Secret Marriage: The CEO's Pampered Wife

’For the most part, there weren’t any major issues, aside from the wild card that was Iris Warner.’

After the meeting, a curious Wendy Young asked, "Team Leader Shields, what kind of perks are we getting after the exhibition?"

At the mention of this, a smile spread across Seth Shields’s face. "As long as we do a good job on this, the higher-ups have approved a week-long vacation for us!"

"Really?!" Wendy Young cheered. "I’ve been working myself to death for the better part of this month!"

On the day of the exhibition, Georgia Thorne finally saw Elliot Sheridan, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

She arrived at the venue a little after one in the afternoon to help her colleagues with the setup. Before she knew it, more than three hours had passed.

Around five o’clock, after wandering all over the venue, Georgia Thorne finally found a place to rest. Just then, she saw him walk in from outside.

’She’d heard he had just been in Vesperia on a business trip a few days ago, which made her a little worried.’

’His stomach condition was still recovering, and his high-pressure job never let up. On top of that, he must have had to meet with major clients in Vesperia, which meant he definitely drank.’

As she thought about it, she tightened her grip on her cup. ’I wonder how he’s doing now.’

Georgia Thorne was staring at him, lost in thought, when Elliot Sheridan seemed to sense her gaze and looked over.

Their eyes met for a few brief seconds before someone called Georgia Thorne away.

She put down her cup and walked over. "What’s wrong?"

"There’s a problem!"

"What is it? Tell me slowly."

"Iris Warner got into a car accident on her way here! She was just taken to the hospital, so there’s no way she can make it to the exhibition tonight!"

Wendy Young was so anxious she was sweating bullets, but Georgia Thorne seemed remarkably calm.

’It was as if the unease in my heart had finally found its source.’

Besides, panicking now was useless. Iris Warner wasn’t coming, so they had to find someone with a similar build.

"Wendy, don’t panic. Iris Warner is about 175 cm tall. Go find a model with a similar height. It’s only five o’clock, and the exhibition doesn’t start for another two hours. That’s plenty of time!"

Wendy Young nodded and rushed out with her phone to call some models.

Georgia Thorne was anxious too and hurried out to start contacting models herself.

She called one modeling agency but was told they didn’t have any available models who fit the description.

She was in the middle of calling another agency when a call came in from Chloe Gardner.

"Georgia, are you sure? Are you really coming back to my hometown with me tomorrow?"

In her moment of panic, Georgia Thorne suddenly remembered her beautiful friend. "Chloe, are you 175 cm tall?"

"I am. Why?"

"Chloe, I’m in a really tight spot right now. I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor?"

After hearing the request, Chloe Gardner replied, "I’m just an amateur. If I go, I’ll definitely embarrass you!"

Wendy Young, finished with her calls, rushed back over to her. "I’ve tried everywhere, no one’s available!"

"Chloe, please, just do this as a favor for me. I’ll definitely make it up to you!" Georgia Thorne pleaded.

"Alright, fine. Give me the address. I’m on my way."

While Chloe Gardner was on her way, Wendy Young kept trying to find another model.

"What’s happening?"

Wendy Young shook her head. "I don’t know. It’s like all the models have just vanished!"

By now, Wendy was getting frantic. She’d been making calls for almost an hour without getting a hold of a single person.

"Ugh, for something to go wrong at such a critical moment. What terrible luck!"

"Not necessarily. Let’s just wait a bit longer."

A little after six, Chloe Gardner rushed over and gave Georgia Thorne a call.

Georgia Thorne led her straight into the dressing room and handed her a dress.

"Let me get the ugly part out of the way first—I haven’t done this in years. If I make a fool of myself out there, don’t come crying to me!" Chloe Gardner said, while deftly slipping on the dress and stepping into a pair of towering heels.

"Just by showing up, you’re already my savior!" Georgia Thorne said, pins in hand, as she started to tailor the waist for her.

The dresses had all been custom-made for Iris Warner’s measurements, so they were a little loose on Chloe Gardner.

The length was perfect, though. After Chloe Gardner changed, Georgia Thorne had the makeup artist get to work on her.

"Can you make the makeup really heavy? So heavy that I’m completely unrecognizable!" Chloe Gardner suggested to the makeup artist.

"Of course!" the makeup artist said with a smile.

After nearly forty minutes of prep, Chloe Gardner was completely transformed.

The makeup was so heavy that even Georgia almost didn’t recognize her.

Chloe Gardner strolled around casually. "Don’t be fooled by how well I’m walking now. I’ll definitely be nervous during the actual show, and once I get nervous, I won’t be able to walk straight..."

Chloe was just trying to manage Georgia’s expectations. To be honest, she really wasn’t that confident.

"Chloe, the rest of my life is in your hands!" Georgia Thorne said, looking at her with pleading eyes.

"Alright, alright, I’ll do my best!"

Chloe claimed to be nervous, but she wasn’t nervous at all. In fact, she was quite composed.

