Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
Under the dim lighting, Julien vaguely noticed a sorrowful tear forming at the corner of Jonah’s eye. But before it could fall, Jonah forced a blink, swallowing his emotions whole.
Despite Jonah’s attempt to brace himself, sorrow engulfed him, a tidal wave of despair. His features mirrored the devastation ripping through his heart.
As Evan opened the driver’s side door, Julien lurched forward and vomited again. The sickening sound of him retching echoed in the air as if he were expelling everything inside him.
“Judas, Mr. Lovelace looks like he’s suffering from alcohol poisoning. We should take him to the hospital.”
Evan’s worry deepened at Julien’s condition.
Jonah wordlessly removed his suit jacket and began cleaning the mess in the car. His chest tightened painfully as he watched Julien groaning, clearly suffering.
Then, without hesitation, he pulled Julien into his arms.
Jonah knew Julien’s alcohol tolerance. He wasn’t the type to get drunk easily. For him to be this far gone, something must have driven him to the edge.
Something terrible.
“I’m parched… So parched… It’s so warm…”
Julien’s face burned, his gaze growing unfocused. He breathed a warm sigh that brushed Jonah’s skin before his body went slack, sinking into Jonah’s hold.
“Evan, what’s happening? Julien’s burning up!”
Jonah could feel the heat radiating through the skin of Julien’s silk shirt.
“Judas, this isn’t normal.”
Evan, an experienced doctor, studied Julien’s dazed expression. A sudden realization dawned on him. “Someone drugged Mr. Lovelace!”
Jonah’s mind flashed back to the man who had been shamelessly flirting with Julien earlier. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
His hold on Julien tightened.
Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone. The conversation was short, his voice a clipped stream of venom. Minutes later, the man who had targeted Julien was dragged through the back exit of the bar and tossed into the grimy alley like refuse. He was soon swallowed by the darkness, his fate left unspoken but brutally clear.
“Judas, Mr. Lovelace is reaching his limit. We need to get him to the hospital immediately!” Evan exclaimed, his expression frantic.
“No need for that. I’m here.”
Jonah’s collar was rumpled, evidence of Julien’s desperate hold. Additionally, his neck was marked by Julien’s nails, yet Jonah’s gaze remained unchanged, a well of tenderness and unwavering devotion.
“We’re going to KS World Hotel,” Jonah said.
A crescent moon hung in the night sky.
In the still, late hours, Seaview Manor was a place of quietude. Jeremy, his countenance clouded, walked the length of the grand corridor, pausing outside Javier’s study.
He gave a sharp knock, and Javier’s voice, rich and deep, sounded from beyond the door.
Pushing the door open, Jeremy found Javier alone on the couch with a drink in hand.
“Dad, you have high blood pressure. You shouldn’t be drinking like this.”
Jeremy
Jeremy approached, leaning forward to push the half-empty whiskey bottle aside. He lowered his gaze, masking his inner turmoil.
Javier paused, glass still mid-air. When he lifted his gaze, it wasn’t filled with its usual pride. Instead, his eyes were dark, heavy with something unreadable.
Jeremy rarely saw Javier like this. Despite the confusion swirling within him, he held a serious expression. “Why did you summon me at this hour? Is it important?”
“Jeremy…”
Javier took a slow, strained sip. His voice was hoarse and weary. “The board meeting is tomorrow. There’s something you need to know in advance. I won’t change my decision. Justin will remain as Walsh Group’s president.”
His lips parted as if to say more-perhaps an apology. But in the end, pride won. The words never left his mouth. He stifled the pang of guilt, permitting it to silently constrict his heart.
Jeremy’s faze was cold, unreadable. “Dad, I know you’ve always felt guilty about Justin. Now that he’s back, you want to make it up to him. But whatever you do for him should never come at the expense of Walsh Group’s future.
“You always taught me that, remember? I’ve held it close, always. Have you, however, neglected the principles you instilled in me?”
Javier’s jaw tightened, his eyes refusing to meet Jeremy’s.
How could he possibly forget?
Walsh Group was, in essence, Javier’s heart and soul, forged from his own labor.
“Justin set me up, framed me for drug addiction, and bribed my primary physician to give false testimony-all so he could drag me down. The fact that he dared to target me like this means he’s willing to betray anyone.”
Jeremy took a deep breath, forcing down the rage roiling inside him as Javier remained silent.
“Fine. Even if you insist this is just a family matter, Justin’s reputation is already in ruins, and the corporation’s stock prices are fluctuating. Are you really going to stand by him, even now?”
“Justin has explained everything to me. He wasn’t aware of the bribery. That female doctor who worked for him acted on her own. Besides, she’s been arrested. The backlash against Justin will settle in time…”
Jeremy listened, his face unreadable, but his heart clenched painfully. A lump rose in his throat, suffocating him.
He had lost his mother at a young age, but he had never longed for his father’s love. He wasn’t weak, nor did he make demands.
Yet, in this moment, he had just hoped that Javier would take his side for once.
But that day would never come, not even if he died.
“If everything will be made clear tomorrow, why did you feel the need to tell me tonight? Do you think I’m so fragile that I can’t handle a minor blow?”
