Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
out in pain.
That made several guests glare at her.
“Landon will be my son-in-law, no doubt about that. Your marriage with him is set in stone now, so no one better get in my way unless they want to lose their neck.” Sophia glared right at Alyssa.
Sophia continued, “As for Jameson Schmidt? You don’t need to think about him. Let that useless man be with Alyssa. It will stop Jeremy from getting any ideas and won’t ruin my plans for you. It’s a win-win!”
“B-But Mom, Jameson isn’t a bastard. His mother is even his father’s first wife. Wouldn’t Alyssa gain more advantage if they were together?” Betty asked.
“More advantage? I’d say she’d be digging her own grave.” Sophia crossed her arms across her chest.
Sophia explained, “Jameson is the least prospective son out of Victor’s handful. His mother isn’t favored, either. They’ve been overseas for years while their father stayed in the country.
“He won’t amount to much in the end. He has no company shares, assets, or position in his family business. We can sit back and watch Alyssa crumble apart under his care.”
Sophia then sneered. “How I wish the two would just marry each other. That way, Alyssa can never get rid of such a useless burden.”
The bidding for the opal necklace had reached six million.
There were no longer any new bidders for the time being. Alyssa was still pleased with the result, however.
“Seven million.”
A deep, sonorous voice rang out from behind her, making her expression fall.
The unexpected bid caught the crowd’s attention, prompting them to turn and identify the speaker swiftly.
Jeremy was in the last row, his paddle raised high in the air. He exuded sheer confidence and stability among the gawking guests.
“It’s Jeremy Walsh from the Walsh Group!”
“When did he get here? I didn’t see him at all tonight!”
“He’s so handsome …”
Jeremy gazed steadily at Alyssa, his paddle never once lowering. But she never turned around.
Seven million, and she wouldn’t even spare him a glance. It looked like he would have to continue bidding.
“Seven million is a tad bit overpriced for this necklace,” Yves said, shaking her head. She disapproved of Jeremy’s action. “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”
“At least it will help those orphanages,” Alyssa grumbled, cussing Jeremy internally.
“Mr. Jeremy, congratulations! The auction extends its gratitude for your generous donation!” The auctioneer’s gavel landed, igniting a wave of applause.
The cameras turned to Jeremy, who gave a brisk nod and polite smile, nothing more.
A distance away, Jameson watched on, his eyes pure frost.
The auction went on smoothly as all pieces of jewelry were bid successfully at high prices. Even Sophia got herself one just to show off.
But what got Alyssa incredibly angry was the fact that Jeremy would always step in at the last second whenever a piece wasn’t faring so well, only to bid with an outrageously overpriced amount.
He had gotten three pieces in a single hour at the cost of thirty-something-million dollars! Alyssa had to do all she could not to get security to escort him out right away!
Just then, Jeremy bid another piece of jewelry, inviting the crowd to gossip among themselves.
“Is that really worth four million? Why does it seem like Jeremy Walsh doesn’t quite have the right taste for jewelry?”
“Hey, he’s hot, and he’s rich. I can tolerate some dumbness.”
“Dumb your ass! Didn’t you notice he’s bidding for all the less-high-grade pieces? He’s clearly going specifically for them. Even an individual with questionable taste wouldn’t choose all of them consistently!”
“Really? Then that means…”
“He’s bidding for the cheaper ones to save Ms. Alyssa’s auction and add more value! What a man!”
Zoe stared angrily at Jeremy, rage tearing at her from within when she saw how devoted he was to Alyssa. Alyssa’s outright refusal of Jeremy’s gestures felt like a humiliation to her own desire to be treated the same.
“What a man!” Some other guests agreed with Jeremy’s actions.
Jeremy smiled slightly upon hearing the chatter. People seemed to understand what he was going for.
Sadly, Alyssa never bothered to look at him, though. That intensified the turmoil within his chest.
“Tsk.” Jameson rolled his eyes, thoroughly unbothered by Jeremy’s actions.
Alyssa wasn’t motivated by material wealth; the last thing required to win her over was money.
“Now, set your eyes on our next piece!” the auctioneer announced, revealing the glass showcase once again.
Inside was a thick necklace of pear-cut white diamonds, with hundreds of smaller blue diamonds framing them. It was an exquisitely beautiful piece that instantly drew everyone’s attention.
“This piece was donated by Ada Kingsley, made by internationally-renowned jewelry designer Alexa herself. We are truly grateful for your donation tonight, Madam!”
Betty shot up from her seat, back rigid as steel right now. Her expression was very slowly crumbling apart.
A distance away was Zoe, who was so tense she couldn’t move a muscle. All she could manage to do was clench her fingers together as if in prayer.
Neither of them expected Ada to donate that necklace tonight.
How could this be?
The two women instantly glanced at one another, unable to say a word right now, given their distance.
The hall erupted into an ecstatic frenzy with the reveal of Alexa’s necklace. The experts in the jewelry field all craned their necks to get a good look at the piece, in awe of this legendary necklace.
Both Jeremy and Jameson leaped to attention, eager to bid for the necklace.
“Why are you standing up? Sit down! Don’t you see everyone’s looking at you?” Sophia hissed, dragging
Betty back down into her seat.
“F-Fuck… We’re screwed, Mom, Betty whispered fearfully.
“What? What are you saying?”
“I… I was the one who gave Ada that necklace.”
“You what? Where did you get your hands on one of Alexa’s creations?” Sophia exclaimed, then got angry.
Sophia continued, “How could she just give it away like that? Isn’t that just outright slapping you in the face? And you, how dare you give it to her and not to me? I raised you, for God’s sake!”
“Mom… that… the necklace is a counterfeit.”
Sophia’s heart lurched. “Counterfeit?”
“Z-Zoe helped me commission one of Alexa’s students to recreate it,” Betty mumbled, “That was the only idea I had. Ada wouldn’t work with us, so I did what Alyssa did and used the jewelry to win her over.
“It’s a really good mimic of the original necklace, but the cat’s bound to be out of the bag one day. I figured by the time Ada found out, the wedding would’ve already gone on.
“I… I didn’t know she would donate it to the auction! If someone finds out, we’re finished!”
“You stupid idiot!” Sophia growled furiously, nails digging into her daughter’s skin. “You shouldn’t have gotten a counterfeit to give her in the first place! Do you have any idea how big a scandal that is to our family?”
“It w-was Zoe’s idea… You can’t blame it all on me!” Betty whined.
“Can’t you see that Zoe was using you?” Sophia cried, angrily stomping her feet. “If no one finds out, then
“But if someone finds out, she won’t get in trouble whatsoever! You gifted the necklace in the company’s name, which has nothing to do with her! You’ve got nowhere to hide!”
Hatred pooled in Zoe’s chest. She had been set up!
“What can I do now, Mom?”
“Stay calm.” Sophia took a deep breath. “There’s a good chance no one will realize it’s a fake. Alexa has countless creations, after all. If Ada didn’t find out, no one would!”