Filed to story: The Hidden Queen: My Husband’s Mistress Ruined My Empire (Serena & Christian) Book PDF Free
I nodded, as Knox grabbed me and placed me on his lap “I know that I should be angry and I should be filled with rage” I said biting my lip “but I can’t help but mourn and give as well. I wanted so badly to be the perfect wife for him and when I found out he was cheating, my first thought was that there was something wrong with me, some flaw that had made him go looking for someone else.”
“Nonsense” Rachel barked, her eyes blazing fiercely “You are perfect Serena, exactly as you are. Any man would have been proud to have you as a wife. Christian has no idea how lucky he was to have you in his life, let alone as his wife. It’s his loss but don’t you dare question what was wrong with you, because the answer is nothing” she snarled.
Knox stared at Rachel approvingly. He took out a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and tenderly wiped my eyes. “Your friend is right,” he said gently “Baby sister, I have always loved you and so has Ian. There is nothing we wouldn’t do for you. Father is going to be angry, but not at you. You have always been his favorite,” he said fondly, without anger in his voice “his little princess. If anything he will be glad to welcome you home” he said.
He gave me the handkerchief. Knox’s gaze sharpened “If you would like, I could have the story pulled?” he offered.
I knew he had the power to do that. One phone call and the scandal would be toast. I hesitated. If I said yes, then Lexi’s name and reputation would remain the same as it was before. But did she deserve to have her name stricken from the record so to speak? Did she deserve to go unpunished for her actions?
“Lexi knew the consequences of going after a married man and she did it anyway,” I said dully “If anything I want the story to focus on the fact that she’s not an innocent victim and that her actions pertained to the slap.”
Knox grinned and grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket as I moved slightly so he could get a hold of it. He began to text at a furious pace while I stared out the window, watching the city leaving behind us.
“That’s my girl,” Rachel said with a smile “Don’t let that spoilt b***h off the hook. If anything Christian will suffer too, maybe even lose some business at his law firm.”
I hadn’t thought of that. A look of immense satisfaction came over my face as I mulled that over. “It’s not enough” I whispered as Knox began to put his phone back in his pocket and Rachel looked at me confused “It’s not nearly enough.”
“What’s not enough?” Knox asked tenderly, smoothing my hair back from my forehead and gazing into my eyes.
“I want Christian and Lexi to be ruined,” I said quietly “and I don’t care how I have to go about it. I’m going to ruin their lives” I added as Rachel began to nod and Knox’s eyes narrowed “and they’re not even going to see it coming. By the time they realize who I really am, it will be far too late.”
Christian’s POV
By the time we managed to leave the club, Lexi was a mess and still seething from the slap. “I can’t believe that little b***h touched me like that” she spat out, as we headed out the door, Lexi staggering slightly in her heels.
I made a move to steady her and she glared at me, while I clenched my jaw. Was she blaming me for what happened? It was Lexi’s temper that had gotten Serena to slap her in the first place! If she had left well enough alone, or just kept quiet, she would have been fine. She didn’t need to interfere like she had.
“Never mind Lexi,” I said tightly and she gasped, swinging her head to stare at me outraged.
“Never mind,” she said shrilly, her high-pitched tone piercing my ears and making me wince “your ex-wife just assaulted me and that’s all you can say?” she shrieked “is never mind?”
“What exactly do you want me to say?” I asked coolly “you stepped in and provoked her. I had everything under control.”
I was vehemently aware of the reporters coming out of the club and so was Lexi, because although her eyes were blazing, I saw her bite her lip and keep silent, stomping towards the limousine as the driver hastily opened the door for her.
I hurried to help her inside and then got in myself, breathing a sigh of relief as the driver shut the door, preventing the reporters from seeing or hearing anything else. Lexi was still pouting, her ruby-red lips pursed in a most unbecoming manner. “Do you have any idea how humiliated I am?” she hissed.
I had a fairly good idea. I gazed at her with a small degree of sympathy, even as I fought the flash of admiration washing over me in regards to Serena. Our whole marriage Serena had come across as meek and subservient and now, she had just shown a side of her I had never seen before. Had all of her submissive side been an act? Why? I frowned and Lexi reached over and grabbed me by the hand.
“Christian, don’t you understand? Grandfather is going to be pissed when the papers hit the stands tomorrow” she cried pitifully.
I blinked and focussed on her. “Will your brother help you?” I asked again and she looked mutinous and gave a bitter laugh.
“Grayson, help” she sneered “he hates me. He would rather see me suffer than step in and help me. As if it’s my fault that my father divorced his mother and married mine.”
I viewed her skeptically. I felt there was more to the story than just that but Lexi avoided my eyes.
“I don’t know what you want me to do then Lexi. I hardly have the power to demand the newspapers don’t run the story. Why don’t you try using your name to get them to stop?”
She deflated. “Grandfather and Grayson are the only ones who have the authority to prevent the newspapers from running the story. If I involve my grandfather then he’s going to be even more furious than he is with me already.”
I sighed. “Maybe the papers will focus more on Serena who hit you then on you” I suggested with optimism, making Lexi perk up and smile.
“Of course, why didn’t I think of that? Serena is a nobody, so she’s bound to draw more interest than me. Plus I’m certain they didn’t hear the reason as to why she slapped me” she said with hope “I bet they villionise her instead!”
She settled back against the seats, looking far more cheerful. I wanted to shake my head at her. She was like a child sometimes. I couldn’t help comparing her to Serena, who was so even tempered and sweet. It made me scowl. Why was I thinking of my soon to be ex-wife, when I had a gorgeous heiress in front of me, with a fortune at her fingertips, ready to grant me my every wish as soon as I married her? I needed to stop being so damn nostalgic. Serena understood my ambitions to be a powerful lawyer and make it up in the world. It had never been a secret, but even I had to admit that she could have found out about Lexi in a different way that was less hurtful. I had owed her that at least, but Lexi was vicious, wanting Serena to find out in the most embarrassing way she could envision. She had grown tired of waiting for me to ask for a divorce and had engineered a way for it to happen.
“Where are we going?” I asked evenly, as the limousine drove through the large city, staring out the window, lost in contemplation.
Lexi drew her brows together. “We’re going back to the family home of course” she said a little annoyed “you can hardly expect me to deal with grandfather myself can you? At least with you there, he’s going to have to reign in his temper somewhat” she said with a grimace “although I doubt it’s going to be much.”
Great. But Lexi wasn’t finished yet “when are you going to send the divorce papers to Serena?” she demanded icily “and get them signed? I want to be able to inform grandfather that we plan on getting married and soon. Besides” she added meaningfully “it’s been over six months since we’ve gotten together Christian and I’ve waited long enough.”
“Six months is not a long time Lexi, by any stretch” I countered back, smoothing my shirt “and I will send the divorce papers out in due time” I added, causing her to glower at me.
“I want them sent out Christian” she snapped “I refuse to be kept waiting. I want a ring on my finger and I want to be wed. The sooner you and that b***h Serena get divorced, the better. Then I can finally get my hands on the company my grandfather refuses to hand over.”
