My Husband Hid His Son from Me

Chapter 5

Madeline was clad in a crisp professional suit, her figure slender, her steps steady and unhurried.

She tilted her head slightly as she rattled off instructions to her assistant, every inch the hard-nosed powerhouse executive. Right now, she had more than enough clout and poise to make any man fall for her.

The second Madeline finished giving out tasks and turned around, her eyes locked directly with Chloe's. She stumbled to a halt.

She never expected Chloe to show up at the company in person, or more accurately, she never thought Chloe would move this fast.

But she pulled herself together in a heartbeat. For five whole years, Chloe had been utterly broken and unable to function after losing her son, too worn down to even care about the company. There was no place left for her at CAW Jewelry anymore, anyway!

When the two security guards spotted Madeline, their faces immediately split into obsequious grins. They bowed deeply to her and greeted, "President Monroe!"

Madeline asked what was going on, and one of the guards explained, "This lady was trying to get into the building. We're in the middle of verifying her identity."

Her assistant, Lillian, gave Chloe a sneering, dismissive once-over. "You don't look like anyone in the industry. This is one of the top jewelry companies in the country, you know? Did you wander into the wrong building?"

Chloe stared back at Lillian, her gaze ice-cold.

Did Madeline actually think such a cheap stunt would get under her skin?

Chloe ignored Lillian entirely, her eyes fixed straight on Madeline as she scoffed, "Madeline, when a dog bites its owner, it has to pay the price." Madeline's face went rigid. She was just about to snap back when two luxury cars pulled up right outside the building.

The cars rumbled to a stop, and the three other shareholders of the company stepped out.

Madeline's face drained of color. She leaned toward Lillian and hissed under her breath, "Call Wesley's assistant Nathan right now. Tell him Chloe brought people to the company to cause trouble."

Chloe spotted the movement out of the corner of her eye and made no move to stop her.

A flicker of panic crossed her meticulously groomed face, only to be forcefully stamped out in an instant, replaced by the wide-eyed, injured look of a helpless victim.

Once, Chloe had fallen hook, line, and sinker for that Oscar-worthy act. She'd listened as Madeline gushed gratitude for her financial support, called her a lifesaver, and swore up and down she'd never betray her, never do a single thing to wrong her for the rest of her life.

Chloe took a step toward her. "I gave you a chance. You're the one who chose this path."

Madeline squared her shoulders and forced a sugary smile. "Chloe, what on earth are you talking about? I've only ever been keeping an eye on the company for you! Of course I'm happy the shareholders are here, but..."

Her gaze darted past the three shareholders, her soft tone sharpened with hidden barbs. "You haven't dealt with company business in five years. Isn't showing up like this with all this fanfare a little impulsive?"

Chloe's voice stayed calm, even, steady as a stone. "Impulsive? Not at all. As the company's majority shareholder and founder, I'm calling an emergency shareholder meeting. Madeline, this meeting is all about you."

With that, she turned on her heel and strode straight for the president's private elevator, the three shareholders falling into step right behind her.

Madeline ground her teeth, hissing under her breath. "Chloe, if you keep making a scene like this, Wesley will..."

Chloe froze mid-step, not bothering to turn around. The sharp line of her profile glinted in the metallic sheen of the elevator doors, cold as unforgiving steel. "Tell him to come. Perfect timing. I'll take care of him too while I'm at it."

*****

The elevator dinged as it reached the top floor. Chloe pushed open the conference room door to find the rest of the shareholders already waiting inside.

Madeline and her assistant trailed in last, Wesley's special assistant Nathan hot on their heels.

Chloe swept a quick glance around the room and slid a stack of documents straight to the center of the table. "In my capacity as majority shareholder, I move to remove Madeline from her post. The company has been in shambles for five years, with core staff leaving in droves. The vice president bears full responsibility for this mess."

For a beat, the entire conference room went dead silent.

But Madeline just smiled, tilting her chin toward Lillian in a lazy, unhurried gesture.

Lillian snapped to her feet immediately, holding out a document to Chloe. "Ms. Carter, you should take a look at this before you say anything else."

Chloe shot her a skeptical glance, reached out to take the papers, and flipped them open. Her fingers went completely rigid the second she scanned the contents.

It was a share transfer agreement. The transferor was Wesley, the recipient was Madeline, and the asset in question was the 10% stake in CAW Jewelry that Wesley held.

Madeline's voice drifted over from the other side of the table, soft and sweet but oozing with smugness. "Chloe, Wesley thought it was too hard for me to get things done around here without any real say, so he gave me these shares. That way I can run the company better for you, you know? You've been gone five years, after all. Just leaning on the 'founder' title isn't exactly going to make the staff fall in line, right?"

Chloe clutched the agreement so hard her knuckles turned white. She'd never expected Madeline to have this ace up her sleeve, and she sure as hell never thought Wesley would dote on her so much that he'd hand over a chunk of the jewelry company she'd built from scratch, turning it into Madeline's own little trophy.

Madeline stood up, staring down at Chloe like she'd already won the whole game.

"I know you're mad that Wesley transferred the shares to me, but he only did it because none of the old staff you left behind would listen to me. He gave me these shares to keep me from getting pushed around."

Her every word dripped with mockery and provocation. "You've been sitting at home doing nothing for five years, living off Wesley. I get that you have no clue how hard it is for a woman in the workplace, but you don't have the right to fire me. And Wesley would never let you pull a reckless stunt like this anyway."

Chloe stared daggers at Madeline. That sneering, entitled, abusive face made her blood boil.

Just when Madeline was smugly preening, convinced Chloe was about to throw in the towel, Chloe suddenly stood up, strode right over to her, and in full view of everyone present, raised her hand and slapped Madeline hard across the face without hesitation.

Smack! The crisp, sharp c***k of the slap echoed through every corner of the conference room.

Madeline was caught completely off guard by the blow. She clapped a hand to her stinging cheek and glared daggers at Chloe, but right as she was about to blow her top, she caught herself at the last second. Her eyebrows crumpled, and tears came spilling down her face in an instant.

"Chloe, if hitting me can make you feel better, I'll take it. But this is a company. You're causing a scene in front of all the shareholders. If Wesley finds out about this, he's definitely going to be upset again..."

"Madeline," Chloe cut her off, her voice ice-cold, "knowingly getting involved with a married man is on par with the crime of bigamy. Don't think just because Wesley's got your back, I can't do anything to you!"

Madeline's face darkened instantly, and she stared daggers at Chloe.

Chloe's tone was sharp and unyielding. "You tell Wesley to take back those shares he gave you, exactly the way he handed them over. If he still wants to cover for you, I don't mind dragging everyone down with me and going out swinging!"

With that, she didn't give any of them a chance to get a word in edgewise, turned on her heel, and marched straight out of the conference room.

*****

Chloe left the company and headed straight home. Linda, the live-in nanny, had finished making dinner and came up to her room to call her down for the meal.

When she walked down the stairs, she spotted Wesley sitting at the dining table, holding a bowl in one hand and a soup spoon in the other, slowly stirring a bowl of chicken soup.

Five years had left not a single mark on the man. He was still as strikingly handsome as ever, if a little more brooding and unreadable around the eyes.

He heard the sound of her footsteps and looked up. "Linda made your favorite soup. Come have it while it's still hot."

His cool, unconcerned attitude made her fury burn even hotter. She bit out, no longer holding back, "Wesley, do you honestly think we can still sit down and have a civil meal together right now?"

Wesley's expression didn't shift an inch. He set the bowl of chicken soup down in front of her, as calm and collected as ever, not a single flicker of irritation crossing his face. "Chloe, eat first. We can talk things through properly once you're done eating."