With a courteous nod, Jeremy concealed the bitter disappointment within him, taking the half-empty whiskey bottle and silently leaving the study.
The moment the door closed, Javier’s carefully constructed fa?ade fell away. His shoulders shook violently as he buried his face in his hands.
A profound sense of defeat overcame him, a heavy weight that stole his breath and left him unable to stand. He had never felt this way before.
When Sophia was sentenced to death, he knew he had failed as a husband. Now, he could no longer deny it¡ªhe had failed as a father, too.
Jeremy was on his way back to his room when he crossed paths with Rory.
“Hello, Mr. Jeremy,” Rory greeted politely.
Jeremy pursed his lips, his eyes cold. “My father seems down. He’s been drinking quite a bit. Check his blood pressure before he turns in.”
Rory was startled. A flicker of something crossed his face before he murmured, “I didn’t expect you to be the one in this family who cares about Mr. Javier the most.”
Jeremy caught the implication but chose not to address it. Instead, he said coolly, “Mr. Odom, you’ve served my father for over 20 years. He trusts you more than he trusts me. Go ahead and speak your mind.”
Rory hesitated before finally gritting his teeth. “Mr. Jeremy, I know your conversation with Mr. Javier didn’t end well tonight. But I hope you won’t hold a grudge against him. He has his own burdens.”
Jeremy’s expression darkened. “What burdens?”
Rory looked pained. In a raspy voice, he replied, “I’m sorry. It’s not my place to share. But I still hope-“
“I’m not holding any grudges against him.” Jeremy met Rory’s gaze squarely. “First, he is the chairman of the corporation-the one who gave me my authority. As his son, I’m also his subordinate. Regarding his decision tonight, all I can say is that I deeply regret it.
“Second, if you had told me this in the past, I might have thought long and hard about it. But power no longer matters to me. More than anything, I just want my father to live a long and healthy life.”
With that, Jeremy curled his lips in a faint, unreadable smile and strode away.
Rory remained frozen in place, fists clenched.
The next morning, following the uproar at the press conference, an emergency board meeting was called at Walsh Group’s headquarters. The agenda was to discuss the countermeasures against the impending crisis. Naturally, Justin, whose reputation was now in tatters, was a key topic of discussion.
sitting at the conference table, Justin smirked as he stared at Jeremy’s empty seat across from him.
So what if public opinion was against him? So what if outsiders speculated about his downfall?
He had already secured the position of president, and he wasn’t about to give it up.
At the head of the table, Javier swept his gaze over the room, his expression unreadable. His eyes flickered toward Jeremy’s vacant chair before he spoke.
“Now that everyone is here, let’s¡ª”
Before he could finish his sentence, the door to the conference room swung open.
Jeremy strode in, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit. His sharp gaze cut through the room, and an oppressive silence fell over the boardroom.
No one dared to meet his eyes.
Jeremy’s arrival plunged the conference room into an uneasy silence, and heavy tension settled over the space.
Justin looked up, his expression a frozen mask. A palpable chill emanated from him.
Javier’s eyes widened in surprise. “Jeremy? What are you doing here?”
“Even though I’m no longer the president of Walsh Group, I remain a shareholder and board member. It’s only natural for me to be here,” Jeremy replied smoothly as he strolled to his seat.
As he passed behind Justin, he abruptly stopped.
Without a moment’s notice, he struck the back of Justin’s chair. The sudden impact made Justin flinch.
“Am I right, Justin?”
Justin’s expression darkened. Forcing a smile, he replied, “As a board member, you have the right to attend, even if you’re no longer involved in operations. There’s no issue.”
“If that’s the case, why wasn’t I informed about this meeting?”
Jeremy lowered himself into his seat, legs slightly parted, exuding an air of indifference. Yet, beneath the nonchalance was an undeniable authority that warned others not to overstep.
Justin offered a small smile. “Then perhaps you should ask your secretary. Why didn’t he notify you of such an important meeting? That level of negligence is unprofessional, wouldn’t you agree?”
The air grew heavier.
Javier’s expression hardened. The longer the meeting was delayed, the harder it would be to dispel the brewing animosity. If they let this drag on, they’d only make a spectacle of themselves.
Clearing his throat, Javier averted his gaze and moved to the agenda.
“The incident at the last press conference had quite an impact on the corporation. While the situation has largely stabilized, I felt it necessary to convene this meeting for a clear explanation.”
He took a deep breath, his usual confidence wavering. In a low voice, he continued, “Although my sons were in direct conflict at the press conference, I believe it was all a misunderstanding.
“Justin and Jeremy are biological brothers. When they were younger, Justin even saved Jeremy’s life. Blood is thicker than water- he would never resort to such underhanded means against his own brother.”
A heavy silence followed.
Justin coughed softly, his gaze cutting across the room to Jeremy, who sat upright and expressionless, as if none of this concerned him.
Justin scoffed. He almost admired how well Jeremy concealed his emotions.
“The authorities have completed their investigation,” Javier said. “It was determined that Justin’s female physician orchestrated the entire situation. She admitted to everything, and Justin had nothing to do with it.”