Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
The white roses slipped from his arms, scattering their petals on the ground.
A piercing screech echoed as the car screeched to a halt just three feet away.
Julien’s chest heaved with rapid breaths, cold sweat beading on his forehead. Once the initial shock subsided, he cautiously opened his eyes.
The door of the black car swung open, and a man in dark attire stepped out. He had a well-sculpted face and an air of menace that followed him as he walked toward Julien, each step measured.
“You… You’re…” Julien stuttered. He stared fixedly at this man who looked familiar to him.
The stranger stopped, stepping on a white rose petal. He bent down and picked up the greeting card that had fallen from the bouquet. With icy eyes, he glanced at the delicate handwriting on it.
It read, “Although the world holds countless beautiful things, you are the most precious. Like an eternal flame, I will love you till my last breath. Jonah, happy birthday.”
The man scoffed. “What a joke. More than that, it’s pathetic.”
His condescending smirk made Julien’s skin crawl.
“Give it back to me!” Anger surged within Julien, and his face turned completely red. He reached out to snatch it from the man, but he easily avoided him.
“Is Jonah that great? Why do you love him so much?”
“That’s none of your business. Who the heck are you?” Julien gritted out.
The man smirked. “We’ve crossed paths before, back in Bernardia.”
Julien froze. Recognition and alarm spread through him. “Who are you? Did you follow me to Solana City?” ‘It’s simple. Come with me if you want to know who I am. I’ll fill you in then.” The man’s gaze lingered on Julien’s striking face. “Don’t worry, I promise I won’t hurt you.”
“No. It’s Jonah’s birthday tonight. Whoever you are, nothing will stop me from being with him.”
Julien knelt to retrieve the bouquet of roses, gently brushing away the dust that had settled on the velvety petals.
As he turned to leave, the man spoke again, I know everything about Jonah-things about him that you’ll never discover.”
He cocked his head and smirked. “Dr. Lovelace, aren’t you even a tad curious?’
Jonah? There was a mystery surrounding Jonah?
Every word was like a blooming poppy, drawing Julien in, tempting him to the point where it was difficult to resist. But that was only because of how deeply he loved Jonah.
And that love was the chink in Julien’s armor, leaving him vulnerable to manipulation.
In the end, Julien wavered. In a heavy voice, he asked, “How long will this take? I need to go home to celebrate my lover’s birthday.’
“It’ll be quick.”
Uri Holland shut his gloomy eyes. He turned to his side and slipped a hand into his pocket. He gestured to Julien. ‘Let’s take my car. This way.”
As the black vehicle sped through the dark winter night, colorful lights flashed past them on both sides. Seated in the passenger seat, Julien held onto that bouquet of white roses in his arms as he gazed out the window with a restless, doubtful expression.
As Uri drove, he glanced at Julien’s strikingly handsome, almost ethereal face as he drove, his gaze unreadable. “What’s your name?” Julien asked, trying to gather some sense of security from the man’s identity. Not knowing anything left him uneasy.
Uri directed his gaze away from Julien and looked straight ahead. Tightening his grasp on the steering wheel, he answered, “My name is Uri Holland. Spelled U-R-I.”
Julien mentally repeated the name. Then, he asked, “You know Jonah? How did you guys meet? Do you have a grudge against him? Or is it some kind of resentment?’
Uri did not look at him again or answer any of his questions.
An hour later, the black car pulled into a deserted courtyard and stopped in front of an abandoned villa.
Despite its state of disrepair, Julien could see the villa’s potential-it could be a beautiful house if cared for. Its retro Sedonian design immediately caught his eye.
Uri was quite a gentleman. He got out of the car before Julien and opened the car door for him.
In truth, Julien felt a twinge of regret, but at this point, it seemed too late to turn back.
Uri walked ahead without a word while Julien followed behind. Curious, he asked, “Where are we?”
Uri stopped briefly, his voice cold. “Didn’t Jonah ever mention that he has a house here?”
Julien’s eyes dimmed. Shocked, he exclaimed, “Are you saying that this house is Jonah’s? Why did he abandon this place then?”
Uri clenched his teeth as he pushed open the heavy door to the villa. “Because a particular incident happened, and he decided that this place no longer meant anything to him.”
