Hearing Her Inner Voice

The crisp, sharp sound of thick parchment paper gliding across the polished mahogany desk shattered the oppressive silence of the room.

Donovan Vance sat perfectly still in his leather chair. The sterile, minimalist environment of his expansive CEO office felt heavy, choked by the sheer gravity of his imposing presence. He did not blink as he pushed the neat stack of documents forward. His handsome, noble features were cast in shadow, his dark, glossy eyes radiating a freezing hue that could cut through steel. He looked at the woman sitting across from him with a gaze devoid of any warmth.

"Sign it. After the divorce, I won't press any legal charges against you. I'll even give you two hundred million more and separate your studio for you to own independently. Then there's the property at the city center."

His deep, resonant voice echoed in the spacious room. It was an offer built on extreme benevolence, yet delivered with a chilling detachment.

Chloe Mercer sat with her shoulders hunched, her head bowed so low her hair obscured her face. She raised a hand to cover her mouth. Her slender frame trembled.

Donovan watched her trembling form, his elegant brows knitting together in a tight frown. The chill in his heart deepened, turning into a solid block of ice. He assumed she was weeping. He assumed she was preparing to launch into another one of her hysterical fits, gathering her tears to stage a dramatic refusal.

If only he had known what a chaotic disaster his life would become, he would never have tolerated her presence from the very beginning. In his eyes, Chloe was a walking contradiction—a woman who was simultaneously pitiful and detestable. Her parents had been lifelong friends with the Vance family, sharing a bond that spanned decades. When they passed away before Chloe even came of age, the tragedy struck a heavy blow. Bound by a solemn dying wish, the Vance family took the orphaned girl in, providing her with shelter, education, and boundless privilege.

Donovan had expected gratitude. Instead, she repaid their kindness with calculated treachery. She schemed relentlessly, manipulating circumstances and leveraging the elders' guilt to force her way into becoming his wife. He was trapped in a loveless marriage with a woman he despised.

Since the day they exchanged vows, he had not known a single moment of peace. She pursued him with a suffocating desperation, harassing him without reason, turning his meticulously organized life into an unbearable mess. Her jealous outbursts and irrational demands were a constant source of exhaustion.

And then came the final, unforgivable betrayal.

Just a short time ago, highly classified company secrets were stolen from this very office and passed directly to a rival corporation. The resulting fallout cost the Vance Group a monumental project, wiping out months of grueling work and millions in projected revenue. The board of directors erupted in fury. A wave of bitter resentment washed through the entire company, with every piece of evidence pointing straight at the CEO’s wife. To appease the furious board members and salvage the company's internal morale, Donovan had to sever ties with her. The divorce was no longer just a personal desire; it was a corporate necessity.

"I've shown extreme benevolence and magnanimity. I hope you know when to stop." Donovan stated, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. If it weren't for the lingering respect he held for her deceased parents, he would not have shown her an ounce of mercy. He would have let the legal team tear her apart.

He braced himself for the inevitable explosion. He fully expected Chloe to fiercely resist the divorce, to scream, to throw the documents back in his face, or even to resort to her old tactic of threatening suicide.

Yet, against all his expectations, she slowly reached out. Her trembling fingers grasped the expensive fountain pen resting beside the agreement.

Donovan breathed a small sigh of relief. The tension in his broad shoulders eased slightly. He thought she had finally realized the severity of her actions. He assumed the undeniable proof of her corporate espionage had finally broken her stubborn resolve, forcing her to accept that she had crossed an unforgivable line. Finally, this nightmare of a marriage was coming to an end.

"Woohoo! Finally, I can get a divorce!"

A sudden, vibrant, and ecstatic voice erupted directly inside Donovan's mind.

Donovan froze. His breath hitched in his throat. His dark eyes snapped up, piercing through the space between them to lock onto Chloe.

Is this... Chloe's voice?

He had never heard her sound like this before. Her usual tone was either steeped in desperate pleading, shrill accusations, or tearful manipulation. This voice was brimming with pure, unadulterated joy. For a fraction of a second, he doubted his own sanity. He stared intently at her face.

