Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
The office was as familiar as ever, every corner etched into Jeremy’s memory. The only difference was the man sitting in the leather swivel chair, his back turned to the door.
The air felt thinner, suffocating Jeremy as he stared at the figure.
Slowly, the chair swiveled around, revealing the man.
“Jeremy, congratulations on your safe release.” Justin’s lips curled into a cold, mocking smile as his forearms rested casually on the armrests.
Jeremy’s steps felt heavy as he approached; his heart weighed down. In a hoarse voice, he asked, “How could it be you?”
“Why can’t it be me?” Justin tilted his chin arrogantly, the chair rocking slightly as he spoke. “This position should have been mine years ago. You were merely holding it for me.”
Justin’s smile was feral, his tone condescending. The gentle, composed Justin Jeremy once knew was nowhere to be seen.
It was as if another side of Justin-a savage, extreme personality-had taken over.
“So, you have been setting me up this whole time.” Jeremy’s voice trembled with restrained anger as he stared at the man he thought he knew. “Have you been planning to take this position from me since the day you returned to Solana City?”
Justin smirked and wagged his finger dismissively. “No, you’ve got it wrong. I’m not stealing anything.”
Leaning forward, Justin traced a finger along the sharp edge of the golden nameplate on the desk. “Jeremy, nothing in Walsh Group belongs to you. Eventually, you’ll have to return what was never yours to begin with.”
Jeremy’s gaze followed the movement of Justin’s finger, landing on the nameplate on the desk.
The nameplate that once read “Jeremy Walsh, CEO’ had been replaced with “Justin Walsh’ without Jeremy’s knowledge.
Justin had been impatient-erasing all traces of Jeremy in the Walsh Group overnight.
“We held an emergency board meeting yesterday morning,” Justin said, his tone calm yet cutting. “With an overwhelming majority vote, I’ve replaced you as the corporation’s CEO.
He leaned forward, resting his chin on a triangle formed by his well-defined fingers. “Have your secretary hand work over to mine soon. I’ve packed your belongings and sent them to Seaview Manor. Thanks for all your hard work these years, Jeremy. You can leave the future of the Walsh Group in my hands now.”
The room fell into a tense silence.
Jeremy’s lashes quivered briefly before he broke into a smile. With one hand in his pocket, he sank onto the couch with a calm, almost careless air. Legs slightly apart, his posture exuded a freedom he had never shown before.
It was as if stepping down as CEO had unshackled him.
Justin narrowed his eyes, watching him coldly.
“Justin, you didn’t need to go through all that trouble. If you’d told me from the start you wanted this position, I would have stepped down willingly.
“As the eldest son in the family, you were always the rightful heir to Walsh Group-if not for the kidnapping incident that ruined your health. Am I right?”
Jeremy had a reputation for being stern and upright during his military days, but now, to Justin, he seemed almost absurdly unrestrained. It was as if this sudden upheaval had unearthed a side of him Justin had never seen before.
“But you shouldn’t have stolen the position from me,” Jeremy continued, his voice hardening. “And you shouldn’t have dragged me through the mud, ruined my reputation, and hurt those around me with your underhanded schemes.
A sharp, vicious glint flashed in Jeremy’s eyes. “If that’s how you want to play, I won’t just sit back and accept it. Don’t think you’ll stay secure in this position for long.”
Even though Justin smiled back at Jeremy, his tone was low and frigid. “I’m afraid that’s no longer in your control.” “Likewise,” Jeremy replied coolly. “And for the record, this is the last time I’ll treat you as my brother.”
Jeremy stood, his tall frame exuding quiet strength. Without a hint of defeat, he strode to the door, head held high. Justin’s gaze darkened, and a lump rose in his throat, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Jeremy had poured his heart and soul into the Walsh Group. He had fought tirelessly to protect his position and reputation. Now, stripped of everything and falsely accused of drug abuse, his name lay in ruins.
Wasn’t he furious? Devastated? How could he still smile?
Just as Jeremy reached the door, he paused. Without turning around, he spoke in a low, steady voice. “I have a question for you.”
Justin raised a brow, his expression unreadable.
“If you’ve always harbored disdain for me, wanting to take back everything I achieved, why did you risk your life to save me during the kidnapping?” Jeremy asked. “By your logic, you should’ve left me there to die. If you had survived alone, you’d have been the only son-the eldest son-left in the Walsh family. No competition.”
