Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
Remy stiffened. His breath quickened as he stared at her fragile figure. Slowly, he leaned forward, his fingers lifting slightly, tempted to reach out.
Just as his hand hovered close, Mandy’s lashes fluttered. In her sleep, she murmured, “Damien… Damien… I miss you so much..” Tears slipped down her cheeks, silent and unbidden.
A pang tugged at Remy’s heart. Without thinking, he brushed away her tears with his calloused fingers.
The moment his skin touched hers, a jolt shot through him, sharp and electrifying. Pain throbbed at his temples, but beneath it was a warmth he didn’t want to let go of.
Mandy stirred slightly, her brow furrowing.
Remy swallowed hard and withdrew his hand.
It was 6:00 am when Alyssa made her way to the hospital.
“Mandy!” Alyssa called out breathlessly as she pushed the door open.
In the dim room, Mandy stood rigid beside the now empty hospital bed, her back to the door, staring blankly. “He’s gone…”
Alyssa’s heart lurched. “G-Gone?”
Mandy turned, her eyes glassy with unshed tears and a bitter smile tugging at her lips. “I mean, he left. He’s not dead.”
“Oh…” Alyssa exhaled, relief washing over her. That close call had left her shaken and clammy with sweat.
Still, disappointment settled in her chest-Remy had been their best lead to finding Amber.
“Mrs. Taylor, the test results are out!”
Neil burst into the room, breathless with excitement, clutching a report. He faltered upon seeing Alyssa, his enthusiasm dampened by hesitation.
“It’s fine,” Mandy said softly, her gaze steady. “Lyse is one of us. Go ahead.”
“It’s alright. I know.” Alyssa drew a deep breath and met Mandy’s tear-filled gaze. “I know you’ve been investigating Remy’s identity. And you’re right. He’s Damien Taylor, your son, my brother the one we’ve been missing all these years.”
The hospital ward grew heavy with silence.
Mandy and Neil stared at Alyssa, stunned beyond words.
“M-Ms. Alyssa, you knew that man was Mr. Damien?” Neil asked, disbelief etched into his voice.
“Yes.” Alyssa’s reply was quiet, her lips pressed into a thin line. She lowered her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. “We found out when Cyrus took Damien’s cigarette butt for a paternity test.”
Mandy approached Alyssa, her shoulders trembling slightly.
“So, you and Cyrus knew… and you both kept it from me?” Mandy said, her voice catching in her throat, tears welling up.
Alyssa felt a sharp pang in her chest. “Mandy, I’m sorry. It was my decision. Cyrus had nothing to do with it.”
Mandy’s tears fell freely now, her grief spilling out in raw sobs. “Do you know what it’s been like for me all these years, thinking Damien was gone? Winston, Miley, Lyla, and Colene kept telling me to move on. I tried to accept that he was dead, that we’d never find his body. But I never did.”
Her voice broke. “Night after night, I’d dream of Damien, drenched to the bone, standing there. ‘Mom… the water’s freezing…’ he’d say, again and again.”
Neil sighed deeply, his heart heavy. Alyssa’s hands trembled as guilt gnawed at her.
Uncontrollable tears flowed down Mandy’s cheeks, her eyes burning with grief and resentment. “Lyse, you knew everything, and you hid it from me. Didn’t you think about how selfish that was? How unfair, how cruel?”
This outburst, these harsh words, was unprecedented from Mandy, who loved Alyssa like her own child.
Alyssa was more precious to Mandy than her own child. But the intense pain she was experiencing now made her lose her usual calm and collected demeanor.
“I’m sorry…” Alyssa choked out again, her voice strained with emotion.
“Mrs. Taylor, I completely understand how you feel.” Neil stepped forward, unable to watch Alyssa take the blame alone. “Mrs. Taylor, you’ve watched Ms. Alyssa grow up. You know her character. She wouldn’t act without careful consideration. I’m certain she had her reasons for keeping this information from you.”
Alyssa swallowed hard, her voice shaky. “Mandy, Damien’s in grave danger.”
Mandy froze.
Alyssa continued, “He survived a plane crash but lost his memory. He’s being manipulated, a pawn in someone else’s game. And the person pulling the strings could easily dispose of him if they felt threatened.
“I was afraid that revealing his identity would put him in immediate danger-either by losing the manipulator’s trust or by direct retaliation. That’s why I kept it from you and Dad. I knew how much you both love him, and I was afraid you might inadvertently make things worse.”
Mandy’s heart twisted with worry, her tear-filled eyes widening. “Who’s manipulating Damien?”
Alyssa shook her head. “I’m sorry, Mandy. I can’t say. It’s for your safety and Dad’s.”
“There were people after Damien today. I saw them,” Mandy said, her hand gripping Alyssa’s tightly. Her voice was laced with fear. “If this mastermind needs Damien for something, why would he send assassins after him?”
Alyssa was stunned into silence, her mind grappling with the new information. Damien hadn’t regained his memory yet, and Justin was short on reliable men. So why would Justin target Damien?
Could someone else be trying to eliminate Damien to weaken Justin?
The sheer complexity of the situation was overwhelming.
Alyssa, despite her own worries, attempted to comfort Mandy. “Mandy, try not to fret. Damien is different now.
He’s so strong, so resilient. No one can just hurt him.”