Chloe was still looking down at the papers. Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes were wide open, locked onto the pages. Her lips were pressed tightly together. She had not made a single sound out loud. He watched her fierce expression as she hovered the pen over the signature line. He couldn't tell if that intense look was born of anger or overwhelming joy, but he knew one thing for certain. Her mouth had not moved.

"Fantastic! Two hundred million! Imagine how many houses I could buy and how many innocent-looking young men I could have. My dear ex-husband really is something! He's so generous!"

The voice rang out again. It was loud, chaotic, and vibrating with greedy excitement. It echoed in the confines of his skull, bypassing his ears entirely.

A sharp twitch flickered through Donovan's deep-set eyes. He gripped the armrests of his chair. He was a man of logic, a prudent and composed leader who relied on facts. What he was experiencing defied every law of reality. He was certain Chloe had not spoken a single word into the air, yet he was undeniably listening to her unfiltered thoughts.

He slowly shifted his gaze to the side. Standing a few paces away was Nadine Croft, his highly capable and trusted secretary.

Nadine stood with impeccable posture, holding a leather folder against her chest. Her eyes were fixed intently on the divorce agreement resting in front of Chloe. When she noticed Donovan looking at her, she immediately adjusted her features, adopting a soft mask of practiced sympathy. She offered a subtle, mournful look, as if silently lamenting the tragic path the couple had taken to reach this bitter end.

Donovan ignored her theatrical display of pity. He focused on one crucial detail. Nadine's calm demeanor proved she heard nothing. The outrageous, celebratory broadcast echoing in his head was his burden alone. He was reading his wife's mind.

"Ms. Mercer, you've really caused Mr. Donovan a lot of trouble this time. I hope you can start anew after you leave and avoid making similar mistakes." Nadine advised earnestly, her voice dripping with fake concern.

Beneath her professional facade, Nadine was anxious. She was mentally counting down the seconds, bracing for the inevitable uproar. She knew Chloe’s volatile temper better than anyone. Chloe usually exploded at the slightest provocation. If Chloe started making a scene now, there was a real danger Donovan might withdraw the generous compensation package, forcing the woman to walk away with nothing. Nadine secretly believed Chloe did not deserve a single cent of Donovan’s wealth, but getting the signature on that paper was the ultimate priority.

Chloe merely glanced up at the secretary. Her almond eyes flashed with a brief, unreadable emotion. Then, moving with a frantic urgency as if she were rushing to catch a flight, she slammed the pen onto the paper and rapidly scribbled her signature across the dotted line.

"I'm annoyed, having been made to take the blame. However, considering the divorce is smooth and the fact that I managed to receive such generous compensation, I suppose I'll let the culprit off the hook."

Chloe's inner voice resonated inside Donovan's mind once more, thick with pragmatic satisfaction.

She aggressively grabbed the signed document and flung it across the wide mahogany desk toward him.

Donovan reached out and caught the sliding papers, but his long fingers stiffened against the parchment. A fierce storm began to brew in the depths of his profound eyes.

Take the blame?

The words echoed in his mind, striking him like a physical blow.

She's not the culprit?

Before Donovan could fully recover from the sheer shock of hearing her inner confession, his sharp mind began tearing apart everything he thought he knew. The established narrative began to crumble. He had believed she intentionally stirred up trouble to catch his attention, acting out because she was dissatisfied with his cold indifference toward her, and that her reckless tantrum had accidentally caused a massive corporate disaster.

He reviewed the irrefutable evidence in his head. The internal investigation had been swift and decisive. The security staff confirmed she was the only unauthorized person who entered the CEO's office during the crucial timeframe. Shortly after, anonymous sources provided photographs of Chloe sitting in a private cafe, having a secret meeting with the vice president of their biggest rival corporation.

The timeline was flawless. The motive was clear.

