Ch. 11..15: OMG My Crippled Husband is a Hot Powerful CEO Chapter 11-15
Chapter 11: Chapter 11 – Her mother’s secrets
Betty contemplated whether to tell her, but remembering last night’s warning, she decided not to.
She knew why her boss did not sleep at home, even when she was not there, but she could not tell Joana about it as it was not her place to do so.
"The security said that sir did not sleep at home last night. He left after a few hours."
It certainly was not what Joanna expected to hear. Their marriage might be a contract, but she genuinely cared, afraid that something must have happened to Alex. She dialed his number, but it was switched off.
"Where did he go?" Joanna asked, wondering if he went to work in the night. Aside from that, where could he be? A cripple would not have multiple women, right? But then, whose picture did she see in her room last night?
She would have asked again but remembered that this was not even Alex’s house. Perhaps she was just overthinking things.
There wasn’t much she knew about the man she married, not even his place of work. "I think you should have breakfast," Betty said, politely refusing to answer her question.
Joanna forced herself not to worry about anything that was not related to her mother. They could all wait until she got better.
"I’m not hungry," she said in annoyance, ready to leave for the hospital when Betty politely countered,
"We have been instructed to ensure that you are well-fed before leaving the house."
Care resonated from the woman in front of her, but Joanna was not used to being cared for. Ever since graduating from college, she was the one who began to care for her mother, and it had always been just the two of them.
Her relationship with Logan at the time, as she began to realize, was rather a complicated one. "I said I’m not hungry. Are you going to force the food down my throat or what?"
"Of course not," Betty politely refused, but after Joanna left, she regretted not being polite to Betty and learning more about the new area she was living in.
There were no cabs to flag down until she walked a long distance. By the time she reached the hospital, her mother was not in her ward.
"Nurse, where is the brain tumor patient in room..." Joanna was worried and asked when the nurse cut in eagerly.
"Oh, her surgery was successful, but she’s being monitored for a while," she revealed. That patient had become a VIP patient within the blink of an eye.
Joanna was amazed by how fast it was and waited. However, her mother was not wheeled back to the ward she expected and waited at.
"Why are you still here? Your mom is at the VIP ward," the nurse informed her, and Joanna’s expression changed.
"VIP? I can’t afford that."
"Management said it was arranged by an anonymous donor. You and your mom are very lucky," the nurse patted her on the shoulder and left.
Joanna rushed to the VIP room to indeed see her weak and pale-looking mother. Colton was there, writing something in a notebook but seeming elated to see Joanna.
"She will need a lot of rest," he said, and Joanna stared at her mom with tears in her eyes.
It was finally over. Her mother was going to get better, and she was certain that with time, things would as well fall into place.
"Can I stay here with her?" She asked, taking in the tired form of Dr. Colton. His lips pursed thoughtfully.
"It’s better to leave her to rest."
"Thank you." Joanna was grateful, and Colton smiled. "You are welcome."
She shook her head, knowing he didn’t understand. "I mean, thank you for taking care of the bills. I promise to pay back as soon as I can."
Colton was confused but did not want to lose the smile on her face. This was a rare opportunity to have her close to his heart again, especially when the person who paid the bills remained anonymous.
He hoped that with this date, Joana would be able to remember things of old times.
"It’s nothing. Can we have lunch together?" He hoped she wouldn’t refuse when he saw her checking her wristwatch after the request. "It will mean a lot to me than a mere thank you.
There was no ring on her finger, so she could not be serious about that marriage thing either.
"I already promised my girlfriend, Violet, to have brunch with her," Joanna recalled thoughtfully.
Having disappointed Violet once, she could not think about doing so again, but the disappointed look in Colton’s eyes made her guilty, as she felt like she owed him for paying the bills and adding.
"We can have dinner later."
Colton beamed. This was even better than the lunch he proposed before. "I will be off duty by then and will pick you up."
He already had a special place in mind and even confirmed that Joanna was indeed not married.
If she was, then why would she agree on dinner? She was once his, and he swore in his heart to make her his again.
Joanna nodded, and after a few exchanges, he left. The ward was very comfortable, making Joanna envy those rich folks.
