Secret Marriage: The CEO's Pampered Wife

"Impossible!" Amanda Thorne said decisively.

"Miss Thorne, you don’t have to answer so quickly. I hope you will give this some careful consideration before providing me with a satisfactory answer."

Elliot Sheridan gave her a meaningful look. "Things change. See her out!"

Amanda Thorne was forcibly escorted out, leaving just the three of them in the private room.

Elliot Sheridan looked at Byron Shaw. "Attorney Shaw, would you like to stay for lunch?"

"No, thank you. I have things to do this afternoon!"

"In that case, take care, Attorney Shaw!"

Elliot Sheridan hadn’t wanted Byron Shaw to stay anyway. In fact, he couldn’t wait for him to leave so he and Georgia Thorne could have some time to themselves.

How could Byron Shaw not know what Elliot Sheridan was thinking? He stood up and said, "Georgia, come out for a second. There’s something I need to tell you."

"Oh, okay!"

While Georgia Thorne felt a dislike for Naomi Shaw, she didn’t feel the same way about Byron Shaw. After all, he had always been very good to her.

Georgia Thorne stood up, only to find her wrist caught in Elliot Sheridan’s grip. "Let go. I’m just going out to talk to Attorney Shaw for a minute. I’ll be right back!"

With a dark expression, Elliot Sheridan reluctantly let go. "Come back quickly!"

Byron Shaw didn’t actually have anything to say to Georgia Thorne; he just couldn’t stand Elliot Sheridan.

Like an elder, he casually asked a few questions about her life recently. Georgia Thorne replied that everything was fine.

Fine was good enough.

He could also see that Elliot Sheridan was genuinely good to Georgia Thorne.

Her injury wasn’t actually that serious, but for Georgia Thorne’s sake, Elliot Sheridan had gone out of his way to summon Amanda Thorne and give her a harsh warning.

"Well, I’ll be going then. Take care of yourself."

"Okay!"

Faced with Byron Shaw’s concern, Georgia Thorne felt a little awkward.

Before he left, she asked, "Um, wait... How is she?"

After a moment’s hesitation, Georgia Thorne asked the question that was on her mind.

Byron Shaw turned back. "My sister is traveling right now."

Talking about Naomi Shaw with Byron Shaw made Georgia Thorne a bit uncomfortable. She fiddled with her fingers and said awkwardly, "Oh, um... how are things going between her and Elliot’s brother?"

"Don’t worry, she won’t ruin your relationship with Elliot."

"...That’s not what I meant."

"I know."

Georgia Thorne had asked about Carter Sheridan and Naomi Shaw’s relationship mainly because she’d heard Sharon Ennis mention Selena’s father yesterday.

Her tone had been one of resignation. Georgia heard that Carter Sheridan had followed Naomi Shaw abroad to pursue her.

That was why she wanted to ask.

Byron Shaw nodded. "I have some things to take care of this afternoon, so I’ll get going. Contact me if you need anything."

"Oh, okay!"

As he was speaking, Byron Shaw took a call and left in a hurry.

Georgia Thorne returned to the private room. Elliot Sheridan waved her over. "Come sit down."

He had ordered a lot of food, all of Georgia Thorne’s favorites.

"So, did Selena’s dad really go abroad?" Georgia Thorne asked curiously.

Elliot Sheridan grunted in affirmation, not hiding anything from her. "Naomi Shaw is abroad."

Georgia Thorne took a bite of food, her mood a messy, indescribable tangle.

’Wasn’t I a big part of the reason Naomi Shaw and Carter Sheridan broke up?’

Elliot Sheridan saw through her thoughts. "Don’t overthink it. Things aren’t what you imagine."

"Then what about the Amanda Thorne situation!" Georgia Thorne changed the subject. "What am I going to do with shares in the Sullivan Group!"

"Call it compensation for emotional distress. It’s what she deserves to pay!"

"...It’s not like I’m short on money." Georgia Thorne looked at him, then suddenly threw her arms around Elliot Sheridan. "Besides, don’t I have you to take care of me? Or do you not want to?"

"Of course I do. I’d support you even if it meant losing everything!"

Elliot Sheridan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her upturned face a playful bite.

"Ouch."

She finished the initial drafts in five days. The timeline was tight, and Georgia Thorne even had to work overtime to get them done.

Afterward, she scheduled a meeting with Tiana Underwood to discuss the details of the dresses.

They arranged to meet on Tuesday afternoon, once again at the film studio.

Georgia Thorne brought Vivian Sawyer along, and the two of them gathered their things and headed out.

Just as they got in the elevator, they heard someone outside yell "hold on." Vivian Sawyer quickly pressed the ’open door’ button, and Laura Chase came in.

Laura Chase had joined the company as the top-ranked intern. She was still just an intern, while Georgia Thorne had already been offered a permanent position and was even designing clothes for clients.

She was filled with resentment, feeling it was unfair that she hadn’t been lucky enough to get a team leader who would help her get ahead.

The elevator went down to the first floor. As they were getting out, they heard Laura Chase’s disdainful sneer, "She’s just relying on her rich and powerful husband. Hmph!"

’A rich and powerful husband... is she talking about Elliot?’

Vivian Sawyer was indignant and rushed forward to argue with Laura Chase, but Georgia Thorne grabbed her. "Miss Thorne, she’s slandering you!"

