Ch. 481..485: Charmed by the Billionaire CEO Chapter 481-485
Chapter 481: Victim of Tristan’s wrath
After ending the call with Karl, Linda was supposed to head to the bathroom to get freshen up. But before she could take a step, a knock on her bedroom door stopped her.
Turning towards the door, she opened it and saw her grandfather’s butler standing outside.
"Young Miss, Master wants you in the study" The anxiousness on his face made Linda frown in confusion and silently bobbed her head in agreement.
"Just give me a minute," she said and the man walked away from there.
Closing the door, Linda quickly got changed and headed to the study where she found her grandfather yelling at his assistant. The atmosphere inside was tense making her wonder what happened that caused Charles to lose his cool.
The always composed and dignified man was now flaring in rage throwing a fit at his assistant.
"How can they cancel the project suddenly? "Charles voiced loudly making the man flinch in terror.
"I don’t know boss. Everything was going fine but this termination came as a shock" The assistant stood at his ground with his head down while he kept sweating nervously.
The project they had signed with Skylar was terminated and the reason for this sudden withdrawal was still unknown.
Charles’s face contorted and he snapped at him once more. "Arrange my meeting with Tristan. He can’t just end the deal like this. I have invested half of my wealth in that project. We won’t be able to recover such a huge loss"
After getting Charles’s order, the assistant ran out of the room, leaving Linda alone to deal with her grandfather.
Standing still Linda tried to process what she heard from her grandfather.
Tristan had terminated the project mid-way and the reason was still unknown. The news came like a blow to Acme’s grandfather and granddaughter pair. They both knew it was a big project.
Charles had used his source to get the deal finalized with the Knights. It was a win-win situation for them to enhance the growth of their company. The profit they were supposed to earn on the success of the project would firm their foot strong.
Charles had analyzed everything. He had been confident that working with Tristan Knight would turn out to be fruitful for them. Now that he even had Karl, Tristan’s assistant soon to be his son-in-law, everything seemed to be falling in place.
But all his dream was slowly shattering with his unexpected news.
"Do you know what went wrong?" Charles’s hoarse voice broke her trance and she turned her head to meet his bloodshot gaze.
Linda was unaware of everything. Just yesterday she had been doing her job and today she got the news that the deal was canceled.
As soon as reality struck in her mind Linda’s eyes widened and she sprinted out of the room leaving Charles unanswered.
Quickly dashing into the room, she searched for her cell phone. Upon finding it on the bed she quickly called Karl.
Her patience was wearing thin. She had just talked with Karl but never once he spoke about the cancellation of the deal and even ended the call. His abrupt behavior left a void in her heart.
As she waited for the call to be answered, many scenarios formed in her mind, but the one thought that kept repeating was whether Karl was aware of Tristan’s betrayal.
The ring kept on going and finally, the answer was called.
Linda was about to flare for his negligence but when she heard his anxious voice all her anger dissipated and she suddenly found herself falling quiet for words.
"I have bad news for you Linda. Can we meet somewhere"
Linda stood still but soon she responded," Text me the location"
*****
Sitting inside a luxurious restaurant, Linda patiently waited for Karl. He asked her to meet him somewhere secluded place. So he picked up a restaurant where no one could see them.
Looking at the time Linda kept tapping her feet anxiously. Just when she was about to make him a call a tall figure towered her from behind.
"Linda" Karl’s worried voice caught her attention and she swiftly turned her head only to find him grab her hand as he walked around and sat opposite her.
Linda was surprised by his concern and frowned. Her face turning stern like stone and she asked," Did you know Tristan was terminating the project"
Karl’s face crumpled on her words and he quickly defended himself. " No, I don’t. If I had known, I would’ve informed you"
Linda squinted her eyes suspiciously. She wasn’t convinced by his response. After all, he was Tristan’s assistant. He was the first one to know about his decision.
Karl observed the doubtful look on her face and asked, "Are you doubting me Linda" he sounded hurt but she didn’t flinch a muscle on her stern face. As if his words didn’t bother her at all and she was still declining him.
Slowly letting go of her hand, Karl let out a disappointed chuckle.
"I thought out of all the people, at least you could believe me, but guess even you don’t trust me" he sounded hurt as he kept pouring his heart.
