Ch. 71..75: OMG My Crippled Husband is a Hot Powerful CEO Chapter 71-75

Chapter 71: Chapter 71 – Why do you think we care?

Joanna was reluctant to answer the call, causing Alex to stretch his neck to catch a glimpse of the caller.

"Answer the call," he encouraged her, but Joanna shook her head in refusal.

"It’s my dad, no need."

"Answer it," Alex persisted, already thinking of ways to deal with the bastard of a father once more.

If he had his way, he would make Cole disappear. "It’s just my dad. He’s not important to me," Joanna refused once more, but Alex casually stretched his hand, and his finger slipped across the screen of the phone.

"Then I should answer it for you."

Joanna did not care for her father, so she did not stop Alex from answering the phone, activating the speaker button.

An angry voice met their ears. "Joanna, are you crazy? I want you at home right now."

The voice was so commanding that Alex was offended, wondering if Cole forgot that Joanna was not Mia.

"She’s not coming," he responded curtly. Cole’s voice lowered instantly, regretting his forgetting the fact that Joanna was now Mrs. King.

Well, that marriage was still questionable until after the massive wedding.

"Alex, this is an emergency," he said politely. Joanna laughed at her father’s sudden humility, not afraid of showing her excitement at his making a fool of himself.

"Why do you think we care?" She asked sarcastically. Cole was seething from the end of the line, understanding that he was being mocked by his illegitimate daughter.

Maybe if Alex understood the kind of woman he called a wife, he would understand the reason Cole wanted nothing to do with her and her mother.

"Joanna assaulted her sister, Mia, and she’s admitted at the hospital. I’m afraid I’d press charges."

Joanna was slightly nervous, wondering what Alex would think about her and having no idea that he already knew.

If she had known, she would have answered the call so that Alex would not have done so on her behalf.

Waiting for him to chastise her, a chuckle escaped Alex’s lips. "Go ahead."

His voice was so calm, and the way he smiled at her meant he was not pretending.

Greatly, her heart was warmed, but Cole was frustrated at the end of the line, knowing that Alex was supporting his illegitimate daughter.

"Alex, this isn’t fair. Joanna is jealous because Mia closed some of her deals and beat her up," Cole lamented, but Joanna had the sickening feeling that Mia did not tell the whole truth of the matter.

In that case, Alex might see her as immature. As for Cole, Joanna did not care what he thought about her, and before Alex spoke, she took the words from his mouth.

"Is that what she told you?" She asked, sarcasm lacing her voice.

Upon second thoughts, she changed her mind about arguing over the phone. "I’m coming over." She ended the call.

At the end of the line, Cole was happy to have gotten her where he wanted. A smug smile settled at the corner of his lips.

"She’s coming."

His wife, Rene, had a smug smile in the corner of her lips. "I will get everything ready. She will wish she was never born for doing this to our daughter."

Mia was excited, having been discharged from the hospital just a while ago. She always knew Joanna was wild but not this wild.

It was time for Alex to break up with the bitch for good, and who else would fit the position of his wife better?

Being crippled was better than being bedridden, right? Besides, Joanna had mentioned that he was very good in bed, and she might even be pregnant with his child.

Mia hoped that Joanna would die with her baby if there was any.

In Alex’s office, he did not like the way the call ended, since he never trusted any member of the Baker family, except his wife.

"I won’t allow you," he declared after Joanna ended the call, but she was determined.

"Trust me."

"Then I will come with you." His voice was solemn, pressing his superiority, but Joanna refused his company. After all, he was too busy.

"Jack is enough."

The mention of Jack’s name made Alex slightly uncomfortable. "And I’m your husband. Don’t forget that this is a family matter."

Joanna recalled what happened with Jeremy, even if it was more of a reward. Alex would transfer Jack if he found out that she had any form of liking for him.

"Alright, but what did you want to tell me before?" She asked, accepting the fact that Alex would go with her.

Alex thought about what he wanted to say before but suddenly kicked against it. "It’s not important."

"Then you would not have told Jack to bring me here," Joanna expressed her unbelief in his words, he succumbed.

"Okay. It’s about the intimate part of our relationship."

