Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
“I was at work after midnight¡ªafter you went to sleep.”
Blinking, she grabbed his arm, feeling moved by his help. “You could have waited until we woke up.”
“You were stressed out because of Josh Schmidt and Gabe Barrett. I lost sleep because of it¡ªI couldn’t sit back any longer.” He gently caressed her hand.
Noticing his dark eye circles, she felt sorry for him. “You have headaches, remember? You need enough sleep for your health. Are you still going to sacrifice your health and upset me?”
“I just wanted to do my best for you and the people around you.”
As Alyssa remained unhappy, he had to coax her. “It’s all my fault. I’ll listen to you the next time.”
Xavier interjected, “By the way, the Schmidts have taken over the project and reached out to the
Tsulian authorities. Hah! They must be in urgent need for the project.”
“Sigh… That’s a windfall for Josh Schmidt.” Alyssa rolled her fist indignantly. “He’s been on Victor’s wrong side and losing to Jameson because of David and Daisy’s problems. Landing a huge project must be a relief for him.”
Jeremy grinned. “Sometimes, all that glitters is not gold. It might be a problem.”
She lifted her brow in curiosity. “Hm. What do you mean by that?”
“Mr. Walsh spotted a fatal flaw in the Tsulu resort project that Mr. Jonah bagged. He had advised Mr.
Jonah to let go of the project as soon as possible,” Xavier blurted out eagerly.
Shocked, Alyssa questioned, “Jonah isn’t a loser like Josh. He would have noticed any issues from the start. How did he miss that problem?”
“The land auction process in Tsulu is unregulated, unlike in Cyrris.” Jeremy decided to share everything with her, “The resort project is strategically located, but transportation will be a major issue.
“To reach that area, we’ll have to pass through a small village less than a mile away. The village is home to around ten families.
“That village will pose a huge problem for the developer if they ever decide to expand the resort. They’ll even run into trouble just to repair the main road.
“All these potential issues weren’t marked out in the land use plan because the local government was too eager to attract foreign investment.”
Alyssa fumed upon learning that. “How could they? Isn’t that a scam led by the authorities?”
“Madam Alyssa, the land auction process is messed up in Tsulu. Don’t you agree?” Xavier took the opportunity to praise Jeremy to the heavens, “Fortunately, our wise Mr. Walsh brought up the issues to
Mr. Jonah, just in time to turn things around. Mr. Jonah would suffer a greater loss if the construction kicked off.”
“Xavier, are you implying that Jonah isn’t as wise?” Alyssa crossed her arms and directed an imitating gaze at Xavier. The latter tensed up and clarified, “M-Madam, please don’t misunderstand! That wasn’t what I meant!”
“Xavier, watch your mouth.” Jeremy cast a piercing glance in Xavier’s way. “He who talks much errs much. Remember, your bonus…”
Xavier was even more intimidated by Jeremy’s subtle threat on his bonus.
To err was human nature, and the same applied to businessmen. Jeremy wasn’t born with keen business acumen. It was the cumulation of experience from years of running the Walsh Group and making various mistakes along the road.
He was slightly more knowledgeable about Tsulu than Jonah, which happened to be of help.
“I pointed out the problem for Jonah to transfer the land to someone else, but he struggled to find a willing buyer,” Jeremy explained calmly as if he hadn’t done much to help.
More than a willing buyer, they were looking for a victim. To their surprise, they found the perfect victim when they dealt with Sean’s case.
“That’s why you thought of using the project as a peace offering to the Schmidts. Was that why you called up Jonah and had him hurry over with the agreement of transfer at the last minute?” She squinted with a gleam in her eyes.
Jeremy caressed her radiant tresses and remarked, “I can’t hide anything from you at all.”
“Tsk tsk. If you’re not a businessman, you could consider running scam operations. I’m sure you’ll be equally successful.”
Beaming proudly, Jeremy replied, “Well, I did not lie to Josh Schmidt. All I did was to lure him. It was totally up to him to take the bait or not. We had never pressured him into anything. If he truly cared for
David, he could have declined Mr. Jonah’s request for a settlement.”
