The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 164

“Are you really not feeling well? You don’t have to push yourself. If you want, you can head home first.”

“I’m fine, Ramona. There’s something I’d like to talk to you about later.”

Nova’s fingers clenched tightly against her thigh as she looked over at Ramona.

Ramona gave a small nod. “Alright.”

She had expected something to go wrong at the dinner, so she’d stayed on guard all night. But, to her surprise, the Shepard family members were all easy to talk to. Despite it being a dinner party, barely anyone drank; most of the time was spent expressing gratitude and discussing business.

Nadia, the project manager who was accompanying them, even took the initiative to break the ice, raising her glass to Ramona with a few polite words.

Given Nadia’s previous emotional outbursts, Ramona instinctively kept her guard up, but until the very end of the meal, Nadia never stepped out of line.

After all, the Shepard family was well-educated, and Nadia’s upbringing couldn’t have been that poor. Maybe she’d lost her head for a while over her feelings, but now that Ethan was married, surely Nadia would let things go.

Maybe, Ramona thought, she’d just been too wary.

When the dinner ended, she asked Nova to call for the driver. As they reached the restaurant’s entrance, Nadia called out.

“Ms. Jarrett, could I have a word with you in private?” Nadia kept her head down, her voice soft.

Ramona glanced at Nova. “Go ahead and wait for the driver. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Nova nodded, shot a quick look between Ramona and Nadia, then turned to leave.

“Ms. Jarrett, you really are something. Not only do you have a happy marriage, but even your staff care about you so much.”

Nadia’s words carried a strange undertone, but Ramona didn’t rise to the bait. She simply asked politely, “Is there something you’d like to talk about, Ms. Shepard?”

“I know my behavior before was out of line, and I disturbed you and Ethan. I just wanted to sincerely apologize, Ms. Jarrett. What’s done is done. I hope we can work well together in the future, maybe even become friends.”

Nadia’s expression was calm, her eyes tinged with a quiet sadness that didn’t seem malicious at all. She finished speaking and extended her hand to Ramona.

“There’s no need to apologize. As long as you’re alright with it, so am I. A partnership is between our two companies; we’ll both take it seriously.”

Ramona shook Nadia’s hand briefly, neither cold nor overly warm.

Nadia took the hint and didn’t say more, instead watching as Ramona walked away.

But Ramona had barely gone a few steps when, out of the darkness, a figure lunged. Steel flashed in the night—aimed straight at her.

“Look out!”

Nadia shouted, darting forward to grab Ramona and pull her aside.

The rest of the Shepard family had already gone. The bodyguards had called the police as soon as they caught the attacker and were waiting for them to arrive.

Holden glanced at the man, now pinned to the ground, and asked the bodyguards a question offhand before lighting a cigarette.

He watched the ashen-faced attacker, then walked over and stuck the last bit of his smoke between the man’s lips.

“Assault with a deadly weapon, and on a member of the Shepard family, no less. When you get out, try living a better life.”

With that, Holden turned and got into his car.

...

At the hospital, outside the operating room.

Nova stayed with Ramona in the hallway, noticing how quiet she’d become. Whatever Nova had wanted to say, she swallowed it down.

“Ms. Shepard will be alright, Ramona. You don’t have to worry too much.”

Nova tried to comfort her, not knowing that Ramona’s thoughts weren’t on Nadia, but on the man who’d attacked her out of nowhere.

He looked so familiar. It took her the whole drive to remember where she’d seen him before.