Nervousness washed over Joanna, but knowing Alex, she felt she might be overthinking it, choosing to seek clarification instead. "I don’t get it."

Alex forced a smile, but his nervousness was still visible in his eyes as he explained.

"Look. There will be more expected of us during and after the wedding, and I just want to be sure you are completely in."

Joanna hoped it wasn’t what she was thinking. The last time her mind went in that direction, she was hit with something unexpected, drawing them apart, so she asked seriously.

"Can you explain what you mean by more?"

Alex pursed his lips, stared into her eyes, and spoke seriously. "There are times we shall be required to kiss in public."

He observed the redness of Joanna’s cheek, shaking his head and adding. "Either of us might not have the chance to ask permission before it happens."

Joanna expected it but just did not anticipate it so soon. No matter how she tried, the thought of doing something so intimate with Alex caused something strange to move inside her. About to respond, Alex said something that broke her heart.

 

Chapter 72: Chapter 72 – It depends on what kind of bed it is

"Don’t worry. I will pay handsomely for every time it happens," Alex said seriously, increasing the wedge between them, just as Joanna thought they might become friends.

Why did it feel rather insulting to her? Did she look as if money was all she cared about, or was it a way for him to clear his conscience? Joanna thought to straighten things between them.

"Alex, I’m not a sex worker. All I want from this deal is my mother’s shares, but grandpa making it possible for me to get the company isn’t bad. Please don’t add a price to a favor next time, or you won’t like what I’ll do."

Alex was impressed, taking her silent warning seriously, but then he reminded her.

"You know how emotions could get entangled." He was not naïve and was speaking from experience, but Joanna laughed bitterly and retorted,

"Don’t worry, I’m not that weak."

She was confident not to get entangled in this emotional façade, though Alex struggled to believe it.

"Do you mean what you are saying?" He asked seriously. Joanna smiled profoundly.

"Every single word."

As such, he asked his next question, but that almost made her want to disappear into thin air.

"In that case, it shouldn’t worry you for us to give it a try instantly, right?" Joanna froze instantaneously, feeling her cheeks heat up and turn red.

Her heart rate increased rapidly, and her stomach felt funny. "Perhaps another time but not now."

Alex chuckled, slightly disappointed and slightly jealous. Was it so bad that she did not want to kiss him?

"So much for your not getting emotionally entangled. If you could kiss Logan, what makes it so difficult for me? Is it because I’m a cripple?" He asked directly.

Pain registered in Joanna’s eyes. Alex had a way of always ruining her mood.

Was he not the one who wanted to draw boundaries she did not dare to cross?

Then why was he toying with her emotions so much? "If you must know, my relationship with Logan was not a contract, and also, there were no rules."

Logan and Joanna were in love, or so she thought until she proposed a fake marriage since they were both not ready for a real one.

The bastard agreed when he did not intend to go ahead with it and had even forgotten the date.

But with Alex, everything started as a contract, only getting complicated every single day with his mysterious lifestyle.

Things were better when they were out of the mansion, but in there, the reality of the contract they signed waved at her in the face.

The smirk wiped from the corner of Alex’s lips instantly, knowing what she was driving at.

Since he was not willing to roll with it, he chimed, "Let’s go see your father."

When they reached the elevator, he remembered something and said to her, "you go ahead. I will meet you in the car."

Joanna thought it was because of the wheelchair, offering to help him with it.

"If it’s the wheelchair, I am here. I can help."

Alex refused. "It’s not the wheelchair. Just go ahead. I will be with you shortly."

Since it wasn’t the wheelchair, Joanna did not say anything more, going ahead of him.

As soon as the elevator door closed, Alex dialed a number. "Did you wake up from the wrong side of the bed?" A surprised voice asked.

Alex smiled faintly before responding. "It depends on what kind of bed it is."

The person at the end of the line laughed as Alex’s voice turned serious.

"Listen. Take down what I am about to tell you and act on it immediately."

The person at the end of the line got serious as well, doing as instructed. "Go on."

A few minutes later, Alex ended the call, wheeling himself into the elevator before reaching the car park. The weather was suddenly very chilly, and the wind was getting strong.

Alex checked the weather forecast, amazed by the storm headed their way but still eager to end things with Cole.

