151 Hold Your Hand
The marriage certificate even had footprints on it,
dirty and grimy.
T
Mrs. Olsen took out a handkerchief to wipe it, her eyes
downcast. “No matter what, Isla shouldn’t have damaged Keira’s marriage certificate.””
Taylor scoffed. “She shouldn’t have resorted to physical
violence either! With that barbaric and uncouth
temperament of Keira, why are you still worried about
her?”
Mrs. Olsen ignored this remark. After cleaning the marriage certificate, she prepared to open it and take a look.
However, the marriage certificate was snatched away by Taylor. “What good will it do? Didn’t her husband already visit our house last time? That laborer let his wife be someone else’s mistress and homewrecker. He’s such a useless man! Stop looking at it to avoid getting angry all over again!”
Mrs. Olsen’s jaw tensed, and she finally said, “Before we leave, let’s return the marriage certificate to
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Keira…”
“… Alright, alright. Shirley, you’re just too kind-hearted!”
As they conversed, they walked toward the hall.
Keira didn’t return to the front hall, Instead, she went to the back garden.
This year’s winter seemed particularly cold. The chilly wind pierced through her thin dress, quickly making her feel as if even her bones were chilled. Yet, these sensations couldn’t compare to the coldness in her chest.
She didn’t blame Mrs. Olsen for the misunderstanding, nor did she feel qualified to blame her.
Mrs. Olsen was the sole source of warmth in her childhood life.
It was Mrs. Olsen who taught her self-respect, self-love, and to live life not by others’ definitions;
It was Mrs. Olsen who helped her with the enrollment paperwork when Keira started elementary school, giving her the chance to receive nine years of
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compulsory education.
The first doll she ever received as a child was a gift from Mrs. Olsen, even though it was later secretly torn up by Isla.
The first dress she received was also from Mrs. Olsen,
telling her that a girl’s beauty isn’t for pleasing men, but for pleasing herself, even though that dress was later stripped off by Poppy and given to Isla.
Likewise, it was Mrs. Olsen who helped her break free from Poppy’s control in middle school, and Mrs. Olsen provided her with identification for the college entrance exams, without which she probably couldn’t have attended university…
If not for Mrs. Olsen, she might have died in infancy, perished from the beatings of her childhood, or lost her life in the mountainous areas where she was nearly sold off. Even if she had survived by some stroke of luck, she would have been no better than a living corpse.
She held an uncontrollable admiration for Mrs. Olsen.
That was why she felt so exceedingly sad when Mrs. Olsen asked her to leave just a moment ago.
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She stood by the man-made lake, silently gazing at the
lake’s surface. Oceanion was foggy today. It blurred
her vision and seemed to obscure her future.
Just at this darkest, coldest moment, a warm coat was suddenly draped over her shoulders.
Keira turned around blankly, only to see Lewis had approached at some point. The night had softened the sharpness he exhibited during the day, adding a gentle touch to his demeanor.
He was looking at her intently, his voice low and gentle. “Why are you out here alone? Aren’t you cold?”
Keira’s nose tingled.
Seeing him at that moment filled her heart with an indescribable sourness, moistening the rims of her
eyes.
She blinked rapidly, trying hard to hold back the
tears…
But then he suddenly embraced her.
The warmth from his body seeped through their thin clothes and into hers, gradually awakening her frozen body…
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She didn’t know when it started, but it seemed that every time she was sad and hurting, this man would always appear just in time.
Keira’s mood finally began to settle, and she pushed him away. “Shouldn’t we head back now?”
“Well,” Lewis’s lips curved into a smile. “Grandma is sending people everywhere looking for you. She can’t wait to announce our marital status.”
He took Keira’s hand and suddenly looked down at her. “Miss Olsen, you understand what it means to announce our relationship, right?”
His gaze was serious and persistent, making Keira’s heart race. She knew what it meant but deliberately asked, “What does it mean?”
Lewis didn’t poke through her thoughts and simply said, “The marital status of the CEO of Horton Group publicly listed company, needs to be stable, or it will affect the whole company. So… once the relationship i announced, we are husband and wife for life.”
