Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
“There is no need for that. She wants to try giving her all for her daughter. Just let her be.”
The look in Landon’s eyes was calm. In a sharp and icy voice, he continued, “It’s her responsibility as her mother.”
It was in the wee hours of the morning. Landon hadn’t gone home to rest. Instead, he rushed to the hospital to visit Lauren.
In the quiet corridor, Jeremy and Julien were discussing Lauren’s condition. Jeremy pulled Landon aside the moment he spotted him.
“I heard the news from Cyrus. Preston was murdered in the hospital. Was it your doing?”
“Yes,” Landon answered bluntly in the face of his best friend.
“That was too risky. This is murder. Although Preston deserves to die, you would only become embroiled in bigger troubles by doing this!”
Jeremy placed his hands down on Landon’s shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “What use would it be if the revenge would cost you your own life? Even if you’re not putting yourself into consideration, you should also keep Lauren in mind.
“Angelina has lost her life. How is Lauren going to live on if something bad happens to you too?”
Landon’s throat felt dry. Tears welled up in his eyes.
“Preston is now dead. The authorities will surely see you as the primary suspect because you have enough motive.”
Jeremy took a deep breath. Decisively, he said, “I will come up with a way for you to resolve it with the police. All you need to do is to deny it all the way. I will handle the rest.”
“I’m sorry, Jeremy. It was me. I was the one who hurt Lauren…”
Landon slumped forward and rested his forehead on Jeremy’s shoulder. He had been putting up a strong front. He was finally taking off his armor in front of Jeremy and revealing the fragile side of himself.
Landon bawled his eyes out like a young child. Drops of his tears made Jeremy’s suit wet.
Jeremy’s heart was pained. He gently patted Landon. “I don’t blame you, Landon. I have never blamed you. Stay strong. You have Lyse and me. There’s also Jonah and Julien. We are all standing by you.”
“I. I want to visit Lauren.”
In the hospital ward, Lauren’s frail body lay on the white hospital bed, an oxygen mask covering her face. She was hooked up to a heart monitor, which displayed her weak heartbeat.
Landon sat by the bedside, lifting Lauren’s bruised hand and gently pressing it to his cheek. He rubbed her hand tenderly against his cheek before placing a delicate kiss on her palm.
This was also how he typically showed her affection. He treated her like an incredibly fragile and precious object, guarding her with unwavering devotion.
He had cared for her diligently, yet those monsters had mercilessly ravaged his beloved, dragging her through the mire and shattering her.
“Lauren, I’m right here. Open your eyes and look at me, will you?” he implored, tears welling in his eyes, his lips quivering with emotion. “Wake up… Don’t leave me alone.”
In the end, he remained seated like that until daybreak.
Early the next day, Javier, accompanied by Rory, arrived to visit Lauren.
Jeremy was sitting outside the hospital ward. He hadn’t slept all night. A conflicted look came across his eyes when he saw Javier, but he stood up anyway.
“Have you been sitting here all night without sleeping?” Javier was surprised to see the dark circles beneath Jeremy’s eyes.
Jeremy replied coldly, “Yeah. I wasn’t sleepy.”
Javier frowned. “How is that possible? It has been four days, hasn’t it? The longest someone can go without sleep is seven days. You could end up dying a sudden death!” he blurted.
Javier’s and Jeremy’s eyes met. The atmosphere was awkward between them.
Jeremy’s eyes widened slightly. He couldn’t believe that Javier was expressing concern for him, and it sounded genuine.
Jeremy wasn’t used to that.
Javier blinked and cleared his throat. “I had Rory buy some breakfast. You haven’t eaten, have you? Here, have something to eat.”
Rory was carrying two boxes of takeout. He placed them on the chair immediately.
“I’ve included a portion for Cornelius. Bring it over to him later. He’s a picky eater, and he said that the hospital food tastes bland. He specified that he wanted pancakes and such. I don’t understand what’s so tasty about pancakes that he never gets enough of it.”
Javier paused. Then, he added in a casual tone, “I heard that Alyssa was also here all night. I got breakfast for her too. Let’s eat together.”
Jeremy thought that he had misheard. He stared at Javier and asked, “What did you say?”
