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Novel Catalog
Chapter 3
Boom! Shawn slammed the phone down, his brows knitting in frustration. “Go after her immediately! She can’t have gone far!”
The lights of Temperley Hall flickered against the night sky, with cars and people moving in and out of the estate. Meanwhile, Gale was hiding in the filthy sewers, desperate to escape the clutches of Shawn’s men. Taking advantage of the confusion, she darted down the mountain, heading straight for the prison to see her father.
“Father…”
“Gale! You’re still alive!” Peter exclaimed, his voice breaking with emotion as he burst into tears. “I thought you were…”
“Dad, I came here to ask you the truth about Chairman Wood’s death.”
“I don’t know either, but I’m certain the medicine I used was right! Gale, do you trust me?”
“I believe you.” Gale bit her lip, nodding firmly. So, Peter had been wronged. She owed Shawn nothing, especially not any sort of atonement.
“We were framed, but it’s a done deal now,” Peter sighed, his voice tinged with resignation. “Gale, you have to protect yourself.”
Gale held the phone tightly to her ear, staring resolutely at her father through the glass. “Dad, I will find the evidence to clear your name.”
After her visit to the prison, Gale made her way to the hospital to see her mother. But before she could reach the door, she spotted several bodyguards in black standing outside.
Shawn knew she’d come. He had arranged for his men to lie in wait, ready to capture her and drag her back, where she would be tortured mercilessly.
Gale immediately hid, her mind racing to think of a way to avoid the bodyguards. Suddenly, the massive electronic screen across the street flickered to life, showing Sea City Financial News. On the screen was Shawn’s handsome face, every inch the powerful CEO and President. He stood at the Wood Group Headquarters, dressed in a black shirt, exuding a relaxed but commanding aura. His lips curled into a half-smile as a group of reporters surrounded him.
“Mr. Wood, is it true that you’re planning to enter the entertainment industry?”
“Will your acquisition strategies be completed on time?”
“Mr. Wood, yesterday a paparazzi caught a photo of you entering and leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau. Can you tell us where you were going?”
Shawn raised his chin slightly and looked directly at the camera. “I went to get married.”
The words struck the air like a thunderclap. The revelation that President Wood was married stunned everyone. Who was Mrs. Wood, the woman who had just joined Sea City’s wealthiest family?
The camera zoomed in on his face, his eyes as deep as the night sky, staring into the lens without blinking. Then, in a deep, commanding voice, he said, “Mrs. Wood, you’ve had enough fun. It’s time to come home.”
To everyone else, his tone was affectionate, but to Gale, it was a cold warning. She shuddered, the bloodthirsty smile on his lips burned into her mind as though he was standing right in front of her.
Shawn turned away, and the bodyguards immediately blocked the reporters from getting any closer. If it weren’t for sending a message to Gale, he wouldn’t have agreed to the interview in the first place.
At the same time, Gale noticed several nurses pushing a hospital bed toward the ambulance. It was her mother! Where were they taking her?
“Mom!” Gale ran toward her, ignoring the risk of exposure. She grabbed her mother’s hand, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry I only came to see you now…”
But she was surrounded by bodyguards, who stepped forward to stop her.
“Madam, this is President Wood’s order. Please don’t obstruct us.”
“I won’t run away, I’ll go back now!” Gale pleaded, desperation in her voice. “Please, give my mother back…”
But no matter how much she begged, her mother was taken away. Shawn knew exactly where to strike to cause her the most pain. Her parents’ lives were in his hands, and every threat to them was a heart-wrenching blow.
Half an hour later, Shawn stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in his CEO office, a cigarette dangling from his fingertips, though it wasn’t lit. His assistant, Fiona, knocked on the door.
“President Wood, your wife is here.”
“Enter.”
Gale walked in, her face pale, her footsteps hesitant. Shawn turned his back to her, his posture lazy yet commanding.
“You finally came back,” he said without turning around.
Gale swallowed hard and, with a trembling voice, said, “Let my mother go. You can do whatever you want to me.”
Shawn’s gaze sharpened as he turned toward her, his eyes cold. “I didn’t want to touch her. Gale, it’s you who were rude.”
“Sorry… I was wrong…” Gale’s voice shook.
Shawn narrowed his eyes, clearly unimpressed. “Do you think apologizing is enough?”
Gale clenched her fists, the nails biting into her palm. “I promise I won’t run away again.”
How could she? Her parents’ lives were in his hands. Staying close to him was the only chance she had to uncover the truth about Alex Wood’s death.
Shawn motioned for her to come closer. She obeyed, walking slowly toward him. When she was close enough, he lowered his head and whispered in her ear, “Do you want me to break your left or your right leg?”
His words were soft, but the cruelty behind them was unmistakable. Gale’s legs buckled, and she barely managed to stay standing.
“I… I won’t do it again,” she whispered, terrified.
Shawn grabbed her slender waist with a firm grip. “Next time, I’ll break it myself.” He sneered, then released her, sitting back on the sofa, lazily holding a cigarette between his fingers.
Gale, trembling, knelt beside him, picking up the lighter and lighting the cigarette for him. “Mr. Wood…”
He didn’t move, his expression unreadable. The heat from the lighter began to burn her hand, and she dared not let go, afraid of making him angry. Her skin reddened, blistering from the heat, as the acrid scent of burning flesh filled the air.
Then, Shawn leaned in slightly, taking the cigarette from her and lighting it himself. He blew a puff of smoke into her face, making her choke and cough violently. Her face flushed in embarrassment, but Shawn just watched her, his lips curving into a smirk. To him, she was nothing more than a pet to be toyed with.
Before he could fully enjoy her discomfort, Gale did something unexpected. She stood on tiptoe and lightly kissed his lips.
It was an attempt to please him, to show her submission. She knew nothing about romance or seduction, but she thought it might work.
Shawn stared at her, his eyes narrowed. She was so nervous that her lashes trembled. Her lips, soft and delicate, were a tempting contradiction to her anxiousness. But this—this was bad. She was the daughter of his father’s enemy, after all.
“Get out.”
He pushed her away mercilessly, his eyes full of disdain.
Gale, silent and defeated, stood up and left.
As soon as she stepped out of the office, Fiona approached her, her face unreadable.
“Mrs. Gale, Mr. Wood said the cleaning department is short-staffed…”
Gale nodded, her voice low. “I understand, I’ll head there.”
In her mind, working as a cleaner was far better than staying under his roof.
Fiona watched her leave, a sigh escaping her lips. She had expected a different fate for the woman Shawn had married. She had thought that Mr. Wood had found true love, but now, it seemed, his wife’s status was nothing more than a lowly one.
Meanwhile, Shawn sat in his office, watching the monitors. On the screen, Gale was dressed in cleaning clothes, mopping the floor.
For two years, since she had been locked away in the mental hospital, Shawn occasionally checked on her, attempting to soothe the pain of losing his father by watching her. At first, she had seemed helpless and pathetic, but over time, she had adapted. Compared to the madness of others, Gale was calm and composed, like a flower growing in the muck.
In a way, he admired her. If it weren’t for the blood feud between their families, he might have even respected her.
Just as he was about to turn off the monitor, another woman appeared on the screen—Jenny Timothy, his nominal fiancée.