Justin sneered. “That’s very true.”
“So, were you actually trying to save me?” Jeremy pressed. “Or was I just collateral damage-dragged into that hellhole because of your involvement?”
Jeremy had never felt as clear-headed as at that very moment. Yet, each word drove his heart deeper into doubt and suspicion. He continued, “Or maybe you planned to get rid of me but had to change course at the last minute for some reason I don’t yet understand.”
The more he spoke, the closer he felt to unraveling the terrifying truth behind Justin’s schemes.
The atmosphere in the room was oppressive, the air seemingly turning ice cold.
The tension was so thick that it felt as if it could be cut with a knife.
“What do you think?” The smile on Justin’s face widened as his roguish gaze fixed on Jeremy from behind.
Instead of answering him directly, Jeremy delivered a more cutting response. He scoffed. “I get it now.”
Tilting his sculpted chin upward, a vicious gleam flashed in his eyes. “Someday in the future, you’ll regret the decision you made 20 years ago.”
Justin’s brows furrowed deeply at the remark.
“That was your one and only chance to get rid of me. Too bad you missed it.”
With that, Jeremy tumed on his heel and strode off, exuding the confidence of a lone ranger.
As the door swung shut, Justin tightened his grip on the pen, the veins on the back of his hand pulsating with tension.
After finishing work that moming, Alyssa learned about Jeremy’s bail through the trending topics on Twitter. At the same time, a shocking announcement from Walsh Group sent the internet into a frenzy.
The announcement read, “Due to issues related to Mr. Jeremy Walsh’s personal conduct, Walsh Group’s board of directors has voted to dismiss him as CEO of the corporation. Further, through another vote, the board has appointed Mr. Justin Walsh as the new CEO of Walsh Group.”
The appointment was decisive and final.
Opinions exploded across the internet.
“Did Mr. Jeremy really have personal conduct issues, or is this just collateral damage from a family feud? I heard rumors of drug abuse. Is that true?”
“These aristocrats are always living on the edge. Drugs? Not surprising at all.”
“Could he have been framed?”
“There’s no smoke without fire. He must’ve done something for them to dig up dirt on him.”
“The new CEO is Jeremy’s half-brother. Did Mr. Justin stab him in the back to steal his position? Sounds like a plot straight out of a drama about rich families!”
“Even if Jeremy was framed, it’s too late. His reputation is in tatters, and he’s been ousted. Not even a cat with nine lives could survive this.”
A loud crash broke the silence in Alyssa’s office. She had hurled her teacup to the ground, shattering it into pieces. Her voice trembled with fury. “You’re the ones who won’t survive this! Your family is finished-dead meat!”
Sean, standing nearby, was also furious as he scrolled through the comments, but Alyssa’s outburst made him chuckle despite himself. He quickly set about cleaning up the shards of glass.
“These trolls are all bark and no bite,” he said soothingly. “They vent online because they’re miserable in real life. Don’t let them get to you. People envy the wealthy-it’s nothing new.”
“But,” Alyssa muttered, her breath hitching, “there’s one thing they’re not wrong about.”
She took a deep, steadying breath. ‘It’ll be almost impossible for Jeremy to bounce back this time. Even if he didn’t do drugs, the damage is done. The public already sees him as an addict. His reputation is ruined. The stain won’t wash away even if his name is cleared.”
As Alyssa sank into her thoughts, her phone buzzed. It was Cyrus.
“Lyse,” he said urgently, “I’ve uncovered everything about Dr. Bender’s background and the situation with his wife and son.”
“Cyrus, go ahead!” Alyssa leaped to her feet, her anticipation palpable.
“Sebastian Bender himself doesn’t have any history of illegal activities, and his income records appear clean. But there’s something odd about him.”
Alyssa pressed, “How so?”
“I looked into Sebastian’s assets and income sources. His son is a gambling addict and his wife is gravely ill. Despite being in a high-income bracket, his son has drained the family of nearly everything, leaving Sebastian with just a house and a car.
“Yet, just two days ago, Sebastian managed to pay for his wife’s bone marrow transplant surgery and covered her hospitalization fees-over 500,000 dollars in total. On top of that, he cleared his son’s debts of more than three million dollars owed to loan sharks.”
Alyssa had put the call on loudspeaker, so Sean caught every word.
“That son of his is an absolute piece of trash!” Sean exclaimed, his frustration boiling over. “He’d be better off dead!”
