Rise Of The Wasted Shadow Wife

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Anthony Group Office

Behind the thick glass of the Anthony Group meeting room. The spacious room was silenced by an eerie calm. Only the ticking of the wall clock and the distant rumble of the elevator gave the impression that time was still running.

In the center of the room, Laura sits upright in one of the black leather chairs facing the long glass table. Her appearance was almost perfect: a neatly pressed black blazer, dark brown hair in an elegant bun, glittering high heels, and a face that showed little expression. However, in her silence, her chest was beating erratically, like war drums that only she could hear.

The metal door opened slowly, almost silently. Someone entered.

Axel Anthony.

He walked slowly, as if time bowed to his presence. His steps were light but never weak, like someone used to infiltrating the lives of others, turning sympathy into a tool, and destroying from within.

She stopped a few meters away from the table, smiling faintly. An unreadable smile. Not sincere, not warm.

"Laura Smith," she said quietly, but her tone was clear. "Or... perhaps I should have said. 'Welcome back, Alessia'?"

Laura didn't move. Her eyes did not blink, and her face remained neutral. Only her eyebrows were slightly raised, like someone who had heard something unsurprising but also unpleasant.

"I think you are mistaken, Mr. Anthony," she replied coldly.

Axel sighed softly, as if marveling at the game that had just begun. He walked around the table, his fingers touching the glass surface casually, like a lion playing around before pouncing.

"Oh, you're so smart... too smart for someone who 'just' appeared five years ago. Professional, calm. But your eyes... they never change. That look is the same as when you tried to pretend you weren't afraid of me."

"What exactly is your purpose in inviting me to this room?" asked Laura, her tone flat, but now with firmness. Like a block of ice sliding off a mountain ready to hit. "Or do you want me to record this conversation as verbal abuse in the workplace?"

Axel squinted. He leaned back into the chair opposite him, staring at Laura from across the table.

"I just want to know one thing, Alessia. Why did you come back? For revenge?" He leaned a little closer. "Or because... you can't let me go yet?"

Laura gave a faint smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"You really think the world still revolves around you, sir?"

Axel gave a short laugh. Not amused, just sarcastic. He slipped his hand into his jacket and pulled out an envelope. With a movement too calm to be called impulsive, he pulled out a piece of paper from it and placed it on the table between them. An investigation report.

The document did not sound heavy, but it felt like a sledgehammer.

"Five years ago, a woman named Laura Smith began working as a legal assistant at a small firm north of the city. At the same time, Alessia disappeared off the face of the earth. No birth records. No medical records. No background. In detail."

Laura stared at the paper for a few seconds. Her eyes didn't move, but her mind drifted. She then looked at Axel, her voice almost a whisper, but every word felt like a dagger.

"Did you pay the detective with company money or personal money?"

Axel stiffened, just for a moment. But Laura saw it.

She rose slowly from her chair, took the paper, read it, then looked at Axel with eyes darker than the night sky.

"If you don't even know who I am, maybe it's time you lost everything."

And without another word, Laura walked out. The sound of her steps echoed, then disappeared behind the door.

Axel didn't chase after her.

She just sat in silence, with a lump of feelings that she did not acknowledge.

---

The small table lamp reflected a yellowish light on the files. Axel sat hunched over, his face covered in shadows. His eye bags looked deep, and his fingers gripped the report sheet Gerard had just sent him.

Name: Laura Smith

Biometric match to Alessia S. Anthony: 83%

DNA data: Not available.

No trace of Alessia since 2020.

Axel reread the same sentence many times, but the meaning didn't change.

Laura wasn't just a shadow of the past, she was the past itself. Maybe with a new name, but with wounds that never healed.

He massaged his temples. Her head felt heavy, but what hurt the most was not the report.

What hurt most was the fact that among all the things he controlled money, power, giant corporations, hundreds of employees this one slipped from his grasp. Alessia.

---

Investor Meeting - Morning

Inside a boardroom full of neon lights and state of the art LED screens, a presentation was taking place.

But Axel doesn't hear it.

He sits at the end of a long table, his suit neat, his tie expensive. But his gaze is blank. His voice is barely audible as he tries to answer questions from Japanese investors.

"Sorry... can you repeat the question?"

A young woman from the legal division turns around, concerned. "Mr. Anthony, you seem unfocused. Is-"

Axel stood up.

Without another word, he left the room.

The meeting room rumbled with whispers. The shareholders exchanged glances. Some picked up the phone, while others began to consider the worst-case scenario.

---

Laura's apartment - Evening

The television is on in the living room. Axel's photo is plastered on the screen, with a suspenseful headline.

"Anthony Group's Leadership Questioned After CEO's Strange Actions."

Galen, a five-year-old boy with bright eyes and jet-black hair, sat cross-legged on the floor. He pointed at the screen.

"Mom... Om's face looks like mine, doesn't it?"

Laura, who was pouring tea, suddenly stopped. The hand holding the cup trembled gently. She turned her head slowly towards the screen. Her face was pale.

It took a few seconds before she was able to answer.

"Many people have similar faces, dear," she said softly, with a fake smile that barely held on.

Galen looked at his mother, then back at the screen. He was unsure of the answer but chose to remain silent. He went back to focusing on the cartoon.

Laura sat on the sofa, silent, but her mind was running wild.

She knew her time was running out. The walls she'd spent five years building were cracking. And behind them was a truth that could destroy more than just a career.

And for the first time in a very long time, Laura was afraid.

Scared not because Axel knew who she was.

But afraid of what she would have to do... if Galen found out who her father was.