The CEO and the Country Wildflower chapter 50

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The CEO and the Country Wildflower
Chapter 50: The Betrayal Unfolds


The rain lashed against the windows of York Group’s headquarters as Lucas and Emelly sprinted through the glass doors, breathless and drenched. The tension between them had shifted—what had once been sharp banter was now laced with unspoken fear. Leo Brown’s men had come too close this time, and though they’d escaped, the threat lingered like a shadow. Lucas tightened his grip on Emelly’s hand, his migraine—usually a relentless torment—strangely absent.


He hated admitting it, but her presence was the only thing that kept the pain at bay. Emelly, however, was too preoccupied to notice. Her sharp mind was already racing ahead, piecing together the fragments of Leo’s latest move. “We need to check the servers,” she said, pulling away from Lucas as they reached the elevator. “If Tony was compromised, there’s no telling what Linda might have done.”


Lucas’s jaw clenched. Tony Bright had been one of his most trusted employees, but Bruno’s suspicions had planted a seed of doubt. “If he betrayed us—” “He wouldn’t,” Emelly cut in, though her voice wavered. “Not willingly.” The elevator doors slid open, revealing the chaos of the executive floor. Employees scrambled between cubicles, voices hushed but frantic. David, Lucas’s ever-loyal driver, intercepted them, his face grim. “Sir, the system’s down. Finance can’t access any records, and the backup drives are corrupted.” Lucas’s blood ran cold. York Group’s entire financial infrastructure was under siege.


Meanwhile, in a dimly lit café across the city, Tony Bright sat across from Serritary Jonshon, his hands shaking around a coffee cup. The usually confident man looked broken. “Linda has evidence,” he muttered. “Photos, emails—things that could ruin me. She threatened to send them to the board if I didn’t help her.” Serritary’s eyes flashed with fury. She had known Linda Crow was ruthless, but this was beyond corporate sabotage—it was personal destruction. “We’ll fix this,” she said firmly. “But you have to tell Lucas the truth.” Tony shook his head. “If I do, York Group falls. Leo’s already hacked into the system. If Lucas doesn’t hand over the merger files by midnight, everything gets leaked.”


Serritary’s mind raced. She had her own secrets—ones tied to Leo Brown—but now wasn’t the time for hesitation. “Then we don’t let it get to midnight.”


Back at York Group, Emelly’s fingers flew across the keyboard as she attempted to trace the hack’s origin. Lucas loomed behind her, his presence both grounding and suffocating. “Anything?” he asked, voice tight. “It’s a looped code,” Emelly muttered. “Someone inside the company planted it. And it’s set to trigger a full data wipe in—” She checked the timer on the screen. “Three hours.”


Lucas swore under his breath. If the servers crashed, York Group would lose years of contracts, client data, and proprietary secrets.


Leo would win without firing a single shot. Just then, Bruno stormed in, his usually composed demeanor shattered. “We have a bigger problem,” he said, tossing a file onto the desk. “Leo’s not just after the company. He’s after Serritary.” Emelly’s head snapped up. “What?” Bruno’s expression darkened. “Turns out, Serritary’s family owes Leo a debt. A big one. And he’s calling it in.” Lucas’s mind reeled. If Leo had leverage over Serritary, then Bruno’s marriage—and by extension, York Group’s alliance with the Jonshon family—was in jeopardy. Emelly stood abruptly. “We need to find Tony. Now.” --- Tony, however, was already making his move. In a deserted parking garage, he met with Linda, his face a mask of resignation. “You got what you wanted,” he said, handing her a drive. “Now delete the evidence.” Linda smirked, twirling the drive between her fingers. “Oh, Tony. Did you really think it would be that easy?” Before he could react, two of Leo’s men stepped out of the shadows.