Wife by Day, Boss by Night

Madelyn was at the end of her rope, the stress gnawing at her resolve. She mustered up her courage and whispered to Natalie, “Could you ask him to call me back after his meeting, please?”

Natalie’s response was a non–committal smile.

Madelyn sat on the hospital bed, shivering, her neatly manicured nails digging into her palms. After a pause, she added softly, “I know I messed up last time, but put yourself in my shoes. If you were Nate’s mom, could you sit back and let another woman steal your husband?”

At the mention of “husband,” Natalie couldn’t help but furrow her brow.

“Got it,” she said before promptly hanging up the phone.

Flinging her phone away, Natalie felt a surge of revulsion inside, as if she had gulped down something rotten, leaving her on edge.

She got up and headed downstairs to grab a jar of herbal salve, which she slowly dissolved in hot water. The bitter aroma of the herbs filled the kitchen.

As she stirred absentmindedly, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her waist from

behind. Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

Brian embraced her from the back, resting his chin on her shoulder, and asked softly, “Is it too bitter for you?”

“Why don’t you try some?” Natalie retorted.

Brian chuckled. “If drinking it could make it work for you, I’d drink the whole thing without a second thought.”

“Men’s words, always so sweet and deceiving,” Natalie teased, a playful smirk on her lips.

“Well, how about I feed it to you?” Brian’s warm fingers gently brushed through her soft

hair.

Recalling how he usually fed her, Natalie shook her head in refusal.

Brian’s laughter was soft, and he kissed the tip of her eyebrow, whispering, “My little mute, I’d bear any bitterness with you willingly.”

“I’d rather not,” Natalie replied, holding her cup and swiftly turning away to break free from his embrace.

Watching her gulp down half the cup in the living room, not even flinching at the heat, Brian couldn’t help but smile.

Lundy was feeling under the weather, so Miller had given the cast a day off. Since Brian

09:16

was back, he had brought her to Majestic Meadows Manor.

She glanced at the script she brought back, and as Brian peeled a small packet of candied fruit for her, he asked, “Is my phone upstairs?”

Suddenly reminded of Madelyn’s earlier call, Natalie felt a pang of unease and remained silent.

Brian sat beside her and popped a piece of candied fruit into her mouth after she finished the herbal drink, asking, “What’s wrong?”

Locking eyes with him, Natalie deliberated before saying, “Do you know about Madelyn’s trouble?”

As Global Entertainment Group’s top talent, Brian was undoubtedly aware of Madelyn’s predicament. But he was in no mood to deal with it.

Over the years, he had bankrolled Madelyn’s rise to the top. Everything she had was thanks to him.

He did it because he believed Robert would have spoiled Madelyn even more if he were around. Brian was filling in for Robert.

Robert once said he would give everything he had to make Madelyn happy, and Brian took that to heart. But Madelyn had crossed a line.

Before, no matter what Madelyn did, Brian turned a blind eye. But involving Natalie was crossing into forbidden territory.

“She called earlier. It seemed she needed your help,” Natalie said, her words slightly muffled by the candied fruit in her mouth.

Brian gazed at her lips, glistening as if glazed with honey, leaned in, and tasted them, a mix of sweet and bitter.

“Let’s just pretend we didn’t hear it,” he replied indifferently.

Natalie was on a month–long treatment regimen, twenty–eight days during which he couldn’t touch her. Brian wondered how he would cope, suspecting he might explode with

the strain.

Natalie pushed him away as he tried to lean in closer again, and then she asked in a low voice, “Is Nate your son?”