After her experience at the mansion Alex took her to and even the VIP ward, she had the understanding that luxury was expensive but equally worth it.
Violet arrived with a lot of food, and because her mother was sleeping, they ate at the coffee table at the far end close to the window.
"Hey, you look famished." Violet was bringing out the different delicacies she brought with her and was glad that Joanna had a VIP ward.
Violet had never entered a normal ward before but heard about how small they were.
"Indeed," Joanna agreed as she had a taste of the chicken butter and rice. "Delicious."
"I know. How is your mom?" Violet asked, looking at the woman on the bed. Joanna paused her meal and replied,
"She’s still recovering."
"And your husband? Is he the anonymous donor?" Violet asked suspiciously. Joanna shook her head and replied through mouthfuls.
"I haven’t seen or heard from him today, and he’s just an IT officer." Alex didn’t look like he could afford it.
"He must be swamped," Violet observed, Joanna shrugged.
"I guess."
The two ate in silence after that. After about thirty minutes, they finished eating and had a few chats here and there before Monica woke up.
Even in her condition, she was curious to know how Joanna paid the bills. "Did he give you the money?"
Joanna knew she was referring to Cole, shaking her head with a reply following. "No. Dr. Colton paid."
Violet was shocked that she knew the donor and yet called him anonymous but reserved her comments for later.
"Such a sweet young man. You two were very close before," her mother said in a weak voice, adding, "but your grandfather had plans.
"Really? How come I don’t remember? Mom, what do you mean by my grandfather had plans?"
A frown crept onto her mother’s face. "I didn’t say that."
Joanna was heartbroken. This was a sure sign that her dementia was kicking in. "I will call the doctor."
She expected to see Dr. Colton, but a different one showed up. After some time, he broke the news. "She’s showing signs of early dementia."
"Can it be cured?" Joanna asked worriedly, and the doctor replied thoughtfully. "No, but we can treat it to lessen the effects after she recovers."
Her mother had a lot of secrets, and Joanna did not want them to die but decided to keep her marriage secret for now. Violet left later, promising to bring her lunch the next day.
She stayed with her mom until she fell asleep, but it was already evening, and since she planned on spending the night at the hospital, she waited for Colton to have dinner with her, but he did not turn up.
Dialing his number, the phone was switched off, so she gathered courage and inquired from one of the nurses.
"Hi, what is Dr. Colton’s schedule?"
The nurse had a bitter smile on her face, and what she said next broke Joan’s heart.
Chapter 12: Chapter 12 – You look like you had a bad day
"Dr. Colton was transferred to another hospital in another state a few hours ago." A bitter smile rested on the nurse’s face when she spoke, and Joanna was shaken.
"What? But why? How long has he worked here?"
"Not long, but he’s one of the best. This is the hastiest transfer I ever heard, and I’m tempted to agree with the rest that there is someone powerful behind it."
From the nurse’s expression, Joanna knew she wasn’t happy, but she also had the unsettling feeling that something was indeed wrong somewhere.
"Was it because he paid for my mother’s bills?" She was afraid that Cole was behind it. Her father could easily foot this bill but refused.
He could also give her the shares that belonged to her mother but he refused, just to make her kowtow to his demand for her to marry Alexander King. But she was met with another shock.
"Your what? No. That payment was made from an anonymous source, but it sure wasn’t him. No one knows except the higher-ups we don’t get to see. I’ve said too much. I have to go."
The nurse was suddenly nervous. She suspected that Dr. Colton’s transfer had something to do with this woman but had to be careful, lest she also got transferred or fired.
Her family depended on her income for survival. Joanna was left confused. Dr. Colton was not the one who paid the bills, so why did he accept her gratitude for something he didn’t deserve? Joanna felt betrayed.
She dialed his number several times, but they all went straight to voicemail. Deflated, she went back to her mother’s ward, rested her head beside her on the bed, and fell asleep.
That was until she was awakened by the ringing of her phone. It was a strange number, but she answered it.
"Hello."
"Where are you?" Alex’s voice rang from the end of the line, and Joanna straightened up.
