Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
Neil understood instantly. “You want a DNA test.”
Mandy nodded, eyes brimming with tears. “Neil… ever since I saw him at the hospital that day, I’ve been secretly searching for him. Now that I’ve finally found him, I won’t I can’t let him slip away again.
“Please don’t tell Winston until we know for certain. His health isn’t what it used to be. I can’t risk giving him such a shock.”
Neil exhaled heavily, sensing the weight of the task she entrusted him. He gave a firm nod. “Understood. I’ll take care of it right away.”
At the press conference, cameras flashed relentlessly at Alyssa and Justin.
Jeremy strode confidently toward Alyssa and stood by her side. His dark eyes locked onto hers, reading the cold determination in her gaze.
A fierce emotion burned within him as his heart pounded against his ribs. Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through his head, followed by an agonizing throb in his temples. Heat and cold swept through him in waves.
Beneath the cover of his suit, his body trembled uncontrollably.
The shift in Jeremy was so sudden that no one, not even Alyssa, realized it.
The only exception was Justin, who was standing on stage. He caught the torment Jeremy was struggling to suppress.
slowly, a dark smile crept onto Justin’s lips.
So what if Jeremy had aligned himself with the Taylors and Landon to shift the tides?
As long as he remained dependent on narcotics, shackled by his addiction, he would never have the right to inherit Walsh Group. He would never be with Alyssa.
Jeremy would always be beneath him.
Alyssa’s heart skipped a beat. Something was wrong. She turned to Jeremy-but to her shock, without so much as a glance her way, he strode toward the hall’s exit and disappeared through the doors without looking back.
Alyssa’s body trembled, disappointment and shock flashing in her eyes. “Jeremy…”
The reporters’ cameras clicked furiously, capturing Jeremy’s retreating figure.
The crowd exchanged puzzled glances.
“Jeremy, where are you going?”
Landon, dumbfounded, instinctively moved to chase after him, but Xavier grabbed his arm, stopping him forcefully. “Mr. Harper, leave him to me!”
Without another word, Xavier took off after Jeremy.
A strange unease settled over Landon as he stared at the open door, a sense of impending doom creeping in. “Landon, stay here and watch over Lyse. Julien has disappeared-I’m going to find him!”
After saying that, the grim-looking Jonah strode out of the room too.
“Hey! You-” Landon clenched his jaw in frustration. “Why am I always left behind to clean up the mess?”
Meanwhile, the reporters surged forward, swarming Justin.
Sheryl tried to shield him behind her, but in heels, she was no match for the jostling crowd. She was shoved about, her outfit rumpled, and her hair left in disarray, making her look utterly disheveled and pitiful.
“Mr. Justin, you are the biggest beneficiary of Mr. Jeremy’s dismissal. In the end, you stole the position of president from him.
“A growing number of people believe this was a power struggle within an aristocratic family that you framed Mr. Jeremy. What do you have to say to this?”
“Did you orchestrate his arrest?”
Sheryl trembled, panic flashing across her face as cold sweat beaded her forehead.
But Justin remained unnervingly calm. His gaze cut through the crowd, locking onto Alyssa, who stood at the periphery, staring at him with icy contempt. Then, in a deep, unwavering voice, he spoke as if his every action was justified.
“First of all, you’re mistaken. I did not steal Jeremy’s position-I merely reclaimed what was rightfully mine.
“In our family, the eldest son is always the heir. That was the rule in my father’s generation, and it remains the same in mine.
“Now that I’ve returned from my recuperation overseas, the presidency of Walsh Group should be mine, regardless of what happened to Jeremy.”
Not a flicker of emotion crossed Justin’s face as he delivered those words with shameless confidence, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Secondly, Walsh Group is a publicly listed company. I alone cannot dictate whether a president stays or leaves. Jeremy’s dismissal was the outcome of a vote by the Walsh Group’s board of directors. I had nothing to do with it.”
His final words hung in the air before he took one last look at Alyssa. He shot her a menacing smile before rushing off.
Alyssa held her breath. A suffocation dread gripped her, as if venomous snakes coiled around her, ready to strike. “M-Mr. Justin!”
A sharp cry rang out as Sheryl, shoved by the reporters, lost her balance. With a sickening thud, she hit the ground. Cameras flashed, capturing her moment of humiliation.
After locking the door to a washroom in the hotel, Xavier still felt uneasy. To be safe, he barricaded it with a cleaning cart and whatever else he could find.
“Mr. Walsh! How are you feeling?”
Usually tall and imposing, Jeremy was now curled up in a corner, trembling violently. His chiseled face was ghostly pale, stripped of its usual nobility and charm. He looked utterly broken-destitute, dispirited, and lost a mere shadow of himself.
“Mr. Walsh, is this because of your¡ª”
Xavier crouched before him, his eyes reddening with unshed tears. He couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Drug addiction.
Even now, he struggled to accept it. Night after night, he was haunted by nightmares-visions of Jeremy’s addiction spiraling out of control in public, his reputation crumbling into dust. And every time, Xavier would wake up in a cold sweat.
“Xavier… Xavier…”
Jeremy’s entire body convulsed as he lifted his bloodshot eyes to Xavier. His trembling hands reached out.
“Tie me up… Hurry… Tie me up!”
Xavier wiped his tears away before frantically yanking off his necktie. He wrapped it tightly around Jeremy’s wrists, securing the knot.
“No… This won’t do!”
Jeremy’s willpower was crumbling under the weight of his craving. Tears streamed down his face as he pleaded, The pill… Just one… Give me a pill…”
Xavier shook his head furiously, his own tears falling. “No! You can’t take that! It’s a narcotic!” “T-Then… Kill me!” A raw, guttural roar tore from Jeremy as agonizing hopelessness filled his bloodshot eyes.
