Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
“Mandy, I understand exactly how you feel,” Alyssa said, her voice thick with emotion. She held Mandy’s cold hands tightly. “I wish more than anything that Damien was alive too… but that man wasn’t him. He just looks a lot like Damien.”
Mandy closed her eyes, shaking her head in bitter disappointment.
“Lyse, you might think I’m losing my mind, but ever since Damien’s plane crash, I’ve dreamed about him constantly. I’ve always felt that he’s still alive, somewhere, just unable to find his way home.”
“Mandy…” Alyssa nearly burst into tears, but she held them back.
There was something profound and indescribable about the bond between a mother and her child. It defied logic, and Alyssa understood that.
“Forget it. Let’s not talk about this.” Mandy forced herself to pull herself together. She wiped her tears gently with a handkerchief. Then, she instructed a helper calmly, “Prepare a discreet outfit for me and have the driver get the car ready.”
After the helper acknowledged her instructions and left the room, Alyssa asked in a concerned voice, “Where are you going, Mandy?”
With a cold gleam in her eyes, Mandy answered, “I’m making a trip to Belbanks Second Prison.”
Alyssa was stunned. “You’re… going to see Mr. Joseph?”
“Yeah. Didn’t Jeremy suffer brain damage because of some strange medication? Joseph is an expert in biopharmaceuticals, so I wanted to ask him if he has any ideas.”
Alyssa’s heart skipped a beat. She perked up immediately. “Mandy, if you don’t mind, I’d like to come with you!”
Over an hour later, Alyssa and Mandy arrived at Belbanks Second Prison.
In the visitation room, they met with Joseph, who was looking haggard. He was in his prison uniform and had handcuffs over his wrists.
“Mandy… Ms. Alyssa.” After a long period of reformation, Joseph sat politely before them. The arrogant air he once carried was long gone after his time in prison.
Mandy’s cold gaze pierced through him, her silence speaking volumes about her lingering resentment toward him. Alyssa had a specific reason for coming. She wanted to avoid any awkwardness that might further alienate Joseph, so she greeted him cordially, “Uncle Joseph.”
Mandy’s eyes widened in surprise. After Alyssa’s birth mother’s passing, she and Mandy had formed a close bond. However, Alyssa had never acknowledged any kinship with the relatives of Winston’s other wives. Hearing her call Joseph “Uncle” was a revelation, as if Alyssa was finally recognizing Mandy’s place in her life.
Joseph looked flustered, shaking his head. The handcuffs clinked as he waved his hands. ‘Ms. Alyssa, that’s too much. I’m nothing more than a prisoner. Even before all this, I was just an adopted son of the Lovelaces, not related to Mandy by blood. I don’t deserve to be regarded as your uncle.”
Mandy, uninterested in the formalities, cut to the chase. “We came to get your thoughts on something.”
Joseph’s brow furrowed with concern. “Are there problems with Lovelace Group?”
“No, the company is fine. It’s Jeremy. He’s in trouble. Mandy quickly updated Joseph on the recent events.
Alyssa’s voice was strained as she asked, “Uncle Joseph, what kind of medication could be so powerful that it would make Jeremy lose his ability to process emotions?”
Joseph’s face twisted in thought. “In all my years working with pharmaceuticals, I’ve never heard of a drug that could do that.’
He paused for a moment before continuing, “I’ve heard of cases where people lose emotional capacity after severe head trauma. Once, I even treated a patient who had a bullet lodged in their brain, which impacted their emotions. But I’ve never seen anything like that caused by medication.”
Mandy and Alyssa exchanged a look, their disappointment palpable.
Suddenly, Joseph’s eyes lit up, his expression growing grim. “Wait… There is one other possibility.”
Alyssa leaned forward urgently. “What is it?”
Through gritted teeth, Joseph answered, “Drugs!”
Both Alyssa and Mandy inhaled sharply.
“Consuming or injecting large doses of drugs can damage the brain’s amygdala. That’s likely why Mr. Walsh ended up like this. Right now, it seems to be the only explanation.”
Alyssa was utterly shocked. Her voice cracked as she muttered, “Could it be that what Jameson forced Jeremy to take was some kind of drug?”
Mandy couldn’t believe her ears. “Didn’t he only take three pills? How could they have caused such serious damage?”
“A small dose of a drug can make someone feel euphoric, but large doses can feel worse than death.”
Joseph lowered his eyes and sighed. “There are many addicts who’ve died after injecting substances into themselves. If the pills Mr. Walsh took were highly pure drugs, three of them could very well be fatal.”
Alyssa felt a sharp pain in her chest. Anxiety washed over her, and sweat formed on her forehead. “Will… Will Jeremy show any side effects?”