"I’m at the hospital. My mom went through with the surgery, so I wanted to spend the night with her."
There was no surprise in his voice when he spoke from the end of the line, but his next words caused her breath to catch up in her throat.
"Okay. Then we’ll spend the night together at the hospital."
Joanna quickly refused. Why was he acting as if they were a real couple when there were no enemies around? "No. It’s not necessary."
What she did not expect was for Alex to take her refusal personally. "Why? Are you ashamed of me? That your mother will find out you married a cripple?"
Nervousness crept in, resonating in Joanna’s voice. She never even thought in that direction before.
"No, I just thought you might be tired. If I was ashamed of your condition, I would not have agreed to marry you."
At the end of the line, Alex was slightly guilty for how hard he had been on her, but the fact remained that they both got married for selfish gains, so it was understandable for such suspicions to creep in.
Joanna’s mother was like her only surviving relative because her father was a jerk. So, keeping their relationship secret from her, even if it’s just a contract, made Alex think in that direction.
"Then I’m coming over, and you don’t have the right to refuse."
Joanna could not make her mother feel bad to know the extent she went to get the shares and refused.
"You know what, I will get her caretaker to come over and be on my way home."
Alex refused from the end of the line, his words making Betty think his relationship with Joanna was real.
"It’s late, so wait. I will get you a cab."
The call ended before Joanna could refuse, and when her phone rang again, it was a cab driver. Luckily, her mother’s caretaker had arrived, so she went home.
"You look like you had a bad day," Alex complained when they were having dinner together, just like last night.
The dining table was so huge, yet it was just the two of them. Somehow, Joanna could not keep her anger in check, lashing out at him.
"So, you can just go silent on me, switch off your phone, and call me with any strange number when you feel like it?"
Guilt flashed in Alex’s eyes, but it was soon gone. His phone was destroyed in a fight, but how could he tell her that?
"I warned you from the beginning," he pointed out, but taking a closer look at him, Joanna noticed bruises around his fingers.
"What happened? Why are there bruises on your hands?" Worry laced her voice, but Alex nonchalantly threw her concerns away.
"It’s nothing. It’s a few days to meeting my family. Betty will get you the kind of clothes to wear."
He beckoned to the middle-aged woman who helped him up the stairs after that, fearing that should he stay any longer, another question might pop up.
The next day, it was the same news with Alex not having slept in the house like the last time, and so was the day that followed.
Joanna got the same responses with every question, as if they had been rehearsed, but due to their meeting Alex’s family, she could not go to the hospital on the weekend.
Luckily, her mom would be discharged the day after, so she planned to spend her remaining days after meeting Alex’s parents with her.
Her good girl behavior made it easy for her to accept the clothes Betty gave her, being more luxurious than any outfit she ever wore in her life.
"These are expensive. Who paid for them?" She asked, and Betty had a smile on her face. "I only do what sir commands. You should ask him."
That was like a bottomless pit. Alex would not give her the needed answers. Downstairs, he was waiting patiently in his wheelchair, and Joanna was mesmerized by how handsome he looked in a gray suit.
There was a strange aura around him she could not put a finger on, and it was strong enough to wipe the wheelchair stain on him.
"The dress fits you well. Shall we?" Alex asked, and Joanna nodded, not understanding if his words meant a compliment or just an observation.
Nevertheless, she helped him with the wheelchair, but when she saw the car that was to convey them plus the driver, her breath caught up in her throat, and her legs wobbled as she shivered from nervousness.
Chapter 13: Chapter 13 – The Unexpected Welcome
It took Joanna some time to adjust herself, but she hesitated to enter the car where the door was held open for her.
"You. You are the one who almost hit me with this car," she pointed at the driver, then turned to Alex. "You were the one in the car?" Her face was already beaded with sweat at the observation.
She remembered that when she witnessed the proposal gone wrong, Alex’s face looked familiar, but she couldn’t connect him to that incident.
Then the office incident. Was it also him? No, that couldn’t be because that man had his legs intact, whereas Alex did not.
"What if I was?" Alex asked with a cold expression. Joanna swallowed tightly when their gazes met.