Keira was about to retort that, coincidentally, her company was also about to go public…
But it neamed as if the man know what she was going
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to say, his voice suddenly deep and magnetic. He cut
her off before she could speak, stating each word clearly. “Miss Olsen, you have seen the state of the Horton family. The future is full of uncertainties, and it’s possible that I may be ousted by the first branch of the family or even driven out of Horton Group. So, are you willing to spend a lifetime with me?”
Keira was stunned.
His words were realistic, laced with hints of
uncertainty and cautiousness as if he wasn’t sure she would agree.
Keira cocked her head, “If you really fall into hard times in the future, getting kicked out with nothing to your name, you can live off my money.”
At her words, Lewis was momentarily taken aback, then he couldn’t help but laugh.
Apart from the Horton Group, he had many backup plans… The things he had just said were a reminder of the unknown road ahead for Keira, but he didn’t expect her reply to be this.
She always caught him by surprise.
From the first meeting to their subsequent
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encounters, he didn’t know when he began to like her… Perhaps it was her mischievous way of approaching him with different identities, maybe it was her defiant look when threatened by Jake, or possibly it was her eternally confident smile, or even the inexplicable familiarity he felt the first time he saw
her…
He remembered the first time he went to the Olsen
family for Jake’s engagement. Upon entering, he noticed a girl standing in a corner, quietly fixing her gaze on him.
Her eyes were clear, filled only with curiosity and appraisal.
She believed she was unnoticed in the shadows, yet
she didn’t know that even the shadows couldn’t hide her stunning charm and radiance…
That must have been what they call love at first sight, and eventually, love that deepens over time.
Everything was just right.
Lewis looked down with tenderness, whispering softly, “Alright, then you’ll have to make a good living. I tend to spend quite a bit.”
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..No problem.”
After answering his question, Keira realized that she
didn’t know when Lewis had taken her hand, and their fingers were interlocked.
She paused for a moment.
Always independent, she wasn’t opposed to the idea of having someone to share her life with, as there had been many who courted her.
But she never felt she needed a man to rely on.
Yet now, the thought of having him by her side seemed quite nice.
A phrase suddenly came to mind. “Hold your hand and grow old with you.”
The two of them walked toward the front hall.
Their steps were firm, their eyes smiled at each other, and together they stepped into the back door of the banquet hall.
At the same time, Mrs. Olsen and Taylor also entered the front hall, looking everywhere for her.
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Keira followed Lewis into the back door of the
banquet hall. Just as she was about to head to the main hall, suddenly a servant rushed over from the side.
She was carrying several glasses of red wine and didn’t see the path clearly. She was about to collide with Keira.
Keira instinctively extended her arm to block her, but in the next moment, she was yanked fiercely around the waist, and Lewis shielded her with his body. “Crash!”
The wine glasses hit his back and scattered on the floor.
And the red wine stained his white shirt.
“Mr. Horton, Miss Olsen, I’m so sorry, so sorry…” the servant apologized, clearly flustered.
Yet Keira was looking at Lewis.
In past incidents, she always braced herself, but just now, she had felt what it was like to be protected.
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Lewis carefully checked the girl in his arms, and seeing she was unharmed, he relaxed. Frowning, he felt the wetness on his own skin and said to the servant, “Be careful. Don’t bump into the guests.”
“Yes, yes…”
The servant crouched down to clean up.
Lewis then said to Keira, “I’ll go upstairs to change my clothes. Stay with Grandma for the time being.”
He certainly couldn’t appear in such a disheveled state publicly with Keira.
“Okay.”
Keira watched Lewis ascend the stairs before she herself entered the main hall.
After entering through the back door, the first area was a lounge.
At the moment, it was surrounded by a group of hig school classmates invited by Jake. They were chatting away and were almost the same group of people from the last class reunion.
Erin, who had been fired from her company and couldn’t find a job. looked even more sullen than
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before. She was talking in a sarcastic tone. “I just saw Mrs. Horton. This proves that Keira was indeed lying last time. She’s definitely Mr. Horton’s mistress! How shameless!”
