Secret Marriage: The CEO's Pampered Wife

Elliot glanced disapprovingly at her drawing board, where a bright yellow gown was dotted with countless flowers. "It’s already nine o’clock!"

He was kindly reminding her that at nine o’clock, one could take a shower and go to bed.

Georgia, however, was completely oblivious. Focused on her initial draft, she just hummed in acknowledgment. Then, as if remembering something, she used her phone to search for patterns of baby’s breath.

Elliot was truly bored. One moment he was studying Georgia’s hair, the next he was fiddling with her clothes, and after a while, he started playing with her phone.

When Georgia wanted to look something up, she discovered her phone in Elliot’s hands. "What are you doing with my phone!"

"It’s already nine-thirty!" Elliot pointed at the time. "It’s bedtime."

Georgia snatched her phone back. "You go to bed first. I just have a little more to do!"

Ignoring Elliot’s advances, she looked up the information and then buried herself in her work again.

Elliot was exasperated. ’How can she, a designer, work even more than I do?’

In a fit of anger, he scooped Georgia up from the sofa and strode toward the bathroom. "Hey, what are you doing? I’m still working!"

"Did your boss give you a raise? Do you really need to work yourself to death!" ’It’s after hours. This is her personal time. It should belong to me, not to her working nonstop.’

Elliot was extremely displeased. He set her down in the bathtub. "Are you going to wash up yourself, or am I going to have to personally lend a hand?"

Georgia’s face flushed. "Get out! I’ll wash up myself!"

Only then did Elliot’s lips curve into a satisfied smile. Before leaving the bathroom, he didn’t forget to remind her to hurry up.

"I know, just get out already!"

Georgia showered quickly, but by the time she emerged with her hair dried, an hour had passed.

When she came out of the bathroom, her first instinct was to check her computer, only to find it had been shut down.

She immediately glanced over at the man lounging on the bed. "Did you turn off my computer?"

"Yep!"

"I hadn’t saved my file yet! How could you just turn it off!" Georgia anxiously turned on the computer, but Elliot had already strode to her side and taken it from her. "Relax, I already saved the file for you. Now, come to bed with me!"

Georgia didn’t believe him. She opened the computer to personally confirm the file was still there before she could breathe a sigh of relief.

The initial drafts for the three gowns were nearly complete. Just after arriving at the office on Monday and organizing her materials, she received a call from Byron Shaw.

"Are you free at noon? Let’s meet up," Byron Shaw said from the other end of the line.

Georgia hesitated. The person on the other end seemed to know what she was thinking. "Don’t worry, my sister won’t be there. I’m calling you about something else."

’If it’s not to see Naomi Shaw, then what else could it be?’

Georgia agreed and settled on a meeting place with Byron Shaw.

At noon, just as Georgia stepped out of the office, she saw Byron Shaw’s car parked nearby. She jogged over. "What are you doing here? Didn’t we agree to meet at the restaurant?"

"I arrived a bit early." Byron Shaw opened the door for her.

In the car, Byron Shaw made a call. "We’ll be there in a moment."

"Who was that?" Georgia asked curiously after he hung up.

"Elliot Sheridan."

"Oh." Georgia’s gaze dropped, and she fell silent. She wanted to ask why Elliot Sheridan was calling him...

But it seemed Byron Shaw had never liked Elliot Sheridan, so Georgia didn’t ask any further.

Byron Shaw had reserved a table at a restaurant in advance. When they arrived, Elliot Sheridan was already seated in the private room.

At the same time, another woman was also sitting in the private room.

Just from her back, it was impossible to tell who she was. But then the woman moved to sit beside Elliot Sheridan, and when Georgia saw her face clearly, she was stunned.

Georgia turned to look at the man beside her. "How could you..."

Elliot Sheridan shushed her, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Miss Thorne, regarding the matter of you injuring my wife, do you plan to settle this privately, or shall we handle it officially?"

Amanda Thorne’s face had already been deathly pale even before Georgia entered the private room. With just a few words, Elliot Sheridan had already made all the threats he intended to make.

That morning, Amanda Thorne had received a call from Elliot Sheridan himself and had been ecstatic.

She had even made a special trip to the beauty salon for a facial and had meticulously dressed up for the appointment.

As it turned out, it was a trap. Elliot Sheridan had laid a snare and was just waiting for her to step into it.

Settle privately: Elliot Sheridan wanted all of her shares in the Thorne Group and a face-to-face apology to Georgia. Handle it officially: see you in court.

And at this moment, seeing Georgia arrive with Byron Shaw, Amanda Thorne’s heart filled with utter despair.

She had witnessed Byron Shaw’s capabilities firsthand during the last lawsuit. The man had a silver tongue, able to argue black into white. If this really went to court, she feared she wouldn’t stand much of a chance.

Both choices before her led to ruin.

Amanda Thorne gritted her teeth, unable to make a decision.

Byron Shaw pulled a medical evaluation report from a folder—the one from Georgia’s hospital visit a few days prior. "Miss Thorne, this report details the injuries you deliberately inflicted on my client. And this," he added, "is a recording of you harming my client."