Linda frowned when she saw the defeated look on his face and somehow her eyes softened. She was now starting to regret her words, but she couldn’t let it appear on her face. Not unless she finds everything.
A long silence drew between the two when suddenly Karl spoke," Tristan broke the deal because he came to find out about our relationship"
Linda was aware that Karl had never disclosed the news about his relationship with the Knights. They termed his and Gwen’s relationship as a mutual breakup keeping everything hidden but who would’ve thought Tristan would come to dig into everything and take it personally?
Linda stilled in her seat. Dreadfulness taking over her entire being.
"He even fired me from my job right after he canceled the deal with Acme"
Revelation after revelation made Linda’s mind frizzy and it was then she finally understood that just like them even Karl was the victim of Tristan’s wrath.
Everything felt so dizzy that Linda couldn’t fathom her thoughts when the person sitting in front of her smiled evilly at her downfall.
Chapter 482: Who said I would be the one...
Ground slipped beneath her feet as Linda stilled on her seat staring blankly at Karl. She didn’t realize the consequences of getting discovered by Tristan.
After all, she snatched the man his sister once loved. But was it right to bring personal grudges into the profession?
"No! Tristan can’t do that. We had signed the bond and he just can’t terminate it. W-We have to do something Karl" Linda panicked at the realization.
She had been dwelling on the upcoming success of their project collaboration with the Knight. She was dreaming of getting demoted from only being Charles Acme’s Granddaughter to the CEO of Acme Enterprise.
But everything started to blur as her vision betrayed her with the unshed tears.
Karl watched the girl with coldness and agreed to her but little did she know, it was just the beginning and there was more to come.
’You play us for too long Linda, now it’s your time to suffer’
*****
Ashley as usual returned to the set. She had been feeling refreshed and enthusiastic to work.
[ Work hard wifey] smiling at Tristan’s message, she stepped out of her dressing room and headed to the shooting location.
It was an outdoor shoot so they had to drive on top of the cliff.
Franklin decided to shoot the opening scene from the movie where her character Lisa is standing at the edge of the cliff looking down at her deep water as she recalls her past.
It was an emotional scene with a sense of satisfaction as the movie begins. The director wanted to keep the scene real so instead of letting a body double do the stunt for her with only them capturing her emotions closely, Ashley initiated doing the stunt by herself.
She wasn’t worried as Tristan was already aware of the scene so he asked the team to arrange everything carefully.
After agreeing not to interfere in each other’s work and making peace, Tristan solely fulfilled his duty as a producer and made sure everything was convenient for the actors.
Times passed by and everyone’s eyes were now settled on the screen as Ashley immersed into her character and started delivering her heart-wrenching performance.
Understanding the deep emotions of her character, Ashley stood by the edge of the cliff and began to speak.
With her serene velvety voice, Ashley poured her heart out giving life to the fictional character Liza.
She had captivated everyone’s attention and when the time for her to jump off the cliff arrived everyone gasped and just like the wind, her body fell floating into the air with the shot coming to an end.
CUT!
Franklin’s voice echoed from the speaker and the team waiting down there in the boat quickly jumped for Ashley’s rescue.
Sweeping towards the shore, Ashley returned to the spot. Wrapped with a towel, water droplets dripped from her long lashes while she watched the scene on the monitor.
"Perfect" convinced with herself she was then concluded to her changing room.
Meanwhile, Jennifer had installed a few people on the set who kept giving her all the updates.
"That bitch. She is getting praised for nothing" Jennifer scowled regretting letting go of the character she was initially offered.
She had already preferred doing clean roles where the protagonist was innocent. She liked garnering praise for the kind of roles that were always positive, but very few knew the women were opposite to what roles she played.
From being a good, well-mannered person Jennifer character in real was the entire opposite.
As she cursed the woman on the mobile screen, the person sitting next to her smirked.
"Don’t worry she will soon be out of your league" Sandra sitting next to her affirmed.
After joining hands with Jennifer the second sole enemy of Ashley, Sandra felt like she was getting closer to getting her revenge.
Eyeing the woman with a meaningful gaze, Sandra smirked once again. She laughed at her for being stupid enough to trust her.
Sandra didn’t find it hard to get this woman by her side. She only had to bribe her with a fake promise and just like that she agreed to help her.