Charles was defending Keira. “There must be some misunderstanding…”
“What misunderstanding could there be?” Erin sneered. “That day, it was clear what kind of
relationship Mr. Horton had with her. Otherwise, why would he call her his woman? I really want to see later when Mr. Horton and Mrs. Horton make their
appearance, what you will have to say then!”
Charles was speechless.
Keira didn’t walk over but looked toward where Old Mrs. Horton was seated, noticing the old lady wasn’t there. She must have gone to the restroom.
She stood still, planning to wait for old Mrs. Horton to
return.
Suddenly there was a commotion at the entrance. Keira turned her head to look and saw Poppy somehow making her way inside.
She wore plain clothes. which made her stand out
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among the splendidly dressed crowd, and quickly drew
the attention of others. They began to whisper among themselves, “Who is that?”
Keira frowned, knowing Poppy must have come looking for her.
Just as she was about to go over and lead her away, Isla had already appeared by her side. “Aunt Hill, are you here to find Keira?” she said loudly, drawing the immediate attention of everyone around.
Smiling, Poppy said, “No, I’ve come to find the hostess of the Horton family…”
Isla’s gaze swept past Keira and settled on Madeleine, who was beside her. She deliberately raised her voice.
“That would be my aunt, currently the hostess of the Horton family. What do you need her for?”
Poppy immediately approached Madeleine, nodding and bowing with an ingratiating smile. After glancing around, her eyes flicked, and she started shouting loudly. “Mrs. Horton, I’m Keira’s mother… My daughter has slept with Mr. Horton. She can’t just get away with it for free, right? I’m here today to demand an
explanation…”
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Madeleine seemed to be frightened by her behavior, and she stepped back abruptly like a startled deer.
But how could Poppy possibly let her go? She grabbed hold of her wrist. “Mrs. Horton, don’t leave! Let’s have a good talk about how you and Keira should get along
in the future…”
Madeleine was panic-stricken, with fearful tears. welling up in her eyes as if she had been terrified.
Isla stepped forward with a frown. “Let go! If you don’t let go, I’ll call security!”
Upon hearing this, Poppy immediately sat down on the ground. “I don’t care. I can’t just let my daughter get taken advantage of for nothing, Mrs. Horton. You and my daughter are now sisters, living together in the Horton house from now on. You must get along peacefully…
Madeleine seemed to have been scared out of her wits,
unable to utter a word.
Isla exclaimed angrily, “Keira is already married to
someone else!”
Yet Poppy slapped the floor. “Exactly, my daughter is
married and now she’s living in the Horton rasidonna
cha’a
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in such an unclear and ambiguous way. What does this mean? You must give me an explanation!”
Isla, in a righteous manner, said, “What right does a mistress have to demand an explanation?”
Poppy had come here today to disgust Keira and affirm her identity as a mistress on behalf of Isla, so upon hearing this, she immediately raised her voice. “What about being a mistress? Mistresses are people too. The law doesn’t say you can’t be a mistress! Can’t you learn from Mrs. Olsen, who took me and my daughter in the Olsen residence and got along with me peacefully…”
Keira stood not far away, listening to these outrageous and unbelievable words. Her eyes flashed with mockery!
Poppy had definitely been invited by Isla.
When at the Olsen residence, Poppy demanded Keira always give way to Isla, which she thought was due to Poppy’s feeling of guilt, and she had put up with it.
gone
But why did Poppy hate Keira so much? She had so far as to do something like this, wanting to tarnish Keira’s reputation.
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Keira thought, “Is she really my mother?”
Isla immediately looked toward her. “Keira, I didn’t expect you to shamelessly cling to the Horton house. Is that what you intended?”
With that, she turned all the attention toward Keira. The crowd then noticed her presence and immediately began to point and comment.
“Oh my God, that’s so shameless. I’ve never seen such
an arrogant mistress. She’s talking about being sisters as if we’re in the 18th century.”
“Didn’t you hear what Isla said? Keira’s mother’s a mistress, and now here she is serving as someone else’s lover-like mother, like daughter!”
“I heard that this mistress was provoking Mrs. Horton backstage just now. She’s just bullying Mrs. Horton because she doesn’t have a powerful maternal family to back her up! I really don’t know how the Olsen family raised such an illegitimate daughter!”
“It’s simply speechless and laughable!”
