Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
She began, “For a drug to launch in the market, it will have to go through multiple experiments and trials. That will take at least a year, or in worse cases, three to five years.”
She glared at him. “Sir wants like you to test the drug on humans.”
“Test it on. humans?” Jameson looked stunned. He felt suffocated at the thought of it.
“Mr. Schmidt, are you scared?” Sheryl scoffed. “Even I have heard of your actions in Kontina. We’re only looking for some sacrifices to achieve a huge goal for mankind. Do you not have the heart to do it?”
Jameson cast a menacing look at Sheryl’s mocking expression. In no way did she resemble Alyssa. Alyssa was the shining light in his otherwise dark and hopeless life. She was a butterfly dancing in a cold abyss.
To him, Alyssa was an angel. Sheryl was nothing more than sir’s pretty, obedient, and dutiful weapon.
“Sheryl, that’s inappropriate. After all, lives are involved. It makes sense for Mr. Schmidt to give it a serious thought.” The man laughed amicably but betrayed a hint of authority.
Jameson’s breathing grew heavy. He whispered, “I will carry out the mission you entrust to me, sir.”
“Thank you, Mr. Schmidt. When you start the trials, I need your men to record the trial data and observe the participants’ responses. Sheryl will gather the details and email them to you.” The man’s smile deepened. He seemed satisfied with Jameson’s answer.
“One question, sir. Does drug DAD0044 come with any side effects?” Jameson adjusted his glasses with a wary look.
“Well, some obvious side effects are delirium and spasms. We’re still looking out for any hidden side effects.” Sheryl placed a finger under her chin as if she was thinking. “It’s… Hmm. probably similar to drug withdrawal symptoms.”
Jameson curled his fingers. “Sir, I have one more question. Why don’t you complete your trials in Mosgravia? The industry is less regulated here than in Cyrris.
“Besides, I’m not exactly on good terms with Jeremy Walsh and Alyssa. They might be keeping tabs on me. I would love to help you, but I’m not in a favorable situation. I’m afraid I’ll only ruin your plans.”
“As our headquarters is in Mosgravia, I do not want to start any trouble here and ruin my plans. I want you to carry out the trials in Cyrris as an escape plan,” explained the man.
“An escape plan?”
“When needed, we can shift the blame onto Lovelace Pharmaceuticals.”
Given Jameson’s wits, he likely had a clear idea of what to do.
The man added, “I found the perfect trial participant for you. Since drug DAD0044’s side effects are similar to drug withdrawal symptoms, we can test it on a frequent drug user and fool the authorities.”
Jameson nodded with a look of realization. “Got it. Sir, thanks for the tips.”
“Checkmate. Good game, Mr. Schmidt.”
The crystal chess piece moved on the board, sealing Jameson’s fate in the game.
Jameson smirked with a helpless yet admiring look. That was a clear hint for him to leave. He respectfully rose from his seat and said, “Sir, it’s about time I leave. I won’t disturb your rest. I know you’re a fan of antiques, so I got you a small gift.”
With that, he clapped. The doors opened to the side, and Amber, dressed in a black bodycon dress, glided into the room elegantly with a rosewood box in her hand.
Sheryl stared coldly at Amber, who resembled Alyssa.
“Ms. Altman, it’s been a while. You still look as lovely as before,” the man complimented Amber with a gentle smile.
Amber looked stoic and cold. She lowered her gaze and replied humbly, “Sir, thanks for the compliment.”
“You’re indeed a woman groomed by Mr. Schmidt. You’re gentle, demure, and gracious. Sometimes, I feel that you’re Alyssa Taylor herself. You’re the best substitute I’ve ever seen.”
Amber kept her silence, but she looked glum. By describing her as a substitute, all his prior compliments sounded sarcastic to her.
Jameson did not continue on that topic. Instead, he opened the box and revealed the antique vase to the man. “This is a Wiktorian-era pink frosted vase I got for you from a Yoarkley auction. It’s nothing special. I hope you don’t mind it.”
Sheryl lifted a brow in amusement. She had been keeping an eye on the vase for her employer. In the end, an anonymous buyer won the bid with 50 million dollars. She had not expected the buyer to be Jameson.
She thought, “Mr. Schmidt is indeed a thoughtful lapdog.”
The man nodded softly. “Mr. Schmidt, that’s very thoughtful of you. I’ll need your help on drug DAD0044.”