Byron Shaw produced a recording pen. The sound of Amanda Thorne’s vicious words from that day filled the air, and Amanda’s face turned deathly pale.

In the recording, Amanda Thorne’s shrill words were perfectly clear. Amanda stammered in denial, "I wasn’t trying to kill Georgia! This is slander!"

"Miss Thorne, whether it’s slander or not, I believe you know the truth very well," Byron Shaw said calmly. "Considering the previous incident where you had my client unlawfully detained, I’m confident that when we get to court, the judge will give us the correct answer."

Seeing Amanda Thorne’s twisted expression, Georgia was suddenly reminded of their fight that day. She could almost feel the wound on her arm begin to ache again.

’No wonder Elliot insisted on taking me to the hospital to have the wound examined that night. So it was to gather evidence of the injury.’

That day, he had known her injury was Amanda’s doing. She remembered he had only said he understood. She had thought he’d forgotten all about it, but she never expected him to confront Amanda himself.

Under the table, she gently tugged on Elliot’s sleeve, casting a sideways glance at him. He gave her a reassuring look in return.

’It’s just a small scratch,’ she wanted to say. ’We should just let this go.’

Just as she was about to speak, Elliot, who was beside her, had already started talking. "Miss Thorne, our time is limited. If you can’t provide an answer, then why don’t I just choose for you?"

Elliot looked all too willing to do so. And if he were the one to choose for Amanda, the outcome he’d demand would not be as simple as one of the two options on the table.

He would take back everything he could for Georgia.

Amanda watched them exchange glances, resentful. ’The one in Georgia’s seat was supposed to be me.’

’It was all because of that shameless woman, Georgia. She seduced Elliot, and that’s why I’ve been reduced to this.’

"Was I wrong about anything? She is a shameless woman! She went behind my back to seduce you, she’s a slut just like her mother!" Amanda snarled, looking as if she wanted to eat Georgia alive.

The moment the words left her mouth, the expressions on the other three people present all changed.

Georgia had respected her mother her whole life and couldn’t stand hearing anyone speak ill of her.

Just a moment ago, she was thinking about persuading Elliot to just let it go, since her wound was almost healed anyway. But after hearing this, her expression darkened and her tone turned sharp. "Amanda Thorne, you have no right to talk about my mom!"

Amanda had insulted Georgia’s mother, which meant she had also insulted Naomi Shaw. As a lawyer, how could Byron Shaw possibly allow someone to slander his own sister? His face hardened. "Miss Thorne, I suggest you watch your words. Otherwise, I will sue you for defamation!"

For that insult against Naomi Shaw alone, he had the power to make Amanda spend several months in jail.

If Byron Shaw looked angry, Elliot Sheridan looked furious.

’This woman, Amanda, is just too spoiled and undisciplined. To dare to speak about my woman like that right in front of me... she must be ready to throw all caution to the wind.’

His lips pressed into a thin line. "Amanda Thorne, let me be perfectly clear. I never dated you. Did you think that just because I got close to you, I liked you? My only objective was my wife. What makes you think you’re so damn charming?"

Back then, Amanda had schemed to get close to Elliot. It happened to be right after he and Georgia had become intimate, so he simply went along with it, using Amanda as a cover.

’For her to get all sentimental about it... it’s just pathetic.’

"What did you say!" Amanda looked at Elliot Sheridan in disbelief.

"It seems Miss Thorne is having trouble thinking clearly at the moment. In that case, allow me to..."

"Wait, I’ve made up my mind!" Amanda hurriedly cut Elliot Sheridan off.

Elliot Sheridan raised an eyebrow, gesturing for her to continue. Amanda ground her molars and said, "I’ll settle privately. I’ll transfer my shares in the Thorne Group to you!"

Thorne Group shares? Hearing this, Georgia’s heart gave a hard thump. She looked at Elliot in shock. ’Since when was a share transfer part of this?!’

Elliot squeezed her small hand, enveloping it tightly in his own, signaling her to stay quiet for now.

"My apologies, Miss Thorne, but I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want your shares in the Thorne Group anymore!" Elliot Sheridan smiled faintly, then his eyes narrowed into icy slits. "What I want are all of your shares in the Sullivan Group!"

"What!" Amanda slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet. "How can you go back on your word!"

Under Jared Thorne’s management, the Thorne Corporation was declining by the day. If it weren’t for Justin Sullivan constantly pouring funds into it, the Thorne Corporation would have gone bankrupt long ago.

Therefore, Amanda didn’t mind giving up all her shares in the Thorne Corporation one bit. What she minded was giving them to Georgia Thorne.

Without her shares in the Thorne Corporation, she still had her shares in the Sullivan Group.

The annual dividends she received from the Sullivan Group were enough for her to spend lavishly for the coming year, continuing her accustomed life of wealth and comfort.

But now, Elliot Sheridan was actually demanding her shares in the Sullivan Group. She would have to be insane to agree to that.