Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
Unbeknownst to him, in that moment, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the charming, gentle-looking man in the Taylor family portrait hanging in the living room of Heightsnew
Villa.
Night had fallen, and Justin sat with several VIPs in the most opulent private room of Solana City’s premier clubhouse.
They savored rare red wines, each bottle worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, as they basked in the evening’s indulgence.
His guests were officials of high status and power. Among the distinguished guests was Rafe Centry, the mayor overseeing the bidding for Project A5.
“Mr. Justi-No, I should be addressing you respectfully as Mr. Walsh, president of Walsh Group, now,” Rafe said, raising his glass in a toast, his voice thick with alcohol; he was pleased with the treatment he was receiving.
“You’ve far surpassed your predecessor. Your younger brother is infamous for being difficult -rigid, stubborn, and utterly dense.
“I interacted with him once during my rise to this position. Even then, I knew he wouldn’t last long as president. And as it turns out, I was right. It serves him well!”
Laughter erupted around the room.
“It’s not about what serves him right,” another guest interjected. “He simply couldn’t hold onto what wasn’t his to begin with.”
That’s right. Walsh Group belongs to Mr. Justin as the eldest son. Jeremy had no business assuming he’d inherited the company just because he held the title of president. Who does he think he is?”
The room resounded with boisterous laughter.
Justin, composed and smiling faintly, lifted a teacup-a stark contrast to the wine glasses around him. Taking an elegant sip, he asked, “Mr. Gentry, you don’t mind if I drink tea instead, do you?’
Rafe, despite his usual pickiness, was delighted by the respect shown to him. With a hearty laugh, he replied, “Not at all! You’re too gracious, Mr. Walsh. We have many fruitful partnerships ahead of us!”
A glint of malice flickered in Justin’s eyes, though his voice remained calm. “In that case, I’ll entrust Project A5 to you, Mr. Gentry.”
As the night deepened, Rafe excused himself, citing his age and waning energy.
Suddenly, the doors to the private room burst open. Justin’s secretary, Eden Huber, stumbled in, looking terrified.
Sheryl, clad in a striking red dress, rose from her position beside Justin, where she had been pouring drinks. She snapped, “What are you doing? Mr. Walsh is entertaining guests here. Get out!”
Justin, unruffled, asked in an indifferent tone, “What’s the matter?”
“A man in a black coat barged into the clubhouse. He’s taken down our men-brutally and single-handedly. His savagery is… it’s like the devil’s!”
“A man in a black coat?” Sheryl echoed, her brow furrowing.
Before she could say more, a deafening bang reverberated through the room. A stray bullet tore through the air, striking Eden in the left leg.
Eden let out a blood-curdling scream and collapsed. The room erupted into chaos-guests screamed, Sheryl backed away in shock, and Justin’s teacup trembled in his grip.
The veins on the back of his hand throbbed silently as his gaze darkened, hiding a simmering rage.
A tall, forbidding figure strode into the room, and the air grew oppressively still despite the crowd in the extravagant room.
The man, moving with deliberate menace, carried the presence of a predator ready to strike.
A black face mask concealed most of his face, save for his sharp, gleaming eyes that locked onto Justin.
Each step he took was measured, his gaze unwavering.
“Sir!” Sheryl shouted.
She was just about to get to Justin’s side when two shots were fired near her feet. Screaming, she dropped to her knees, threw her arms over her head, and scurried under the table like a terrified animal.
The air in the room grew heavy with menace.
Justin, known as the devil of the night, was a man who thrived on chaos. His power and influence stretched across continents, and he’d faced countless threats without flinching.
But as his visitor approached, an unfamiliar dread coiled in his chest. His hands gripped the couch’s armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The terror was suffocating.
“Get out, all of you,” the man commanded, his voice cold and sharp.
The man remained fixated solely on Justin while Justin’s guests fled in terror.
“Help! Somebody!” Sheryl screamed, her voice muffled as she cowered under the table.
No help would come. Outside, the others were either unconscious or dead.
A deafening bang shattered the silence. The man fired his gun at the table, the bullet splintering the wood and shattering the glass. Shards rained down on Sheryl, cutting into her face, arms, and legs. Blood seeped from the wounds, and she trembled uncontrollably.