Not only she but also Mia who was forced to join hands with her. Though Sandra was a little skeptical about whether the woman was as dumb as her, but still she would be of great help.
Currently, they lack sources that could keep them relevant. Even though Lucas had enough to help her still she didn’t want to entirely rely on him.
’Who knows he might change his mind’
After getting betrayed by her blood-related people, Sandra couldn’t trust anyone but herself.
Now that the doctor who treated her had fled away, it was kind of difficult for them to keep up with this pace. They had to quickly work on their plan or else Tristan would come to hunt them.
By now he must be using all his forces to catch them.
Eyeing the rage-boiling woman, she asked, "Did you bring me the schedule" Her voice caught the woman’s attention and she bobbed her head in yes.
Sandra was planning on targeting Ashley during the shoot. But this time she wants to be extra cautious.
Back then when she attacked Ashley, it was just a warning but this time she wants to finish her once and for all.
As she went through the dates, Sandra’s eyes squinted seriously.
"But let me warn you, the security around is too tight for you to even get in"
"Who said I would be the one doing the work" Averting her eyes from the schedule book she looked at Jennifer meaningfully.
Jennifer on the other hand couldn’t understand the meaning behind her gaze. It was her words that left her speechless.
"You and Mia would be doing the task" With a vicious smile lingering on her lips Sandra shocked the hell out of Jennifer.
"H-How am I supposed to do that? I have never harmed a fly in my life"
"But you will harm Ashley. But don’t worry no one will ever come to know about it" She assured.
Though her words sounded soothing still Jennifer couldn’t forget what she said earlier.
Looking at her calm yet intimidating face, Jennifer gulped in fear.
’For the sake of my career. For the sake of my career,’ she kept chanting in her mind until she finally came to agree with her.
Chapter 483: Fled
Bianca spent most of her time either sleeping or ideally looking out of the window. This had been going on for a day now. Her fever had subsided and she was feeling better, yet she was sitting inside her room, doing nothing.
"Sigh! This is not what I wanted"
Heaving out a sigh for the millionth time, she walked back to her bed and slumped down disappointedly. She missed practicing her work. It was the only way that keep her busy throughout the day.
She was never deprived of her work for so long. Being a doctor she always had to be on duty ready to treat patients. But after coming across those kidnappers, she felt like her life had become nothing but a rollercoaster ride.
If only she knew why they were after her, and what wrong she had done for them to threaten her life, she would’ve been confided in a stranger’s house.
Sitting there she tried recalling every moment of her life pondering whether she had infuriated anyone or even made enemies with someone, somehow, but even after so much brainstorming she couldn’t recall any.
"I think I need to ask me. This can’t keep going for too long. I need to know who those people are and why are they after me" Slamming her hands on either side of the bed she stood up and stormed out of her room in a hurry.
Bianca came to learn that Gabriel had a day off from his busy schedule from the maid who came to serve the breakfast inside her room and was mostly spending his time in his room.
She thought it was the right opportunity to find everything before he resumed his work once again.
Quickly making her way out she looked on both the side of the corridor wondering which way she would go.
Truthfully, Bianca had no clue where Riel’s room was and in which direction she should go until her eyes fell on the maid who seemed to be coming her way. She was the same lady who had been looking after her ever since she came here.
Dropping all her worries, Bianca rushed towards her and quickly blocked her path.
Startled by her sudden appearance, the maid respectfully bowed her head.
"Miss Bianca, is there anything you want" the maid asked. Since it was Gabriel’s order to look after her needs, the lady made sure she kept an update on all her concerns.
Bianca’s eyes brightened on her words and she quickly bobbed her head.
"Can you tell me the way to Mr. Riel’s room"
*****
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Gabriel who had been sleeping for hours finally woke at the sound of the knock on his room’s door.
He never liked anyone disturbing his sleep. He had been working his ass hard as an actor and hardly got time to rest.
Apart from that he also had to run his organization and find Sandra, but lately, his hunt has come to a halt now that they were waiting for some lead.
Nevertheless, Life had been so stressful lately that he wanted to isolate himself from the world for some time and sleep like a log until he felt refreshed.
Running his hand through his hair, Gabriel forced his sleepy body down the bed and made his way to the door to open it.