In the midst of the argument, Rebecca burst out
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angrily, “Stop talking nonsense! Miss Keira couldn’t possibly do such things. She lives in the Horton house because old Mrs. Horton likes her. It has nothing to do with Mr. Horton; her relationship with him is pure and innocent!”
Keira remained calm and composed.
These accusations from others couldn’t possibly hurt her.
She didn’t bother to refute them because she already knew that this crowd would never believe her words.
Lewis wanted to make it public, and he must have prepared in advance.
Just as she thought this, a sound came and Keira, along with everyone else, turned their heads to see a curtain slowly dropping in the center of the hall…
153 A Plan within a Plan
Keira was slightly startled.
The people around were also confused, discussing among themselves. “What’s this? What’s going on?” Keira took the opportunity to observe the crowd.
Everyone looked bewildered, not understanding what this meant.
In the crowd, only two people remained calm, their eyes even betraying a hint of excitement.
It was Jake and Isla.
What were the two of them up to?
Just as Keira had this thought, the curtain fell, and with a “click,” the projector was turned on, and a photo was projected onto the screen!
Keira’s pupils constricted.
The photo was the one that had been surreptitiously taken of her and Lewis previously.
Both were dressed normally, only they were lying on the sofa, heads close together, looking from afar like
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they were kissing…
The photo was actually quite innocent, showing nothing explicit, but their gazes seemed to melt together, and being so close made Keira suddenly
think of that night… She felt her cheeks flush, then she frowned.
The scene then exploded into an uproar!
Rebecca couldn’t believe it as she turned her head to look at Keira.
Erin stepped out from among the classmates, mocking them with a laugh. “Keep making excuses. Just now you were still saying that there was nothing between Keira and Mr. Horton, weren’t you? Not talking now, are you?”
Rebecca stammered, “…It must be edited, yes, there must be a misunderstanding Miss Keira couldn’t possibly be this kind of person!”
Although she didn’t know how to explain it, she firmly believed in Keira.
A slight smile tugged at the corners of Keira’s lips.
Erin scoffed, “Edited photos all have traces. This
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screen is so big, and the photo spreads so naturally.
Anyone who isn’t blind can see it’s real. How could you stand there and lie through your teeth?”
The people around started to talk.
“Right, and her own mother came out to say so. Now there are photos as evidence too, proving that this affair is real…”
“Some people are really shameless, fawning over dementia-stricken old Mrs. Horton, thinking they can enter the elite by becoming a rich lady?”
“Oh my God, isn’t this too sensational? Is Mr. Horton really treating his wife fairly with such actions?”
“Haven’t you heard? This Keira is married too, both are engaging in extramarital affairs…”
Amidst the accusations of the crowd, Mrs. Olsen and Taylor also stepped forward.
Seeing the content on the screen, Mrs. Olsen’s pupils shrank, and she instinctively looked toward Isla, shouting urgently, “Take it down now!”
It seemed that no one from the Horton family had
153 A Plan within a Plan
considered minimizing the damage. Instead, it was
Mrs. Olsen, whose reminder brought everyone back to
their senses.
A butler wanted to take action but was stopped by Jake. “Many reporters have snuck in. It’s already too
late to take it down. I think the best course of action is
to have Uncle give everyone a reasonable explanation!”
Upon hearing this, the executives from the Horton Group who were following Jake started to speak.
“Yes, yes, what is going on, Mr. Horton? His image affects the company; how can he be so reckless?!”
“Wasn’t it this young girl who started her internship at the company some time ago? How did she end up entering our home with such ease?”
“It’s over. Some busybody has already sent out the situation here, and the heat is rising now!”
“Where’s the PR department? Hurry up and contact them. This matter concerns the entire Horton Group’s shares. We must not allow it to impact us too greatly! Otherwise, when the market opens tomorrow, the
stock price is sure to plummet!”
(
153 A Plan within a Plan
“We can’t control the heat. I don’t know what’s
happening, but it seems like someone is secretly pushing it, and the heat has soared!”
Π
”
Today was old Mrs. Horton’s birthday celebration, which was grand and imposing. It wasn’t only attended by relatives and friends but also regular business partners. Most of the Horton Group’s executives were here as well.
