Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
Upon hearing Andrew’s prognosis from the doctor, Liana froze by the door. The colors drained from her face.
At that moment, the Gardner Group was crushed by debt. The manufacturers and debtors had been knocking on her door for days to demand payment, scaring her into staying at the hotel instead of going home.
She had emptied what little savings she had to hire an attorney for Rosaline and to pay for Andrew’s medical treatments. For the first time in life, she had a taste of poverty.
It never rained, but it poured. Two days later, the staff from Rose Emerson’s studio reached out to her.
Liana had left her dress on the ground in a hurry to flee her birthday party. When she went back to pick up the dress, it was reduced to a stained rag covered with dirty footprints.
“What? Are you saying I need to pay back five times the price tag?”
She crumpled the compensation form and bellowed, “That’s 600 thousand dollars! How dare you extort that amount for a fucking dress? Why don’t you rob a bank instead?”
“Is 600 thousand dollars too much for you?” Rose’s assistant chuckled teasingly.
The assistant continued, “Those who purchase our haute couture are wealthy and influential. Six hundred thousand is nothing to them. We have customers who can afford dresses worth millions.
“You shouldn’t have borrowed the dress from Ms. Emerson if the price tag was exorbitant for you. Don’t
“You-You’re just a fucking assistant. Watch that mouth of yours! I’ll lodge a complaint!” Liana’s expression contorted in anger.
“Fine. Do as you wish, but please transfer the amount to the account stated on the compensation form. If you miss the payment deadline, we will bring this to court and get a court order.”
With that, Rose’s assistant gave Liana a disdainful stare and left.
Shaking in fear, Liana plopped on the chair and sobbed into her hands. Finally, she could not take it anymore and cried out loud.
When she was tired from crying, she wiped away her tears and drove to Seaview Manor alone.
Liana grasped onto her last hope-Sophia. She believed that Sophia was partly responsible for her downfall and should lend a helping hand as an aunt.
The Walsh’s were having dinner in the dining hall. Newton’s condition was stable these days and looked more healthy. Newton disliked his hospital stay, so he opted to recover at Crescent Bay.
It was a rare occasion where everyone in the family was present, including Jeremy. However, the vibe at the dinner table was oppressive and depressing.
Sophia loved being lovey-dovey with Javier at mealtime on normal days, feeding each other food.
Tonight, the couple ate dinner in silence. Javier looked glum while Sophia played with the food on her plate, seemingly losing her appetite.
In stark contrast to her parents’ moodiness, Betty had a voracious appetite and took a second helping.
“You should eat less. Can’t you see you’re getting chubbier? It will be hard to marry you off!” Sophia treated Betty like a punching bag to release her frustration about the Gardner family.
“Tsk. What’s wrong with eating a little bit more? And what’s more, I am a Walsh. I don’t have to worry about my marriage prospects,” Betty grumbled.
Then, she scoffed and added, “Dad, Mom, stop looking so down. The situation might be difficult for now, but at least we found out the problem and nip it in the bud.”
“It’s way better than welcoming that scandal-ridden, shameless bitch into our family and letting the
Gardners leech off us. We’ve only announced the engagement without an official party. It’s easy to cut them off,” Betty concluded.
“Shut up and eat your meal!” Sophia glowered at Betty. She was frustrated at her thoughtless daughter for touching the sore spot.
Javier looked more sullen than before. Sophia’s misstep had dragged the Walsh Group through the mud once more.
Thankfully, the internet was focused on Liana’s scandal-ridden past at the time being. If not, the Walsh Group would become a joke due to the scandal surrounding Liana’s cheating and the existence of the bastard child.
“Madam Sophia!” The butler shuffled into the dining hall with a troubled expression. “Ms. Gardner is out there. She demands to meet with you.”
Sophia’s face crumbled. She felt as if she was on pins and needles.
“Go meet with her. We’re family, after all,” Javier chimed in frostily, eyelids drooping.
Knowing that Liana had nothing to lose and would loiter around until she got what she wanted, Sophia had no choice but to emerge from the villa.
“Aunt Sophia!” Liana ran toward Sophia in tears and grasped her arm. “You must save my mom! She’s your sister as well!”
“How can I possibly save her?” Sophia was enraged at the thought of her dumb sister. She hissed, “Only a pea brain like your mom would even consider contract killing!
