My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 115

Without all this drama, Olivia would have thrived at the branch office.

But now, there was no way I would let Olivia stay at Vanguard Global Enterprises.

I wasn’t particularly surprised. I simply said, “She’s your subordinate; it’s your decision to make.”

I’d had my suspicions about Olivia from the start.

Isabella only ever stirs up vague topics to create buzz; it barely qualifies as defamation, so there wasn’t much I could do about her.

But if the leak turned out to be true, and Alexander cleared things up, the fallout would be too much for me to handle.

Only Olivia could act this recklessly, and because she had feelings for Alexander, she subtly shifted the blame onto me.

Alexander slowly walked toward me, stopping just in front. He reached up and gently brushed a strand of hair away from my temple, his voice soft as he said, “I’m sorry.”

As far as Olivia was concerned, he still owed me an apology.

If he had trusted me back then, maybe none of this would have happened, and I wouldn’t have had to endure the constant attacks and insults from all corners of the internet.

I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet I was living like a rat in a sewer, hiding from the world. Every time I stepped out, I was shouted down by everyone.

I instinctively took a step back and lowered my gaze. “CEO Hawthorne.”

Had he said this earlier, I might have been deeply moved.

“There’s no one else here. You can call me Alexander.”

I kept my expression neutral, speaking softly, “CEO Hawthorne, I think John Smith has a point. Due to personal reasons, I’ve caused the company significant losses, and I can’t continue to stay in this position with a clear conscience. So, I’d like to resign.”

Alexander frowned. “This is my issue, not yours. Focus on your work and don’t overthink it.”

I pressed my lips together.

I didn’t want to think about it anymore.

But in this high-pressure environment, I couldn’t breathe. Even at the company, wherever I went, I could feel the weight of the stares—some curious, some mocking, some disdainful, some lecherous...

To keep up appearances and report work in front of everyone, I had already exhausted all my energy.

Was it really not my fault?

Then why were so many people cursing me?

“...Maybe you should take a few days off to rest?” Alexander suggested when I didn’t respond.

“I’ll think about it. I’ll head back now.”

I was about to turn and leave.

“Come to Ashford Manor on Saturday morning,” Alexander suddenly called out to stop me.

I paused for a moment, then replied, “I remember.”

Saturday marked the anniversary of Alexander’s father, Matthew Hawthorne, and his mother, Sebastian Hawthorne’s passing.

Alexander’s POV

Watching Vivienne’s figure disappear through the door, I stood there for a moment before walking to my desk. I pressed the intercom and said, “Have Jaxon come see me.”

Jaxon probably thought I was going to give him trouble, but he was confident I wouldn’t find anything to hold over him. With his usual arrogance, he strode into my office.

“CEO Hawthorne, what can I do for you?”

I crossed my legs and slowly sipped my coffee, glancing at the sofa across from me before gesturing to Jaxon. “Take a seat.”

“I didn’t expect CEO Hawthorne to have such a taste for the finer things!” Jaxon said as he sat down across from me.

I smiled faintly. “I’ll get straight to the point. There’s a document here, Jaxon. Take a look and let me know if you have anything to say about it.”

I slowly pushed the folder in front of me toward him.

The folder looked quite ordinary, its exterior a simple shade of blue with no labels.

Jaxon couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety at the sight of the ordinary-looking folder.

He knew Alexander never engaged in battles without preparation, but he couldn’t quite figure out what the contents might hold.

Slowly, Jaxon opened the folder and quickly scanned the materials. As soon as he saw a familiar name, his face changed dramatically.

"CEO Hawthorne, this must be a misunderstanding! Freddie is an honest man—there’s no way he could have done this!"

“The evidence is clear,” I replied coolly. “If you don’t believe me, Jaxon, you can always ask Grayson or your son directly.”

Jaxon’s face drained of color.

I was confident in what I said, and it was clear he was starting to realize that.

Not waiting for him to respond, I continued, “As John Smith mentioned, this news has severely damaged the company’s reputation and stock value, resulting in significant losses. On behalf of both myself and the company, I will be filing a lawsuit for defamation and reputational harm against Grayson and Freddie. I know you’ve always been responsible for the company, Jaxon, and I’m sure you fully support this, right?”

Vanguard Global Enterprises’ legal department was ranked number one in the industry.

And with the news being so damaging and the situation so severe, if the company and I win the case, Grayson and Freddie will face astronomical compensation claims. Not only will they be financially ruined, but they could even end up in prison.

Furthermore, in cases of defamation and reputational harm, even if Jaxon knows Freddie’s actions were likely orchestrated by Olivia, I won’t be suing Olivia or offering any leniency to her. The ultimate responsibility will fall solely on Freddie.

At this moment, Jaxon must have regretted ever helping Olivia— that ungrateful woman.

She was so desperate and irrational, afraid Jaxon might abandon her, that she dragged Freddie down with her.

Jaxon tried to stay calm and countered, “If that’s the case, then let’s get everything out in the open. Isn’t your secret relationship with Vivienne a fact? Can CEO Hawthorne really guarantee you’ll win?”

I leaned back against the sofa, my expression exuding confidence. “If you don’t believe me, then let’s see for yourself.”

Jaxon fell silent, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

“You have two choices,” I continued. “First, you can bet that I’ll lose. The risk is high, but the potential reward is great. If you lose, Freddie will face huge compensation fees and prison time. I’ve already instructed someone to investigate all of Freddie’s assets. Any attempt to transfer them won’t work.”

“Second, you can voluntarily resign from the board, apologize to Vivienne on behalf of the police for your involvement in her case, and I will choose to forgive Freddie.”

“Since Olivia dared to do this, she might even have evidence to turn the tables and frame Freddie as the mastermind. Jaxon, you should think this through.”

If I forgave Freddie, his responsibility would be lessened. While he might still face some compensation, he could avoid prison.

At this point, I couldn’t help but feel thankful to Olivia—her actions had dragged Freddie into this, giving me the leverage I needed to control Jaxon!

Otherwise, getting rid of Jaxon would require proposing a motion to dismiss him at the board meeting.

Jaxon’s face shifted from pale to green, like a color printer gone haywire. Finally, he decided not to take the risk.

“I’ll take the second option.”

He’d worked his way up from a lower-level position to vice general manager. If he stuck around for a few more years, he might even become a small shareholder. Who knew he’d end up having to resign of his own accord!

He wasn’t willing to give up, but Freddie was his only son—if he really went to jail, his life would be ruined!

...... 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

“CEO Hawthorne, Director Vivienne’s phone has been returned. Should I bring it to her, or...?”

Earlier, the police had taken Vivienne’s work phone to the station to gather evidence from harassing numbers. Since it contained some confidential company documents, Jane had accompanied them to the police station.

“Leave it with me.”

“Understood.” Jane placed the phone on the desk and left the office.

I paused for a moment, then picked up the phone and powered it on.

After entering the password, I opened the messages, and there it was—"Vivienne, you should die!"