At this moment, everyone has gathered together, discussing the issue eagerly.
While the Horton Group’s executives were discussing, Poppy had already approached Keira, grabbed her hand, and looked at Madeleine. “Mrs. Horton, do you see? This is the evidence that my daughter slept with Mr. Horton! Now you can’t refute it, can you? You must give her an explanation today!”
Madeleine’s eyes became teary, and she looked around in a panic and at a loss.
Isla angrily questioned Keira “Keira, this is the eighty-sixth birthday celebration of our
great-grandmother; don’t go too far! She has been so
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good to you. If you have any conscience, take your mom and leave immediately!”
Jake also said, “Right, now that the matter has blown up this much, it’s better if you leave quickly! Stop
embarrassing yourself here! And stop causing trouble for my uncle!”
But Poppy strained her neck and shouted, “Why should you drive us away?”
She turned her gaze to Mrs. Olsen and Taylor, malice flashing in her eyes, and headed straight for them. “Mrs. Olsen, please help! Back then, you kindly took me and Keira in. You can persuade Mrs. Horton now… After all, Keira was raised by you. You can’t just watch her being wronged…”
Her words made everyone turn toward Mrs. Olsen.
The heirs of wealthy families all had one or two mistresses outside.
Their legitimate wives at home surely looked down on them, and Mrs. Olsen’s actions were clearly incomprehensible to them, even instigating hostility.
If every family allowed mistresses with children to enter their doors how could they ensure their own
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153 A Plan within a Plan
interests?
Therefore, they accused her in unison.
“That’s her, the one who let the mistress into the
house. I’ve never seen such a foolish woman!”
“Isn’t she too weak? I heard her husband disagreed at first, but she became soft-hearted upon seeing the mistress pregnant with a child… What a fake saint!”
“Mrs. Olsen, the kind of person I hate the most is you. You pretend to be magnanimous by accepting people in. What era is this? Are you pretending to be
virtuous?”
“Haven’t you heard? Keira was raised by her. If she
turns out like this, it shows she didn’t educate her well- from the start. She’s using the ancient ways of spoiling Keira by indulgence in the modern world!”
“Such deep scheming. I heard she’s from Clance.
People there are best at these kinds of struggles, right? How disgusting!”
The accusations turned Mrs. Olsen’s face white, and she staggered as if she might collapse.
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hotra, seeing the, stopped wand anxious, wanting
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153 A Plan within a Plan
“Shirley!”
Taylor held her in a hurry.
Keira, seeing this, stepped forward anxiously, wanting to check on her condition…
But she was pushed away by Taylor. “Stay away from Shirley! If it weren’t for you, how could Shirley possibly be insulted like this?”
Keira clenched her fists.
Just then, Lewis, having changed his clothes, finally came downstairs!
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154 Husband and Wife
Lewis had changed into a new suit of the same style and as he descended the stairs slowly. There was a
palpable sense of oppression that pervaded the entire banquet hall.
His gaze was intent, and after reaching the bottom of the stairs, he first looked toward the screen before surveying the surroundings.
He quickly spotted Keira and strode over to her.
But to his surprise, he was intercepted by Poppy.
She rushed in front of Lewis and clung to his lower leg. “Mr. Horton, I am Keira’s mother. You’ve slept with her, so you must give her an explanation. You can’t just leave things unresolved!”
Lewis frowned. He wanted to kick her away, but when he remembered that this woman was, after all, Keira’s mother, he still showed some restraint and merely shook her off before turning his gaze to Tom.
With a wave of Tom’s hand, two bodyguards in black immediately rushed over and grabbed Poppy.
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Poppy sat on the ground, slapping her thighs and crying., “Come and see, someone is going to murder me! Mr. Horton slept with my daughter and refuses to take responsibility…”
The next moment, a rag was viciously stuffed into her mouth by Tom!
Poppy couldn’t speak a word anymore and only could make muffled whining sounds.
Tom then picked at his ear. “Finally quiet. Your wailing was really annoying!”
This sequence of actions swiftly took care of the
noisiest person at the scene.
