The Hidden CEO
Every day, I just shuffle from the bedroom to the living room, then back again.
The sunlight outside the window seemed unwilling to shine even a little more into this room.
Mother's complexion has been getting worse lately.
She always makes loud clattering noises with the dishes when washing them in the kitchen.
I know she's venting her frustration.
A few days ago, I overheard her talking to the neighbor on the balcony.
Her voice was very low, yet a few words still drifted into my ears.
"Don't mention it—Emerald stays home all day, and people gossip about her behind her back."
"I feel like my face has nowhere left to hide."
After speaking, Mother walked into the living room, her gaze on me as cold as ice.
I pretended not to notice.
Yesterday afternoon, Mother suddenly received a phone call.
As she answered, her expression shifted from confusion to surprise.
After hanging up, she walked into my room, clearly excited.
"Emerald, I have something to tell you."
Her tone was filled with an excitement I hadn't heard from her in months.
"You know that influencer I've been following?"
"She's organizing a 'Ten-day tour' event, and I got selected!"
I looked up, surprised, staring at her.
"A ten-day tour? Where to?"
"To City Y—the scenery there is amazing!" My mother said as she began packing. "We're leaving the day after tomorrow."
I paused for a moment and asked, "What about me then?"
My mother's hands hesitated briefly as she packed but then continued.
"What else can you do? Stay home by yourself."
Her tone was flat, as if I were a meaningless object.
"You're grown up now. Can't you take care of yourself?"
I felt a pang inside but had no words to argue back.
This morning, my cousin Reese Scott came over.
The moment she walked in, she threw the designer bag she was holding onto the sofa.
"Aunt, Emerald, I've got to tell you, I've been doing really well lately!"
Reese proudly lifted her chin and launched into a nonstop brag about her "achievements."
"Last month, I landed a major project, and my boss gave me a fifty-thousand-dollar bonus!"
"Also, not long ago, I went on a business trip abroad, stayed exclusively in five-star hotels, and the service was absolutely top-notch!"
As she spoke, she kept glancing casually in my direction.
"Unlike someone who stays home all day—I bet she has never even seen the entrance of a five-star hotel."
I clutched the pillow tightly, remaining silent.
Mother echoed Reese Scott from the side, occasionally glancing at me, signaling me to learn from her.
Seeing I stayed quiet, Reese grew even more animated.
"Emerald, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you shouldn't always stay cooped up at home."
"Go find a job, even if the pay's low. It's better than mooching off your family."
"Look at me now—my career's doing great, and all my friends are people of influence."
I took a deep breath, stood up, and took a bank card from the drawer.
This is some money I saved from my previous job; I originally planned to leave it for Mom in case of emergencies.
"Mom, take this card. There's twenty thousand dollars on it—you can use it when you travel."
I handed the bank card to my mother.
But she didn't take it; instead, she let out a cold laugh.
"Where did this money come from? You wouldn't have gotten it from something bad, would you?"
I froze, not expecting her to say that.
"Mom, this is money I saved up before. Please feel free to use it."
"Saved up? You actually saved twenty thousand?" Mother looked at me with disbelief.
I stared at my mother and cousin, a cold shiver running through me.
So, this is the kind of person I am in their eyes.
Mother pushed my hand away and threw the bank card onto the floor.
"I don't need your money. I have my own to travel! Just stay home and don't embarrass me!"
With that, she turned and walked into the bedroom, continuing to pack without another word.
I crouched down to pick up the bank card, tears streaming down my face.
It feels like there's no place left for me in this home.
Mother left early the next morning, carrying her suitcase.
She didn't say goodbye, but the door closing sounded unusually loud.
The house suddenly felt even emptier.
I locked myself in my room and didn't step outside all day.
Until evening, when my cell phone suddenly rang.
It was an unknown number, registered in a small border town.
I hesitated for a moment but still picked up.
A rough male voice came through, filled with hostility.
"Are you Emerald Jones, daughter of Cara Clark?"
Cara Clark is my mother's name.
My heart tightened as I gripped my cell phone. "Who are you? What's happened to my mom?"
"Your mom is fine, but the people around her might not be."
The man's laughter sent chills down my spine.
"Your cousin Reese Scott is with your mom, too. They're both in my hands now."
My mind buzzed, going completely blank.
How could Reese be traveling with my mother?
