The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 169

After being discharged from the hospital, Nadia immediately posted an update online, reassuring her fans and concerned followers that she was safe and well.

Her news sent ripples across social media, and soon countless voices were urging her to return to the spotlight.

The public buzz, which had just begun to die down, flared up once again.

This time, Nadia responded directly with a livestream. She announced her decision to relaunch her career—not as a celebrity, but by returning to her roots in journalism, focusing on nonprofit interviews and advocacy.

The Shepard family already had partnerships with several charitable foundations, so it didn’t take long for a flood of nonprofit collaborations to come knocking. Overnight, Nadia gained hundreds of thousands of new followers.

Watching her livestream, Holden couldn’t help but smile. As he expected, women with ambition had a particular allure, and Nadia, thankfully, wasn’t completely oblivious to that fact.

Her recent ordeal had been harsh, but it had successfully won Ethan’s sympathy, along with that of the public, earning her a great deal in return.

Holden picked up the phone and called Melinda to share the latest updates.

The man who attacked Ramona was gone, and Ethan had already started looking into the incident. But no matter how hard Ethan dug, there was no way the investigation would lead back to them.

The attacker not only hated Benedict, he’d also been pursuing Melinda for years. All Holden had to do was pass along Melinda’s predicament, and the man did the dirty work willingly—people always go mad for what they can’t have.

Now, all the Shepard family’s partnerships would fall to him and Melinda. Ramona had officially crossed the family.

Covington Group’s pharmaceuticals practically controlled Havencrest City’s economy. Offending the Shepard family might seem inconsequential at first, but Holden knew better—behind them stood a network of powerful foundations. Their influence rivaled that of the highest authorities.

Melinda and Holden had different styles—she preferred to take things by force, while Holden was patient, always scheming, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. But when it came to handling tricky family business, Holden’s methods were far more effective.

After finishing the call with Melinda, Holden opened his laptop and saw an encrypted email from Holt Group, sent just the day before.

Since his investment, several of Holt Group’s dormant projects had come back to life. The company was quick to show its appreciation, offering up its flagship S+ project, eager for Covington Group’s deep involvement—a partnership they clearly hoped would be binding.

Holden smirked as he skimmed the project proposal, then immediately sent out an invitation for a meeting.

He couldn’t help but imagine Ramona’s reaction when she saw her former flame walk into the office; now that would be a sight to see.

...

Jotham had spent the whole day in bed with a fever. It wasn’t until evening that the pounding in his head finally began to ease up.

He sat up, listening to the quiet tick of the clock in his dark, silent bedroom—a loneliness settling over him.

Jotham had always struggled with headaches. In the past, whenever he had an episode, Ramona would stay by his side, caring for him the entire time.

Whenever he woke, she’d always be there—sometimes reading, sometimes handling work, but simply having her nearby brought him peace.

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