Yet Lewis was stopped again by Jake, “Uncle Lewis, with so many executives here, shouldn’t you give us an explanation about what’s on the screen?”
Lewis’s gaze sharpened as he looked toward him.
Jake swallowed nervously, no longer daring to speak.
Jake’s father, Oliver started talking. “Lewis, as the person in charge of Horton Group, you should set an example. How could you be so reckless and even allow evidence to be captured…”
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He sighed. “Today, many reporters are here to cover the grand occasion of your grandmother’s birthday banquet. Even if you can silence us, you can’t silence them. So now, we need a practical plan!”
Lewis remained composed but didn’t rush to explain. Instead, he looked at his brother, “What kind of plan should we come up with?”
Oliver didn’t speak.
But someone among the executives behind him spoke up. “Mr. Horton, we want to know. Is the photo real?”
Lewis glanced at the photo again, and his expression remained indifferent, “It’s real.”
As soon as he said that, the people around immediately started buzzing with conversation.
“Mr. Horton isn’t even trying to hide it? It’s actually
real!”
“Yeah, in such a situation, no matter what, he shouldn’t
have admitted it! Now that he has admitted it, what
will he do next?”
“Is Mr. Horton willing to risk everything for this femme fatale? He’s even disregarding Mrs. Horton’s feelings!”
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Speaking of Mrs. Horton, everyone instinctively looked toward Madeleine.
But they saw her continue to step back and then looked at Lewis with eyes full of sorrow.
Lewis, however, didn’t look at her and only focused on the executive. “Anything else?”
“Mr. Horton, we’ve heard that Miss Olsen is married?”
“Correct.”
Lewis nodded again.,
The executive was taken aback. He had hoped that Lewis would argue for the sake of his reputation, maybe by saying he was unaware she was married…
The executive said awkwardly, “Did Miss Olsen sedu you? Was that why you couldn’t control yourself fo moment?”
Lewis lowered his gaze. “No, Miss Olsen and I are in love with each other.”
After those words, the room erupted in an uproar that could blow the roof off. Everyone stared at him in
disbelief.
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154 Husband and Wife
“My God! Mr. Horton is openly admitting to cheating!”
“Keira sure is beautiful. She has completely enchanted Mr. Horton! She’s really something!”
“What a pair of adulterous scum! They have no shame at all!”
Even the executive who had asked the question was at a loss for words for a moment.
Oliver frowned. “Lewis, have you lost your mind? You’re married, how can you stoop so low with a married woman?! Every action you take represents the image of the company. You can’t act recklessly and do whatever you please! Kick that mistress out right now, or else you may not be able to hold onto your CEO’s position!”
At these words, Keira, who had been standing aside, raised her eyebrows.
She thought to herself how that curtain had mysteriously revealed their presence, so it was the first branch of the family’s doing, aiming to ruin
Lewis’s reputation and pull him down from the CEO’s
position!
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She found it laughable and couldn’t help but curl her lips into a mocking smile.
Isla said, “Keira, what are you laughing at? Do you think you’ve stolen my uncle from my aunt? Don’t you have any sense of decency? I advise you to leave
quickly! Go live a good life with your husband and stop trying to break up my uncle and aunt!”
The people around them were all talking.
“Exactly, I’ve never seen such an arrogant mistress. Even if Mr. Horton is impressive, the way he’s handled this situation is utterly contemptible!”
“I used to think Mr. Horton was deeply devoted to his wife, staying away from other women for so many years, but it was all a facade! It was all an act, right?”
“Oh my, what an eye-opener today! I’ve seen many mistresses before, but never one who could bewitch
someone to this extent!”
“This Keira is a disaster! A calamity!”
“Keira, if you truly love Mr. Horton, then have the decency to step back. Are you so selfish that for your so-called mutual love, you would drag Mr. Horton
doum from his nodocto12″
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The executives surrounding Lewis were giving him a hard time.
The group of rich ladies surrounding Keira were also accusing her.
Keira frowned, ready to retort with a cold laugh when her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Mrs. Olsen.
Mrs. Olsen was trembling slightly as she stared at Keira. “Keira, I’m asking you one last time, will you leave with me or not?”
Her voice was trembling, her eyes resolute.
