Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO

Chapter 52: It’s Done

By the time they got to the office that morning, the tension from Friday which they had left behind in the office had enveloped them once more as Stefan began thinking of ways to wrap up things with Ashford and Richard before Ashford visits to ask for his answer.

Ruby stood near Stefan’s desk, arms folded tightly across her chest, eyes still fixed on the door. The tension hadn’t lifted—not even a little. If anything, the files Ashford dropped which Ruby had brought out on Stefan’s request had thickened the air in the office.

"I don’t like him and all this," Ruby said finally.

"Ashford? I don’t either," Stefan replied, his voice low, but steady. "But I like what he brought."

His fingers brushed the surface of the folder in front of him—a folder filled with damning truths. He didn’t need to see it to know the weight it carried. He could feel it in his bones.

"Call Naomi. I want Naomi to verify every document in that folder," he said after a long pause. "Cross-reference it with our financial reports and employee benefit ledgers. If it checks out, we strike."

"You want to involve her now?" she asked and he nodded.

"I’ve thought about it. She’s really trust worthy and I want to get this over with. I’ve thought about it all through the weekend."

Ruby nodded, but her concern lingered in the lines of her face. "So, are you still thinking of working with Ashford?"

Stefan tilted his head, his dark glasses catching the faint glint of sunlight from the windows. "Not exactly. I’ll use him like I said. But I won’t give him anything he can turn into leverage."

There was something ruthless in the way he said it, the kind of calm that came from knowing exactly what you were about to do—and doing it anyway.

He picked up his phone and pressed a familiar number.

"Get Oliver in here," he said. "Now."

Twenty Minutes Later

Oliver entered after a small knock, seeing Ruby, he quickly composed himself not want to be the object of scream or displeasure to anyone.

Monday," he managed to say.

nod and she slid it toward Oliver who began

knitting. "These are

and years of it,"

go public with this, Richard’s reputation won’t survive. But the fallout will hit

Stefan said, "we show them a solution. A new structure. I take the lead as CEO. Ashford lends his

stop Ashford from pulling something

tightened. "Me. I’ve dealt with worse than Ashford in the

for a beat, then grinned. "All right. Let’s burn the old

the board members," he said and Oliver nodded before stepping out to

members sat in their assigned seats, murmuring among themselves. At the first chair on

to the head of the table. His white cane tapped once against the polished

fashionably late. His steps echoed with purpose as he crossed the room and

gaze followed him, frown

entrance,"

was calm, unreadable behind the dark

called this meeting to address misconduct at the highest level," he said. "Over the past decade, Richard Winters has been embezzling funds from employee benefit accounts, funneling

moment Stefan said that. Richard’s heart skipped a beat as he wondered how

to show his anxiousness, Richard laughed, eyes narrowing. "Is this your attempt at a power grab, Stefan?

Stefan

distributed copies of the documents to

and precise. "The documents have been verified by

sharpened. "You verified this? You were supposed

at him. "I never

through the pages, eyes widening. Murmurs rose like waves across the room. Several paled.

forged employee benefit withdrawals?" one member asked.

the name of