Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
Alyssa, on the verge of hysteria, fought back tears. Her mind raced, trying to comprehend how a seemingly innocent date had turned into a nightmare. Who dared to kidnap Lauren right under Cyrus’ watch?
“Landon said Sylvia went to Primrose Manor to discuss her divorce with Preston, only to stumble upon Preston and his secretary handling Mr. Harper Senior’s body,” Jeremy explained, holding Alyssa’s hand. His gaze was grave.
“I can’t fathom how someone could murder their own father for money. Preston doesn’t even deserve a place in hell!” Alyssa seethed with anger.
“Sylvia was being pursued by Preston’s men and had no choice but to seek out Landon. She even offered the evidence of Preston killing Bill as a bargaining chip for Landon’s protection. They were all looking out for their own interests. None of them deserves our sympathy!”
Alyssa gripped Jeremy’s hand tightly, shaking her head in anguish. “I always thought Landon had it all, being the eldest grandson in the Harper family¡ªmust have been more blessed than anyone, with love from his mother and grandfather. But it seems I was mistaken. Every family has its struggles. He just never shared his with us.”
Jeremy’s voice was heavy with pain as he spoke, “Landon told me more than once… Since his father passed away, his happiest days were the ones he spent with Lauren. She taught him that he could love like any normal man. Lauren taught him how to love.”
Tears streamed down Alyssa’s face as the weight of his words settled in. A choked sob escaped her lips. “Lauren will be alright. They’ll be together.”
Jeremy held her tightly, his expression grim. “Yes, they will.”
“Sean, how much farther to the western suburbs?” Alyssa asked, her voice tinged with anxiety as she regained her composure.
“The navigation app says there’s road construction ahead, so we’ll need to take a detour. Even driving at full speed, it’ll still take us about 20 minutes,” Sean replied, his fingers white-knuckled on the steering wheel, a sheen of sweat forming on his forehead.
“Lauren isn’t there?”
Jeremy and Alyssa’s hearts sank at Angelina’s words.
“She’s not here! I’ve combed the place, but there’s no sign of her,” Angelina choked out, her voice thick with emotion.
Alyssa maintained her composure, speaking gently to Angelina. “Angelina, it’s okay. You did your best in a difficult situation. Now, tell me everything from the beginning. Who informed you about Lauren’s kidnapping and directed you to the abandoned factory in the western suburbs?”
“Mr. Cyrus and I were hot on the kidnappers’ trail, but we were intercepted by the man who previously abducted Lauren!” Angelina recounted.
“It’s him again!” Alyssa’s heart hammered against her ribs. Lauren’s enigmatic portrait, a doppelganger for Damien, taunted her memory.
“I was outmatched, so Cyrus decided to stall the man while I went to rescue Lauren,” Angelina continued, her tone filled with frustration. “But the man had a female accomplice.
“She fought me and deliberately let me stab her, severely injuring herself. After that, she provided me with Madam Lauren’s location and urged me to save her. I thought she was on our side, but it was a trap.
“She diverted my attention so that she could have a clear shot at Mr. Cyrus. I feel so foolish, Ms. Alyssa. I’m so useless!”
“Angelina, Cyrus is fine. He is leading his team over to you as we speak. Don’t worry, and don’t blame yourself,” Jeremy reassured her, his voice calm and steady.
Alyssa’s heart pounded. A new thought struck her, prompting her to ask, “How did this woman look like?”
“She wore a mask, but her eyes left a deep impression on me.” Angelina said firmly, “They looked like yours.”
“I understand,” Alyssa breathed a sigh of relief, her body finally relaxing. “Angelina, she’s a friend of ours, but for her safety, I can’t reveal her identity to you. However, I trust that what she told you is reliable.”
Jeremy, piecing together the conversation, understood who the mystery woman was. A deep frown creased his forehead, a shadow of concern clouding his features.
Why couldn’t I find Madam Lauren then?” Angelina’s voice crackled with panic over the phone.
Renewed determination ignited in Alyssa’s eyes. They narrowed, sharp as a hawk’s as she clenched her fists. “Perhaps she didn’t hear everything, but I’m confident Lauren is nearby. The abandoned factory is isolated. There aren’t any houses or buildings for miles. A thorough search should reveal something.”
“Alright, I’ll look again!” Angelina replied urgently.
The call ended, and both Alyssa and Jeremy spoke at the same time. “Jameson!”
Jameson was the mastermind behind both incidents. It made sense how Preston had such a powerful accomplice¡ªthe killer was working for Jamiper!
Jameson was pulling the strings. He used Preston to pressure Cornelius into surrendering his assets, destroying Landon, and bringing down the Harper Group, all for his own gain.
But what sent shivers down Alyssa’s spine was the realization that Jameson knew about Damien’s appearance, having grown up with the Taylors. Yet, he still used the resemblance to hurt her and Jeremy’s loved ones. It was a level of diabolical cunning that left Alyssa speechless.
Alyssa was deep in thought. Meanwhile, Jeremy’s gaze burned with a fierce determination. “He hurt my sister and my best friend. Jameson won’t get away with this. I’ll destroy him!”
“No, Jameson can’t get wind of this!” Alyssa frowned, her grip tightening on Jeremy’s shoulder. “Think about it¡ªif he finds out we’re onto him, who’s in the crosshairs?”
