Secret Marriage: The CEO's Pampered Wife

Who would have thought she’d run off abroad for a vacation to clear her head? Now, things were out of her hands.

Elliot Sheridan fiddled with his left ring finger, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Joanne Donovan and I have called off our engagement due to incompatible personalities. I’m making a point of announcing it here, just to make sure there’s no confusion."

As he spoke the last sentence, the smile vanished from his eyes, replaced by a harsh, cold glint.

The surrounding reporters were taken aback. They wore terrified smiles, wanting to ask questions but not daring to.

’Just because of incompatible personalities? We heard they’ve known each other for almost twenty years. It’s impossible they’re only just now discovering their personalities don’t match.’

’There has to be another reason.’

Elliot Sheridan had always been clean-living and disciplined. The number of women he had associated with over the years could be counted on one hand.

And when it came to the woman who had been with Elliot the longest, everyone’s mind went to the same person.

Erin Irving stood to one side, watching him with a smirk, her eyes filled with a deep chill.

’The engagement is off. No wonder Joanne Donovan suddenly left for a trip abroad.’

The story of Elliot Sheridan clarifying his engagement status with Joanne Donovan during the interview blew up the next day, becoming the top headline in Portmire and completely burying the news about Erin Irving being put in charge of the North District development project.

Furious, Erin Irving slammed the newspaper onto the floor. She glared at Elliot Sheridan’s picture, then ground her heel into it, leaving a deep shoeprint.

She snatched the phone from her desk, dialed a number, and demanded, "Where are you?"

It was Joanne Donovan on the other end, currently enjoying a sunbath on the beach. "What is it?"

"Get your ass back here now!"

Joanne was displeased. "Erin Irving, who do you think you are? You have no right to order me around!"

"Oh, really? What if I told you that Elliot Sheridan himself made a public statement clarifying that your engagement is off?"

Joanne Donovan had known Elliot Sheridan for too long. He never cared about what other people thought. Even when the media was in a frenzy about them, he would never bother to explain himself.

Unless...

Joanne Donovan’s heart began to pound. She was now more suspicious than ever that Elliot had another woman.

After hanging up, she didn’t hesitate for a second, rushing back to her hotel to pack her things and return home.

Just as she got back to the hotel, she got a call from Quincy Rhodes.

"What are you panicking for? Just because he says he won’t marry you, you think he really won’t?" Quincy Rhodes scolded her, exasperated by her daughter’s incompetence.

’This daughter of mine is just a pretty face with no brains at all.’

’She panics at the slightest rumor.’

She had seen the news, too. It was Elliot Sheridan who debunked the rumors on his own. The Sheridan Family hadn’t said a word yet.

’They owe me a life, and I’m going to make them spend the rest of theirs trying to repay that debt.’

’The election is just around the corner; I can’t let anything go wrong at this critical moment.’

After chewing out her daughter, Quincy Rhodes soothed her, "Don’t panic. I’ll go to the Sheridan Family’s estate tonight and see what Elliot’s parents have to say about this."

Joanne grew anxious. "Mom, you can’t push Elliot too far!"

The one thing Elliot Sheridan hated most was being forced to do something he didn’t want to do.

’What if her mom shows up at their door and just makes things worse?’

On the surface, Elliot Sheridan was a cold man who seemed to disregard everything, but once he was truly angered, he’d make sure no one had an easy time!

"You don’t trust your own mother?"

’I’ve clawed my way through the political world for so many years and met all kinds of influential people.’

’Elliot Sheridan is just a junior. Even if I say something out of line, he’ll just have to swallow it.’

Quincy Rhodes told Joanne Donovan to stay abroad for a while longer before coming back.

Joanne Donovan weighed her options. Erin Irving was no saint, so it was probably better to listen to her mother.

With that thought, she breathed a sigh of relief and went back to enjoying her vacation.

Quincy Rhodes felt she had worried herself sick over this daughter of hers, just like she had all those years ago.

’Since her target was Elliot Sheridan, she shouldn’t have been seeing other men.’

’Otherwise, if things had gone according to plan, she would already be Elliot Sheridan’s mother-in-law by now.’

Quincy Rhodes called James Sheridan and laid it all out. Elliot had strung her daughter along for so long, wasting her youth. Now that they couldn’t get married, who would want her in the future?

Quincy Rhodes, the mayor of Portmire, usually projected the image of a tough, iron-willed woman on screen. But now, she was on the phone, whimpering and crying about the injustice of her daughter’s marriage prospects.

Sharon Ennis was right beside James Sheridan and could clearly hear Quincy Rhodes’s sobbing. She was so angry she wanted to smash the phone.

’I’ve never even cried to my own husband like that! Anyone listening in would think she was some mistress crying her heart out to him!’

And Quincy Rhodes really was laying it on thick, sobbing about how miserable her life had been after her husband passed away—how she was kicked out by the Donovan Family and had to raise a child on her own while working hard. She painted the most tragic picture imaginable.

The more Sharon Ennis listened, the angrier she became. Her brow furrowed into a tight knot as she glared at her husband, her eyes blazing with fury.