When the exhibition started, Georgia Thorne took Chloe backstage to get ready. "Just follow the path the other models take. Take a deep breath, and don’t be too nervous."

As Georgia Thorne said this, she was the one taking deep breaths.

Chloe Gardner glanced at her. "Why do I get the feeling you’re more nervous than I am?"

’It would be strange if I wasn’t nervous.’

In truth, Chloe Gardner’s performance was excellent. She completed her first walk without a hitch, and the knot of anxiety in Georgia Thorne’s chest finally loosened.

Backstage again and in a new outfit, Chloe Gardner said smugly, "Wasn’t I great just now?"

"Yeah! And you said you were an amateur. I think you’re just as good as the professionals!" Every one of Chloe Gardner’s movements seemed professionally trained and full of style.

"It’s called being modest!" Chloe Gardner said with a smile, scrunching her nose. "But I did want to be a model once. It’s a shame I never pursued it."

"Why not?"

"What do you think? It was because I got pregnant!" Chloe said. "Pregnancy is such a hassle. The doctor gave me a huge list of things I couldn’t do, like wear high heels. Just think of the maternal love it took for me to willingly give up my hobby."

"Okay, okay, your maternal love is the greatest of all!" Georgia Thorne said, adjusting the hem of Chloe’s skirt. "But seriously, you were amazing out there."

Georgia used to watch countless fashion exhibitions for inspiration, studying not only the clothes but also the models’ walks.

Chloe’s walk was perfect—poised and elegant, yet with a playful, ethereal quality.

"Oh, stop praising me!" Chloe Gardner laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

The second walk, the third... With each successful one, the taut string in Georgia Thorne’s heart loosened a little more.

Georgia Thorne was waiting backstage. When Chloe Gardner came off the runway after her fourth look, she had a nervous expression on her face.

"Georgia, if I make a run for it right now, are you going to kill me?"

"What’s wrong?"

"I saw someone I know!" Chloe Gardner said, gritting her teeth. She glanced in a nearby mirror. "Can you even recognize me?"

Chloe muttered a few more words before heading back to the stage, leaving a bewildered Georgia Thorne behind.

Worried that Chloe might have trouble on her final walk, Georgia Thorne hurried out front.

Georgia Thorne stood in the audience, nervously waiting for Chloe Gardner to appear.

After a moment, Chloe Gardner appeared before the crowd in a stunning, fiery red gown. Her snow-white skin was a stark contrast to the dress. Georgia Thorne could hear the people around her chattering in fluent English.

First, they commented on Chloe’s beauty, then the conversation shifted to Georgia, asking who the designer was.

Hearing this, Georgia Thorne was naturally delighted. Her heart bubbled with joy, but she was also worried about Chloe, hoping she wouldn’t make a mistake.

Chloe walked out slowly in her high heels. Aside from a flicker of panic in her eyes, her performance was flawless.

Just as Georgia’s heart was in her throat, a figure drew near.

A familiar scent wafted over to her. She turned her head and saw his side profile, illuminated by the stage lights that made his features appear even more chiseled and profound.

His voice drifted into her ear. "Are you cold? Why are you wearing so little?"

After days apart, his first words to her weren’t ’How have you been?’ or ’How are things?’ but words of concern.

Georgia Thorne was wearing a thin, off-white knit sweater, and the stage lights flickered over her.

The dressing room backstage had been warm with the heat on, so now that she’d been standing out here for a few minutes, she had started to shiver.

Georgia Thorne was about to say she wasn’t cold, but Elliot Sheridan had already taken off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

"You catch colds easily. Don’t get chilled."

"Thank you." Unable to refuse, Georgia Thorne whispered her thanks.

Then, Elliot Sheridan naturally took her hand. Georgia Thorne instinctively tried to pull away, but he only held on tighter.

Many business luminaries and a horde of reporters were at the exhibition today.

And he was the center of everyone’s attention. As he moved, many curious eyes had already turned toward them.

Georgia Thorne shifted uncomfortably. She heard him say, "Don’t move. I’m just warming up your hands."

’What a blatant excuse!’

’Isn’t he afraid of people finding out about their relationship?’

His warm palm enveloped the back of her hand, and a gentle heat slowly spread through her.

Georgia Thorne stood quietly by his side until the end of the exhibition.

Georgia Thorne was so nervous, her attention completely fixed on Chloe Gardner and praying she wouldn’t make a mistake, that she completely missed the deep, intense gaze Elliot Sheridan had fixed on her.

Chloe finished the final walk without incident. Georgia Thorne let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, the tightness in her chest finally easing.

"Were you nervous?"

Georgia Thorne nodded honestly. "Very."

Elliot Sheridan chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling upwards.

When he was truly happy, his eyes always crinkled like that. A sudden sense of peace washed over Georgia Thorne.

"Before, you..."

"President Sheridan, hello. I’m Rhys Hawkins from Velocity Properties. I don’t know if you remember me?"