Both Ike and Jack were waiting, though Joanna sat in Alex’s car. "Jack, wait for madam at home," Alex said as Ike reminded him. "Sir, what about the base?"

He knew that for as long as the madam was there, Alex would not be able to make it to the base because of her.

"Tell Aiden about of the change of plans. We shall make it tomorrow evening."

Ike nodded, and as he brought out his phone to make the call, Jack returned to his car and drove away, hoping to reach the mansion before the storm.

In the car, the heater was turned on as soon as they hit the main road. It was already raining cats and dogs, bringing undesirable memories into Joanna’s mind.

It was the first time she met Logan. Her car broke down in the middle of the road during a heavy downpour.

A lot of cars were honking at her at that time of the night, but Logan stepped out of his, offering to give her a ride home and repairing the car for her.

One thing led to another, and that was when Joanna fell in love with him.

When Logan proposed to be her boyfriend, she eagerly accepted it. "What are you thinking about?" Alex’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

Joanna felt ashamed of thinking about an idiot like Logan, but how could she blame herself?

Then, he proved himself as a gentleman worthy of her love. "Nothing of interest," Joanna replied with a calm smile, watching the heavy raindrops hitting the windshield, and the wiper clearing at its fastest rate.

Alex did not ask any more questions. Arriving at the Baker’s mansion, disappointment tensed up the atmosphere at the sight of Alex with Joanna.

Cole spoke in the pretense of being surprised. "Alex, I didn’t know that you were coming too."

"What makes you think I would allow my wife to come to this house alone after what you did to her the last time?" Alex asked in annoyance. Cole forced a smile, letting them in.

Joanna helped Alex into the house as Rene went to whisper something in Cole’s ears. A smile stretched his lips instantly, making Joanna uneasy.

 

Chapter 73: Chapter 73 – Should I refresh your memory?

Joanna was surprised to see Mia at home, sensing trouble or perhaps Cole had her discharged earlier because of the storm.

Still, something did not add up. "I remember you saying that Mia was at the hospital, so what is she doing here?" Joanna asked. Cole responded coyly,

"She was discharged a few hours ago, so why did you beat her? Why shouldn’t I get you arrested?" He asked menacingly, though afraid of the man in the wheelchair.

"I already gave you the go-ahead to get me arrested," Joanna was speaking, but with every step, she was drawing closer to Mia.

Mia, finding security in the presence of her parents, did not bother to take a step back when Joanna slapped her one more time. What happened at the car park was not enough.

The action was so unexpected that the sound earned them the attention of everyone present.

Alex loved that Joanna was not weak, looking forward to what more she had in store after having seen the video of her dealing with Mia earlier.

The bitch deserved it, and for someone like Alex who drank in violence, this was nothing to him.

"I get to complete what I couldn’t before," Joanna’s voice turned cold, her anger soaring at the sight of Mia.

"Joan, are you insane?" Rene yelled, afraid of Joanna hurting her daughter again.

After succeeding in putting Monica and Cole apart, their daughter, Joanna turned out to be a thorn in their marriage.

Rene has never liked Joan because of how Cole never stopped talking about her and the guilt he felt.

As such, she had done a lot to create hatred in his heart for Joanna, yet Joanna was here bullying their daughter right in front of them, and there was nothing they could do about it because of one cripple.

Joanna glared at her, speaking in the same cold tone. "You are not my mother, so another word from you and you shall be receiving the next slap."

Rene froze, her gaze turning to her husband when she seemed to have lost control of the young woman before her.

"Joanna, show some respect," her father yelled, angered by her disrespect towards Rene, but Joanna added another slap to Mia’s already burning cheek.

"This is for the mess you caused in the company."

Mia was bawling like a baby, both from pain and also in the bid to get her parents’ attention.

"Joan, now you are out of line." Cole lifted his hand, about to hit her when Alex warned.

"If you touch her, I won’t care for Grandpa and deal with you with everything in me." Even if he was absent, no one should dare to bully his wife.

Joanna was touched by his protection of her but remembering his rules, she quickly brushed it off.

Cole froze at the sound of the cold voice, turning to Alex. "You are supporting her to do wrong, and that isn’t right."