Jeremy met her gaze, understanding dawning in his eyes. “Amber.”
“Amber helped Axel escape the Millennium and provided intel that brought Josh down. This time, she’d risked everything to tell us about Lauren. She’s clearly switched sides and become our ally.
“Confronting Jameson would put Amber in the line of fire. He’s ruthless, and wouldn’t hesitate to kill Amber just to vent!”
Jeremy’s jaw clenched, a heavy weight settling in his chest. He pulled Alyssa close, his voice a low murmur against her hair. “You’re too compassionate, Lyse. Unwilling to hurt anyone who’s helped us, even a little.”
“Anyone with a conscience wouldn’t stand by while Jameson does what he does,” Alyssa countered, a bitter edge to her voice. “There must be a reason she follows him.” Despite the bitterness, her gaze remained resolute. “As long as there’s a spark of goodness in her, I’m determined to nurture it.”
Lauren remained woozy from being drugged, her face swollen from Freddy’s brutal assault.
Freddy and the man in the blue suit callously dragged her out of the room, tossing her onto the ground without a shred of mercy. She hit the hard floor with a thud, her frail body curling into a ball as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Disheveled and battered, she lay there in tattered clothes, yet there was a fragile beauty in her brokenness, like a cracked piece of glass reflecting a desolate elegance.
Two other men, mere spectators, watched with rapt attention, their lust evident in their hungry stares.
The woman in the red dress sneered in disdain and jealousy. “You all used to despise her so much in school. What’s changed? Have you suddenly acquired a taste for her?”
“She wasn’t a woman back then. Who would have thought she’d blossom into such a beauty now? Any man would be captivated by her,” one of the men in a white casual attire smirked wickedly.
“Landon has good taste. No wonder he lost interest in other women once rumors spread that he found her. If I had a woman like her, I wouldn’t bother looking elsewhere. And she’s so dumb. A woman should be dumb for easy manipulation,” another man added with a sigh.
The woman in the red dress coldly glared at him. “Oh, do you plan on marrying her, Mr. Wood, since you seem so enamored with her?”
Mason Wood recoiled. “Absolutely not! My father would kill me if he knew I married someone crazy. Lauren struggled to open her swollen eyelids. Her face was white as a sheet. She felt as though her body was on the verge of collapse.
Suddenly, she noticed two figures approaching her.
A mocking laugh echoed above her. “Look who is here to see you, Lauren.”
It was Zoe’s voice.
With a Herculean effort, Lauren forced her eyelids open, a sliver of recognition piercing through the haze of pain. Her throat felt constricted. She managed to rasp out, “B-Betty Walsh.”
“How rude of you to use my full name,” Betty snapped, glaring at her before delivering a kick. “Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to come back to Solana City? Do you know how miserable I was overseas? Tonight’s a rare chance for us to meet. We should catch up and set the record straight.”
Lauren’s gaze locked onto Betty’s hideous face, her eyes now ablaze with defiance. The lifelessness that had marred her eyes after the torture was replaced with a fierce emotion that only fueled Betty’s anger further.
“Don’t you dare look at me like that, you stupid bitch!” Betty spat, her eyes flashing with fury, eager to deliver another kick to Lauren before Zoe intervened.
“That’s enough. Save your anger for later,” Zoe admonished Betty, halting her aggression.
Mason let out a lazy yawn, breaking the tension. “Zoe, what’s the point of dragging us all the way to this godforsaken place from different corners of the world? Couldn’t you have chosen a more decent venue for our reunion?”
Freddy shot him a cold glance. “Could you have witnessed this anywhere else? After all these years, you still sound like a spoiled brat.”
“Damn it, you little piece of¡ª”
Mason wanted to cuss Freddy out, but the woman in the red dress stopped him with a shake of her head.
While the Hodgsons had gained power in the political scene in Solana City, these wealthy individuals lacked any semblance of moral integrity; all they knew was to ingratiate.
“Zoe, enough with the games. Why did you bring us here?” the man in the blue suit queried impatiently.
Zoe ignored him, her movements deliberate as she approached a dusty piano in the corner. Lifting the lid, she revealed keys that looked as pristine as the day they were made. She then ran her fingers across the keys, eliciting an eerie melody that echoed through the empty room.
Lauren, her body wracked with tremors, curled into a fetal position. Tears streamed down her face, a mask of terror and despair contorting her features. She bit down on her lip so hard it bled, but the horrific memories flooded back with a vengeance.
Lauren was often bullied by the group in the abandoned music room in the past, and Zoe would play the piano to accompany the cruel act with music. The physical and mental abuse had deeply traumatized Lauren, exacerbating her psychological condition and even causing her to feel an inexplicable fear whenever she heard a piano piece.
“I gathered you all here because it’s been too long since we’ve seen each other. I’ve missed you guys,” Zoe declared, flicking her tidy brown curls and offering a fake smile as she charmingly addressed the group. “But I also have another reason for bringing you here¡ªto find out which one of you made the mistake of betraying me.”
Her words sent a ripple of confusion through the group.
The woman in the red dress laughed incredulously. “Zoe, where on earth did you hear such nonsense?”
With a scoff, Zoe retrieved her phone and played a video from ten years ago, showing her cornering Lauren and slapping her continuously while laughing; this was the video Preston used to threaten her.
“I remember all of you being there, so I suggest you’d better come clean now.” However, silence filled the room.
