CEO's Aloof Wife: Where Your Love Lies

It was a cold October in Li City.

The night was highlighted by a heavy downpour of rain accompanied by roaring lightning and boisterous thunder strikes. A bad weather like this seemed indicate that something bad could happen to this ancient house.

Andrew Duan forced his way under the heavy rain. Someone held a black umbrella behind him, but most of his body still got wet.

When he arrived at the gate, another bolt of thunder struck. Andrew stopped and looked up at the dark and somber sky. The rain and mist covered the sky, making the lights around him seem dim.

After a short while, he took his eyes off of the sky and proceeded to enter the main room. The room was already full of people. When Andrew Duan came in, the people inside stopped talking and looked at him with various expressions on their faces.

Andrew Duan simply ignored the people staring at him and took the dry towel from a servant's hands.

His hair was dark, yet his eyes were as bright as amber gems. A few strands of his wet hair were still sticking to his forehead. The people around noticed that his lips looked pale, making them feel worried and distressed.

With the towel, Andrew Duan casually wiped his face and then walked towards the old lady in the middle of the crowd. One meter away from the old lady, he stopped on his tracks. He didn't want to let his clothes drip water around her. "Grandma, why were you so anxious to call me back," he said with such a modest tone in his voice.

As soon as he returned home, he received the phone that called him back to the mansion.

Mrs. Duan was more than sixty years old already, but she was in good condition since she took good care of herself. Shrewdness still flashed in her muddy eyes. "Andrew, your fourth uncle had already gone," she said.

Glen Duan, Andrew's fourth uncle, was the president of the TY International Group. Knowing that he had a congenital heart disease, he always paid attention to his health and followed all of the doctor's orders. Why did he pass away all of a sudden?

Andrew Duan was in a deep shock, but he maintained his cool and said, "Grandma, Uncle Glen had always taken good care of himself. What happened?"

Mrs. Duan let out a deep sigh. "The doctor said that his body was too tired. Your uncle had overseen and supported all the family's industries. The doctor wanted him to lay back for a while in order to allow himself to rest. But he was too worried about the company to simply walk away from it."

Mrs. Duan could no longer hold her tears back. Tina Duan, Andrew's aunt, comforted her and pat her back. Once she composed herself, Mrs. Duan continued, "I want to keep this to ourselves for the meantime. If the news breaks out, this will surely affect the company's shares."

Andrew nodded.

Mrs. Duan said with a heavy tone in her voice, "Andrew, you have been abroad all these years. I'm afraid that you wouldn't be able to convince the shareholders and the senior executives, especially since you just started being involved with the company, so..."

Andrew had a bad feeling about what Mrs. Duan was going to say. He had a slight frown on his face as he saw the helplessness in his grandmother's eyes.

Looking around in confusion, Andrew only saw the others turn around to avoid his gaze.

"Andrew, I have something to discuss with you," Mrs. Duan continued. There was a sudden change in her tone. It was much softer than before.

"Yes, Grandma. I'm listening," Andrew firmly said. There was no change in his eyes, yet a hint of cold light flashed.

"Your Dad had an affair in his early years. His lover then left a child for him. I want to take this opportunity to let this child be a part of our family," Mrs. Duan said. Her eyes looked solemn and in awe. That child was so excellent and she liked him very much. Although she could keep Glen's death from the public for a while, she had no way to conceal the fact forever. The most important thing she needed to do now was find someone reliable to take control of the company before the news broke out.

"I know you feel sad about this, but the Duan family has no one to rely on now. Other shareholders have long been coveting the TY International Group. If they knew that your uncle passed away, they would definitely try everything to get the company." Mrs. Duan wiped her tears and said in a trembling voice, "George has no interest in business since he was a child. It's impossible for him to help you with the company. You just entered the company. You need someone to help you. Your brother is the best option. After all, he is your family."

"And so?" It was the first time in Andrew's life to feel coldness piercing through his heart. The wet clothes on his body, and its layers of coldness, penetrated into his skin and assimilated into his flesh and blood. The color of his lips faded, and his face became pale and feeble.

"Andrew, I'm very sorry, but it's all for the Duan family," Mrs. Duan said in an embarrassed tone. She didn't intend to hurt her grandson at all. She just needed to make a business decision for the family. "After all, this is also your father's child. We cannot simply ignore that fact. Also, it's your father's wish to have that man get recognized and be allowed to defend this family's honor," she added.

Andrew looked at his grandmother with a complicated look in his eyes. He was feeling cold inside the living room, even with the heater on. Everyone became anxious when they saw Andrew speechless. All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the living room became strange.

Some people were worried that Andrew would become angry, while some worried that he couldn't bear the news he had just received.

However, Andrew just chuckled, a hint of sarcasm flashing in his amber eyes. Tears was gradually forming but he tried hard to hold them back. "Grandma, you've already made your decision."

She was not discussing with him, but just informing him the message.

Feeling helpless, Mrs. Duan said, "Andrew, I know you're not feeling well, but I'm doing this for the sake of our family. You're a reasonable man. Just give your brother a chance!"