She expected Georgia Thorne to brush it off, but instead, Georgia looked at Vivian Sawyer with utter sincerity and said, "But my husband really *is* rich and powerful!"

Vivian Sawyer almost burst out laughing at her words.

Perhaps infected by Georgia Thorne’s optimistic attitude, she laughed and said, "That’s true! Other women couldn’t find a husband that good even if they wanted to!"

Vivian Sawyer’s voice was loud, and Laura Chase, who was walking ahead, heard her. Her face changed, flushed with anger.

’She refused to believe Georgia Thorne could stay Elliot Sheridan’s wife for long.’

When Vivian Sawyer had just joined the company, she’d heard stories about Georgia Thorne.

The company usually only hired the top three candidates, but this time they hired five—a first in its history. The rumor was that an exception had been made specifically for Georgia Thorne.

There were many rumors about Georgia Thorne, and Vivian Sawyer’s initial impression of her hadn’t been good either.

But after working under her for nearly a week, she found that the office gossip about Georgia Thorne was the complete opposite of the truth.

Georgia Thorne was a good person with a gentle temperament. Sometimes, Vivian would catch her on the phone with Elliot Sheridan, speaking in a soft, sweet voice and even acting cute, a display that probably no man could resist.

A few times, she had even personally witnessed the mysterious man from the rumors picking Georgia Thorne up from work and even coming by to have lunch with her.

Their relationship couldn’t be better, yet some of the jealous female colleagues at the company wished every day that they would get divorced soon.

"Miss Thorne, I’m kind of curious—how did you and your husband meet?"

"Uh, I was his niece’s classmate."

"Wow, so it’s like an uncle-niece romance!"

Georgia Thorne’s scalp prickled at her words. "I guess so!"

’An uncle-niece romance... If Elliot heard that, his expression would definitely darken. He hated nothing more than people pointing out his age.’

"Older men are all the rage right now. So many recent graduates would kill to marry an older guy. I’d love to, too!" Vivian Sawyer said, her face full of longing.

Georgia Thorne broke into a sweat. "There’s a generation gap with some things. And my husband isn’t as perfect as you all imagine!"

With his striking looks and family background, Elliot Sheridan had captured the hearts of many women in Portmire.

Back when they were in school, Selena had shown her an online post.

It was a gathering of Elliot Sheridan’s fans, discussing all the ways he was handsome. Some of their own classmates were in there, too.

As Elliot Sheridan’s niece, Selena Sheridan had just laughed it off when she saw the post, smugly remarking, "My Second Uncle would never fall for a bunch of plain, ordinary girls like them!"

"But still, your husband is so rich. Why doesn’t he buy you a car?"

She often saw Georgia commuting to and from work alone on the bus.

"I don’t know how to drive."

’It was embarrassing, really. She felt like she hadn’t accomplished a single thing since graduation.’

Vivian Sawyer could drive, but she wasn’t familiar with the roads in this area, so her progress was slow even with a GPS.

Fortunately, they had left early, so they weren’t in a rush. They chatted as they drove and eventually arrived at the film studio.

Tiana Underwood was in the middle of a shoot, dressed in plain clothes and acting in a scene with a group of women.

The director yelled "CUT!" and called for a half-hour break. Only then did Tiana Underwood throw on a coat and come over.

"Miss Underwood, what do you think of these?"

Georgia Thorne took a laptop out of her backpack and showed her the initial drafts for three gowns. "If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, I can revise it. Or if you have any suggestions, please feel free to share them."

Tiana Underwood took the laptop and carefully examined the three gowns on the screen. One was a bright yellow gown embroidered all over with baby’s breath. Another was a red gown with a classic Sinea-inspired design, with patterns on the lapels and cuffs. The last was a deep black gown. Compared to the first two, this one was very simple; besides a single, vibrant rose on the chest, there were no other embellishments.

Georgia Thorne explained from the side, "Miss Underwood, if you want to capture the camera’s attention, the clothes alone aren’t enough. A dress should accentuate the wearer. You have very fair skin, and the colors of these three gowns will all complement your bright complexion. The first one is based on your preferences, using baby’s breath to adorn the skirt. During production, we’ll embed a diamond in the center of each flower. The second was inspired by watching you dance. Miss Underwood, you have a wonderful figure and a very classic aura. The patterns on this one are based on ancient dance costumes, and we’ll also embroider a unique design on the collar."

Georgia Thorne zoomed in on the image, clearly revealing the pattern—a rich and brilliant peony. It was indeed beautiful.

Tiana Underwood was very pleased, but she felt the third one was missing something. "Miss Thorne, the first two designs are so intricate and magnificent. Why is this black one so plain in comparison?"

Georgia Thorne smiled. "Black is the ultimate form of splendor. With your charisma, I believe you can fully express its magnificence."

"Thank you!" Tiana Underwood said with a gentle smile. "No wonder Erin kept recommending you, saying how amazing you are, Miss Thorne!"

Her smile froze. Georgia Thorne asked, "Miss Underwood, who did you say?"

"You don’t know Erin Irving?" Tiana Underwood seemed a little surprised. "Mr. Irving mentions you to me all the time."

Georgia Thorne forced a smile. "Is that so?"

"Actually, I only found out about you, Miss Thorne, after Mr. Irving told me about you. Mr. Irving rarely praises anyone, but he was right—you really are exceptional." The three designs were very much to her satisfaction; they incorporated her preferences and were perfectly designed to highlight her best features.