“It’s easy to send that young child anywhere. Why would she try to dispose of the evidence and cover her tracks? Does she think that murder is a piece of cake?” (1
“What else could we have done? Alyssa had learned about my past in Mosgravia. She had the powerful backing of the Taylors, and she wanted to destroy me.
“It was a matter of time before she found out about the child! We had no choice!”
“Like mother, like daughter. Alyssa was playing you. Haven’t you heard of the Wild Horse Effect? She was just a harmless vampire bat who sucked on your blood. You went into panic mode, thinking that she would suck you dry.
“You lost your mind before she made any move and messed things up! Alyssa Taylor defeated you and Rosaline with the flick of a finger. How can I help her when there’s solid evidence of her crime?”
Sophia seethed in resentment when all her efforts of raising Liana as her pawn went down the drain. She needed to cut her loss and sever her ties to the Gardners to avoid getting afflicted.
“You can’t just sit back and do nothing! The debtors are knocking on my door every day. My dad’s in a coma. I could barely pay his hospital bills!” Liana shuddered at the thought of those ruthless debtors.
She continued, “Can you at least pay off the debts for me? Just see it as a personal loan. I’ll pay you back when my family’s in a better situation.”
“And what can you offer to pay your debts with?” Sophia was no longer patient with Liana because there was nothing she could gain from the latter.
She smirked and said, “Your brother’s in jail, and your dad is in a coma. There’s no one at the helm of your family. 1
“The Gardners are an empty shell. Even if I sell you off, I can’t pay your debts with that money. If I were you, I’d buy a ticket to Mosgravia and stay there for good. You are done for in this country.
“Don’t you have a few lovers in Mosgravia? Why not ask them for help?”
Sophia was clearly unwilling to be involved with her niece. She impatiently swatted Liana’s hand away to free herself from the burden.
To Sophia’s dismay, Liana clawed into her arm tightly with a devilish look in her misty eyes. “Aunt Sophia, we were once partners. I listened to you from a young age and ran errands for you. Have you forgotten about that?”
Sophia was seized by panic. “What are you going to do?”
“My reputation is in tatters, and Jeremy hates me now. I have nothing to lose.” Liana’s battered face grew sinister. An anxious and fretful gleam flashed across her eyes.
you refuse to help, I will tell Mr. Javier everything you asked me to do over the years.
“I’ll tell him how you groomed me to get closer to Jeremy and how you made me spread the rumors to ostracize him and worsen his mother’s depression, driving her to kill herself… I will tell Mr. Javier and
Jeremy every single detail.
“Look, we are family. Do not force my hand.”
Covered in a cold sweat, Sophia returned to the dining hall with a heavy heart. She couldn’t believe that Liana, whom she had groomed, had turned against her and threatened her.
She was not afraid of Liana spilling the beans because there was no hard evidence that could incriminate her.
Still, she noticed that Javier was not as crazy about her as before. Therefore, she was vigilant of any potential trouble that might affect her standing in the Walsh Family.
“Javier, Lia is in the wrong, but she was a child who grew up in front of your eyes. You know what a nice and thoughtful kid she was.
“Now that my sister is in prison, and my brother-in-law is in a coma, their family is in huge financial trouble. That poor thing is too scared to face the debtors at home. I feel sorry for this poor girl that I’ve raised.”
Sophia clasped her dainty hand on the back of Javier’s stiffened hand. Tearing up, she argued, “Javier, you have always been forgiving and generous.
“Why don’t we help Lia out of this rut? Think of it as charity. That way, we could claim we have done everything we can for her.”
Javier’s brows relaxed a little. He seemed convinced by her words.
They heard the sound of an item hitting the floor out of the blue. The couple appeared shocked while Betty almost choked on her food.
Jeremy, who had been silent, took out a recording pen from his inner jacket pocket and flung it at his father and stepmom. “Why don’t you listen to this before you decide on helping Liana?”
Sophia’s heart hammered in her chest as she wondered what Jeremy was up to.
Javier picked up the pen with a puzzled look and pressed the play button. A recorded conversation between Curtis and Liana started playing.
“Don’t do anything to Alyssa Taylor yet. Wait for my call. Things are looking up right now. I’ve gotten Jeremy’s attention on me all over again.
“He’s been by my side these past few days. Mr. Javier has promised the marriage will go on, too. The wedding should be any day now.”