Inside, the furniture was draped in white cloth. The air was cold, dusty, dark, and oppressive.
As a doctor, Julien was quite particular about cleanliness. Yet, he didn’t feel filthy being there. On the contrary, this place somehow evoked sorrow within him. It was as if time and space in this villa had come to a standstill, giving off an explicable feeling of dread.
Uri led Julien to a room upstairs. To Julien’s surprise, it was a home theater.
Julien knew that Jonah had a hobby of watching movies.
They, too, had a home theater in their love nest in Mosgravia. Many nights had been spent on that soft sofa bed, Julien lying in Jonah’s arms, both of them wrapped in contentment.
They would listen to the tender lines from Grunslandish films, holding each other close, exchanging kisses, and sharing moments of intimacy.
This room was nearly identical to the one they had in Mosgravia.
“What are you trying to tell me?”
Julien was gradually losing his patience. He glanced at his watch before snapping, “If you’ve got something to say, spit it out. I’m not wasting more time here.”
‘Do you like watching movies, Dr. Lovelace?”
Uri disregarded Julien’s growing frustration and chuckled slyly. “I know Jonah does. I’ve got a film he’ll find quite special.’
As soon as he finished, the large screen came to life, casting a glow on Julien’s confused face.
The surround sound system produced amorous-sounding laughter, making it an immersive experience. Julien recognized Jonah’s voice quickly. But the other one-the warm, crisp, pleasant voice-belonged to a stranger.
“Jonah, do you love me?” the man in the video asked gleefully.
“I do.”
Jonah’s deep, raspy voice quivered slightly with emotion. “I love you. Very much. I’ll love you forever.” Jonah was typically so composed and restrained. Hearing this level of raw passion in his voice was jarring. “What if… I died one day?” The man’s voice was gentle though laced with an undercurrent of sorrow. Jonah’s breath hitched, and his voice grew thick with emotion. “Don’t say that! If you die, I’ll die with you.” “No, Jonah. I don’t want that. I want you to live on. But if that day comes, I hope you’ll remember me forever.” Julien suddenly felt a rush of heat in his chest, as though all the blood in his body had surged there, crashing violently within him.
With every beat, it fractured further.
His trembling hands gripped the couch, the white roses he held barely steady.
The screen showed Jonah and a striking man, their heads leaning against each other, cheeks pressed together.
Julien’s eyes reddened, his gaze locked on the screen. The man looked so much like him, yet Julien knew with painful clarity that it wasn’t him Jonah was kissing, cherishing, loving.
The roses slipped from his grasp, scattering across the floor.
On the screen, the pair looked like any couple deeply in love, and Julien was just a bystander, watching their happiness unfold.
The video seemed to be a vlog, shot by Jonah using a handheld camera and documenting their daily life at this villa.
They cooked together, cleaned the courtyard, shared breezy evenings on the balcony, clinked glasses, and laughed as though nothing else in the world mattered. In every frame, that man was Jonah’s sole focus.
Julien had lived through those moments too. But now, the memories, once so sweet, were pure agony. The room felt like purgatory, a place where he was being mercilessly tormented.
“Dr. Lovelace, he looks very much like you, doesn’t he?”
Uri’s voice was hoarse, and his eyes glistened with resentment as he stared at the screen. “Let me introduce him. His name is Blake Holland. He was my younger brother, and Jonah’s ex-lover. He was the love of his life.”
‘Lover… The love of his life…” Julien murmured in disbelief, tears rolling down his cheeks as his body began to tremble.
“But Blake and I aren’t biological brothers. We met in an orphanage and grew up together. We became as close as siblings. Since he didn’t know his last name, he took mine. And in his words, since my name meant light, he said he would be darkness. That’s how he named himself Blake Holland.”
Uri forced himself to bear with the wrenching pain in his heart. As he looked toward Julien, whose face had gone stiff and pale, a vicious smile came across his face.
He explained, “Back then, Blake was forced to bear with the pressure of being ostracized, but he chose to be with Jonah. Then, in order not to put Jonah in a tight spot, he died by Jonah’s gun.
“It has only been a few years since my younger brother’s passing. Yet, Jonah’s already forgotten about the man he swore he’d love forever.”