He expected Joanna to behave in the presence of Alex or for Alex to put Joanna in order, but not the two of them being in agreement to the abuse going on. But Alex, knowing the truth behind the matter, had an indifferent look on his face.

"Is that so?" He asked sarcastically. "Then let me ask you as a father. Are you not supporting Mia to do wrong?"

His question was a deep pointer, sending confusion through the mind of the middle-aged man who still could not accept that Mia was in the wrong.

"No. Mia was only helping with the company. What is wrong if either of them closes the deal?" Cole asked. Joanna chuckled and stared at Mia.

It was clear that the bitch had lied to earn her parents’ favor, so it was about time the truth came to light for Joanna to see how Cole was going to handle this matter.

"I see you haven’t told him. Should I?" She asked menacingly. Mia was nervous.

Alex’s presence was what destroyed her confidence and plans completely.

If she had known that Alex was coming over, she would have informed her parents to change the plan. So at this moment, all she could do was to feign innocence.

"Joan, what are you talking about?" The faked innocence on her face was enough to make Joanna nauseous.

Without wasting time, Joanna slapped her for the third time, resulting in dizziness, and she fell.

Rene and Cole were seething so badly, but with the presence of the man in the wheelchair, they dared not intervene.

However, Cole was thinking of a way to stop Joanna from hitting Mia when the latter spoke in anger.

"Will you tell them about how you gave a fifty percent discount off the insurance premium to one of the clients you ended the deal with?"

Mia swallowed tightly, preferring to remain on the floor as this piece of information could weaken her father’s trust in her completely.

When she arrived with the news of closing the deal, her parents were so happy. So when she added the information about Joanna abusing her in the car park, they were insane.

The shame would be too much if she admitted it, choosing silence. But Joanna was determined to not let her off the hook. "Should I refresh your memory?"

Mia’s forehead was already beaded with sweat, recalling all the warnings her father gave her.

"Joan, what are you talking about? I only gave our clients the best deal." She refused to admit her wrong. Joanna smiled, but it did not reach her eyes.

"If you are going to continue in pretense for me to explain everything, then I might add another slap and a kick." She was ready to do so when Cole’s voice rang from behind.

"Joan, what are you saying? Fifty what?" His heart was breaking, and for the first time, he was ready to believe Joanna.

But the latter smirked. If not for her mother, she would not care.

"Why not ask your lovely daughter who just closed the best deal?" Her voice was heavily loaded with sarcasm but there was more...

Chapter 74: Chapter 74 – Your brain died

I don’t know how she managed to convince Mr. Forest because that man is very flirty. But as for Mr. Hughs, she gave him fifty percent off. Mind you, that company has a lot of liabilities, so imagine us paying for every damage..." she hinted. Cole’s voice cut through.

"Mia, is what she’s saying true?" He asked, disappointment lacing his voice.

Mia was shivering like a fish out of water, but Rene’s words destroyed all of Cole’s hopes completely.

Not only could Rene not accept that her daughter was now on her father’s bad side but also had little to no knowledge about business.

All she cared about was looks and fashion. "Darling, even if she’s wrong, we can just cancel the deal," she shrugged, Cole was doubly disappointed.

This was the woman he married. One who had no idea that pulling out of such deals would require great compensation.

Joanna was furious. "This is the reason why I wonder what my father saw in you," she raged, Cole almost agreed with her except when the harsh truth was revealed. "Your brain died or was exchanged for your beauty."

The fact laid bare that Rene was all good looks and no brain but that was equally an insult to the man who married her, who happened to be Joanna’s father. "Joan, be careful," she warned, Joanna could not take it any longer.

After spilling out the truth, there was no point waiting to hear any more nonsense.

"Whatever, I’m leaving and I’ll think about how to clean up that mess without us losing so much in terms of compensation."

It was a shame that Mia, who was given the position of a CEO, created a mess an officer was going to clean and not the other way around.

Rene quickly whispered something into Cole’s ears, he smiled nervously.

"Thank you, Joan, but if you don’t mind, sleep over. The storm is boisterous and from the weather forecast, there are reports about flooding."

The mention of a storm made Joanna want to consider but Alex took the words from her mouth. "No. We are not staying."

