Secret Marriage: The CEO's Pampered Wife

"It’s not a demand, it’s a claim for damages!" Byron Shaw corrected her. "Hayley Sullivan and Jared Thorne conspired to lock you in your room, which led to you jumping from the window, suffering multiple injuries and a fractured leg. Ten million for medical expenses and emotional distress is letting them off easy."

Indeed, ten million didn’t seem like a huge sum to Elliot Sheridan or Byron Shaw.

But for the Thorne Family, it was a life-or-death sum.

Even though the Thorne family hadn’t treated her well, they had raised her for all these years.

She couldn’t bring herself to do it.

"Severing ties is enough. Let’s just forget about the money."

"But—"

"No buts. I won’t sign the document otherwise."

As she finished speaking, Byron Shaw and Elliot Sheridan exchanged a look. Just as Byron was about to reply, the phone in his pocket rang.

He glanced down at the screen. "Excuse me, I’m going to take this call outside."

Byron Shaw walked out quickly. Inside the private room, Georgia Thorne asked Elliot Sheridan, "Have you seen this?"

"Mhm." Byron Shaw had sent him a digital version for review.

Georgia Thorne felt an inexplicable restlessness. With Byron Shaw’s abilities, she was sure to win the lawsuit.

Once she signed the agreement, she would completely sever ties with Jared Thorne. It was a huge relief, but it also left a hollow feeling in her heart.

"You still have me," Elliot Sheridan said, sensing her sadness and pulling her into his arms.

Georgia Thorne sullenly buried her face in his chest, her heart filled with melancholy.

Out in the hallway, Byron Shaw gazed at the dim night sky. "Sis, she’s doing fine. Don’t appear before her. If she finds out, she’ll hate you for the rest of her life."

"If you want to go abroad, I can send you to Akashima. Sheng will be there with you."

"I’m not going! I’m not going anywhere!" the person on the other end insisted. The usually gentle and elegant Naomi Shaw couldn’t help but yell, "I’ve been searching for so many years, and I’ve only just found her. There’s no way I’m leaving. I’ll stay wherever she is!"

"Sis!" Byron Shaw sighed in resignation. "Her leg injury is healing well. But at the very least, you can’t appear before her right now. Understand?"

Naomi Shaw didn’t say another word and simply hung up, leaving a series of short beeps echoing from the phone.

Byron Shaw put his phone away, frustrated by his sister’s stubborn nature.

Elliot Sheridan was standing a short distance behind him. When Byron Shaw turned and saw him, he was flustered for a moment.

But he quickly regained his composure within a few seconds.

’Elliot Sheridan is so smart. He probably figured it out a long time ago.’

"Should I call you Attorney Shaw? Or should I call you... Uncle?" Elliot Sheridan asked with a faint smile, looking at the man before him.

"When did you find out?" Byron Shaw asked, calm and composed. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and offered it to Elliot Sheridan.

"Sorry, I’m quitting," Elliot Sheridan refused. Byron Shaw drew back his hand and lit one for himself.

"A long time ago," he answered vaguely.

’A long time ago? How long was that?’

’Was it back when I was helping my sister with her lawsuit?’

The calmer Byron Shaw appeared on the surface, the more guarded he felt toward Elliot Sheridan.

’He really couldn’t say if Georgia Thorne was lucky or unlucky to have married a man like him.’

In all his years, he’d met countless people and dealt with all sorts of characters.

But none of them had been as difficult to deal with, as inscrutable, as Elliot Sheridan.

He was like a bottomless ocean; no matter how turbulent the currents raged beneath, not a single ripple disturbed the surface.

’I just hope he’s truly good to Georgia.’

"If you knew Georgia’s identity, you never should have married her. You shouldn’t have even followed her to Akashima," Byron said. As the thought struck him, he crushed the cigarette between his fingers.

Elliot Sheridan scoffed. "Or maybe you should try controlling your sister."

Byron Shaw’s frown deepened. If Naomi Shaw were that easy to reason with, he wouldn’t be in this predicament.

Byron Shaw’s expression darkened. "Why on earth did you marry Georgia?"

"What do you think?"

Elliot Sheridan tossed the question back at him and turned to head back into the private room.

’He asks me, but I don’t know.’

Georgia Thorne and Naomi Shaw were mother and daughter. One had been involved with the older brother for years and was finally on the verge of marriage, while the other was already married to the younger brother.

Nowhere in the world had a mother and daughter ever become sisters-in-law.

Elliot Sheridan was clearly doing this on purpose, trying to prevent Naomi Shaw and Carter Sheridan from ever marrying.

Georgia had once told him that Elliot treated her very well. ’I can only hope he’s truly good to her.’

When Byron Shaw returned to the private room, Elliot Sheridan was considerately feeding Georgia.

Georgia had a small appetite and would barely eat when Elliot wasn’t around. But when he was there, he would fill her plate with food and personally coax her to finish every bite.

Byron Shaw couldn’t stand watching. ’Perhaps Elliot is just putting on an act, or perhaps his feelings for Georgia are genuine.’

He pushed the document forward again. "We can forget about the money. Go ahead and sign this."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm."

