Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
Rosie?
Rose blinked away the moisture from her eyes, feeling a warmth spreading in her chest.
Lydia gritted her teeth. “This concerns only the Emersons. I don’t think this has anything to do with you.”
“Rosie is mine, so that makes her problems mine as well..” Silas rubbed his cheeks, his gaze sharp enough to deter anyone from meeting it directly.
“Sir, my mother has never spoken an untruth about her.”
Jamie erupted, hurling accusations at Rose once more. “She’s the illegitimate offspring of the Emersons. Her mother seduced my father and bore her out of wedlock. Unable to secure her position, she birthed this wretch behind my father’s back.
“Then, in desperation, her mother brought her to us for protection. We embraced her as family, but Rose, despite our kindness, turned her back on us after gaining some fame for herself. She wouldn’t even deign to design a gown for me!
“She wouldn’t even be here if not for us Emersons. If my father hadn’t taken them in, Rose and her mother would have perished on the streets.”
Rose’s eyes blazed crimson, her breaths labored while Silas sneered with contempt.
“What does any of this have to do with my Rosie?”
Jamie was stunned.
“She didn’t choose to come into this world. She couldn’t choose her parents or upbringing either. But I believe if she could choose, she’d want nothing to do with the Emersons.”
Silas fixed his gaze on Rose, his eyes darkened with understanding.
“If you possess an iota of dignity, leave my presence. Otherwise, I’ll ensure you lose even that.”
Lydia realized this man was far more complex than she had assumed. Unable to press her argument further, she could only tug Jamie away, hastily exiting the villa.
As they reached the car, Jamie erupted in fury. “Mom, that man hurt you. Even if he won’t apologize, shouldn’t he at least foot your medical bills?”
Jamie exclaimed, “They managed to scare us off. How embarrassing and humiliating!”
“You’re kidding, right? It’d be even more embarrassing to stick around any longer,” Lydia countered as she suppressed the pain in her wrist.
Lydia then retrieved her phone, opened the browser, and found a picture of Jonah Taylor, the president of KS Group.
Jamie peered over her shoulder. When she saw the picture, she gasped, “Isn’t this the guy we saw earlier? He’s the president of KS Group!”
Lydia’s eyes darkened as she gazed at the picture, feeling beads of sweat forming.
Initially, the man had seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place him. Then, as she left through the exit, it clicked¡ªhe was one-half of the gay couple that had recently made headlines.
“That can’t be right. The president of KS Group is gay. How could he also be the one claiming to be Rose’s boyfriend? They just bear a striking resemblance.”
“You’re right. That bitch couldn’t be so lucky as to date a Taylor.”
Jamie, visibly shaken, attempted to reassure herself. She murmured, “But they look so alike. Anyone would have thought they were brothers.”
Rose returned to her office, clutching her chest while her other hand frantically searched her drawer for nitroglycerin pills. She found them, poured out a dose, and swallowed them hastily.
Silas entered the office behind her, noticing her continued distress even after taking the pills. His heart went out to her, feeling a pang of sympathy.
With her back to him, Rose’s once proud posture now slumped slightly. She slowly tightened her grip on her chest, the strain evident in her movements. “You… saw everything.”
Silas pursed his lips, his gaze turning somber.
“That’s my family… I hail from a cheap and lowly background. What’s the point of a fancy designer title anyway? It can’t scrub away the stains of my past. You must be really let down, huh? Well, now that they’re gone, you don’t have to pretend for my sake anymore.”
Before Rose could finish speaking, she felt a warm, reassuring presence enveloping her from behind.
Without knowing what came over him, Silas expressed his affection by pulling her into a firm embrace.
Initially resistant, Rose soon found herself yielding to the comforting embrace, her body craving the closeness.
“Who said I was pretending?” Silas murmured, his warm breath brushing against her ear.
His voice was hoarse as he added, “I’ve never been more sincere with you.”
A jolt ripped through Rose. It stole her breath, sending her head spinning. She felt like she was melting in his embrace. “No, this can’t be true. Weren’t you just watching me get humiliated earlier?”
