Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
Lauren teared up when she met Sophia’s eyes. The latter looked nothing like before.
Lauren nodded.
Landon stood beside her. He quickly wrapped an arm around her trembling shoulders and gently caressed them.
He couldn’t believe that the disheveled woman with grey hair was once the dazzling and youthful wife of Javier Walsh.
Sophia’s chest rose and fell violently. Her lips quivered as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Mr. Landon, you know about Lauren’s condition, don’t you? Why would you bring her to such a depressing place?”
Frowning, Landon was about to speak, but Lauren was ahead of him. She clarified, “I asked Landon to bring me here.”
“Lauren…” Sophia sobbed uncontrollably. “I knew you were the nicest and kindest kid! I knew you would feel sorry to see me go.”
In the next second, Sophia’s reignited flame of hope was mercilessly put out by Lauren’s pointed remark.
Lauren explained, “I visit you not because I’ve forgiven you.”
Then, she inhaled sharply, tears of anger brimming in her eyes. “I just wanted to know why you’d hurt the innocent. Jeremy has always been good to me. How could you be so cruel as to kill his mom? Why?”
Sophia’s heart quivered in the face of Lauren’s painful accusations.
She hated Jeremy, but she admitted that he was good to Lauren, better than she’d ever treated Lauren.
Thinking back, Jeremy didn’t seem as despicable as he had seemed. Too bad there could only be one Mrs. Walsh. Javier had made Anne her rival.
After a pause, she finally confessed, “I… I was pregnant with Betty at that time. All I wanted was a recognition to give her a better life and future.”
“Well, you got your recognition, didn’t you? Dad acknowledged you, so you had achieved your goal. Why did you have to kill Jeremy’s mom?
“Jeremy never hated me or treated me badly even though I’m your daughter. He and Alyssa treat me like their sister. They show me love and care that I would otherwise never have the chance to experience. I owe them a lot. How could you be so cruel to him?”
Lauren was no fool. She understood that Sophia was a selfish woman, and she knew how coldly Sophia had treated her. For that, she had grappled with self-blame and low self-esteem.
She despised herself for not being as healthy as Betty. She even blamed herself for not being a son, thinking that Newton might acknowledge Sophia if that was the case.
Lauren thought that if she was male, Sophia might not need to tread carefully in the family and worry about consolidating her power or faking and scheming her way to a better life.
She had never thought that Sophia would kill for personal gain.
“If my life now is built on others’ death, I would rather never have been born. I’d rather not be a Walsh!” Lauren growled with tears in her eyes.
She clenched her fists tightly and trembled violently in Landon’s hold.
“Darling, calm down. No need to be angry.” Landon panicked at Lauren’s emotional outburst and held her tight. He rested his chin on her head and gently coaxed her, “Darling, we agreed not to be angry no matter how the conversation went, didn’t we? It will only hurt you and affect your condition.”
Lauren gritted her teeth. She finally stabilized from a near-breakdown when she leaned in his comforting embrace.
Sophia did not blink at all. She wore a dim and remorseful expression as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I walked down the wrong path. I was obsessed with raising my status.
“I suffered enough from poverty when I was young. I’d been eating expired food and wearing old clothes. Because of that, I felt ashamed of myself. Later, I was scouted into the entertainment industry. There, I poured in all my effort to climb up the ranks, all because I couldn’t stand a poor life anymore.” “Did you know how Jeremy’s mom suffered?” Landon was infuriated in the face of Sophia’s whining. He had no sympathy for her at all. “Anne spent five years in the slums with Jeremy when the Walsh family refused to acknowledge him.
“She couldn’t work since she was weak. Jeremy was only five when he had to support himself and Anne so that they wouldn’t starve to death.
“All she wanted was a hot meal. Even if Javier took her back to the Walsh family, and even if he had you as a mistress, she never thought of fighting you for the title of Mrs. Walsh. You were the selfish and greedy one, killing an innocent woman just to achieve your goal. You nearly killed Jeremy too, you know?
“Sophia Kirkman, I know you’re Lauren’s mom, but I need to say this aloud¡ªyou deserve the death sentence!”
Lauren watched Sophia cry as she fought the feelings of pain and resentment. She choked on her tears as she struggled to speak.
“I know it’s too late for me to say anything. I’ll pay for the crimes I committed and for Anne’s death.” Sophia’s tear-streaked face was nearly pressing against the glass window.
She stared at Lauren with widened eyes. “Lauren, this is all my fault. You have nothing to do with it. So, please don’t do anything silly.
“Live well. You’re still young. Besides, Landon loves you so much. You will have a bright, happy future ahead…”
Then, Sophia cast a worried glance at Landon. “Landon, you’ll treat Lauren well, won’t you? You’ll marry her, right?”
