” She spat at his shoes. “You’re the one who’s stupid if you think I didn’t make copies.”


His smile vanished. “Search her.” The men yanked her arms back, patting her down roughly. Emelly clenched her jaw, refusing to make a sound. Then—tires screeching. A black car skidded to a halt, doors slamming open. Lucas. His face was a mask of fury, his usually pristine suit disheveled, his knuckles white around the gun in his hand.


“Let. Her. Go.” Leo laughed. “Or what? You’ll shoot me in your own building? That’s bad for business, York.” Lucas didn’t hesitate. The gunshot cracked through the garage, missing Leo by inches. His men lunged, and chaos erupted.


Emelly twisted free, diving for the flash drive Leo had dropped. She snatched it up, but pain exploded in her side as one of Leo’s men tackled her. She hit the concrete hard, gasping as something sharp—a knife?—grazed her ribs. Then Lucas was there, hauling the man off her with a snarl. He fought like a man possessed, every movement precise, brutal. But there were too many of them. Emelly saw the glint of metal too late. “Lucas—!” She shoved him aside just as the knife came down. White-hot agony seared through her shoulder. She stumbled, her vision blurring as warm blood soaked through her blouse. Lucas’s roar of rage was the last thing she heard before the world went black.


When she came to, she was cradled against Lucas’s chest, his arms trembling around her. His migraine—usually a storm cloud over his features—was gone. Instead, raw terror etched his face. “Emelly—stay with me—” She tried to speak, but the pain was too much. Leo and his men were gone. The flash drive was still clutched in her fist. Lucas’s voice cracked. “Why did you do that? You could have died!”


She managed a weak smirk. “Guess… I’m just… that annoying.” His grip tightened. “You’re not allowed to die. Not until I fire you for insubordination.” She laughed, then winced. “Promises, promises…”


Her eyelids fluttered shut again. Lucas’s breath hitched. He pressed his forehead to hers, his voice a broken whisper. “Please.” And for the first time in his life, the great Lucas York prayed.


To Be Continued… Will Emelly survive? What will Lucas do when he realizes the truth about his migraines? And with Leo Brown still out there, how far will the betrayal in York Group go? Find out in Chapter 6: The Devil’s Bargain.