James Sheridan felt helpless. He pulled Sharon Ennis into his arms to soothe her, while on the phone he addressed Quincy gently, "Elliot is a grown man now. He never tells us what he’s planning. We found out about the canceled engagement from the TV, just like everyone else. It’s hard to sort this out over the phone. How about this? I’ll have Elliot come home tonight, and we can all get together and talk things through properly. What do you say?"

This was exactly what Quincy Rhodes wanted, but she couldn’t appear too obvious.

After a moment’s hesitation, she finally agreed. "Fine!"

The moment the call ended, a heavy blow landed on James Sheridan’s chest, making him ache.

"I really can’t stand that Quincy Rhodes more and more. What was all that about, her crying on the phone like that!"

"Sigh, life really isn’t easy for a woman on her own. Just try to be a little more understanding!" James Sheridan said, rubbing his chest. That punch had really hurt!

"Understanding?!" Sharon Ennis’s face immediately hardened. "She lost her husband, so what? What right does she have to cry to you? You’re my husband. And what was that just now, you comforting her?"

"James Sheridan, I’m starting to see it now. No wonder you never say no to Quincy Rhodes. Tell me, do you have a thing for her?!"

"How is that possible?!" James Sheridan denied it at once. ’How could that be possible!’

"Why not? I was right here listening to Quincy Rhodes’s voice. So pitiful it could make a stone weep!" Sharon Ennis looked at him furiously and slapped his hand away.

"I swear on my life, there’s really nothing between us!" He felt utterly wronged.

Sharon Ennis grabbed his ear and twisted. "If you dare, I’ll pack my bags and go right back to my parents’ house!"

"I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare!" James Sheridan let her twist his ear, not daring to resist in the slightest.

’If anyone from the outside saw him like this, the respectable image he maintained at home would be completely shattered. Utterly humiliating!’

"Let me tell you, I don’t care what Quincy Rhodes says. I will never agree to let her daughter marry Elliot!"

’My son is already so old. I’m hoping I can hold a grandchild soon!’

James Sheridan was in a tough spot. "I know, I know!"

When Sharon Ennis called Elliot Sheridan, he was in the bathroom taking a shower.

Georgia Thorne, still sleeping on the bed, was woken by the ringing phone.

There was nothing bad about living with Elliot Sheridan—the food was good, the place was nice. The only downside was how physically exhausting it was.

For some reason, the man had suddenly become much more... vigorous, even fiercer than before.

Georgia Thorne was so drowsy she just wanted to sleep. Her mind was a complete blank. Not caring whose phone it was, she fumbled for it and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Son..."

Their voices rang out at the same time, then fell silent at the same time. Georgia Thorne was too dazed to react.

Sharon Ennis, on the other hand, was stunned. Why was a woman answering her son’s phone?!

This was the first time Sharon Ennis had ever called her son and had a woman pick up.

’He must really have a girlfriend this time! I called so early, and a woman picked up. It has to be!’

Sharon Ennis grew excited at the thought and hurriedly asked, "Young lady, what’s your name?"

"Mom, it’s me."

Just as Georgia Thorne was about to answer, Elliot Sheridan came out of the bathroom and took the phone from her hand.

He gestured for Georgia Thorne to go back to sleep, then walked over to the window with the phone.

"Son, you’ve already slept with her?" Sharon Ennis was a little disappointed that she hadn’t gotten Georgia Thorne’s name.

But she didn’t have time for regrets and eagerly questioned Elliot Sheridan.

Elliot Sheridan grunted in confirmation. Sharon Ennis laughed happily, completely forgetting all about Quincy Rhodes as if she’d never existed.

"What’s the girl’s name? Is she pretty? What’s her family like? Does she have a good temper...?" Sharon Ennis fired off a barrage of questions, desperate to know everything about Elliot Sheridan’s girlfriend.

"I’ll tell you when the time is right."

"What do you mean, ’when the time is right’? I’m your mother! What could you possibly need to hide from me?" Sharon Ennis’s tone turned fierce again. "Give the phone to the young lady. I’ll ask her myself!"

"Mom, she’s still young. She wouldn’t be able to handle your interrogation," Elliot Sheridan said, glancing back at the sleeping Georgia Thorne. "She’s still asleep. Don’t disturb her."

’Still sleeping!’

Sharon Ennis was overjoyed. Her son had finally crawled out from the heartbreak that had plagued him for years.

"Did you tire the poor girl out last night?" Sharon Ennis giggled. Her son was a grown man, after all, and some things needed to be said. "Son, you’re old enough now. Mom wouldn’t even be against a shotgun wedding. I just want you to settle down and treat the girl right!"

He had no intention of having a shotgun wedding.

However, getting Georgia Thorne pregnant was, in fact, part of his plan.

’No need to wait until the end of the year. As soon as Georgia Thorne gets pregnant, I’ll take her home to meet my parents!’

"Oh, right. Son, you’re not young anymore. Is everything... still working okay down there? How about Mom finds you a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to prescribe you some herbs?" If they could have a baby sooner, she, as a mother, could finally be at ease.

Hearing his mother’s shameless question, Elliot Sheridan’s face went completely black.

He answered through gritted teeth, "Your son is still young and very much capable. Why don’t you get some of those herbs for your own husband instead!"

"Hey, you unfilial brat! What kind of way is that to talk?!" James Sheridan’s voice exploded from the other end of the line, his face flushed with anger.