Javier coughed before explaining, “She has been helping out a lot since that incident with Lauren. She even hired a doctor from Mosgravia to check up on Lauren.”
Javier pressed his lips together. The look on his face was as prideful as usual. “Although I don’t really like her, she did help my daughter. So, I should show her my gratitude.”
Jeremy was stunned. He had mixed feelings about what Javier had said and didn’t know how to respond.
Rory noticed all these and smiled slightly.
It was probably a blessing in disguise. It was as if Javier and Jeremy were starting to get along better than before.
Javier looked through the glass window and noticed the figure of a man. “Who’s inside?” he asked in curiosity.
“That’s Landon.”
“That’s Landon?” Javier was shocked. “Why does his hair look so different?”
Rory looked in the same direction too. Although Landon was young, his hair had turned grayish-white.
It broke his heart to see him like that.
“Many things have been happening in his family. Lauren is also badly hurt. His hair started turning white after all the anguish he had to go through.” A lump rose in Jeremy’s throat; he couldn’t bear to take another look at Landon.
Javier was shocked. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, yet he couldn’t deny the evidence before him.
Just then, Landon trudged out of the room. He felt remorseful and out of place when he noticed that Javier was there. He kept his head down and didn’t dare to look him in the eye. “Sorry for intruding, Mr. Javier. I’ll be leaving now.”
But before he could walk away, Javier grabbed his arm. “Rory, go and get Mr. Landon some breakfast and bring it over here immediately.”
Landon felt touched. He gazed at Javier, gratitude evident in his eyes. Though he opened his mouth to speak, words eluded him, leaving him in a momentary silence.
Jeremy, standing nearby, watched with surprise, his expression softening into a relieved smile.
“Got it, Mr. Javier. I’ll see to it right away!” Rory answered with a smile.
Rory was about to leave when Landon stopped him. “There is no need to trouble yourselves. I still have a lot of work to do. Thank you for your kind thought, Mr. Javier.”
Upon hearing that, Javier decided not to impose. He nodded slightly and offered a quiet piece of advice. “Much has happened in your family recently. It must be an immense burden to bear alone. But don’t forget to take care of yourself too. Lauren is my only daughter. If you crumble, so will her world.”
Days of exhaustion and helplessness weighed heavily on Landon. His body bore the scars of reality’s harshness. At this moment, he was filled with a sense of warmth that he hadn’t felt in a while.
His chest tightened with emotion as he met Javier’s gaze. In a voice roughened by fatigue but filled with determination, he affirmed, “For Lauren’s sake, I will endure, no matter how arduous the path. You have my word.”
Jeremy had his hand around Landon’s shoulders as they made their way to the parking lot.
“Congratulations, Landon.” Jeremy beamed; his smile was akin to the bright sun emerging after a storm. “It seems like Dad is more accepting of you now. After this dangerous encounter, I think he has come around and is not as repulsed by you.”
Although barely discernible, an awkward smile briefly flitted across Landon’s face. “Thanks for trying to comfort me, Jeremy. But I know where I stand.”
Jeremy observed the dim spark in his eyes and felt a pang of guilt. Landon, once vibrant and flamboyant, now seemed weighed down by regret and inferiority, particularly regarding his relationship with Lauren. It was as if he could no longer love someone with the same arrogance and passion as before.
The current version of Landon reminded Jeremy of the time when he had desperately pursued the opportunity to watch over Alyssa. Having weathered his own storms, Jeremy was determined to shield Landon from further hardship.
“Have some confidence, Landon. You’ve done nothing wrong,” Jeremy reassured, firmly patting him on the shoulder. “Javier may no longer have a say in your relationship with Lauren, despite him being Lauren’s father. Even so, Lauren would be happier if Javier were to give his blessings to the both of you.
“Plus, in the future, he will likely support Harper Group for the sake of his only daughter, making your journey as the family head smoother.
“However, in Lyse’s words, Javier is a prick. No matter how much recognition he may have for someone deep down, he would never admit it. But the way he interacted with you today was unprecedented.
“Don’t worry. You and Lauren have been through fire; nothing and no one can separate the both of you again.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Both Landon and Jeremy whipped their heads around, stunned.
“Mr. Axel?”
“Axel?”
