The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 193

Nova felt her eyes grow hot as she heard those words, still shaken by the confrontation. Instinctively, she glanced toward Ramona for reassurance.

Holden caught the look on her face, and his anger only deepened.

So this was the woman who’d dared to challenge him? Now she was playing the innocent, on the verge of tears?

What a performance!

“Nova, if you think you’ve got what it takes, then go ahead, take it to court. And you’d better start taking your work seriously. Ramona might be able to shield you for now, but she can’t protect you forever.”

His threat was chillingly direct, each word laced with enough coldness to make Nova feel as if her bones might snap from the pressure.

Nova’s heart skipped a beat, but before she could react, Ramona’s anger flared. “Holden, have you forgotten what I told you in the conference room?”

“Ramona, are you ever going to let this go?”

Holden knew now wasn’t the time to push his luck. Ramona held enough dirt on his dealings with Melinda to make his life hell if she wanted to. If she really pressed the issue, he’d be left with scars.

But in all his years, no one had ever humiliated him like this. Especially not Nova, who’d dared to bite back.

“Apologize.” Ramona’s voice cut through the room, commanding and ice-cold. The air seemed to vibrate with the force of her presence.

HR had been about to step in, hoping to smooth things over, but seeing Ramona and Holden at a standoff, she wisely kept her mouth shut.

The silence stretched. Nova, unable to bear the tension, reached out and tugged gently at Ramona’s sleeve, as if to say, Maybe...let’s just leave it.

“Fine. I’m sorry.” Holden’s laugh was strained, his eyes narrowing as he threw the words toward Nova in a low, rough voice.

But the apology landed heavy and hollow. Nova didn’t feel any relief, just a deeper discomfort.

“If you’re going to apologize, at least be sincere. Know who you’re apologizing to and make sure it actually means something,” Ramona said coolly. She took Nova’s hand. “Let’s go. Seems Mr. Covington has no intention of apologizing properly.”

“Nova.” Holden closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing his pride. He bit his lip, his tone softening. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have—”

He glanced quickly at Ramona, then fixed his gaze on Nova. “—I shouldn’t have harassed you. I shouldn’t have pressured you at work. I’m offering you a sincere apology. I hope you’ll forgive me; it won’t happen again.”

Nova followed Ramona out of the room, silent. Holden’s tone had softened, but the look in his eyes as he watched her leave was even more unsettling.

Ramona squeezed Nova’s hand, pausing only briefly, never once looking back at Holden. She addressed HR with crisp authority. “You heard him. Mr. Covington has apologized. Process everything according to company policy. Follow the rules to the letter.”

HR shot to her feet, nodding quickly. “Of course, Ms. Jarrett.”

That night, Ramona wrapped up work at Covington Group early so she could take Ethan to the airport.

Ethan was heading out of town for a week. His private jet was waiting, and he’d told Ramona not to go to the trouble of dropping him off, but she insisted. After all, it would be a whole week before she’d see him again. She wanted to savor their time together.

But in truth, Ethan’s mood sank the moment she arrived. Her presence made leaving even harder.

They grabbed a simple dinner together at a quiet bistro. As the clock ticked closer to his departure, Ramona checked the time and gently reminded him it was almost time to leave.

Ethan looked at her for a long moment, then took her hand, turning it palm up to study the sparkling diamond on her finger. “Is it really time for me to go?”

She nodded. “Yeah. If you don’t head out now, you’ll get stuck in traffic.”

Ramona’s mind was busy running through Ethan’s travel arrangements, not noticing the somber look in his eyes. She double-checked the medicine and small comforts she’d packed for him—even though Ash always handled these details, it felt different to do it herself.

Last time Ethan traveled, he’d come back exhausted and sick. Ramona had learned how prone he was to losing his voice, so she’d packed a whole stash of throat remedies, along with some wellness teas and supplements.

“How did things go with Covington Group?” Ethan asked, interrupting her thoughts as he watched her fuss over him.

“With you backing me up? Piece of cake.” Ramona lifted her chin, the city’s neon lights reflecting across her cheek. “You should’ve seen Holden’s face today. I doubt he’ll try anything reckless again for a while.”