Chapter 144: Chapter 144 The Setup Exposed
Caleb’s POV
I arrived at Thorne Group headquarters before dawn, my mind consumed with one singular purpose: finding Ivy and making her understand the truth. The legitimate front of our family operations felt suffocatingly empty without her presence. My plan was straightforward: explain everything, beg for her forgiveness if necessary, and somehow repair the catastrophic damage I had inflicted over the past few days. But Xavier crushed those desperate hopes the moment he spotted me prowling through the reception area like a caged predator.
"Get to your office. She’s not coming in today. I gave her time off because she needs distance from this mess and frankly deserves it. And I promised the crew you wouldn’t harass her today," Xavier stated with the firm authority of a consigliere who had grown tired of cleaning up his Don’s emotional disasters.
"Damn it, Xavier!" I snarled like a wounded animal. "Let’s grab some coffee and talk."
In the break room, Katelyn, Jude, and Gemma were huddled together in whispered conversation, their voices dying the instant we appeared in the doorway. After some awkward pleasantries that fooled no one, Xavier, Jude, and I retreated to my office where the real business could be conducted behind soundproof walls.
"Alright, Jude, what aren’t you telling me?" I confronted him directly, my patience evaporated after days of cryptic behavior from my most trusted soldiers.
"I have no idea what you mean, Boss," Jude responded, but his refusal to meet my eyes betrayed him completely.
"Cut the bullshit! You know exactly what I’m talking about!" I stepped closer, using every inch of my height and reputation to intimidate him. "What’s happening with Ivy? Why are you suddenly acting like her personal bodyguard? Why are you having secret conversations with the women? What information are you keeping from your Don?"
"It’s not my place to share that intelligence with you," Jude finally admitted, his loyalty to whatever secret they were protecting clearly outweighing his fear of my wrath.
"So there is something?" I pressed, feeling the familiar rage building in my chest like a slow burn.
Jude’s discomfort was obvious, but before I could extract more information, my phone interrupted the interrogation. Dr. Taylor’s private number appeared on the screen. I answered immediately, knowing that the family’s most trusted medical contact would only call with urgent matters. His secretary apologized profusely before explaining that the doctor had personally requested she contact me about critical test results he had sent via encrypted email.
My pulse quickened with anticipation. The tests had arrived. I rushed to my computer and opened the secure communication channel we used for sensitive family business. The message blazed across the screen with information that would change everything.
From: Dr. Gilbert Taylor
To: Caleb Thorne
Subject: URGENT - Your Toxicology Results
Caleb,
Forgive the delay, but a family emergency required my immediate attention, and I only reviewed your samples this morning. The results are quite shocking and have serious implications for your situation.
Regarding your toxicology screening, my suspicions were completely confirmed. Your blood work returned positive for morphine at concentrations that would render a grown man unconscious within moments. Someone dissolved pharmaceutical-grade pills in your drink, administering a massive dose that would have made you physically incapable of standing upright, much less engaging in any coherent activity. You were deliberately and systematically drugged by a professional.
The DNA and pregnancy test results are even more damning. The samples you provided cannot be processed because there is no pregnancy to test. Your alleged victim has never been pregnant, not recently, not currently, not ever based on her hormone levels. The entire situation is an elaborate fabrication designed to destroy you.
All documentation is attached with my medical seal. Contact me immediately if you require additional verification or testimony.
Dr. Gilbert Taylor
Thorne Family Medical Advisor
I examined the attached medical documentation with the same careful attention I gave to intelligence reports before ordering hits. The evidence was irrefutable and painted a picture of conspiracy that made my blood boil with rage. How could anyone dare to target the head of our family with such an intricate web of lies?
"What’s wrong, Boss?" Xavier inquired, but I was rendered speechless by the magnitude of deception revealed before me. He approached my computer and read Dr. Taylor’s encrypted message over my shoulder. "Unbelievable! I knew something felt wrong about this whole setup!" Xavier slammed his palm against my desk with enough force to rattle the crystal decanters.
Jude hurried over to view the screen, his expression shifting from concern to visible relief as he processed the medical evidence that vindicated his Don.
"I’m ending this nightmare immediately!" I declared, fury coursing through me like molten steel. "Whoever orchestrated this will pay in blood."
"Hold on, Boss. We should review the security footage from the charity gala and identify exactly who drugged you," Xavier reminded me with the tactical thinking that made him invaluable. "It was probably one of the servers who brought your drink on the terrace, but we need to discover their identity and who paid them to betray our family."
"I’ll handle that investigation personally! I arranged all the catering services for that event," Jude volunteered, eager to prove his usefulness.
"I need to see Ivy right now and explain everything," I said, desperation bleeding through my carefully maintained control.
"Absolutely not! First, you’re going to resolve this disaster and eliminate those two treacherous snakes who dared to move against our family. Then you can speak with Ivy," Jude warned with unexpected steel in his voice.
"Then tell me what you’re hiding, Jude, because I know there’s something you’re not telling your Don," I demanded with growing impatience.
"Yes, there is something. But you’ll clean up this betrayal first," Jude insisted stubbornly. "Don’t even attempt to pressure me because I won’t reveal anything until justice is served. I’m going to review that security footage now."
"I can’t focus on family business right now," I admitted, a weakness I rarely showed. "I still don’t understand how they fabricated that ultrasound image I saw."
"Boss, the doctor’s secretary provided her direct contact information. Call her personally, maybe she can provide additional forensic details," Xavier suggested pragmatically.
"Excellent idea. Will you accompany me? I refuse to be alone with any woman ever again until this is resolved." My statement was deadly serious, but Xavier erupted in dark laughter.
The weight of this elaborate betrayal pressed down on me with crushing force. Someone had orchestrated this sophisticated scheme to destroy my relationship with Ivy, and I was determined to uncover every detail of their conspiracy. The morphine explained my memory gaps and complete physical helplessness that night at the charity gala. The fabricated pregnancy explained the urgency and emotional manipulation that followed. But critical questions remained about who else was involved and how deep this treachery reached into our organization.
My hands trembled with barely contained rage as I saved the test results to my secure files. The medical evidence would vindicate me completely, but the damage to Ivy’s trust might prove irreparable. I had accused her of jealousy and dismissed her concerns when she was the only person who truly cared about my wellbeing beyond family obligations.
The bitter irony wasn’t lost on me that Jude, who clearly knew Ivy’s secret, was now protecting her from me with the same fierce loyalty he usually reserved for family matters. Whatever she was concealing, it was significant enough that my most trusted soldiers had formed a protective barrier around her. That realization terrified me more than any rival family’s threats ever could.