It was as if he locked her out, and she couldn’t guess what was going on in his mind from his face.
Contemplating between canceling whatever was between them and the opened car door, she was afraid that Alex was keeping secrets from her.
She, like an open book, made a proposal, but he was the one in control of it, implementing the rules to favor himself. The more she weighed her options, the deeper her reluctance to meet his family.
"This car, does it belong to you or your boss?" she asked, feeling like she overreacted.
Perhaps it indeed belonged to his boss, just like the house. Still, Alex would make things complex, even the simplest matters.
"You will know only the most important things. Sit down and let’s talk." His expression was intentionally unwelcoming, the only way to stop her from asking so many questions.
After Ike helped him into the car, the atmosphere tensed up as he and Joanna sat close to each other for the first time.
"We are going to meet my grandfather, and you might meet some familiar faces." Any information that might upset her had to be held back because this was the time he needed her the most.
"What are you talking about?" Joanna frowned imperceptibly. Obviously, the rule about not questioning him could not be obeyed.
"I have a younger brother, and my parents are late. Keep the conversation minimal, and you will have no problems."
A bitter chuckle escaped Joanna. When Alex said he was going to tell her what she needed to know, she had no idea it was going to be one of those brief words.
"Are you going to tell me about your likes and dislikes?" She asked, Alex’s expression remaining neutral.
"My condition should tell you that I’m more tolerant than most people." In other words, he was not a picky eater.
Ike was doing a good job as they already hit the highway, but Joanna was not close to giving up on knowing a few things about the man she married.
"Favorite colors?" Alex’s response only upset her. "That’s a childish question you don’t ask a man. Do you expect me to like red, yellow, or pink?"
"You don’t have to be rude here," Joanna replied, hoping that the six months would soon be over since she did not have the compensation of a hundred million to end things between them now.
"I’m only begging you to use your brain," was Alex’s sarcastic response, hoping it would silence her, but that did not seem to be working.
"It rather seems to me that you don’t want me to know you, but fine, we can play it your way," Joanna sneered.
Alex was not remorseful at all, not after what she did to him at her office. All he wanted before was to make her pay, but now he found himself in a situation where he needed her more than his yearning for revenge.
"Look, this is merely a contract. In five months and a few weeks, it will be over, so what is the point of knowing too much about each other?"
The message sank in very well this time, followed by Joanna’s resigned response. "Alright, I won’t ask anymore."
"There is something you have to know. It might not be my wish, but you will know a lot about me today than I want you to know. I hope you keep my secrets and your promise to not back out of this contract?" Alex asked, just when she was forcing herself into the hole, he wanted to put her in.
Joanna could not answer the question. Her reason for marrying him so easily in his condition was that she thought it would make him gullible, but that did not seem to be the case.
"If you had secrets, then why did you want to meet my mother? Will it not be better for us to keep this whole thing a secret?" She asked in an equally sarcastic tone. Alex chuckled.
"Let me just say that the pressures of life are making you lose your senses, but if your father knows you are married, then why should it be wise to keep it from your mother?" His rhetorical question made her feel like a fool, and she began to accept there was no winning against him.
"I think it’s better for us to stop talking. What is so special about you that you don’t want me to know?" Joanna scoffed.
At the driver’s side, Ike’s brows raised, but he did not utter a word. He only wondered if Joanna would still keep to the contract after finding out about who his boss was.
Alex looked the other way, and the rest of the journey was in silence. That was until they arrived at the huge mansion.
"This is insane. This is the King’s old mansion." Joanna exclaimed. She had never been here, but the King’s old mansion has been on the lips of the media folks for decades.
It was a thing of desire for any lover of luxury, and some people wished for just a tour around it, which was out restricted to the public.
Joanna also noticed something familiar as Ike opened the door for her and asked, "Isn’t that Cole’s car?"
Was her father the known person Alex talked about earlier? There was no response from him, but from how respectfully the domestic workers began to treat him, Joanna became suspicious.
Well, things began to tense up the moment Joanna and Alex walked into the gigantic living room of the King’s old mansion.
The chandeliers were stunning; she couldn’t keep her eyes off them. But when she saw the faces of the people present, she began to think differently about everything.