The three people exchanged glances but Cole was the only one speaking on their behalf.

"Alex, I’m just doing it in appreciation of Joanna spotting the error in the deal. If not, I wouldn’t care if she died."

His words raised no cause for alarm but Alex did not want to inconvenience anyone.

Quickly, he checked the weather update on his phone, a displeased look covered his face. "What about my driver?" He asked, looking in the direction of the door, where Ike was standing, waiting for them.

"There are two spare rooms. You and Joanna can have one and your driver can have the other," Cole curtly responded.

"Fine."

The satisfied looks on the faces of the three people made Joanna suspicious but with Alex there, nothing could go wrong, right?

Cole played the perfect host, showing Alex and Joanna to one of the guest rooms as Ike was ushered to another room by Rene.

This was the first time Joanna was going to spend the night at her father’s house and was surprised that the bed was laid as if someone was expecting them.

Downstairs, the three people spoke in hushed tones. "What do we do? Alex is here," Rene complained, her voice loaded with annoyance, Cole was lost for words.

"I don’t know. It wasn’t supposed to be like this."

"Then why did you let them stay? Who knows? They might have died in the rain," Rene said with a wicked grin, Cole felt strange at the mention of death for Joanna.

Not able to break down exactly what he was feeling, he said, "Look, Alex is a very busy man. I was hoping that he will leave but now he’s here."

Never did he expect that Alex would agree to stay so it was as if their plans were ruined.

"That doesn’t answer the question of what we should do next," Rene pointed out, still annoyed.

"Is the man ready?" Cole asked, Mia was beaming.

"Yes. He’s in Mia’s room."

"We just have to find a way," Cole said thoughtfully. Mia was trouble but she was his legitimate daughter, the one who should inherit everything.

In Alex and Joanna’s room, the atmosphere was tense as Alex tried to ease things up between them. "Don’t worry, I’ll sleep on the couch."

Joanna shook her head in refusal, holding the handle of the wheelchair. "No. Your condition is more critical you take the bed."

This was their first time in this kind of situation but the weather was terrible and a warm place was what they needed. Alex did not refuse the offer, having no better way of convincing her to take the bed.

If he tried to persist, then they might both end up on the same bed which might not be good.

"Have you eaten?" He recalled and asked, thinking of how to get her fed. Perhaps they should have gotten something on their way but how could they have known that the storm would get worse?

He had to message Betty to inform the chef they would not be able to return.

"No but I won’t taste anything from this house and the weather is terrible. We can’t order anything," Joanna shrugged, making herself comfortable on the couch.

The only thing she took off being her shoes. "I know and I guess we just have to endure the hunger," Alex said, Joanna frowned a little. Those words to her were strange coming from a man who never ate much.

"Are you hungry?" She asked, earning an honest response from him.

"No."

Not surprised, Joanna replied. "I thought so."

Alex adjusted himself on the bed and reminded her. "But you ate a lot of sugar so you must be hungry."

Joanna was slightly embarrassed at the thought of the mint chocolate chip ice cream, not willing to talk about it. "Good night, Alex."

"Good night, Joan."

Joanna was not comfortable on the couch, tossing and turning, and though Alex showed no signs of discomfort, he was not sleeping either.

Joanna had no idea when or for how long she fell asleep but when she woke up, Alex was not there and a strange man lay beside her.

"Hello Joan, how are you this morning?"

Chapter 75: Chapter 75 – Get away from me!

A shrill scream escaped Joanna’s throat at the sight of the man on the bed with her, but all she received in return was laughter. An irritating laugh that made her heart race and her anger flare up.

"Who are you? Get away from me!" she yelled, putting as much distance between them as possible.

She couldn’t remember the last time she ever yelled like this. She had slept on the couch last night, so how was she now on the bed? Joanna’s mind was in chaos.

Was everything that happened last night just a dream? If so, how did she end up here?

This wasn’t the room she had slept in at Alex’s house, and as far as she could remember, Alex was with her last night. So, who was this blonde man?

"You paid me to spend the night. Did you forget?" His question drove her crazy.

Thanks to Alex, she was already wealthy, but how could she have paid a man to sleep with her? She didn’t even remember what sex felt like.

