The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 269

At the mention of the summit, Eulalia’s rage subsided slightly.

Harassing Ramona would only provide a momentary release of anger, but if the Holt family could rise again, that would be the ultimate revenge. That bitch would finally see what a nobody she truly was. Did she really think she could hold onto what she stole from the Holts and live happily ever after?

While Ramona was unreachable, Brianna was not. As soon as she got home, Eulalia started calling her.

When the first call went unanswered, she called again, and again. After a relentless barrage, Brianna finally picked up.

“Eulalia, this had better be important.” Brianna’s voice was crisp and tinged with annoyance.

Eulalia sneered. “Oh, it’s important. But even if it wasn’t, you’re still a Holt daughter-in-law. When I call, you answer. And I suggest you watch your tone with me.”

Eulalia could hear the murmur of other voices in the background, but she didn't care. The more annoyed Brianna sounded, the better she felt.

Brianna fought the urge to hang up. “What do you want? Spit it out.”

She had been working around the clock for days and was in the middle of a meeting. She had expected Jotham to be desperately trying to contact her, but after one phone call and a few texts urging her to agree to a divorce, he had gone silent. Jennifer had even told her last night that Jotham wasn't even answering her calls anymore. He was truly determined to end their marriage.

“My brother got into a fight at a bar last night. He’s hurt and has no one to look after him. Where are you? Get back here and take care of your husband!” Eulalia’s tone was imperious and demanding. She didn’t know they were on the verge of divorce, but she remembered hearing that Brianna had been the one to seduce Jotham in the first place. An older woman, a full six years his senior, shamelessly marrying him and having his child against his family’s wishes… how utterly shameless could she be?

In Eulalia’s eyes, Brianna and Ramona were equally to blame for the Holts’ downfall.

“Jotham was in a fight? What happened?” Despite herself, Brianna’s stomach clenched.

“You’re his wife, why are you asking me? I was the one who had to pick him up from the hospital! Where the hell have you been?” Eulalia’s voice rose with indignation.

When she returned to her private office, she found Brantley Lawson, the company’s vice chairman, waiting for her. He was in his thirties, tall and well-built, with a sun-kissed complexion that radiated masculine vitality. His appearance, however, belied a gentle and refined demeanor. Despite his high-ranking position, he was completely without pretense.

Brianna already had a very favorable impression of him. Not only had he recognized her talent and championed her position within the company, but they had also, by sheer coincidence, met once before.

Six months ago, at an art exhibition in Havencrest City, they had both been drawn to the same painting. The piece depicted children in an orphanage, using a wild and imaginative palette to express their deep-seated loneliness in a unique way.

Brianna had been captivated by the colors, but Brantley’s interest was more personal. She could still remember his words. He explained that he was drawn to the painting because he had a sister he’d never met. His mother had given her up to an orphanage years ago, and he was in Havencrest City to fulfill his mother’s dying wish: to find her. But after so many years, searching for someone with no information in a city so large was like finding a needle in a haystack. He had come up empty-handed several times. Seeing the orphanage-themed painting at his friend’s exhibition had struck a chord, and he wanted to buy it as a memento.

His story had moved Brianna, and she had graciously let him have the painting. She never imagined that the man from the gallery was Brantley Lawson, the Vice Chairman of Kyro City’s largest energy company, Gallop Inc., and one of Kyro City’s most prominent scions.

Brantley’s family background was impeccable. The Lawsons were a family of diplomats, with three generations serving in foreign affairs. Although his father had transitioned into business, it was at the behest of the state, pioneering breakthroughs in new energy and technology. As a result, Gallop Inc. had become a family-run corporation with government backing, making its standing in Kyro City, and indeed, the entire country, unquestionable. After retiring from the research institute, Brianna’s own parents had also gone to work for Gallop Inc.