Mandy’s response was sharp. “Resilient? Do you even know that when I took him to the hospital, the doctor said he would have died if we’d waited any longer!”
Mandy struggled to breathe, overwhelmed with emotion. Alyssa immediately moved to her side, gently patting her back to calm her.
“Lyse… It took me so long to meet with Damien again. I would rather die if I were to lose him again!”
“You won’t lose him, Mandy. This time, I will make sure that Damien returns home safely.”
Just then, Mandy’s cell phone vibrated.
Her gaze fell to the screen, where a blinking red dot moved steadily southward across the map.
wide-eyed, Alyssa asked, “Mandy, what’s this?”
Mandy’s grip tightened on the phone. “I put a tracker on Damien’s phone while he was unconscious. Solana City is too big. This is the only way I can find him.”
Alyssa exhaled sharply, silently grateful for Mandy’s foresight.
Meanwhile, Remy left the hospital without a word, heading straight to Justin.
In a dimly lit room, Justin sat in his wheelchair, his reflection cold and distorted in the floor-to-ceiling windows.
“I apologize, Sir,” Remy said stiffly, his face pale. “I failed my mission.”
Justin’s voice was as cold as ice. “You’ve served me well for many years, Remy. I’ll give you a chance to explain what happened.”
Remy’s eyelashes flickered as he lowered his gaze. “I was ambushed on the way there,” he said.
“Oh?” Justin slowly swiveled his wheelchair, raising an eyebrow at Remy with a hint of curiosity.
“There were a lot of them,” Remy said. “Far too many for me to fight off by myself. I was cut.” He tugged his collar aside, showing the gruesome gash on his shoulder to confirm his story.
Justin studied the injury, his face unreadable.
Remy, his face resolute, spoke with heartfelt sincerity. “Nevertheless, I failed. I accept whatever consequences you deem necessary, even death.”
“I know who attacked you.”
Remy was startled. “You do?”
“They weren’t after you. They were after me.”
Justin reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a playing card-the King of Spades. He held it between his fingertips before flicking it sharply at Remy’s feet.
Remy pursed his lips, bending down to pick up the fallen poker card. It was the King of Spades-an entry pass to Kings’ Club.
“My attacker was…”
Remy’s pupils constricted as he tightened his grip on the card.
“It can only be that dear uncle of mine, always claiming to see me as his own son.” Justin’s lips curled into a sinister smile. “He’s trying to get rid of my right-hand man, taking advantage of my internal feud with Jeremy. Weakening me is just his first step toward gaining control over me.
“He’s been a fugitive ever since his successful prison break, never returning to Cyrris after receiving his life sentence. His power base remains in Kontina.
“I’m the last surviving Dutton. The Dutton Group, as a cover, has declared bankruptcy and severed all ties with the country.
“My dear uncle has taken a huge risk just to target me. He sent his men to attack you in Solana City. What a delightful surprise. It seems he truly doesn’t trust me, his only remaining family.”
Remy lowered his gaze, his eyes dim. “He’s wary of you because he’s afraid you’ll supersede him.”
Justin clicked his tongue. “Supersede him? Zachary is nothing but a stepping stone for me my ticket to Kings’ Club and greater power overseas. Once I complete the new drug research, I’ll replace him as one of their VIPS.” Justin’s eyes gleamed with ambition. The future of a ruler stretched before him.
Remy’s temples throbbed at the mention of the new drug, and one name came to mind-Amber.
That poor woman was locked away in an abandoned hospital, subjected to torturous experiments for the sake of that very drug.
He furrowed his brow but kept his tone cold. “What’s your next move?”
“I need to secure Project A5. That’s my key to becoming Kings’ Club’s honored guest’
An incoming call interrupted him. In the darkness, Justin’s gaze fell on his phone. His expression hardened as he answered.
“Hello, Mr. Gentry.”
Rafe coughed. “Mr. Walsh…”
Rafe paused. He chuckled awkwardly before continuing, “I know that Walsh Group has been facing challenges lately. I hate to bother you, but…”
Justin’s patience thinned. “Just get straight to the point.”
“About the Project A5 partnership, we may need to reconsider. Your share prices have been plummeting, and after the press conference incident, public opinion is against you. If I continue backing you, I’ll face scrutiny possibly even a summons from the Department of Justice.”
“So, you’re cutting ties and looking for another partner?” A dark gleam crossed Justin’s eyes.
“No, no, I’m not cutting ties! I just believe that when there’s life, there’s hope. Even if we can’t close this deal, we’re still associates.”
Rafe did his best to paint a rosy picture for Justin. “I’m Walsh Group’s best connection in Solana City. In fact, I’ve secured a document for a cultural city project set to begin bidding in three years. I promise it’ll be yours. You have my word!”
“Three years?” Justin’s voice dripped with mock gratitude. “How kind of you. But before you decide, let me show you something.”
Justin tapped his phone, sending a video.
Moments later, Rafe’s sharp intake of breath was audible through the call. His voice quivered with both fear and rage. “You… You set me up? How could you?”
The video showed Rafe, naked and debauched on a couch, flanked by two unclothed women. If this got out, he’d be ruined.
“You’re exaggerating.”
Justin glanced at Remy, who immediately lowered his gaze. Remy then stepped forward and refilled Justin’s teacup. Justin’s tone was calm, almost amused. “I simply captured your finest moment to remind you that we’re on the same boat.”