Seeing her like this, Keira felt inexplicably distressed. “Mrs. Olsen, I won’t go.”
Mrs. Olsen gripped her wrist even tighter, fixing her gaze on her.
After a long moment, she saw the determination in Keira’s eyes and let out a bitter smile.
She took the marriage certificate from Taylor’s hand and handed it to Keira. “Keira, if you don’t leave with me today, I’ll never see you again.”
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154 Husband and Wife
Leaving those words behind, she pressed the marriage certificate into Keira’s hand and turned to leave
resolutely.
But just as she turned, Lewis’s deep, clear voice slowly filled the entire hall.
“You want an explanation from me? I think it’s you who owes me an explanation.
“My wife and I had our photos displayed so publicly. Haven’t you violated our right to privacy as a couple?”
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155 Schemes
As Lewis spoke, everyone was stunned.
Mrs. Olsen paused mid-step, then spun around, looking at Keira with disbelief etched on her face.
She was utterly astonished, her eyes filled with incredulity.
Her mouth opened and closed as if to say something, but she was unable to utter a word. Suddenly, she seemed to comprehend something, and her gaze fixed intently on the marriage certificate in Keira’s hands.
Keira tightened her grip on it.
She took another step forward and handed the marriage certificate to Mrs. Olsen.
At the same time, others were also questioning Lewis’s
words.
Isla gasped in shock, “How is this possible? Uncle, Mrs. Horton is clearly here. How can you say you and Keira are husband and wife?”
She looked at Madeleine, only to see her face ashen and filled with disbelief!
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Gripping her skirt tightly, Madeleine looked at Lewis in confusion. “Lewis, what did you just say? You’re joking, right?”
Her reaction elicited sympathy from the crowd
“Look at Mrs. Horton. She obviously had no clue…”
“What’s Mr. Horton up to? Could he really be dumping his wife for that vixen?”
“Oh my God, Mrs. Horton is so pitiful!”
“Does a woman with no family background deserve to be bullied? But what ca
Mrs. Horton do? With the
Horton family’s extensive wealth, changing wives must be like changing clothes, right?”
“Mrs. Horton looks absolutely stunned…”
Oliver frowned and immediately said, “Lewis, what do
you mean by this? Do you want to divorce your wife and marry Keira? If so, you must follow the formal legal process. You cannot treat her like this while your marriage still stands! The Horton family values won’t allow such actions!”
At his words, the Horton family patriarch, Nathan, also stepped forward.
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The well-groomed gentleman was in his sixties and was brimming with vitality. He was dressed in a sharp suit and appeared more like a middle-aged man
because of his good upkeep.
He frowned at Lewis. “You scoundrel! The Horton
family has never engaged in infidelity. Are you now going to abandon your lawfully wedded wife for this
married woman?”
But Lewis’s lips curled with a hint of irony. He glanced at Oliver before retorting, “The Horton men never engage in infidelity?”
Outsiders may not know, but the Hortons were well aware that not only had Oliver had affairs, but he also had an illegitimate daughter he doted on. For her, Oliver had many quarrels with Melissa and even contemplated divorce so that the illegitimate daughter could enter the Horton family with dignity.
This was precisely the root of Jake’s deep-seated hatred for illegitimate children.
Yet Oliver appeared unfazed, “Yes, Lewis, it’s the
Horton family’s discipline. Men are not allowed to have affairs.”
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That self-righteous demeanor only intensified Lewis’s
sense of mockery.
This was his “dear” older brother.
Oliver bullied Lewis when the latter was too young to fight back and conspired with human traffickers to sell Lewis when he was nine. He had repeatedly tried to
have Lewis killed with hired assassins over the years!
Nathan blindly trusted and defended him, always insisting that Lewis’s suspicions were baseless and
always siding with the first branch of the family against
Lewis.
But Lewis had long since given up hope on these relatives, so he showed no emotion.
Lewis said slowly, “Who said I was unfaithful?”
This startled Oliver, who then sneered. “What do you mean by that? You just publicly acknowledged your romance with Miss Olsen, and now you’re denying it?”
But Lewis looked directly at Madeleine, “Miss Davis, have you told everyone that we’re married?”