Jameson nodded at him. “Don’t worry. I’ll give it my best.”
After Jameson and Amber left, silence fell on the scented room.
“Sir, whose face do you think is prettier¡ªmy face that you sculpted or Amber’s that resembles Alyssa Taylor?” Sheryl gently placed her hand on the man’s shoulder and whispered into his ear.
He smiled and patted his thigh. She obediently walked over and kneeled in front of him. Then, she looked up at him with a tender gaze on her radiant face.
“Amber might be a carbon copy of Alyssa Taylor, but she’ll never be her. She’s a low-grade substitute that Jameson Schmidt created to satisfy his desire.” The man leaned forward and placed a finger under her chin.
He lifted her chin slowly. “You are just you. You’re a work of art I meticulously crafted. That boring substitute is no match for my art piece.”
Sheryl’s eyes glinted when she heard his words. To her, he was an omniscient deity who categorized the beings in the world into two¡ªthose who belonged to him and those who did not. She did not mind being described as an item.
“Sir, please forgive my bluntness.” Kneeling on the floor, Sheryl started massaging his leg. “I think this is the best opportunity for you to hit back.
“As Jameson Schmidt had said, the best way to manipulate a man is by gaining his sympathy. I’m worried that Javier Walsh might hand the Walsh Group to Jeremy out of guilt.”
The man chuckled. “No, he won’t.”
Sheryl opined, “Now that Sophia Kirkman is done for, there’s no reason to keep Betty Walsh in the family. Why don’t you reveal the secret and get rid of both mother and daughter? A useless chess piece will only be an eyesore in the game.”
“We’ve not reached the end yet. How would you know she’s useless?”
Sheryl was surprised by the remark.
The man explained, “Grandpa has taught me to be frugal from a young age.” He leaned his lanky body backward and added, “That’s why I need to make full use of all my chess pieces. That way, I can put his life advice into practice.”
Sheryl smirked. “Is Jameson Schmidt one of those chess pieces?”
The man merely coughed and gracefully lifted the cup. “I hope he gives me a satisfactory reply on the drug trial mission. Otherwise, that will be the end of our partnership.”
Sophia had appealed against the sentence on the same day. Ten days later, the appellate court affirmed the sentence, which meant that she would still face the death penalty.
From that moment onward, she felt as if she had gone blind. She spent each day curled up in a corner of her cell, staring blankly at the tiny window. That would go on from dawn to night. Everything around her appeared dark and murky.
Sophia reminisced about her life. She had lived a glorious life. However, to achieve that, she always had to sacrifice a person to reach a greater height.
Anne Bartley was her first victim. Never had she thought that the woman, who was dead for two decades, would be the nail in her coffin.
Sophia had long regretted killing Anne. Anne didn’t have to die. Keeping Anne around wouldn’t have affected anything.
However, Sophia acted like she was under a spell at that time. She harbored a strong resentment against Anne. On top of that, she banked on Javier’s affection and acted lawlessly, thinking that she could do anything she liked under his protection.
Alas, Javier’s love was nothing but an illusion.
Sophia pulled her hair out and held strands of gray hair in her hands. The pain kept her sober. She had finally seen through Javier’s selfishness and heartlessness.
He had never loved her. She didn’t believe he loved Anne either. Otherwise, why would he easily believe that Anne had taken her own life?
Sophia widened her bloodshot eyes. Like a madwoman, she repeatedly mumbled, “Javier Walsh… One day, karma will get you. You’ll pay for your heartlessness! I’ll watch that from the heavens!”
One day, Sophia had visitors at the prison.
“Kirkman, you have visitors.”
As Sophia was a convicted felon, she wore handcuffs and ankle cuffs when she was led into the visitation room.
Due to the mental pressure and the strain of the dim environment on her eyes, she suffered from a drastic decline in her eyesight. She couldn’t make out people or things that were ten feet away.
She stood there like a skeleton with a blank expression. Feeling utterly dejected, she wanted to decline the visit now that no one cared about her.
Still, she was curious about the identity of the visitors who would take the time to visit her.
“Who are you?”
Mom.
Sophia’s dull eyes wavered. Then, she stumbled to the glass window that separated her from the visitors, accompanied by the rattling sounds of her ankle cuffs.
Her vision finally focused on Lauren’s fair face.
She widened her eyes as she pressed her bony hands against the wall with might. She gaped. After a while, she cautiously asked, “L-Lauren? Is that you? Are you Lauren?”