Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
Silas immediately recognized Nathan as the guy who fed Simon with excrement. He replied, “Thank you. You showed up just in time, but we’re good. My brother Liam over here could take on ten men alone.”
Speechless, Liam stared at Silas.
“Haha! That won’t do. I’ll have to do what Ms. Colene asked me to. According to her, she wouldn’t want you to dirty your precious hands taking on these bastards.”
Bastards? Hearing that, Joseph and Aidan turned red in anger.
Next, Nathan shot a disdainful look at Joseph’s men, an evil grin playing on his lips. “Lovelace or not, they’re at my mercy. Guys, let’s go!”
Upon hearing Nathan’s commands, the hooligans who had their hands in their pockets suddenly brandished weapons out of nowhere.
“H-How dare you?” Aidan’s voice trembled. He seemed badly shaken. “Do you not know our family’s standing in Belbanks? We’re just second to the Taylors! You’re only bringing trouble to yourselves if you mess with us!”
“Haha! Even a kid knows that the Taylors are the wealthiest in Belbanks. But I haven’t heard of the Lovelace family.” Nathan stretched his neck to loosen his muscles.
Then, he snickered. “Anyway, I’ve finally met the Lovelaces in person. Second to the Taylors, huh? I guess that’s only in Belbanks. Once you step out of this city, you’re a fucking nobody! Hahaha!”
The other gang members joined Nathan in his laughter. Silas guffawed. Even Liam, who always looked serious, betrayed a grin.
“You¡ª” Aidan was at a loss for words. Joseph glared at his useless son, who not only made a joke out of himself but also made the Lovelace family into a laughingstock.
“Mr. Joseph, it’s not too late to change your mind.” Silas decided to be civil. “You can’t afford to get into a fight at this age. If you’re beaten up, you might get bedridden for weeks!”
“Go, all of you!” Joseph instructed his men out of anger. He could not accept being taunted by the Taylor scoundrels. “We will leave with Julien today!”
“Damn it! This is the first time I’ve seen such a stubborn donkey! Guys, teach them a lesson!” Nathan barked.
The men from the Ivory Gang immediately charged at the Lovelaces’ bodyguards. Soon, they were embroiled in a fight at the parking garage.
Although Joseph and Aidan were shielded by their bodyguards, they emerged from the fight looking disheveled. The poor Aidan, who tried to put on an act of the good son, was kicked on the butt, slapped in the face, and hit a few times by the stick, causing him to yelp in pain. His suit was in tatters, and so was his reputation.
Silas was enjoying the fight when one of the Lovelaces’ bodyguards sneaked in front of him and attempted to punch him in the face.
Before Silas knew it, he heard an agonizing scream. Liam quickly showed up to shield him from the attack and fractured the arm of the bodyguard. Then, he stepped on the bodyguard, who lay sprawled on the floor. It all looked easy for Liam.
“Wow, Colonel, you truly live up to your reputation!” Gaping at the scene, Silas clapped hard. “I dare say, only Jeremy Walsh could rival your skills.”
“That scoundrel? Is he even this good?” Liam squinted doubtfully.
Silas coughed in embarrassment upon recalling that he was the one who started calling Jeremy names. It all felt rather awkward now. “Well, he’s not too bad. Let’s not forget, he was a military veteran.”
At first, Silas thought that the righteous Liam might speak ill of Jeremy. To his surprise, Liam fell into a short silence before muttering, “Looks like Jeremy Walsh isn’t entirely a good-for-nothing.”
“Silas! Liam!”
The two brothers spun around when they heard Alyssa calling out to them. They watched as Jeremy and Alyssa hurried over with Julien by their side.
“I’d be damned! That chick is so hot!” A few of the Ivory Gang members, attracted by Alyssa’s beauty, were distracted from the fight.
Jeremy keenly picked up on the vulgar remarks. He quickly pulled Alyssa into a hug in a protective stance. He had to always be on his guard because Alyssa was simply too stunning.
“What are you staring at? And be polite!” Nathan, aware of Alyssa’s status, went up to slap the three guys on their heads.
“Stop it! Stop fighting!” Julien bellowed at the men.
He wasn’t angry over his family being beaten, just disappointed at how his esteemed father had brought security over to provoke the Taylors and even got into a fight with the gangsters. In his eyes, Joseph was no different than the hooligans.
“Enough! Back off!” Nathan said and yawned. He didn’t care to continue the fighting as the Lovelaces seemed badly defeated by the Ivory Gang anyway.
“Dad, how could you do this as the head of the Lovelace family?” Julien confronted Joseph, clenching his fist and trembling violently.
“Julien Lovelace, how dare you question me when you were the one who got into a scandal? You’re a disgrace to your family!” Aidan, pressing a hand against his swollen cheek, barked at his brother.
“A scandal?” Julien broke into a laugh with a bold twinkle in his eye. “All I’ve done was to go after my love. It’s the best decision I’ve made in my life.”
Alyssa and Jeremy were shaken by Julien’s daring confession. Society’s judgment had not forced Jonah and Julien apart. On the contrary, the disapproval had only strengthened their relationship. Such was the nature of love¡ªdetermined against all odds and everlasting!