When he had first confronted her with the accusations, they had engaged in a vicious standoff. She had refused to admit it, making a massive fuss, throwing objects, and acting wildly hysterical. When he refused to back down, demanding the truth, she had finally snapped.

"Since you don't trust me, then assume it was me! What can you possibly do to me?" she had roared at him, her face flushed with fury.

At the time, Donovan had taken that bitter shout as a confession. He thought she was losing her temper out of embarrassment after being caught red-handed. Looking back now, replaying the raw emotion in her voice, it painted a terrifyingly different picture. She wasn't confessing. She was acting recklessly in despair, lashing out because the man she supposedly loved refused to believe her innocence.

"Mr. Donovan, it's time to sign."

Nadine's voice broke through his racing thoughts. A distinct hint of urgency crept into her usually calm, composed tone as she watched her boss hesitate, his hand hovering over the document without reaching for his pen.

Donovan slowly lifted his gaze to look at his secretary. For the first time, he felt that Nadine was severely overstepping her boundaries.

Recalling what Chloe's inner voice had just revealed about letting the real culprit off the hook, a dark, unsettling suspicion took root in his mind. He analyzed Nadine's eager posture. She was his university classmate. They had known each other for many years, navigating the cutthroat corporate world together. He trusted her immensely, giving her unprecedented access to his office, his schedule, and his private life.

Could she really have betrayed the company and framed his wife?

Nadine stepped forward, picking up Donovan’s personalized black pen from the holder. She held it out to him, her impatience growing more visible by the second. She knew Donovan well. Beneath his cold, aloof exterior, he was a man driven by a deep sense of responsibility. He possessed a soft heart when it came to those he considered family. If he didn't, he would have severed ties with Chloe years ago. In the past, every time they stood on the brink of divorce, Chloe’s tearful pleas, wild tantrums, and desperate threats of self-harm had always forced him to back down. Today, Nadine had miraculously managed to get the unpredictable woman to sign the papers without a fight. She could not afford for Donovan to be the one who hesitated now.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, someone's getting impatient. I bet Ms. Croft is feeling uneasy, afraid all her previous efforts would go to waste."

Chloe's mocking, gossipy inner voice chimed in Donovan's mind once again, ringing with amusement.

The look in Donovan's eyes shifted into something dangerous.

He did not take the pen from Nadine's outstretched hand. Instead, with a sharp twist of his wrist, he picked up the pen Chloe had used and pressed the nib hard against the solid wood table.

The loud clack echoed in the quiet room, leaving both women momentarily taken aback.

Donovan ignored the divorce agreement entirely. His dark, imposing eyes locked onto Chloe, who was still trying to mask her inner glee. She couldn't withdraw her subtle, gossipy smirk in time, leaving her looking slightly awkward under his intense scrutiny.

"I'm asking you one last time. Were you really the one behind this?" Donovan demanded, his voice dropping an octave, carrying a terrifying weight.

He was a cautious man who never made decisions based on assumptions. If this bizarre telepathy was real, it meant he was on the verge of not only ruining an innocent woman's reputation but also leaving the true corporate spy embedded deep within his inner circle. The risk to the Vance Group was immeasurable. He had to push her to verify the truth.

Nadine's face twitched. A flash of unease crossed her features, but she quickly masked it. She didn't panic. She knew Chloe had no proof. The trap was set perfectly.

Chloe shifted uncomfortably in her chair, feeling deeply uneasy under Donovan's intensely oppressive gaze. The sudden change in his demeanor sparked a wave of anxiety.

Her inner voice exploded in a chaotic panic, broadcasting straight into his mind.

"What does he mean by that? Is he asking such a question at this moment because he doesn't want to give me those two hundred million anymore? He can't possibly be having second thoughts now! I already signed! Can't he just sign the damn papers first before asking anything? Don't mess with my money!"

A tight knot formed in Donovan's chest. He stared intently at her, desperate for her to speak the truth out loud.

Chloe's eyes darted around the room in agitation. She bit her lower lip, unable to resist the urge to grumble in her mind.