“I can’t say for sure without knowing exactly what he took,” Joseph replied. “But addicts who stop using drugs often experience chills and discomfort throughout their body. These symptoms gradually worsen if they don’t take another dose, which means they’ve become fully addicted.”
“Damn it! That bastard!” Alyssa’s heart wrenched. She slammed her fists on the table in frustration.
A tear fell onto the cold, metal surface.
What tormented her even more was that she couldn’t approach Jeremy right now. She had no way of knowing if he had already become addicted or was suffering from withdrawal. She knew nothing about his condition.
Mandy was also deeply worried. “Jeremy is such a good person. If he’s been tainted by something like this, his whole life could be destroyed!”
Joseph quickly tried to reassure them. “Mandy, Ms. Alyssa, don’t get too anxious. This is just my personal theory. It’s possible Mr. Walsh took some type of medication that damaged his mental state, not necessarily a drug. Suppose you can try to get his blood tested in secret. That way, you’ll know for sure whether he consumed drugs.”
Alyssa’s chest tightened. She whispered, “Thank you for telling me this. We’ll visit again when we have time.” With that, Alyssa and Mandy stood to leave.
“Ms. Alyssa!”
Joseph stood up hurriedly, hesitating before asking, “How is my youngest son, Julien?”
Alyssa’s heart sank. “Jul is doing pretty well.”
“Is he still with Mr. Jonah? Are they still happy together?” Joseph queried. His eyes had turned red.
Alyssa choked a little. After some deliberation, she still decided to lie. “They’re doing really well too. My brother loves him very much.”
“In the past, I thought they were just fooling around. I didn’t realize how serious they were. Julien is intelligent and kind-he was the best candidate to take over the Lovelace Group. I was too stubborn, too hard on him.
“It’s a relief he has Mr. Jonah to love him. Knowing someone is there to care for him brings me some peace… Joseph wiped the tears from his eyes and softly added, “Ms. Alyssa, when you see Julien, please tell him… I’m sorry.”
With tears in her eyes, Alyssa answered gently, “I will.”
Walsh Group Tower grew quiet as night fell, with only a few people still working. However, Jeremy was still in his office, reviewing the development plan for Solana City’s A5 real estate project. This project was crucial to Walsh Group’s growth over the next five years.
“Mr. Walsh, you should head home, Xavier said, concerned as he noticed how pale and tired Jeremy looked. Even if you stay up all night, you won’t finish this. Your health is more important. You can pick up where you left off tomorrow.”
Suddenly, Jeremy shivered. He frowned. “Did you turn the air conditioning on? Why is it so cold in here?”
Xavier looked confused. “No, I didn’t. It’s snowing outside, so the heater’s on. Why would the air conditioning be on?”
Jeremy gritted his teeth, but he couldn’t shake the bone-chilling cold that seemed to be coming from within him. “Mr. Walsh, there’s a charity dinner this weekend. Will you be attending?”
Jeremy felt a slight ache in his head and responded coolly, “I’ll donate, but I won’t be attending. I’ve been too busy lately.”
Xavier hesitated. “I heard that KS Group participates in this event yearly, donating large sums. Mr. Jonah usually attended in the past. Since Ms. Alyssa became KS Group’s president last year, I’m sure she’ll be there this time.” Jeremy’s vision swam, and he kept his eyes down.
“Mr. Walsh, would you consider-
Before Xavier could finish his sentence, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Jeremy said.
The door opened, and Sheryl walked in with a smile. “Mr. Jeremy, how are you feeling today? Does your head still hurt? Are you still feeling the chills?”
Jeremy discreetly clenched his trembling hands into fists under the table. With a dim look in his eyes, he answered Sheryl, “I’m fine. What brings you here, Dr. Gillis?”
Sheryl smiled warmly. “Mr. Jeremy, have you forgotten? Mr. Javier instructed me to stay by your side and keep a close watch on your health whenever I have time.”
“Even so, don’t you know what the most basic manners are?” Deep down, Xavier rolled his eyes. “Even if you wanted to look after Mr. Jeremy’s health, the president’s office isn’t a place you can barge into just as you wish. Dr. Gillis, are you as impolite as this before Mr. Justin too?”
Sheryl wasn’t offended. Instead, she lifted her lips into a smile. ‘Every field of work is different. Mr. Hall, you’re only saying this because you’ve never been in this field. So, I don’t blame you.
“But, if Mr. Jeremy’s condition were to flare up while there was no one around him to tend to him, would you be responsible if anything bad happened to him?”
Xavier burned with so much anger that his chest hurt. He tightened his fists.
Ever since Justin brought such a strange woman home, all their peace and serenity had been shattered!
The current Jeremy wasn’t the same person he was before-all women were now equal in his eyes.
They were at such a delicate juncture. If Sheryl took advantage of the current situation by always being by Jeremy’s side, she would have the upper hand.