“Hah! Quit it. Just admit you’re full of tricks. I have goosebumps just looking at you.” She playfully jabbed him in the chest. Then, she added, “Your plan has a few flaws. Josh Schmidt could send his team for an investigation before he officially took over the project.
“At the end of the day, you knew he’d take the bait because he was in a difficult spot in the Schmidt
Group. Plus, he’s impatient and greedy for success. No doubt, he’d walk into the trap when you dangled that carrot in front of him.
“Family does not matter to him. All he cares is to reestablish his reputation. He’s long forgotten about that bastard David Schmidt.”
Jeremy admired the beauty and wits of the woman in front of him. “It’s all psychological warfare.”
“Hah! Josh Schmidt must have thought he won the lottery, but he’s soon going to cry in regret.” Alyssa grinned widely. She was in such a good mood that she reckoned she could eat more.
However, Cyrus’ call immediately dampened the cheerful atmosphere.
He began, “Lyse, I have some bad news. Promise me to keep your calm. You must stay calm!”
Then, Cyrus inhaled sharply and informed her, “Just now, Victor and Josh Schmidt came in and bailed
David out.”
“W-What? Did that bastard walk away scott-free?” bellowed Alyssa.
She left Jeremy’s arms and stood up in shock, nearly giving Mrs. Rosie a heart attack from her sudden yelp.
Jeremy’s expression fell after he overheard Cyrus’ update.
“That’s impossible! Jameson will ensure that he has his enemy crushed. So, how did they manage to bail David out? Is there something wrong with the evidence?” She froze from head to toe and trembled incessantly.
Jeremy quietly stood up and placed a hand on her waist to comfort her.
“We have solid evidence against David, or we wouldn’t have issued a warrant.” Cyrus sounded upset.
“We did not expect the victims to suddenly change their stances. The girls told us that they weren’t sexually assaulted. They said they willingly had intercourse with that bastard. The same goes for the two minors.”
“How is that possible? Why didn’t they mention it until now?” Worried, Alyssa pleaded, “Cyrus, something’s off. The police must look into it!”
“Of course, something’s off. We all know that. I even sent a few experienced policewomen to talk to the girls, but it was of no use. The victims had decided to withdraw the lawsuit,” Cyrus explained with a sigh.
“Mr. Walsh, Madam Alyssa, it’s on the news!” Xavier waved his phone anxiously.
Jeremy instructed, “Show it to me.”
Xavier played the video, which captured Josh at a press conference in front of the police station.
“Fuck! This prick sure is busy, isn’t he?” Xavier seethed at Josh’s fakeness. “Is Josh Schmidt a mop, cleaning up one mess after another for the Schmidt Group?”
Alyssa and Walsh stared squarely at the screen while holding hands tightly.
Facing the media, Josh seemed aggrieved. “Ladies and gentlemen, if my brother were a rapist, we couldn’t have successfully bailed him out. This shows that he has been framed.
“Someone is trying to drag my family’s name through the mud! Rest assured that I will look to the bottom of this. I can’t have my brother unfairly accused.”
“Look into the bottom of this? He’s paying lip service.” Xavier was angry and snarky.
“He has no choice but to put on an act when the world’s watching.” Alyssa seethed, unknowingly digging her fingernails into Jeremy’s palm out of rage.
It hurt, but Jeremy didn’t mind. At that moment, he was filled with sympathy for Alyssa. How he wished he could offer her a peaceful life, but once in a while, troubles would surface and shatter his hope.
“But Mr. Schmidt, two of your brother’s victims are minors!” A reporter grumbled persistently. “Even if they retract the lawsuit, it doesn’t change the fact that he engaged in immoral activities involving minors! He should be publicly condemned!”
“The two minors dressed up skimpily like adults. They even lied about their age when they approached
David and got him into legal trouble. So, who’s the immoral one now?” Josh snickered.
He argued further, “David had no idea they were minors, or he wouldn’t have thrown away his future by getting involved in them.
“The Schmidt family is prestigious and wealthy. I understand the desire of some girls to social climb.
But when it comes to minors, shouldn’t their parents be held responsible for their actions? Why do we have to take responsibility for parental negligence?”
“Damn it! His argument is a red herring!” Alyssa was filled with resentment.