"Of course, I didn't do it. It's not my fault everyone else in this company is blind! Ms. Croft clearly went in and out of the office after my visit, but the staff outside the CEO's office conveniently overlooked that fact. When asked about any suspicious individuals, they didn't even bother to check the surveillance footage properly. They just looked at the first ten minutes, saw my face, and immediately pointed fingers at me as if I was guilty. Classic bias at work. They all hate me anyway, so why would they look for another suspect?"

Donovan felt as if the floor had dropped out from under him.

Chloe wasn't the only one who went into his office that afternoon?

His mind raced, piecing together the broken timeline. At the time of the incident, the eyewitness accounts from the assistant pool and the physical evidence had directly implicated his wife. Because of her toxic reputation and her previous history of causing trouble, everyone had an inherent bias against her. The investigators had found a convenient scapegoat and stopped looking. No one bothered to review the rest of the surveillance footage to see who else had entered the room.

A sickening wave of guilt washed over him. Subconsciously, he had done the exact same thing. He had always viewed Chloe as a scheming, manipulative woman willing to pull underhanded tricks to get his attention. Because of his own prejudice, he hadn't demanded a thorough review of the tapes. He had simply accepted her guilt as fact.

He opened his mouth, ready to demand more answers, ready to tear the investigation wide open.

"I have nothing to say. Just sign it already."

Chloe's cold, spoken words cut through the heavy air, stopping him dead in his tracks.

Donovan stared at her. His expression gradually turned cold, hardening into a mask of pure intimidation. He couldn't understand her logic. She knew the truth. She knew exactly how she was framed and by whom. Yet, she chose to remain silent, willing to carry the permanent stain of a corporate thief just to secure the divorce settlement. Did she truly believe he was so unreasonable that he would refuse to listen to her defense? Was she that afraid he wouldn't believe a single word she said?

The realization stung his pride.

Without breaking eye contact with Chloe, Donovan abruptly stood up.

The heavy leather chair scraped loudly against the hardwood floor. His massive frame towered over the desk, casting a long, dark shadow across the room.

Nadine, still holding the unsigned papers, looked up at her boss in sheer surprise. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. Donovan turned his head slowly, locking his terrifying, scrutinizing gaze onto his trusted secretary.

It took only one glance. The raw, predatory intensity in his dark eyes made Nadine shudder involuntarily. A cold sweat broke out across her spine.

Before Nadine could formulate a sentence or react to the sudden shift in power, Donovan turned away. He took long, purposeful strides toward the heavy double doors of his office.

He walked right past Chloe, who was staring blankly at the divorce agreement left untouched on the desk.

"Follow me!" Donovan commanded in a deep, booming voice that left no room for disobedience.

Chloe jumped in her seat. "What's going on?" she muttered out loud, completely baffled by his erratic behavior.

Donovan did not wait for her. He grabbed the brass handles and threw the heavy doors wide open, stepping out into the bustling bullpen of the executive floor. Dozens of assistants and junior executives froze in their tracks, startled by the sudden explosive entrance of their CEO.

Donovan stood tall, his authoritative voice echoing across the expansive floor, commanding the attention of every single employee present.

"Retrieve the surveillance footage from the evening of the eleventh! Mrs. Vance is unwilling to submit to these baseless accusations, so let her see for herself if she was the only one who went in and out of my office that night!"

The entire floor went dead silent.

Nadine, who had hurried out closely behind him, paled instantly. The blood drained from her face, leaving her looking like a ghost. Panic gripped her throat as the carefully constructed frame-up began to shatter in front of her eyes.

"Mr. Donovan!" Nadine cried out in sheer terror, her professional composure breaking into pieces.

Back inside the office doorway, Chloe stood frozen in place. Her almond eyes were wide with utter confusion as she stared at Donovan's broad back. Her mind scrambled to make sense of the chaotic scene unfolding before her.

She had just signed the papers. She was ready to take her two hundred million and run.

When did she ever say she was unwilling to submit?