"Never you!" Joanna was irritated, angry, and embarrassed as she quickly got up from the bed, relieved to see that her clothes were still intact.

She may not have had sex before, but common sense told her that if she had, something would have happened to her clothes.

Rushing to the door, it opened before she could touch the knob.

Mia stood in front of it, her hand over her mouth, looking terrified. "Sis, who is this guy? Are you cheating on Alex?"

Joanna’s face turned pale. She was in a contract marriage, but she respected Alex and would never betray him like this.

If she had fallen in love with someone else, she would have ended the contract first.

"Impossible. I could never cheat on Alex." After some thought, one thing became clear. "You! You set me up."

The only person she suspected was Mia, especially after the beating she had given her yesterday.

Guilt briefly flashed in Mia’s eyes before disappearing with a blink.

"Come on, sis, don’t blame me for your infidelity. Since you couldn’t do it at Alex’s house, you decided to sneak your lover in here last night as soon as Alex left."

Judging from everything Mia said, the only clarity Joanna got was the fact that Alex had left her after they had spent the night together here.

Mia was not done, feeling victorious by the confused look in Joanna’s eyes.

"Isn’t it obvious that you only wanted Alex for his money? If not, then why is there a man in your room? You pretend to love Alex for who he is because you already have another man."

Mia’s harsh words pierced Joanna, causing her to search for answers and explanations.

"I slept on the couch last night, and Alex slept on the bed. Where is he?" Joanna asked, still in disbelief that Alex had left her in this situation.

The man on the bed watched silently, not taking sides. Joanna reached for her phone on the nightstand to call Alex, but Rene beat her to it.

"If you think you can play the victim, you’re wrong. These pictures will go to him first." Rene showed Joanna pictures of herself in the arms of a blonde man, causing tears to stream down her face.

How had they taken those pictures without waking her? It was clear that someone had set her up, and she had fallen for it.

Rene had already forwarded the pictures to Alex after showing them to Joanna.

"I know nothing about this. Alex will believe me," Joanna insisted, confident that Alex cared for her and would not believe such accusations.

If he didn’t, she was doomed. What would happen to her mother and Grandpa Aristotle, the man who trusted her so much?

Joanna was upset that Alex had left without her, especially knowing the kind of family she came from.

As Joanna’s phone rang, Rene smirked evilly. "I guess it’s Alex. Let’s see how you’ll explain this to him.

If things went sour between Alex and Joanna, Mia would step in, giving their company a great boost.

However, Mia’s actions ended up causing more harm than good. If she hadn’t trusted Logan, they could have found a way to remove Joanna without resorting to forcing her to marry Alexander in the past.

They had been counting on Mia to marry Logan, who was handsome and wealthy, to provide a financial safety net for their company. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse.

"Alex, you have to believe me. I know nothing about this," Joanna said tearfully.

The man on the bed furrowed his brow, his teeth clenched for reasons unknown to anyone.

"Joan, I’m busy right now," Alex responded abruptly, dismissing her words. "I left you a note that I had to attend to something," he revealed. Joanna was taken aback and began to look around.

Alex hadn’t left as she had assumed, but the mention of the note left her feeling uneasy. How come it wasn’t there?

"Jack is on his way to pick you up," Alex informed her when he received no response. "The wedding planner is waiting for you."

The mention of the wedding planner brought a mix of excitement and apprehension to Joanna, temporarily erasing the thought of the note.

"Wedding planner? Are we moving forward with the wedding?" She was amazed but also skeptical of Alex’s intentions.

Could he have overlooked the incriminating photos because their relationship was merely a contractual arrangement?"

The more Joanna thought about it, the more her heart ached at the realization that he never really cared about her. If he did, he would be upset.

"Of course. What makes you think I will change my mind?" Alex asked casually, further confusing her.

"But..." she was about to tell him about the pictures, but the call ended abruptly before her phone rang again.

It was Jack. "Ma’am, I’m waiting for you at the car park," he said the moment Joanna answered the call.

Joanna was elated, quickly scanning for her belongings, but there was nothing to pick up except her handbag. Her next action triggered a wave of rage in the hearts of Rene and her daughter.