“Julien, come home with me right now!” Joseph glowered at Julien. He clenched his jaw and adjusted his loose tie.
“I won’t,” Julien smirked, angering Joseph. “Dad, do you take me as a fool? I’m not going home to be beaten to death.”
“You rascal! Did you hear yourself?” Joseph widened his eyes in shock. He threatened, “Don’t call yourself a Lovelace if you don’t come home with me today! You will not inherit any of the family’s assets and stocks!”
Aidan was delighted to hear the threat. Siblings in a wealthy family shared a familial bond yet treated each other as rivals. Not many families were as tight as the Taylor siblings.
Aidan knew he’d be the only heir if Julien was disowned by the Lovelace family, rendering him the sole candidate to inherit Edgar’s wealth and Joseph’s power. Suddenly, all the injuries he had sustained that day did not feel that painful anymore.
Joseph dialed up his threats. “Not only that, you will be blacklisted from practicing in the country. Our family will exert pressure on the hospitals, and none of them will employ you.”
“Pfft! That is some real bullshit!” Alyssa glared at Joseph and snickered. “Mr. Joseph, are you drunk? Do you think you’re the king of the land?
“You don’t even have the right to stop Julien from going abroad. Even if he stays in the country, he is always welcome to join the hospitals owned by our family. What can you do about that?”
Silas joined in the teasing. “Tsk tsk. Joseph Lovelace must be really dumb.”
After being publicly humiliated, Joseph was figuring out a clapback when Julien announced with determination, “You can’t even threaten me by disowning me. So, what makes you think I care about the titles and the wealth?
“I have never thought of inheriting the family wealth. I’m utterly disappointed in my family. There’s nothing I miss in the family after Aunt Mandy left. Why don’t we end it once and for all?”
“You brat! Scoundrel!”
Joseph finally broke when his son publicly challenged his ego as the family patriarch. Staring Julien down, he was about to approach the latter when a slim figure glided out of nowhere and stopped him.
“Mandy?”
In the next second, they heard a deafening slap. Mandy, filled with resentment, had slapped Joseph on the face. The impact of her slap caused his cheek to swell and his ears to ring.
“Mandy, did you just slap me? But I’m your brother!”
“My brother? Do I even have one?” She flashed him an indifferent smile. “I thought I was kicked out of the Lovelace family just like Julien. By the way, you’re just a son adopted by the Lovelace family.”
The revelation of Joseph being an adopted son caught Aidan and Julien off guard. It was a family secret that had never been disclosed to the younger generation. Mandy must have been intent on humiliating Joseph by openly bringing up his bloodline.
“Technically, I am the only daughter who carries the Lovelace blood. You’re only benefiting from Dad’s dream of having a son. He promoted you to a position of power in Lovelace Pharmaceuticals.
Otherwise, you wouldn’t have had the power to assert dominance over me as a ‘brother.'”
“Mandy Lovelace!” Despite nearly fainting from the anger, Joseph couldn’t retort.
It was indeed true that he was adopted. Edgar Lovelace, who failed to produce a son over many years, had secretly adopted Joseph from an orphanage with his wife, Agatha Borne, to continue the family lineage.
Five years after adopting Joseph, Agatha got pregnant with Mandy and gave birth to the only flesh and blood of Edgar. Alas, Mandy was a female.
Still, she quickly became Edgar and Agatha’s favorite due to her good looks and intelligence. For a while, Mandy’s talent had challenged Edgar’s prejudice against women in positions of power.
It all came crashing down when Mandy met the striking and distinguished Winston Taylor at a ball. If she hadn’t made the shocking decision to be Winston’s second wife, she would have been sharing power with Joseph in Lovelace Pharmaceuticals.
“This is for Julien. You’re ridiculous for punishing him just because he wanted to treat Winston!” Mandy was filled with animosity. “Still, this isn’t enough to punish you. Let’s meet again as business rivals.
“I’m warning you now¡ªLovelace Pharmaceuticals will never dominate Belbanks while the KS Group stands. Julien, come with me!” “Sure, Aunt Mandy!” Julien, teary-eyed, immediately answered to her. He listened well to Mandy, totally unlike the rebellious son that Joseph labeled him as.
Alyssa and Jeremy exchanged looks and let out a long sigh of relief. Their greatest fear was the Lovelaces exploiting family relationships and using hierarchy to coerce Julien.
Fortunately, the firm support from Alyssa and Jeremy was sufficient. Julien was also determined enough.
The Lovelaces had done all they could. Their family member was even hit. At the same time, they had discovered groundbreaking news about their family.
They had gotten more than what they had expected.
The Taylors made their grand exit with Julien in tow. They made it look as if they were a family.
Joseph glared at Mandy from behind, feeling extremely dissatisfied. However, the Ivory Gang members were standing in their way. What else could he do? He could only treat this as his loss!
On the way back, Julien put his arm around Mandy’s shoulders. He tried his utmost best to hold back his tears.
He teased, “Aunt Mandy, if you’re planning to go to the local court to have your last name changed, take me along with you.”