"What if I don't agree, Grandma? Will you listen to me and not let him come back?" The Duan family belonged to him, and no one could easily take it away from him. This was his home. How could he let an illegitimate child live in it?! He would never allow it!

"Andrew..." Mrs. Duan let out a deep sigh.

"Grandma, you're still going to let him in, aren't you?" Andrew asked. His meek tone changed, and was a bit disrespectful. But he was fighting for something really important to him. He could not compromise this time.

Seeing that his grandmother's face got darkened, Andrew held his hand up and wiped his face. His amber eyes were now bloodshot, filled with fierce anger. "Grandma, no matter what decision you make, there can only be one in this family. Him or me?"

Once he was done talking, he turned away without even saying goodbye.

When Andrew was finally gone, Tina, who was sitting next to Mrs. Duan, said, "Mom, Andrew has left. What about the inheritance?"

Having mixed feelings, Mrs. Duan glared at her daughter. "You only think about the legacy your brother left. Do you ever think about the company's affairs?!" she demanded. Her once soft tone had already disappeared, and her face wore a hard look as a strong business woman.

Tina didn't say anything anymore out of embarrassment. Before Glen died, he told the lawyer that Andrew must be the one to announce his heritage distribution.

In other words, if Andrew didn't see the will, then no one would know who would inherit Glen's heritage.

Right now, none of them would know that Glen had already given his large legacy to a complete stranger!

Stacie Tong's long eyelashes fluttered like butterflies that were flying from flower to flower.

When she finally opened her black and jaded eyes, it emanated like the spring, clear and free from any impurities. As dark as ink and as clear as water, her eyes looked extraordinarily beautiful.

She glances at her surroundings, and when she saw the situation around her, she was in total shock. 'Where am I?' she thought.

Someone from the monitoring room noticed that Stacie Tong was already awake. He immediately reported it to his master, "Mr. Duan, she's already awake."

'Awake already?' Andrew thought. It was earlier than what he had expected. It seemed that this girl was tough.

The man in a black suit didn't raise his hand. The bright light shone on his body, making it seem that he was coated with a faint shadow. His features were covered in the shadow. It was really hard to see him clearly, but his lips looked really cold and ruthless.

He simply sat there as he showed off his intimidating stature and dominating aura.

There seemed to be a faint cold light in his amber eyes. Like the snow pouring down as the sun was setting, his presence extinguished all the warmth.

"Do everything according to the plan," Andrew ordered.

Keane Shuo, the nominal boss of the HY Club, repeatedly nodded. He didn't know how this girl offended Andrew, but he knew what he needed to do. He wouldn't say anything if Andrew didn't ask him.

Sitting next to Andrew was Louis Bai, son of the Bai family. He was the head of the HY Club. Everybody called him Mr. Bai. He had a pair of very delicate eyes, even more charming than most women. "Andrew, what did this girl do to you?" he asked, smiling.

Andrew's look had no change. He glanced at him and said, "Why can't you keep quiet? Just enjoy the good wine."

Louis Bai then lifted hid glass and drank the delicious wine. With a playful smile, he said, "I won't ask any more questions. Enjoy yourself, Mr. Andrew."

Louis Bai was quite familiar with Andrew. After all, they grew up together. He knew what kind of person this man was. Even though Andrew looked like a gentleman, he was a scheming man. As the eldest son of the Duan family, he held such a noble status. He became the CEO of the TY International Group at his young age. There was no doubt that he had a bright future.

The Duan family was one of the most powerful families that lived in Li City.

But continuous accidents happened to the Duan family in the past few years. As an outsider, Louis Bai even felt that the Duan family was cursed.

Andrew's fourth uncle suddenly passed away a few days ago.

He must be really unhappy as he grieved.

Andrew didn't say anything more and turned to the screen, looking at the woman. He couldn't figure out why his uncle did that before he died, but unfortunately, he wouldn't let her get what she wanted.

The HY Club, on the other hand, was always competitive in terms of its high-end stature and its nobility. The bright and luxurious crystal chandelier cast ambiguous light. A unique wooden signboard was hidden in every corner. The name "HY Club" was well-known around the city.

Stacie Tong had heard from Amy Song that the HY Club was an entertainment place for the upper class. It had everything--it could be paradise and hell at the same time.

Remembering this, Stacie Tong could heard the doctor's voice in her mind again. "Ms. Tong, if you can't collect the operation fee within three days, we will arrange the operation rank for other patients."

Even though she tried for three consecutive days, it all fell into vain. In the end, she had no choice but to turn to her aunt for help. But, she suddenly fell asleep for some reason.

What was going on?

At the corner of the street outside the HY Club, a woman in her forties nervously rubbed her hands, extremely uneasy. It was Jean Lin, Stacie Tong's aunt.

"Are you already regretting it?" the man next to her said as he saw the expression on her face.

"Ben, I've given my niece to you. I don't owe you anything anymore," Jean Lin said. In order to pay off her gambling debts, she had no other choice. Although she was unwilling to sell her own niece, she couldn't think of anything else to do.