At that moment, Xavier, already tense, nearly jumped out of his skin when a knock echoed at the door.
Xavier gasped for air, his eyes fixed on the washroom door, now barricaded. He felt a sudden, clammy dread.
Lost in his throes of addiction, Jeremy’s eyes glazed over as he succumbed to the familiar pull of unconsciousness. He was a sitting duck, helpless and at the mercy of whatever came his way.
With a fierce glare, Xavier snatched up a mop and stormed to the door, his voice sharp and strained. “Who’s there?
A steady and low voice came from the other side of the door. “Mr. Hall, it’s me. Julien.”
Xavier’s grip loosened, the mop clattering to the floor as tears burst forth. “Dr. Lovelace!”
“Don’t panic. I’m the only one out here. There’s no one else here.” Julien’s voice softened, laced with urgency.” Jeremy is having an episode, isn’t he? Let me in so I can take a look at him.”
Hastily wiping his face, Xavier shoved the cart aside and fumbled with the lock. The door creaked open, and Julien slipped inside, lithe and precise, locking it swiftly behind him.
“Dr. Lovelace, please… Please save Mr. Walsh. You are the only one who can save him now!”
Julien exhaled sharply and approached Jeremy.
To prevent Jeremy from harming himself, Xavier had bound his hands with his own necktie. He then gagged Jeremy with his tie, a desperate measure to stop him from biting his tongue.
Kneeling before Jeremy, Julien’s face was ashen, his lips quivering as he fought back tears. “Jeremy…”
“Julien… Help me…” Jeremy’s bloodshot eyes met his, pleading, drowning in agony. His body shook uncontrollably, tears carving paths down his ashen face. “I just… want to die…”
“I’m here. You won’t die.” Julien retrieved a black cloth bag from his pocket, unfolding it to reveal an array of acupuncture needles and syringes filled with medication.
Selecting a slender silver needle, he positioned it at Jeremy’s temple. “You’re not just my friend. You’re my patient. I am responsible for you. I will answer with my own life if anything happens to you.”
Xavier’s jaw dropped. Jeremy, once a beacon of charm and competence, had been reduced to this fragile state. And Julien… Julien was staking everything on him.
What if something happened to Julien? How would Jonah cope? And Alyssa… What would she do if something happened to Jonah?
But Julien was already moving, deftly inserting needles at key points on Jeremy’s head and arms. Miraculously, Jeremy’s violent tremors eased.
Though still pale and dazed, his breathing steadied, the torment receding.
Julien gently untied the necktie binding Jeremy’s wrists. “How long has he been like this?”
Xavier swallowed hard. “Honestly, even before you left, he showed signs. He hid it and forced himself to endure. He didn’t want anyone to know.”
Julien drew a syringe, administering its contents with practiced precision. His brows furrowed. “How long do his episodes last?”
“At first, 15 to 30 minutes. Now… if he doesn’t take his pills, the pain lasts all night.”
Julien’s heart ached as he slowly extracted the syringe. “The addiction has rooted itself deep.”
Xavier couldn’t resist asking, “Dr. Lovelace, what did you give him? The effect was instantaneous! It’s astonishing!
Julien’s face darkened. “While I was away from Solana City, I worked in a Mosgravian lab, searching for a cure-a way to purge the toxins from Jeremy’s body and heal his brain injury.”
He glanced at Jeremy, his expression heavy with regret. “After countless trials, I found only a temporary relief for his symptoms. No cure. My skills aren’t good enough. I… I’m a failure.”
“Don’t say that. You’ve done really well so far!” Xavier said gently, his voice a steady anchor as he tried to comfort Julien.
He continued, “Many people spend their whole lives unable to quit even common drugs. The substance Mr. Walsh took is far more potent. The fact that he’s found any relief at all is remarkable.”
Jeremy’s senses gradually returned, but he was left drained, and his eyes struggled to focus. “Julien..”
“I’m right here,” Julien murmured, leaning in to gently wipe the tears and cold sweat from Jeremy’s face with a tissue.
Struggling for breath, Jeremy rasped, “Keep my condition…. a secret… especially from her.”
Julien didn’t need to ask who he meant. It had to be Alyssa
It wasn’t pride that fueled Jeremy’s plea. It was something deeper a desperate wish to shield Alyssa from the sight of his brokenness, to spare her the disappointment of seeing him like this.
Xavier helped Jeremy to stand before addressing Julien. “Dr. Lovelace, I hope you understand the fewer people who know about Mr. Walsh’s condition, the better.”
Julien nodded firmly. “I understand.”
With Xavier steadying him, Jeremy forced himself upright, his body trembling under the strain. “Julien, Jonah… he’s been looking for you all this time. Can you stay?”
Julien lowered his gaze, his expression cold and resolute. “I’ll share my acupuncture techniques and the medication I developed with Mr. Hall. He will handle your treatment from now on.”
A shadow crossed his face as he continued, “I won’t return to Cyrris until I’ve developed an effective medication against the drug. Don’t tell Jonah I’m at the lab in Mosgravia. I don’t want to see him again… not even if I were dying.”
Escorted by bodyguards, Justin and Sheryl finally reached the basement parking lot, having navigated a gauntlet of reporters whose relentless questions echoed around them.
Though the livestream had ended, the fallout continued online.
Discussions raged, and the public condemnation of Justin grew louder by the minute. The carefully crafted image he’d built since returning to the country was beginning to fracture.
