The Offer to Be Queen

Chapter 8 Irene's Secret Got Exposed?

Joanna gasped, "Sorry, I didn't get a good grip on it."

Lewis looked on coldly as he directed a maid to clean up the mess.

He had clearly seen Joanna react in time to catch the cake, but instead, she let it drop and watched as it hit the carpet.

"Your Majesty, perhaps Joanna isn't cut out to be your secretary. She's too clumsy," Anthony spoke up, suggesting Lewis fire Joanna.

Anthony knew Joanna was hiding her true identity, and logically, he shouldn't disrupt her plans by making such comments.

But he couldn't stand seeing Joanna stay by Lewis' side so cautiously. He hoped Lewis would take his suggestion and set her free.

Lewis retorted in a cold tone, "Are you implying that I've been foolish enough to appoint a klutz as my secretary and that a minor diplomat should dictate my actions?"

Joanna quickly jumped in to defend Anthony. "He didn't mean any disrespect, Your Majesty. He's always treated me like a kid, always worried I can't handle things properly."

"Yes, Your Majesty, the Thompson family is forever loyal to you and would never defy you." Clare hurried to affirm his family's loyalty.

Clare couldn't figure out what game Lewis was playing. Lewis called Clare to his office today without discussing government affairs. Instead, Lewis pried into his personal life and then asked to visit his home out of the blue. It was totally baffling.

But Clare knew the priority was to keep Lewis stable and prevent him from discovering Joanna's true identity.

Lewis sat up straight on the couch, his gaze sweeping over the Thompsons and finally resting on Joanna. He asked, "Is that so? I don't see such loyalty from you. You seem to be hiding something from me, like—Joanna doesn't quite look like a pop star. She's more like a hitman, or rather, a bodyguard?"

Clare broke out in a cold sweat and instantly said, "Your Majesty, I'm not sure what you're talking about. Could there be some misunderstanding?"

"Enough!" Joanna suddenly shouted at Clare. "Dad, no more secrets from His Majesty. I think it's time we tell him the truth."

Joanna wiped the tears from her face and said in a firm tone, "You've been testing me these past days, haven't you? Are you suspecting something about my identity, thinking there's something fishy about me?"

Lewis showed no pity for the woman in front of him and retorted, "What do you think? Shouldn't I have my doubts?"

Anthony grabbed Joanna's wrist, pleading, "No..."

He knew spilling the beans would be a dead end for Joanna.

Taking a deep breath, Joanna said slowly, "If I don't come clean now, you'll never trust me. Might as well lay it all out."

Lewis sat with his arms crossed over his lap, his gaze fixed on Joanna.

"I am Joanna Davis, and that will never change. But I did lie to you. I'm not just a singer..."

With pain in her voice, Joanna confessed, "Back in Marindale, I was forced into a gang. I learned how to scout and I even worked as a hitman for a while."

Lewis' eyes narrowed as he demanded, "Tell me, why did you join the gang?"

Joanna's lips quivered, and tears streamed down her face. "It was my ex-boyfriend. I met him in college, but I never knew he was part of the gang. He blackmailed me with my nude photos and forced me to join the gang with him."

"I managed to escape, but the humiliation has always haunted me. The days right after I got out were the toughest. My foster father and brother helped me through. They swore they'd keep this secret forever and never to breathe a word of it," she added.

The real Joanna did have an ex who had blackmailed her into joining the gang, but she never escaped; she died in a gang fight.

Through her tears, Joanna said, "That's what I've been hiding from you. I'm sorry for lying to you. This is my fault alone. Please, don't take it out on my foster father and brother."

Anthony knew the story was fabricated by Irene, but seeing her in tears still tugged at his heartstrings.

Anthony didn't have blood relations or deep emotional ties with the real Joanna since she was raised abroad. Even when she died, Anthony just mourned her for a short time.

But for Irene, Anthony was hopelessly in love with her.

From the moment he first saw Irene, he was captivated by her resilience and bravery. In Anthony's eyes, she wasn't just his sister in name only; she was the love of his life, cherished deep in his heart.

Lewis watched the Thompsons closely. Joanna was crying, her brother was comforting her, and her father looked on with a pained expression. It did look like a real family scene.

Joanna was still crying, but Lewis' patience wore thin. He interrupted her, "Alright, I won't take it out on your foster father and brother, but as punishment for deceiving me, Joanna, your vacation is cancelled. You're coming back to the palace to work right away."

"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty." Joanna agreed with Lewis' demand.

Anthony wanted to ask Lewis to let Joanna stay a bit longer but was stopped by a stern look from Clare.

Their family wasn't in a position to make requests lightly in front of Lewis now.

Thus, with a longing gaze from Anthony, Joanna left with Lewis in a Devel Sixteen.

*****

Lewis was about to host a banquet in three days, a gathering for officials and diplomats.

As his secretary, Joanna would have to attend.

However, when Caressa suggested she accompany Lewis, she was flatly rejected.

Driven by her rage, Caressa cut up all of Joanna's evening gowns.

These were all tailor-made and couldn't be remade in a short time. Joanna had no choice but to report this to Lewis.

Upon hearing this, Lewis confined Caressa to her room until after the banquet.

"Your Majesty, what do we do now? Without a gown, I can't attend the banquet." Joanna was secretly relieved; she didn't want to attend the banquet where any slip could expose her identity as Irene.

While looking through the financial report for a luxury auction happening that evening, Lewis said, "Go buy one."

"But it's tough to find a suitable dress at the last minute."

Most dresses available commercially were not elegant enough for the event.

Without looking up, Lewis said, "The Wayne Auction, you'll find something suitable there."

"You're going to get me a gown at the Wayne Auction?" Joanna asked with her eyes wide.

The Wayne Auction was one of the most prestigious in the world, dealing in jewelry, evening gowns, and luxury goods, often featuring items no less than 100 million dollars.

A queen's crown had even surfaced there before.

Lewis glanced at Joanna and said, "I don't want my secretary to be dressed poorly; it'd be embarrassing in front of foreign diplomats."

"Alright then," Joanna replied.

"Have the car ready."

"Yes, Your Majesty."