"Don't worry! You have my word," the man said. He flashed a meaningful smile.

Stacie was feeling really scared. She never experienced anything like this before. She wanted to escape, but she was too weak.

All of a sudden, the door opened and a man came inside. It was Sam, a young man in his twenties.

Stacie lay there, motionless and full of fear in her eyes, but it didn't win the man's sympathy. Instead, it triggered his desire to have this girl.

Sam squatted down and reached his hand out to touch Stacie's little face. "Little beauty," he teased.

After a while, Stacie, with all her might, slapped the man's hand away.

"Get away!" she shouted.

"You have a bad temper!" Sam laughed.

Stacie bit herself, and she tasted blood. "Don't touch me! Get away!" she shouted even louder.

"Oh yeah?" Sam sneered. Holding her hand, he asked, "What if I do? What can you do to me?"

Stacie became so angry that her face turned red. "Fuck off! Stay away from me!"

But Sam didn't let go of her hand. He even held it tighter. The charming smile on his face grew wider and wider. "I like how wild you are."

All of a sudden, Stacie bit the man's arm.

She had no idea how she got here, and why she had to suffer a humiliation like this. But she didn't care about the answers now.

Having no hope to collect the operation fee, she was backed into a corner. Right now, she wanted nothing but give vent to her anger and desperation.

Her bite was so tight that blood came down from the man's arm and her mouth.

Sam clenched his teeth in pain. "Let go of me, bitch!" he shouted.

Stacie didn't follow what he asked. Instead, she even bit harder. It looked like she was going to tear off his skin.

Sam slapped Stacie in the face so hard the she saw stars. However, she still bit him tightly. He then slapped her again, but she didn't loosen her grip. She wanted to die with everyone!

It wasn't until his bodyguards came up and pulled her away when Sam's arm was freed.

His eyes were full of anger. "How dare you bite me?"

Sam gestured towards two bodyguards. They got the hint and approached Stacie. A sneer threaded its way into Sam's lips. She should be grateful that he wanted her, but she didn't.

Meanwhile, Louis had been lazily leaning against the sofa and sipping his wine. But what happened between Sam and Stacie intrigued him. He put the glass in front of him, and his beautiful eyes lingered on the scene. "Don't you feel sorry for this girl, Andrew?"

Over the past few years, Louis hadn't seen any woman being around Andrew. He thought that Andrew still couldn't let go of the past. But all of a sudden, he brought this woman to the HY Club.

Louis was truly intrigued!

Even though he wasn't familiar with Sam, he had heard of his name before. Louis worried that Sam might go too far with the girl.

"It's none of your business," Andrew answered. His eyes were deep and showed no emotions.

'What a cruel man!' Louis complained in mind. With a pitiful look, he asked, "Come on! I'm just curious."

Focusing on the video, Andrew ignored Louis. The two men lifted Stacie up. She struggled, but it was useless.

At that moment, he seemed to see despair and sadness in Stacie's eyes.

She was a little thin, but her delicate skin was as white as snow.

She was so pure and holy, like an angel that fell from heaven. Her eyes were very red, even though she didn't cry. It was like she had already suffered from something more than this.

"You bitch!" Sam exclaimed with a sneer, holding up her chin.

"Bah!" Stacie spat at him.

Embarrassed, Sam became angrier at her. He raised his hand and was about to slap her again, but he thought that for some women like her, destroying her self-esteem was more hurtful. "Have a check. I want to see if she is still a virgin."

Within seconds, Stacie's face turned dead white. "How dare you!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Wow! So wild! I don't think I can watch this anymore." Louise covered his face as if he couldn't bear to see what was happening. Through his fingers, he observed Andrew's reaction.

While in the private room, Andrew couldn't help but stand up and walk out.

Stacie had never been humiliated like this. At that moment, all she could think about was how much she wanted to die. The room was very warm, but everything felt really cold for her.

It was really cold, similar to the feeling when her father was taken away. Helpless, she felt the coldness creep inside her.

Just when everyone thought that Stacie would no longer resist, she pulled out the dagger from Sam's waist. She quickly pounced on Sam and held the dagger against his neck.

"Let me go!" The words felt really cold to hear.

Sam hadn't expected that Stacie could fight back like this, especially with everything that had just happened. He glared at the two bodyguards. "That knife is really sharp. Better be careful," he mocked. It was like as if he didn't take Stacie seriously.

"Let me go right now, or I'll kill you!" Stacie threatened. This might be the boldest move Stacie had ever done in her life. She slightly pushed the knife through Sam's neck, leaving a small cut.

"I'll give you one more chance. Put the dagger down and I'll keep your corpse intact!" Sam threatened back. He remained calm and aloof.

"I want to get out of here! Now! Or else!" Stacie didn't take Sam's threat seriously since she was the one with the dagger in her hand. But deep down, she was really afraid. But remembering her father's advice, she knew she couldn't let her fears control her.

She didn't want to die yet.

Sam had a slight frown on his face. But before he could say anything, he heard a cold voice from afar, "Let her go. I'll take you away safely."