She absolutely didn't say she was going yesterday.
"What do you want?" I forced myself to stay calm.
"It's simple—prepare five hundred thousand in ransom for me."
The man's voice was filled with an authoritative command.
"Transfer the money to the account I provide before noon tomorrow."
"If you dare call the cops, or if you're even a minute late, I'll send your cousin into the zone to learn a hard lesson."
"As for your mother, I'll make sure she 'performs' on the Freak Show so everyone can see what she really is."
Every word stabbed my heart like a knife.
I gritted my teeth, barely holding back a trembling voice: "Five hundred thousand is too much. I can't come up with that kind of money so fast."
"That's your problem, not mine."
The man said impatiently, "If I don't see the money by noon tomorrow, be ready to receive your cousin's and your mother's 'remains'."
After saying that, he hung up.
I gripped the cell phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white.
My mind was chaotic, flashing between my mother's face and Reese Scott's mocking sneer.
But now isn't the time to dwell on that—I have to figure out how to save them first.
At that moment, my cell phone rang again.
It was still an unknown number, and this time the voice was tinged with arrogance.
"Are you Emerald Jones?"
"I'm Reese Scott's husband, Matthew Silva."
Matthew Silva? That CEO husband Reese is always talking about?
"You should have already gotten a call from the kidnapper, right?"
Matthew's tone was sharp with impatience and threat.
"No matter what it takes, Reese has to be rescued before noon tomorrow."
"If Reese loses even a single strand of hair, I swear every one of you will pay with your lives!"
"Including your useless mother!"
I frowned, a sudden flare of anger burning inside me.
"Mr. Silva, it's not just Reese Scott who's been kidnapped; my mother is too."
"I'm working on a solution. Threatening me like this won't help rescue Reese."
"You still dare talk back to me?"
Matthew Silva's voice sharpened: "What can you who's been stuck at home for three months possibly come up with?"
"I'm telling you, Emerald Jones—if anything happens to Reese, I'll make sure you can't stay in this city!"
I took a deep breath, forcing down the rage rising inside me.
"Mr. Silva, now isn't the time for this."
"I'll find a way to save them. You'd better not make any reckless moves, or you'll only provoke the kidnappers."
After I finished speaking, I hung up the phone immediately.
I put down the cell phone and walked over to the window.
Outside, it was already dark, and the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow.
I pulled out another, rarely used cell phone and dialed a number.
The phone was answered after three rings.
"Director Jones, what are your orders?"
A respectful voice came from the other end.
"Help me track two people, Cara Clark and Reese Scott. They've been kidnapped near the border."
I said calmly, "Also, have Zachary Hawthorn send his most capable bodyguard. I'm going to the border in person."
"Yes, Director Jones, I'll arrange it right away."
After hanging up, I gazed out at the night beyond the window.
Mother, Reese Scott, and Matthew Silva—they all have no idea about my true identity.
Perhaps after this incident, everything will change.
I packed a simple backpack with only a few changes of clothes and some essentials.
Then, I sat quietly on the sofa, waiting for Zachary Hawthorn's bodyguard to arrive.
I know what's coming won't be easy.
But I'm ready.
Whether it's the kidnapper or Matthew Silva's threats, I'm prepared to face them.
Because I'm not the useless person they see—just someone who stays home all day.
I'm Emerald Jones, president of Asia's largest chamber of commerce.
The clock in the living room ticked for forty minutes before the doorbell finally rang.
I got up to open the door. Outside stood two men in black suits, tall and straight as pines, with silver badges pinned to their cuffs—that was the mark of Zachary Hawthorn's security team.
The man on the left spoke first, his voice low and respectful: "Director Jones, I'm Frankie, and this is Jack. Mr. Hawthorn sent us to assist you."
I stepped aside to let them into the room, pointing at the cell phone on the table: "The kidnappers are demanding fifty thousand in ransom. The money must be transferred before noon tomorrow. The location is an abandoned textile factory at the border."
Frankie pulled a tablet from his briefcase. Instantly, a 3D map of the textile factory appeared on the screen: "We've pinpointed the location. There are six blind spots in the factory's surveillance, and a ventilation duct in the southeast corner we can use to sneak in. Mr. Hawthorn has also arranged for ten peripheral personnel ready to support us at any moment."
Jack added, "Matthew Silva just sent people to tail our car, but we shook them off at the highway exit. He's very likely heading to the border himself."