Silas’ eyes reddened as he spoke softly, coaxing her, “You’ve misunderstood me. Let me explain.”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
“It’s not that I didn’t want to help. I wanted to beat that bitch up when she started throwing insults at you.”
Silas rested his chin on her shoulder, and his heart was heavy with an indescribable pain. “But I also wanted to know you better. You’ve never opened up about your family or your past.
“Every time I tried to get close, you pushed me away. I know it was underhanded of me, but it was the only way I could understand you. I wish to learn more about you.”
Silas tightened his arms around her as he spoke as if fearing she might escape him.
A warm blush crept up Rose’s chest, a pleasant tingle settling in her heart. Her voice dipped to a playful whisper, more of a tease than a scold. “Well, at least you know you’re being sneaky.”
“Rosie.” Silas couldn’t tear his gaze away. A captivating blush painted Rose’s pale face as he murmured, “Well, you’re just as cunning. You’re the sneak who’s stolen my heart.”
Rose found herself at a loss for words.
She remembered listening to Alyssa chatter about her family and Silas. He had such a handsome face. Yet, he was so dense and cheesy that it raised concerns for him.
It seemed Alyssa was right.
Silas noticed her sudden silence and fell into a surge of panic. He turned her to face him. “Are you still upset with me?”
“Silas Taylor.”
Silas’ panic intensified at the sound of Rose addressing him by his full name. Unconsciously, he swallowed hard.
“I am an illegitimate daughter of the Emerson family. I am a disgrace. Even the Emersons would come to me and cause trouble. I have no peace. I don’t deserve you. It’ll only be harder for you if you stay by my side.”
It felt as though she was tearing a piece of her heart away with each word uttered. “You deserve better.”
Rose continued, “There are plenty of reasons why you might feel this way about me, and perhaps one of them is because your emotions stem from a desire to protect me¡ªa misplaced sense of sympathy.
“But once the initial rush fades, you’ll see what I see¡ªlove is fleeting and nothing but trouble. You come from a good place, and even if you don’t need someone of equal standing, you deserve a well- educated woman with a respectable family background.
“My life… it’s forever marked. Today was just a glimpse, a mere whisper of the darkness I carry.”
Beneath the icy veneer of a renowned designer, Rose harbored a wellspring of bitterness and insecurity. Her extravagant creations were a carefully crafted facade, a shield to deflect from the vulnerability beneath.
Despite her prestigious Emerson name, Rose felt adrift, a life without roots. She could never bring herself to proclaim her lineage.
Though she wasn’t blind to Silas’ good qualities or the depth of his love, a relentless sense of unworthiness gnawed at her.
Clarity, however painful, was necessary. She couldn’t bear the thought of a future where Silas’ feelings waned or a future where their love faced an insurmountable societal backlash.
To avoid the inevitable heartbreak, she would rather not start it at all.
“I’ve known about your background for quite some time.”
Her avoidance stung, but he pressed on, “So what, Rose? It doesn’t change a thing. I see you, all of you. And I still want you in my life.”
A tremor ran through Rose, shattering her composure. “Silas, is this some kind of prosecutorial harassment? You’ve investigated me?”
“I just wanted to know the real you!” Silas panicked and held her shoulders forcefully.
“Rose, do you honestly think I have nothing better to do than pry into your life? It was about getting closer to you, truly. All of this with the hope of winning your heart and earning a place by your side!
“I understand your concerns, but they’re unfounded. You’re Lyse’s best friend. She’s incessantly badgered me about making you her sister-in-law.
“And as for my family and father, you have nothing to fear. Their acceptance knows no bounds. My father even embraced my brother’s sexuality wholeheartedly. He even welcomed Jeremy despite his past transgressions with Lyse. So why wouldn’t he extend the same warmth to you? Why couldn’t he?”
A fresh wave of ache washed over Rose, constricting her heart. Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head. Her hands pressed against his chest, forcefully pushing him away.
“Dr. Lovelace is the second in line to helm the Lovelace Group, and Jeremy is the president of the Walsh Group. They’re royalty compared to me. There’s a world of difference. Don’t waste your time on me anymore.”