As soon as the door flung open he heard two different voices gasp in union
"Ahem! Young Master"
"OH MY GOD!"
Annoyed by the voice Gabriel forced his eyes open and shot a glare ahead and found the maid standing in front of him.
Standing there confused he watched her lower her head, but then his eyes moved past over her shoulder and there she was Bianca standing right behind her with her palms covering her eyes.
"...."
Confused with their reaction, he sneered looking back and forth, and asked irritatingly.
"What are you two doing here? " Too pissed to even question them properly Gabriel kept maintaining his cranky look waiting for their answer when,
"C-can you please wear something"
Titling his head in confusion he looked past the maid who was now blushing and looked at the doctor who pointed her finger at him.
Confused by her reaction, Gabriel looked down and found himself standing naked with only his boxers on.
’Shit’
Bianca who was almost on the verge of breaking into sweat heard a loud bang on the door and the two flinched on the spot.
THUD!
Shutting the door right in their face, Gabriel stood still, with his mind numb for a moment until realization drawn to him until he cursed this time loudly.
"SHIT!"
The roar was so loud that even the two ladies standing outside couldn’t ignore it.
Staring at each other confusingly, both of them wondered whether their arrival left the young master embarrassed.
As they kept standing outside, suddenly the maid took a step back and bowed her head once again respectfully.
"I’ll take my leave," she said and fled from the spot hiding her flushed face.
Dumbstruck by her sudden retreat, Bianca too tried to follow her but stopped when the door suddenly opened once again and Gabriel stepped out wearing his clothes.
He still carried the same grim look as he glared at her in anger and asked
"Now tell me, what brings you here"
Bianca gulped at the sight of his well-built body and she recalled a moment ago when she had seen his naked chiseled frame.
Being his fan was one thing but watching him look at her with those piercing eyes gave her a sense of hostility.
"I-I....just came..." stuttering to articulate her words Bianca felt embarrassed to even speak.
She was here to get all the answers but now that she realized how awkward the situation had turned out, all she could do was to muster the courage and run away from there.
"I need to go" with those quick escaping words Bianca fled like a scared mouse without looking back.
"..."
Chapter 484: Make them suffer
Gabriel stood dumbfounded looking at the girl who ran like a mouse through the corridor, before entering her room.
THUD!
The slamming of the door snapped him out of his trance and he parted his lips in disbelief.
"What is wrong with her?" he asked finding her behavior kind of weird.
Looking the way she ran for some time, he turned and returned to his room.
Meanwhile, inside Bianca’s room, her petite frame buried herself into the bed with her face flushed inside the pillow while her legs slammed the soft surface in embarrassment as she screamed.
"Argh!... this is so embarrassing." her muffled voice buried into the pillow as she kept scolding herself.
"You stupid! You idiot!.. How are you going to face him" she said turning herself around and laid on her back.
Her face flushed into crimson red as she recalled her action. Her chest heaved up and down as her breathing quickened.
She had never seen such a well-defined man. He was the epitome of perfection. From his face to his body, everything was perfectly crafted.
Closing her eyes she tried to remember how for a few seconds she couldn’t look away from him and how he kept her hypnotized by his charms.
"Riel Scott... how can you be this handsome" she mumbled reaching her hand to her chest.
Her heart was pounding loudly and her body began to heat.
Being a surgeon, Bianca had never been distracted by anyone’s physique. She treated many men before but was never attracted to them. They were only her patients. It was her profession that stopped her from feeling anything for anyone and entirely devoting her life to treating people.
But today when she saw Riel’s naked body, her long-buried desire surged out of nowhere and the intensity of her needs began to make her feel things she thought she would never experience.
Snapping out of her wild thoughts she patted her cheeks, trying to erase everything she saw from her mind. It was too embarrassing for her to think of Riel that way. She admired him as a fan but never once she thought of having this kind of feelings popped into her mind.
"Is this what they call attraction?" she asked herself as a strange kind of emotion began to seep into her heart, while she kept lying still.
****
[Tristan’s cabin]
Buzz...
The phone kept on the table vibrated for the millionth time but the man simply ignored it as if wasn’t distracted by the person anymore.
Charles Acme tried every means to reach for him, but Tristan simply didn’t care.