People immediately turned their gaze toward Madeleine.
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Keira also glanced over.
From the very beginning, this seemingly fragile and harmless woman had been acting like Mrs. Horton, subjecting her to public insults. Keira didn’t know the relationship between Madeleine and Lewis, but she had always believed in Lewis.
Isla also raised her eyebrows, speaking in confusion. “Auntie, aren’t you and Uncle married?”
Madeleine clasped her fingers tightly, “I… Lewis, what do you mean? For all these years, I’ve been your wife in name… You promised me that you would marry me!”
In name only wife…
Before the crowd could react, Jake suddenly grasped. the truth. “I get it! Uncle, you’re not actually married, right? Grandpa said that being married was a conditic for the CEO of Horton Group, but you have been fooling us all along!”
Oliver also understood something. “Lewis, the marital status of the CEO of Horton Group is tied to the entire group’s reputation. How could you concoct such an outrageous lie for your own sake!”
Nothan maid angrily “I mandated that the CEO of
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Horton Group must be married to prevent family instability from tarnishing Horton Group’s reputation and causing scandals! Lewis, are you married or not?!”
Lewis looked at them.
There was no legal requirement that the group’s CEO had to be married. The old man had made this demand
back then merely to stop him from taking the position.
So he had conjured up a wife in name only but had never acknowledged that it was Madeleine. It was just everyone else speculation.
He had always been too lazy to clarify.
But now it was different…
Through the crowd, Lewis’s gaze found Keira, and he said, “Didn’t I just say it? Miss Olsen and I are married.
We’re husband and wife!”
The room fell into another silence.
Isla was the first to scream in disbelief. “Impossible! Keira got her marriage certificate just last month! She had a shotgun marriage with some little punk. How could she be married to you?!”
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e nodded. “Right, Uncle, you previously lied to us
saying you were married two years ago, and now
you’re saying you’re married to Keira… You wouldn’t be stepping into Keira’s marriage trying to cover up for yourself, would you? This must be another lie!”
His eyes blazed with fury, and he hated Lewis.
How could Keira become his aunt? How would she
then be able to become his woman?
He refused to believe it!
Oliver sighed. “Lewis, with all these lies, we really don’t know whether to believe you anymore. If the journalists here report this, won’t others think the Horton Group is a company of charlatans?”
Seeing an opportunity, Nathan asserted. “Lewis, your marriage situation is so unstable and confusing. I suggest we call a board meeting to remove you from your CEO’s position to explain things to Horton Group’s employees and to everyone!”
Finally, the words were spoken.
Lewis stared at his aging father and chuckled coldly. “Who said my marriage situation is unstable?”
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As those words were uttered, the picture on that
curtain suddenly changed to a bright red marriage
certificate!
The marriage certificate was his and Keira’s, dated two
years ago!
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E
156 A Slap in the Face
Once the marriage certificate photo was revealed, the scene erupted into an uproar.
Lewis scanned the crowd with a contemptuous smile. “Surely none of you are still questioning the
authenticity of this marriage certificate, are you? Do I need to take each of you to the courthouse to verify
it?”
Everyone present was dumbfounded.
Isla’s pupils shrank violently as she looked at Keira in disbelief.
How could this be… How could it be?!
Wasn’t Keira only recently married? How could it be from two years ago?
But she knew the marriage certificate must be real.
With so many reporters present, Lewis wouldn’t have forged a document…
Jake’s entire face had turned deathly pale.
Keira was indeed married to his uncle… She had been
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156 A Slap in the Face
his aunt all along!
Against others, Jake could contend or use some
forceful measures, but it was Jake’s nature to fear
Lewis!
Oliver and Nathan’s faces darkened, and both were somewhat disappointed.
They exchanged a glance, their complexions looking
extremely ugly.
They had thought that they could use this event to topple Lewis, but they hadn’t expected things turn out
to be like this!
Seeing the marriage certificate, Keira arched an eyebrow.
She suddenly understood why Lewis was late! He had been fishing!
The curtain was originally under the control of the first branch of the family; it was meant to display private photos, but now it showed the marriage certificate, indicating Lewis had known it all along.
- 19da in Arrested
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