The pain left her paralyzed. She barely suppressed the urge to cry out, fearing the man’s next move-she almost peed herself.
Justin, still seated on the couch, met his attacker’s gaze as the man closed the distance between them. His instinct to flee kicked in, but a powerful kick sent him and the couch sliding backward before he could act.
“Ugh!” Justin groaned, clutching his chest as he doubled over in pain, his face pale and strained.
A gun barrel pressed against his forehead.
At such close range, Justin realized who his attacker was. The truth was, he had already suspected their identity the moment they stepped through the door.
“Why, Axel… Mr. Axel.”
“Don’t call me that,” Axel growled. “I’m just a man on the edge, a man who lost his wife.”
With one hand, Axel tore off his black mask, revealing his face. His fury burned brighter now that he stood face-to-face with Justin. “You fucking cripple. Give me back my wife.”
Sheryl’s heart nearly stopped. Listening from her hiding spot, she realized Axel had come for them far sooner than expected. And if Axel was here, Jeremy and Alyssa couldn’t be far behind.
If Axel ever found out the truth-that Amber had suffered unspeakable torment under her control-he would surely exact a vengeance beyond imagining. The notion alone left Sheryl shaking uncontrollably; her hands pressed tightly against her face.
Justin’s lips curled into a sinister smirk. His dark, wicked eyes betrayed nothing. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, feigning ignorance.
“You fucking cripple, enough of your games. We know all about the filth you’ve been hiding.” Axel leveled the gun directly between Justin’s eyes, his gaze cold and unrelenting. “I’ll ask you one last time-where is Amber?” “I don’t know.”
Before Justin could finish his sentence, a deafening bang erupted near his ear, leaving him reeling. The pain was excruciating, as though his eardrum had been torn apart.
He let out a guttural cry, his body convulsing as he gasped for breath. Clutching his left ear, he arched forward, trembling uncontrollably.
Terror overwhelmed Sheryl, so much so that her jaw dropped, unable to utter a single word.
Blood dripped steadily, forming a crimson pool on the floor.
Justin, with his eyes wide and bloodshot, lowered his head slowly. Staring at the piece of flesh on his palm, he heaved. Fury burned within him like never before.
This moment of agony and humiliation was worse than the torment he endured when he was abducted and degraded two decades ago.
“S-Sir…” Sheryl stammered, her gaze darting between Justin’s mangled ear and his contorted anguished expression. His once-refined face now resembled a beast on the verge of unleashing its fury.
Never had she seen Justin in such a degrading state, and little did she know, the image of his twisted face, consumed by pain and rage, would haunt her memories for the rest of her life.
“Didn’t you say you had no idea what I was talking about? In that case, this ear is useless to you. You’re already a crippled man anyway. You might as well be deaf too.”
Axel’s hands trembled with restrained rage. The temptation to end Justin’s life surged through him¡ªhe wanted to pull the trigger, to rip him apart limb by limb. But he had made a promise to Jeremy-no lives would be taken. A promise was a promise.
“I will rescue my wife. But you’ll lose more than just an ear if I fail.” Axel seized Justin by the hair, his reddened eyes brimming with tears. His voice cracked with fury and anguish. “I will make you suffer a thousand times the pain Amber has endured.”
Without warning, he released Justin and stormed out.
“S-Sir! I will get someone to take you to the hospital right away!”
Sheryl crawled to Justin’s side, panic-stricken as her eyes fell on the pool of blood spreading across the floor. Her trembling hands fumbled with her phone, unable to keep a firm grip as she scrambled to place a call.
Justin’s fingers curled around the severed piece of his ear, his face twisted with agony. Tilting his head back, he let out an unhinged, guttural laugh. “How… interesting. So very interesting.”
Sheryl recoiled, her voice quivering, “Sir… w-what should we do about Amber? Should we¡ª”
“Keep her alive,” Justin hissed, his lips curling into a cruel smile. “But don’t make life easy for her.”
He flung the bloody piece of his ear aside, shutting his eyes as if savoring the searing pain. “As a woman, I’m sure you know exactly how to make her suffer.”
Axel had barely stepped out of the clubhouse when Sheryl’s summoned subordinates surrounded him.