After permitting Karl to process the documents he signed a few days back, he let him deal with the rest of the things.
Once the phone stopped buzzing, it was then he moved his eyes in his direction and smirked.
Meanwhile, the entire Acme Enterprise was in chaos. Not only did they lose the money they invested in the project, but many other investors began to doubt their work.
Tristan’s sudden termination raised a lot of brows and queries among the shareholders.
"Mr. Charles. have you thought of how you are going to cover the loss" one of the board members voiced his thoughts.
Charles felt like his entire world was on the verge of falling apart, but he still maintained his proud face as he looked passed the people before halting it on the man.
"Do not worry about the loss. I will pay everyone back" Charles might have lost his money but he still had a backup. Not that he was going to go bankrupt. He still had enough to cover for the losses.
But what made him irk was Tristan’s absurd behavior. The man not only chose to end their deal solely but he also targeted Karl by firing him from his position.
****
After the shoot ended Ashley returned home. Taking a quick shower, she stepped out and got changed into a fresh pair of clothes.
Walking towards the side table she turned on her phone only to get flooded by notification.
Letting out a sigh she swiped them off and opened the contact bar to call Tristan.
As she waited for him to answer, the door of their room opened and Tristan walked inside.
"I am back" Widening his arms, he let his presence get known.
Ashley smiled watching him standing at the door, and she ended the call.
"I was calling you," she said and rushed to his side, shoving into his embrace.
"Did you wait for too long?" he asked caressing her back lovingly.
"No, not too long"
Staying like that for some time finally they parted. Ashley helped him remove his suit when Tristan disclosed the news regarding the Acme.
"Are you sure, you are not doing wrong by targeting the wrong person? Mr. Charles is also a victim" she said and watched him nod.
"But to get Linda down on her knees we need to target the old man. It’s the only way to make her suffer" Tristan wasn’t a heartless person, but Karl his best friend asked something for the first time in his life and he couldn’t decline it.
Knowing how much he loved Gwen and wanted to do everything to make those people who tried to break them suffer, he had to support them.
Ashley remained silent for a moment before agreeing with him.
"By the way, I heard my wife got a lot of praise for today’s shoot" Changing the topic, Tristan turned around and wrapped his arms around her waist.
He was informed about the heart-wrenching performance Ashley had delivered. She put her soul into her character which left everyone numb for a while.
When Tristan heard this, he wanted to go and hug his wife appreciating her for the hard work she had done to prove herself. People have always looked down on her for being the daughter of a wealthy father. They thought being born with a silver spoon she got everything she wished over shadowing all the struggles she went through to be where she was now.
But now he wished all these negatively revolving around her life would disappear once everyone saw how ambitious she had been through her life.
"Then don’t you think I must be rewarded for my hard work" Ashley soft yet seductive voice make Tristan smirk at her intentions.
Staring into her eyes, Tristan cupped her chin and craned her face up before he gently kissed her lips.
It was such a soothing kiss that vanished Ashley’s tiredness.
"Do want me to give you more than a kiss for the reward"
Chapter 485: The truth
"It’s going to be so boring without you" Gwen sighed sadly embracing Karl from behind.
Closing her eyes she tried to savor every moment with him.
After office hours ended the couple returned to his apartment to spend some time together. After breaking the news of getting fired from Skylar, Karl decided to keep this act real.
To make Linda believe his lies they had to play it real.
For now, Tristan’s decision and his situation have left Linda and her grandfather troubled and it will take them some time to sort everything.
It was also a way to delay his wedding.
With them getting worked up, Karl decided to continue his plan silently.
"Just a few days, Gwen. Once Linda is been taken care of, we will be together again" turning around he hugged her tightly.
After spending a passionate night the other day, it was getting impossible for them to stay away. They were like magnets getting drawn to each other and the thought of being away from one another stressed them out.
Caressing her back gently Karl kissed the top of her head and they pulled back.
Gwen didn’t want to part with him, but she knew they had to. It was the only way for them to make their plan work.
Composing her surging emotions she let out a smile and bobbed her head like a child and soon the couple walked out of the room.
Karl was supposed to drop Gwen at the Knight Mansion, but the girl wasn’t ready to leave. It was now rare for Gwen to stay at her house because she had been spending most of her time with him.