About to ask Alex some serious questions, even Alex was stunned by the person who came to embrace Joanna.
"Finally, you are here, Adelaide."
Chapter 14: Chapter 14 – I can never get it wrong
Earlier that morning, Grandpa Aristotle got the domestic workers up and about for the arrival of his grandchildren and their women.
He ensured the chef prepared the best meals with the finest wine. The first party to arrive was Cole and his wife, Rene, and daughter, Mia.
"Where is your daughter? Why did you not come with her?" The old man asked the middle-aged man at the doorway, unwilling to let him in without seeing the woman he was expecting.
Cole was brutally confused. This arrangement was made by his father a long time ago, so he lacked the details of the matter.
His only reason for keeping to it was to save the company.
"Grandpa Aristotle, this is my daughter, Mia, the one we always talked about."
He pulled Mia close to him, but the old man was shaking his head while staring at Mia from head to toe, his gaze resting on her wrist.
"She’s not the one. How dare you play a fast one on me," he threatened. Cole was afraid. The old man had all his hair grey and still looked handsome.
He was also strong-looking, and everyone knew that Grandpa Aristotle was very dangerous, so Cole could not allow anything to go wrong.
Or, did he get it wrong? Was it Joan the old man wanted? That selfish child had already married a cripple, so there was no hope left for Cole.
As such, he was not willing to reveal the existence of another daughter.
"Grandpa, what are you talking about?"
"I am not your grandpa. You better address me properly or face the consequences," the old man hissed. Only his real grandchildren were privileged to call him grandpa.
The rest, including the likes of Cole, had to add his name to it. His wife was completely overlooked in the whole ordeal, and Mia had mixed feelings.
It was a relief to know that she was not the one to marry that paralyzed heir of the King family, but she was also afraid the unresolved issue could affect their business alliances.
She could not put in a word for her father because not even her mother could do so.
"I only invited you because of your daughter, so if she’s not here, then I don’t know what you want," Grandpa Aristotle said coldly, his body still blocking the entrance, not needing a bodyguard to deal with the likes of Cole.
"Please, Grandpa Aristotle, I think there is a problem. The contract said my daughter will be married to your grandson. We have always accepted the condition," he said with internal bitterness.
Mia was going to marry a crippled man if he calmed the old man, but Cole could also not sacrifice the business.
The corner of Aristotle’s lips curled upwards. It was a mocking smile. "Do you think I don’t know about your first daughter, Adelaide? What gave you the authority to even bring that woman and this girl to my house?"
Cole was sweating bullets. Monica never mentioned Joanna being Adelaide to him, so he was caught in a web.
Lost for words, he was about to give in when Grandpa Aristotle’s mood suddenly brightened.
He was looking at someone behind them. "Logan, you are here. Is that your wife?" His expression was unreadable.
Nevertheless, he moved out of the doorway because of the joy of seeing one of his grandsons, giving Cole and his family the opportunity to let themselves in, but that did not mean that the battle was over.
"Grandpa," Logan hurriedly embraced the old man and made an introduction. "Grandpa, meet my girlfriend. We shall be getting married soon. I told you everything they said about me were lies. I’m a one-woman man now."
Unknown to him, his presence caught somebody else’s attention, but Grandpa Aristotle was more interested in the woman his grandson was about to get married to.
"Does she have a name?" His glare on the woman made her uncomfortable as Logan made the introduction.
"Fiona Sander, grandpa. She’s very lovely." He was chewing gum, rocking a V-neck blazer, leaving the upper part of his well-toned chest bare.
This gave him an alluring appeal. Grandpa reminded him. "Well, you know the rule. Whoever gets married first becomes the CEO, and from what I’ve heard, your brother is married.
"Impossible!" Logan’s anger flared up. "My brother has been bedridden, so how could he be married? Oh, is it about that arranged marriage thing?"
Logan always thought of it as a joke, but if his elder brother had indeed married his arranged bride, then he was a step ahead. But then, Logan still had a plan because his elder brother was bedridden, so how could he become the CEO of the King’s multinational?
