The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 293

He was a terrible liar. When Ethan called him in the middle of the night, he’d assumed they were going to the Jordon Estate. He never imagined Ethan would ask to be taken to one of the corporate apartments near the office. They were sparsely furnished, used mostly for rest or for hosting important guests, but they were kept immaculately clean.

On the drive over, Ash had tried to gently probe for information, but Ethan shut him down before he could even start. He just gave Ash a list of things he needed and said he’d be staying there for a few days. He wasn't going home to his family, and he wasn't going back to Ramona. He spent the entire ride with his eyes closed, radiating a dark, suffocating energy.

When Ramona’s text came through, it confirmed Ash’s suspicions. They’d had a fight. A big one. It seemed no couple was immune, not even the sickeningly sweet newlyweds.

After settling Ethan in, Ash was dismissed with a strict warning to keep his mouth shut. Ash knew what that meant: Ramona, above all, couldn't know where he was. And the family couldn't know they were fighting.

So when Ramona texted, he had to play along. He’d thrown in the part about Ethan not feeling well, hoping it would prompt Ramona to reach out. But her persistent questioning made him suspect this was more than just a simple argument.

Oh well. Couples fight and make up. It wasn't like they were going to get a divorce over one fight, right?

Ramona couldn’t sleep the rest of the night. The next day, though she was supposed to be on leave, she ended up going into the office. There were a few project meetings she could sit in on. But by the end of the day, she realized she hadn't absorbed a single thing. When Nova brought her the meeting reports, the data looked completely foreign.

"Ramona, aren't you on vacation? I didn't think you were coming in today," Nova asked, curious.

"I just had a few things to wrap up," Ramona said quietly.

Nova then noticed how exhausted Ramona looked, the dark circles under her eyes, and the thick bandage on her hand. She had kept it hidden under her sleeve during the meeting.

Concerned, Nova asked what had happened.

Ramona just said she’d accidentally cut herself while cooking the night before.

"Mr. Jordon must have been so worried. You don't need to be cooking anyway, Ramona. You should probably just stay out of the kitchen from now on." Nova idolized Ramona. In her eyes, Ramona's hands were too beautiful to be wasted on making meals for any man, even Mr. Jordon.

"Okay," Ramona managed a faint, forced smile.

"Why don't you go home and rest? I'll summarize the key points from today's meetings and send them to you."

"Thank you, Nova. I'll head out in a little while." She wanted to be on vacation, but with Ethan gone, the person she was supposed to be spending time with was missing. Being home alone felt like a special kind of torture. The office was just a distraction.

...

Meanwhile, Ethan was also finding it impossible to work. The doctor came for a routine check-up and found his heart rate was slightly irregular.

Ash stood by anxiously. "Doctor, he's been feeling fine these past few days. Is it anything serious?"

"Is he taking his medication on schedule?"

"Yes, every day. His wife calls me to make sure," Ash said, deliberately mentioning Ramona.

Ethan's expression didn't change.

"That's strange. Yesterday's bloodwork was all normal. Are you sure you're not feeling any discomfort?" the doctor asked, studying Ethan's face. He looked like he hadn't slept. A speedy recovery depended on rest and a positive state of mind.

"I am," Ethan said, his hand unconsciously drifting to his phone. "My chest feels tight. I'm short of breath. And there's a dull ache."