After getting Byron Shaw’s confirmation, Georgia decisively signed her name on the signature line.

Elliot Sheridan raised his teacup. "I’ll toast with tea instead of wine. Thank you, Attorney Shaw."

Lately, Elliot had been following Georgia’s wishes, quitting smoking and drinking and abstaining from both.

Byron Shaw, however, poured himself a full glass of liquor. "As for the ten-million-dollar legal fee, I trust Mr. Sheridan will transfer it to my account on time."

’Even if Elliot Sheridan is some powerful big shot, I, Byron Shaw, am not someone to be trifled with.’

Sure enough, Elliot Sheridan’s expression darkened. "Of course."

The two men drained their cups of tea and liquor in one go.

For some reason, Georgia sensed a friction between them.

’A ten-million-dollar legal fee... Elliot is really willing to spend that much!’

Byron Shaw left with the document Georgia had signed, leaving the two of them alone in the private room.

With no one else around, Georgia finally dared to chide Elliot, "You really didn’t need to hire such an expensive lawyer."

Byron Shaw had a great reputation, but spending ten million on him felt like a huge waste.

Elliot smiled faintly and tapped her nose. "Already trying to save your husband money? How about I put you in charge of the household finances?"

Elliot was more than happy to hand all his money over to Georgia; after all, they were a single entity now.

"Alright, then. Hand over all your bank cards," Georgia said with a grin.

She had only been joking when she asked for his bank cards, but Elliot actually did it.

He immediately pulled a black wallet from his suit jacket. "Your husband’s entire fortune is now yours!"

Elliot’s wallet contained no cash, but it held several bank cards and his ID.

She took out his ID. ’They always say ID photos are the worst, so how does he still look this handsome?’

’God really isn’t fair to everyone. He certainly showed a lot of favoritism toward Elliot Sheridan.’

"You looked so young back then," Georgia remarked with a sigh.

Elliot leaned close to Georgia’s ear. "Your husband is just as virile now as I was back then."

Georgia blushed and pushed him away. "Can’t you be serious for once?"

Elliot put on a straight face. "You don’t think I’ve been serious enough already?"

’Serious enough? All you know how to do is grope me in my sleep.’

Just as Georgia was about to retort, he seemed to read her mind. "Do you think it’s not torture for an ascetic to hold a warm, soft body in his arms every night?"

Georgia was speechless. "..."

Georgia thought Elliot sounded rather plaintive, especially when he brought this up.

Ever since her leg injury, the two of them hadn’t been intimate.

Georgia’s face flushed. She snuck a glance at him, then deliberately ignored the desire in his eyes and looked away.

After Georgia successfully made it into the top twenty, she was summoned to court as the plaintiff.

In the courtroom, with Byron Shaw as her lawyer, all the evidence was in their favor.

The outcome of the lawsuit was a foregone conclusion before it even began.

Byron Shaw was undoubtedly in command. From the moment he began speaking, he was relentless, backing Jared Thorne’s lawyer into a corner and completely demolishing their prepared case.

Byron Shaw suddenly produced a DNA test for Georgia Thorne and Jared Thorne, which showed a zero percent biological relationship between them.

This DNA test definitively proved they were not father and daughter.

This didn’t just stun Jared Thorne; even Georgia was secretly astonished.

She turned to look at Elliot Sheridan, who was sitting in the gallery, and he gave her a reassuring nod.

’He actually had the nerve to forge evidence in a case like this.’

While Georgia was still dumbstruck, the judge announced the verdict.

Georgia Thorne and Jared Thorne’s father-daughter relationship was officially severed.

After the hearing, Hayley Sullivan glared at her, her teeth clenched. "Hah! Your mother had some nerve, pawning off the bastard she had with another man on my husband!"

"Mrs. Thorne, I suggest you watch your language. Otherwise, I can sue you for slandering my client at any time," Byron Shaw warned, standing before her with a stern expression.

Knowing that a big shot like Byron Shaw could crush them with a single word, Hayley Sullivan didn’t push her luck. She just gave a cold sneer and left.

"Georgia, don’t pay any attention to her!" Selena Sheridan said, stepping forward to put an arm around her shoulder.

Georgia gave a dazed hum of agreement, her gaze drifting involuntarily toward Elliot Sheridan.

Elliot was talking to Byron Shaw. He glanced over at her and offered a gentle smile.

This was a public place; they couldn’t appear too intimate.

Having nearly forgotten that, Georgia pulled her gaze back, only to inadvertently glimpse a figure leaving the gallery.

The profile looked like someone she knew.

"Who are you looking at?"

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, she and Elliot had been married for nearly three months.

Georgia’s leg was slowly recovering. A month later, her cast was removed.

Elliot was very protective of her, only allowing her to wear flats when she went out.

Even in bed, he was much gentler than before.

At the end of September, Georgia officially made it into the top ten.

The organizers gave them seven days to complete their final piece.

The theme for the final competition was the same as in previous years: wedding dresses.

Most people, when they thought of wedding dresses, immediately thought of white gowns symbolizing purity and sanctity.

But all she could think of was pink.

During her time in Akashima, Georgia had seen brides get married in pink, cherry-blossom-patterned kimonos.