"That shows that you two have not been cooperating and..." Grandpa Aristotle was saying when an annoying voice cut through.
"Logan?" It was Mia. Her face was pale as if she was seeing a ghost, as she ambled close to where Logan stood with Fiona.
Cole wanted to stop her, but it was too late. They were not exactly in the good books of the old man and should not show their faces or make their presence more irritable than it already was.
"Mia, it’s you," Logan said directly, not showing any form of remorse.
"Logan, did you just introduce her as your girlfriend? What about me?" Mia asked, but it was too late to take back her words.
"So, is this what you do behind my grandson’s back? Betrothed to the elder and dating the younger?" Grandpa Aristotle’s eyes were piercing, and his voice threatening, Mia’s words caught up in her throat.
He knew there was a mix-up but Mia was showing a bad character right now. Her mother went to pull her by the hand.
"Silly girl. You don’t know him." But it was too late to hide. Grandpa already heard and saw everything going on, and Logan was confused.
"Grandpa, is she the one betrothed to Alexander?"
"And you two are siblings?" Mia asked from a distance, afraid of the old man and feeling ashamed.
Whereas grandpa was glaring daggers at Logan. "You have always been a disappointment. You still are."
Logan was losing the battle and Fiona only made it worse. "So, you are cheating on me?" Fiona asked, seeming offended, but grandpa was getting tired from standing for too long.
"You all sit down. Certain things must be addressed today."
Everyone settled around the huge dining table, but the atmosphere was so tense that even the maids felt the heat of the uncomfortable moment.
Mia was in tears. Logan lied to her. "You said you are Logan Matison. So how could you be Grandpa Aristotle’s grandson?"
"Matison isn’t his sur, but middle name, but no more about this. I’m only here to choose the heir, and Logan, you are already disqualified," Grandpa Aristotle declared, Fiona was disheartened.
A reliable person gave her a hint about Logan’s family, which was why she got serious with him, though she knew he couldn’t keep one woman.
Her ex, Alex was very good, caring, and considerate but ever since that accident, she lost interest, coupled with the fact that he became a cripple.
Then again, he was merely an office worker but now, Logan was also not where she expected him to be so she was interested in knowing about the elder brother, who seemed to be a better person.
"No, grandpa," Logan was almost in tears, but his anger boiled towards Mia. "It’s all your fault. What do you even want here?"
Mia was about to say something when Grandpa’s head darted to the side the moment a shadow figure stood at the entrance.
To everyone’s amazement, he beamed at the female figure at the entrance, close to the man in the wheelchair, rising to his feet and embracing her.
"Finally, you are here, Adelaide."
Joanna was hit with discomfort. "I’m sorry, sir, but I think you got the wrong person."
Chapter 15: Chapter 15 – A gift from his wife
Grandpa Aristotle smiled at her after pulling away from the hug. With eyes filled with rare affection, he gazed at her and spoke softly. "Call me grandpa."
Joanna was stunned, glancing at Alex, who was equally taken aback by his grandpa’s strange behavior and utterances.
Was he not the same person who threatened to harm Joanna if Alex refused to marry his betrothed? Alex’s confusion only increased when the old man held Joanna’s wrist, lifting it to eye level.
"I was there when you were born. I can never get it wrong with this birthmark, and you, where did you get that ring?" He questioned the man in the wheelchair as if he wasn’t his grandson.
Joanna’s emotions were all over the place as she reminisced on the old man’s words.
Alex had warned her to keep conversations minimal because his family might not like her, but what she was seeing and experiencing were completely different.
Everyone knew Grandpa Aristotle to be cold, and Joanna had only seen him on the news, so the warmth emanating from him was strange yet welcoming to her.
She had not noticed, because of their earlier argument, that Alex was wearing the ring she gave him until her attention was drawn to it by the old man’s observation.
"Grandpa, this ring is a gift from my wife, so what is going on?" Alex asked proudly. The atmosphere changed suddenly as all attention was drawn to him and Joanna.
Fiona was cringing from where she sat, unable to guess the relationship existing between her ex and the powerful old man.
Whereas Joanna felt like Alex deserved a gold medal for his acting skills merely from his responses, but the old man smiled, surprising everyone with his next words.
