Filed to story: The Hidden Queen: My Husband’s Mistress Ruined My Empire (Serena & Christian) Book PDF Free
Timothy was silent for a moment. “That seems rather lonely,” he said at last.
“No” my voice was harsh and angry “What’s lonely is having somebody leave you for somebody they believe is wealthier. Money is all it takes for somebody to show their true colors.”
Christian POV
“You didn’t really mean that you would have her fired if she didn’t hurry up and sign the divorce papers did you?” I asked Lexi as we walked into her family home, Lexi’s expression petulant.
“Of course I did,” she said icily, looking at me incredulously “You heard my grandfather. He wants us to announce our engagement as soon as possible. The longer she takes, the angrier he’s going to be with me. Besides, why do you care?” she asked, flipping her hair over her shoulder and casting me a sidelong glance “don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts about this marriage Christian,” she said sharply as I sat down in the living room with her “I’ve already picked out the dress I want and started the guest list.”
Already? It felt like there was a noose around my neck choking me. I struggled to come up with an excuse, some reason for my hesitation but her mother Karen came walking in, her heels clacking loudly on the floor.
“Darling,” she said sweetly, kissing her daughter on both cheeks as Lexi became distracted by her mother’s presence.
“Mother,” Lexi said, relaxing as her mother joined her on the couch “How is grandfather today?” she said in a hushed whisper.
Karen rolled her eyes. “The old fart has been on a tangent today. He’s in a right mood” she said huffily “All because I accidentally broke a vase that was sentimental to him. It was ugly anyhow” she said raising a brow and sounding unapologetic “he should be thanking me for getting rid of that atrocity.”
“It was not an atrocity, it was one my wife made and it meant a lot to me” barked the grandfather, storming into the room and glowering at everyone.
Karen wisely zipped her mouth shut. The grandfather eyed her with contempt. I wished I could get up and leave, but the grandfather set his eyes on us next.
“So how did it go? Are the papers signed and filed?” he asked tersely, sitting down and staring at Lexi with a fierce scowl on his face.
Oh boy. Lexi shook her head, frowning “She refused to sign the papers without having a lawyer look at them first” she said angrily, waving her hands around dramatically.
Instead of looking angry, her grandfather smiled. “Good, she’s smart then, unlike you,” he said, looking at me disapprovingly “And you,” he said cuttingly to Lexi “an intelligent woman who is using her brain and you wish to tear her down?” he shook his head “if only you had half the wits this woman is exhibiting.”
Lexi pursed her lips. “You could act as though you care” she shot at the old man.
He guffawed “I’m not the one who had an affair and then got it plastered all over the newspapers. Don’t expect me to be sorry for you, simply because you are my granddaughter. You expect everything to come easily to you, or for others to do the work. This time you’re going to have to and it must pain you” he said shaking his head.
“You’re the one who wants the papers signed immediately” Lexi griped.
“I still do” the grandfather snapped “but I appreciate a woman who isn’t cowed into signing something without looking it over. You would do well to learn that same lesson” he added with disdain.
“Look, Serena is a reasonable woman, I’m sure it will only be a matter of a day or two before she signs the papers” I interjected, trying to bring some calm to the situation.
The grandfather’s bushy eyebrows rose “Reasonable?” he said with a sneer “I’m quite sure that reasonable went out the window when you cheated on her.”
I swallowed hard and said nothing. The grandfather eyes us all, his eyes resting on his daughter-in-law who stiffened. “I rue the day my son married you,” he said with disgust, “he too cheated on his first wife, with the likes of you. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” he grunted, shaking his head at his granddaughter who stiffened “like mother, like daughter,” he said contemptuously.
“Your son loved me,” Karen said irritably.
“My son was a fool” the old man sniffed “too blind to see past your beauty and the exterior to see what was underneath.”
Karen gasped in outrage, while Lexi put a hand to her mouth.
“How dare you” Karen stammered, “I did everything I could to make your son happy,” she said indignantly.
“Wrong. You did everything you could to get your hands on his money you miserable harpy” the old man said sharply.
Karen tightened her lips. She looked away, her face flushed in embarrassment. I felt uncomfortable. It was clear to see how much contempt this old man had for not only his daughter-in-law but his own granddaughter. Rumour had it, he didn’t like his grandson much either though. Not that I had ever met the grandson.
I cleared my throat “With all due respect sir, I am in love with Lexi, and I fully intend to marry her. I acknowledge that we could have gone about this better” I said, as the old man fixed his beady eyes on me, narrowing them “and I take full responsibility for the scandal in the newspapers. Lexi and I should have been discreet or waited until I divorced my wife first.”
“Yes, you should have” the old man snapped “As it stands, I still need to have an engagement party for the two of you. If you don’t have this sorted by the end of the week, I will be choosing my grandson to take over the family company instead of the requirements I have in place.”
“Grandfather you promised that it would go to…”
“The first person to marry and provide me an heir,” the grandfather said loudly “I haven’t forgotten. I’m not old and senile” he barked at her as she widened her eyes “but I’m displeased with the way you are handling this whole mess and the way you are dragging down the infamous Vance Name. You have no shame” he hissed, his jaw quivering with rage.
“I’ll get it done,” Lexi said frantically “Don’t change the terms grandfather. That wouldn’t be fair”
“Yes, give her a chance to right her wrong” Karen pleaded on her daughter’s behalf “Don’t penalize Lexi just because you’re angry Grandfather” she begged.
“Hmmph” he muttered, “what would any of you know about fair?” he demanded frostily, getting to his feet and glaring at the lot of us.