They were already living like a married couple, so it didn’t make any difference if she didn’t mind showing up to her family once in a while.
"What about Ryan? He... needs... to know about Linda’s miscarriage" Gwen suddenly asked.
Karl fell silent on her words but soon nodded his head.
"He needs to but we won’t be the one to tell him that. Let him hear it from her" Karl’s eyes shine mysteriously with Gwen giving him a confused tilt.
****
After the break-up, Ryan had been spending time boozing. He drowned himself in heavy drinking.
With Linda’s betrayal, Ryan’s world crumbled beneath his feet, shattering his dream in a second. From getting abandoned to getting warned, Ryan felt like he had already seen everything.
Aware of her grandfather’s influence, Ryan knew he couldn’t see her or beg her to get back with him. Just as much as he wanted to be with her, he also wanted to be closer to his child.
He wanted to embrace fatherhood, experiencing every phase of her pregnancy. But now he felt like all his dreams were drifting away.
"How can you do this to me"
Sitting on the floor, Ryan took a sip from the bottle and chuckled sadly. He felt so helpless about the whole situation. He knew without Linda, he wasn’t powerful. She was his strength and also his weakness. Even in his greediness, he loved her dearly and agreed to do everything for her.
But she threw him like trash.
Ryan’s financial condition had also worsened ever since the day Linda started distancing herself from him. The money he had with him was about to finish. He would soon turn into a beggar if he didn’t get her back.
She was the only source of income. Now, with her gone, he had nothing left with himself.
Closing his eyes, Ryan gulped the entire content in one go and wiped off his lips. This was his only way to run away from everything he was dealing with.
About to grasp another one, suddenly he heard his phone buzz.
Assuming it to be a text from Linda, Ryan quickly pulled out the phone only to see the notification from an unknown number.
Tapping the context, he opened the text, and the thing he saw made the frown between his brows deepen.
"A video," he said and pressed the play button.
Soon the video played and the first thing he saw was Linda. His eyes softened at the sight of her beautiful face but soon his frown deepened. As he observed the surroundings, he concluded that she was in the hospital, sitting inside Doctor Leyla’s cabin.
"Is she there for a check-up" he muttered assuming that
Squinting his eyes, Ryan raised the volume and listened to whatever Linda was speaking with her, and the words he heard following pulled the ground beneath his feet.
Every word from her mouth struck like a thunderbolt and his hands instantly started shivering until the phone fell.
"No!.... this can’t happen. My... my child can’t die..." Ryan poured his lungs out crying hysterically for his dead child.
Slamming his fist on the ground Ryan kept crying.
*****
"Done" shoving the phone back into his pocket, Karl slouched a little and picked her up in his arms.
Surprised by his action, Gwen quickly hooked her arms around his neck as they stepped out of the bedroom.
Heading towards the kitchen he made her sit on the island. With his palm resting on either side, he leaned closer to her and pecked her lips before pulling back.
Gwen who was still processing her thoughts stared at him cluelessly. His mood switched from being sad to all naughty and it made her wonder what did he with that phone of his.
"What with the change suddenly," she asked squinting her eyes suspiciously. Letting out a pout she watched him chuckle at her remark before he pumped his forehead into her and laughed.
Furrowing on his laughter, Gwen pulled back and glared at him annoyingly.
"I know I am not as smart as you, but still you can’t laugh at my dumbness" she expressed complaining like a child.
Karl who noticed the tinge of sadness surfacing in her face, stopped smiling and cupped her chin gently.
"I thought after being with me for so long, you would know me, but guess... there is still a long way to go" The mischievousness in his tone didn’t go unnoticed and the next thing Gwen slapped his arm, angrily.
Karl burst into laughter and quickly embraced her in his arms. "I can’t wait to marry you Gwen," he said and her anger dissipated within a second as she embraced him back.
****
After a quick heated session, Tristan and Ashley joined everyone for dinner.
Hiding her blush Ashley pulled the chair for herself. Tristan too followed her action silently and joined his wife.
Glancing at each other secretly, the couple started communicating through their eyes.
"What took you both so long" It was Grace’s voice that broke their stare game and a wave of embarrassment crossed their face, flushing their face