I frowned; Matthew Silva's impulsiveness would only create more chaos.
Just as I was about to tell Frankie to keep an eye on him, the cell phone rang again—it was Matthew Silva.
"Emerald! Have you found Reese yet?"
"I'm already at the highway service area. If you can't find Reese, I'll tear your house down!" His voice thundered through the receiver, hurting my ears.
Frankie grabbed the phone, his voice ice-cold: "Mr. Silva, if you disrespect Director Jones again, we'll make sure you never cross the border."
The line went silent instantly, followed by a busy signal after a few seconds.
Frankie handed me the cell phone. "Director Jones, are we leaving now? The drive's three hours, and we can be near the factory by 1 a.m."
I nodded, grabbed the backpack on the sofa, and said, "Let's go."
The car was a black SUV with superb soundproofing—the engine start was barely audible.
Jack was driving, Frankie sat in the front passenger seat, and I leaned back in the rear seat, watching the streetlights blur past.
Frankie suddenly turned his head. "Director Jones, we've got the background check on Reese Scott you requested."
"Her so-called 'civil servant' status is just a temporary contract worker. The Project she claims as hers was actually her colleague's work, and the bonus was fabricated."
I'm not surprised; every time Reese Scott bragged, there was always a flicker of panic in her eyes.
The car left the city, streetlights gradually fading until only the headlights cut through the darkness.
At 1:10 a.m., the car stopped in the woods two kilometers from the textile factory.
Jack turned off the headlights and took out three sets of black combat suits from the trunk: "Change into these—they'll make moving easier. Each has a tracker and a communicator inside."
After we changed, Frankie scanned the factory area with night vision goggles: "There are eight kidnappers inside, all armed with knives. The west warehouse might be hiding guns."
Jack pulled a climbing rope from his backpack. "The ventilation duct entrance is on the second floor. I'll go up first and unlock it. You guys follow behind."
I nodded, gripping the pepper spray in my pocket—not enough to fight off a knife, but enough to buy a few seconds.
Jack worked quickly, prying open the ventilation duct cover in just three minutes.
The duct was narrow, forcing us to crawl; dust settled inside my collar, itching my skin.
After crawling about twenty meters, Frankie suddenly stopped and pointed downward.
The vent faced the center of the factory building. Mother and Reese Scott were tied to an iron pillar, with two kidnappers standing nearby, heads down, playing on their cell phones.
"The scar-faced guy on the left is the leader, Jason. He has a criminal record and used to smuggle at the border."
Frankie lowered his voice, pressing the communicator twice, "Peripheral personnel are in position. We'll move on my signal."
I looked at Mother; her hair was messy, her shoulders trembling slightly, but she didn't cry.
She's always cared most about her reputation, and even if she's scared, she wouldn't show weakness in front of Reese Scott.
Reese Scott was different—her tears had ruined her makeup, and she kept muttering, "Matthew will come to save me; he's very rich..."
Jason suddenly looked up and kicked Reese Scott. "Shut up! Keep making noise, and I'll be the first to throw you into the zone!"
Reese Scott was terrified and immediately fell silent, curling into a tight ball.
Just then, a command of "Action" came through the communicator.
Jack jumped down first, landing silently. He covered the mouth of the nearest kidnapper with one hand and twisted their arm with the other. With a sharp crack, the kidnapper collapsed to the ground.
Frankie followed right behind, holding a stun baton, and struck the scar-faced kidnapper squarely on the back.
Jason let out a scream of pain, collapsing to the ground and convulsing.
I was the last to jump down; the moment I regained my footing, I saw two kidnappers charging at me with knives raised.
Jack was quick and sharp-eyed, throwing two smoke grenades. The factory building was instantly filled with white smoke.
In the chaos, I reached my mother's side, pulled out a dagger, and cut the rope binding her wrist. "Mom, come with me!"
Mother froze, likely not recognizing me in my combat gear. Only after I took off my mask did she tremble and grab my hand. "Emerald? What are you doing here?"
"Don't talk about that now, just get out of here!" I grabbed her and ran toward the ventilation shaft.
Reese saw I was leaving and shouted urgently, "Emerald! Take me with you! I don't want to stay here!"
I looked back and saw Frankie had already subdued the remaining kidnappers, so I went back to untie Reese.
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