Chapter 4: The CEO went crazy

Maya stepped out of the car, the night air brushing against her bare shoulders. Axel rolled down the window, his calm gaze meeting hers.

She leaned in slightly and waved. "Goodnight."

He gave a faint nod, the kind that said everything without words.

As she turned toward the tall gates of her home, the car pulled away, its taillights fading into the night.

Inside, the silence felt comforting. She kicked off her heels the moment the door closed and headed straight for the small bar in the corner. Her purse landed on the counter.

The bottle of whiskey was the next thing her hand found.

One glass. Then another pour.

The liquid burned down her throat.

Noah's voice echoed in her mind ‘I know you're angry, but pretending not to know me…’

She let out a bitter laugh. Pretending not to know him? He'd done that to her countless times.

She remembered standing in the lobby of his company years ago, lunch in hand, waiting for hours just to see him. When he finally appeared, he'd brushed past her with that same cold face he wore for strangers. Later at home, he'd scold her for showing up—saying she had embarrassed him

Even after five years of marriage, the world had no idea he was married. Whenever the media asked about his relationship status, he'd simply smile and change the topic.

Now, tonight, he finally got to feel what she once felt—invisible.

Maya drained the rest of her drink and poured another.

Her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, it was Axel.

"Just got home. And don’t drink tonight"

Her lips curved into a small smile.

"Noted, sir, " she replied, placing the phone down.

She stared at the half-filled glass, then sighed and pushed it aside.

It felt strange and comforting to have someone care enough to tell her to stop. Axel had been a steady presence in her life, her anchor when she was drowning.

Her mind drifted again—back to that night three years ago.

After signing the divorce papers, she'd walked aimlessly through the city until her feet ached. She had no friends; Noah had made sure of that. He'd told her they were jealous, and she had believed him. Foolishly.

Her mother had disowned her years ago, blaming her for her father's death—the price of running away to marry Noah.

By midnight, it started to rain. She cried until she couldn't feel her face. There was nothing left, no one left. Noah had been her entire world, and when he threw her out, he'd taken that world with him.

She remembered standing on that bridge, staring down at the dark water, ready to end it all, when a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her back.

She turned to see a man with disheveled hair and glassy eyes. His breath smelled of whiskey.

"Are you out of your damn mind?" he'd shouted, his voice rough and angry.

She'd flinched at the tone, but before she could step away, he'd pulled her into his arms…holding her tightly, almost desperately.

And for some reason, she clung to him. She didn't know who he was, but in that moment, that stranger. Axel Langford… became the only person who saw her.

The vibration of her phone snapped her back to the present. It was a private number.

She swiped to answer.

"Any news?"

"Yes, ma'am," the voice said quickly. "Kaelston Innovations stock is dropping. There's a viral video of Mr. Kaelston from the party, he's all over the news. It’s the perfect moment to start buying shares"

Maya was silent for a long moment.

Then, calmly, she said "Understood."

She ended the call and opened her social feed. The video loaded instantly, Noah shouting, struggling as security dragged him out. The comments were merciless.

"The CEO went crazy"

"This is what failure looks like"

A low chuckle escaped her lips.

"He really is crazy," she murmured, a cold smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

******^^^*******

Three days had passed.

The study was a mess—half empty bottles scattered across the table. Noah was slumped in the armchair, still in yesterday's shirt, when his phone began to buzz violently across the desk.

He groaned, rubbing his temples as a sharp pain cut through his skull. With a grunt, he reached for the phone and swiped to answer.

"Boss, you need to come to the office now!" Mike's voice came through, panicked. "There's an emergency board meeting. They're voting to replace you”

Noah shot upright "What? What the hell do you mean replace me?"

"Just get here fast!"

The call ended before he could ask more.

Within ten minutes, Noah was out the door, shirt half-buttoned, tie loose around his neck. He drove like a madman, heart pounding as he cut through traffic.

When he stepped into the lobby, the atmosphere hit him like a wall. Conversations dropped. Dozens of employees turned their heads, whispering, no one greeted him. No one met his eyes.

Something was wrong.

He didn't slow down. His footsteps echoed through the corridor as he stormed straight to the boardroom.

The moment he pushed the doors open, the room fell silent.

Every seat was filled. Every face tense.

And at the head of the long glass table sat Maya.

For a moment, Noah couldn't move.

His heart froze.

Maya?

What was she doing here?

Before he could speak, one of the board members stood. "Mr. Kaelston," he began carefully "the board has reached a decision. Effective immediately, you are being removed as CEO of Kaelston Innovations”

Noah let out a low, disbelieving laugh. "You can't be serious"

The man hesitated, glancing at Maya before continuing "Ms. Bennett now owns fifty-one percent of the company's shares. She's now the majority shareholder and the new head of the board."

The room went silent.

Noah turned to Maya, disbelief etched into every line of his face. "You?"

Maya leaned back in her chair, calm and composed. "It's nice to see you too, Mr. Kaelston"

His fists clenched at his sides "Everyone, out."

No one moved.

"I said out!" he barked, slamming his hand against the table.

Chairs scraped the floor as the board members hurried out, leaving only the two of them.