"That ring originally belonged to us. It was part of our most treasured family heirlooms."
Joanna paled at the revelation. If for nothing else, she had no idea what explanation to give her mother if she lost the ring after the contract.
About to ask more, her father quickly ruined things for her, asking from the dining table where he sat.
"What are you doing here?" He was shocked to find out that the cripple was somehow related to the old man and could not address him directly.
His anger could only be transferred to his illegitimate daughter, whose presence was going to ruin everything for him.
Alex was about to answer in Joanna’s stead when a familiar female voice interrupted them. "Alex, what are you doing here? And that suit is very expensive," Fiona pointed out.
Logan was upset to hear that they knew each other, especially by the way Fiona was losing her voice at the end due to how she stared at Alex with so much admiration.
Unknown to him, Fiona never saw the sophisticated side of Alex before and amazed by how casually he spoke to Grandpa Aristotle.
She hoped that Alex was just acquainted in some way and not a family member. The man spoiled her in a way that brought her satisfaction, never inciting her to dig deeper into his life or asking the right questions during their time of dating.
He did not buy expensive gifts but always showed her that he cared.
Whenever Alex met with her, he was casually dressed, and she had to admit that the formality of a suit suited him a lot, and he was breathtaking.
"You too know each other?" Logan was amazed by how his elder brother suddenly got out of bed and also hooked up with his ex-girlfriend.
Joanna was looking too beautiful, and Logan was regretting letting her go. Not only that, Violet had also left him because of her.
Therefore, he could not accept this humiliation, especially when two of his exes were already making things hard for him.
He’d rather throw Joanna under the bus once again to gain face in front of his grandfather.
"Joanna, aren’t you such an amazing talent? How did you know about my big brother?" He asked as if he and Alex had been on good terms. "Did you hook up with him to get revenge on me?"
He was indirectly notifying Alex that Joanna was using him, but what no one failed to see was the jealousy and pain etched on his face with every word he spoke, and the revelation made.
Mia was losing her mind. Joanna seemed to have even dated Logan, meaning the girl did not have a problem with finding a good man.
The revelations were too interesting for the old man; he was just overwhelmed.
"Adelaide, do you know my grandson?" He asked in that soft tone he spoke to her earlier, but Joanna was confused by the way the old man kept addressing her.
"My name is Joanna and..."
"No, you are Adelaide. Have a seat and let me call your mother."
Joanna was slightly nervous because of her mother’s condition. She was still recovering from her brain surgery with early dementia setting in, but the old man already led her gently to the chair reserved for Alex and his partner.
Alex wheeled himself behind them, and before Joanna sat, she turned around and helped him to his chair.
Their movements were so natural that it was as if they had been doing this for a long time.
Grandpa Aristotle already guessed that should he begin digging into affairs or revealing information, everyone would leave his house without a bite, which would destroy the tradition he carefully created for the family all these years.
No one visited the King’s old mansion and left hungry. As such, one must empty their stomach before going there because you would return with a full belly.
"Bring the appetizers," Grandpa Aristotle’s voice was heard ordering the maids, and the appetizers were quickly served.
It was a delicious smoked salmon potato chip Joanna enjoyed quite well, and by the time they were done, the main course was served.
The garnishing of the food and the appearance were too appetizing for anyone to resist. When they were done, the chef personally served the desserts.
It was the only time that no one gave anyone attention except for the food. No matter how rich one was, Grandpa’s chef was extraordinary with loads of experience to leave you wanting more.
Exotic wines were being served when the old man began to address issues. "Logan, from the look of things, you lost to your brother by dating three different women, all of whom are here. What are you?"
Grandpa’s voice was stern, filled with disappointment, and if not for the wine, Logan would not have had the courage to face him because even at the moment, his gaze rested on the floor.
Nevertheless, too many people were too shocked to keep silent, and the first to speak was Fiona. As much as Alex pretended not to notice her, she just had to make their relationship known.
"Alex, we broke up barely a week ago, and you are already married?"
Everyone at the table was shocked, but Logan’s words threw the atmosphere into a completely different frenzy.