Landon tightened his grip on Lauren’s shoulder. He fixed a determined gaze on Sophia. “I will marry no one but Lauren Walsh.”
“Good. That’s good.” Sophia smiled in relief and wiped away her tears. “Lauren, you’ll need some wedding gifts in the future. I have a few pieces of halcyon gemstones that I keep in my bedside safe. The password is 0814. Take them with you. That’s all I can give you.”
The password was the date she married into the Walsh family. She had been proud of what she had accomplished, but now, it all meant nothing.
“That’s fine.” Lauren shook her head with tears in her eyes.
“Indeed. Lauren doesn’t need anything when she marries me,” Landon turned down Sophia’s offer with a frosty look.
“Kirkman, time’s up!” the warden’s cold voice echoed in the air.
Upon hearing that, Sophia’s heart sank. Her fingers, pressed against the glass, curled up like she was attempting to clutch onto something.
“Mom, goodbye.” Lauren slowly rose from her seat. Landon wrapped an arm around her waist as the couple wandered toward the metal gate.
“Lauren!”
The couple halted in their tracks when Sophia called out to Lauren.
“Beware of your sister.” Sophia wanted to say “I love you” to Lauren, but she felt that she didn’t have the right to say that as a convicted felon.
Lauren did not turn around to look at her. From that moment onward, she would neither get to see Sophia again nor wish to do so.
As the metal gates swung shut, Sophia cried her heart out. Sophia recalled carrying baby Lauren, repeatedly singing lullabies, and telling stories to Lauren. That was a wonderful time in her life.
If Sophia had a chance, she’d like to restart her life. Given the chance, she’d like to be a good mother.
Landon hugged Lauren as they exited the prison. Despite being enveloped in his warmth, she still trembled in his arms.
“Darling, you…” He pursed his lips as he struggled to find the right words to say to her.
What should he say to comfort Lauren? He thought, “It’s not like I can tell her, ‘Let’s come again’ or ‘I’m sorry for your loss.'”
“Landon.” Head hung low and eyes teary, she said, “Thank you. Thank you for letting me see my mom for the last time. That’s enough for me. I will not ask you for anything else.”
“Darling, what are you talking about?” Worried, he plopped onto one knee in front of her and grabbed her hand.
He cast a frantic look at her misty eyes. “What do you mean you’ll not ask me for anything else? What’s the point of having me around? I will lose my motivation in the competition for power. What will I live for?”
“Landon.” Her voice trailed off as she stumbled back shyly.
“Just let me know anything you want. No matter what it is, I’ll try my best to fulfill your request.” His heart pained when he recalled the way she spiraled in front of him. He choked on emotions. “Lauren. you’re the one I love. I so wish I could give you the world.
“I was wrong for taking away your right to meet your mom for the last time. I swear that won’t happen again.”
Feeling moved, she threw herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. She mumbled, “I lost my mom.”
“Don’t worry. You still have me, Jeremy, and Alyssa. Oh, you have your grandpa, too.” He caressed her back and announced, “Darling, don’t cry. Take my hand, and I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world.”
He was confident in his courage and patience in their relationship. The only thing he feared was that he wouldn’t be good enough for her. He feared upsetting her, as it might lead to a distance between them.
Angelina stood by her car and watched the touching scene from afar. Her lips curled up into a contented smile.
Landon finally had someone to build a family with. She hoped that his relationship with Lauren would last forever.
Later, Angelina drove Landon and Lauren back. The luxury car cruised down Solana City’s bustling streets.
“Darling, why don’t we go out and have fun? Do you want to attend art exhibitions in Yoarkley, watch the northern lights at Archenland, or pigeon-feeding at Genovia Square?” He passionately took her hand and kissed the back of it.
Hearing that, Angelina stared at him through the rearview mirror and reminded him in a low voice, “Mr. Landon, the board meeting is around the corner. You need to make the preparations for your official appointment…”
“Nothing can take away my time with Lauren,” said Landon with a gleam in his eyes.
He hugged Lauren on the waist. “Besides, what else is there to prepare for? The president is either me or Prepillon Preston. If Grandpa’s still clear-minded, he would know that he’ll doom the company by handing it over to him. Harper Group will be mine and no one else’s.”
“That’s right.” Angelina was well aware of the reasoning. Still, she had her concerns. “I’m just worried that Preston might make a move. He’s known to keep a high profile. Yet, he has laid low since he failed to win the racecourse hotel project. That worries me. Something feels off, so you better watch out for him.”
Landon refused to discuss business competition in front of Lauren. He beamed softly and croaked, “Darling, have you made up your mind?”