Semua Bab The Doting Bigwig: Bab 401 - Bab 410

"Who's being embarrassing?" Matthew's voice came from behind Finley. It sounded sharp with anger. "When did cheating become something to be proud of and defending your marriage become something to be ashamed of? The Bassetts sure have some twisted values.""And you are?" Finley threw him an annoyed look."I'm Willow's friend," Matthew replied calmly."Friend?" Finley snorted. "Sounds more like her lover to me.""What did you just say?" Matthew's expression hardened immediately.Willow, who was too tired to deal with it, tried to pull him away. "Mr. Evans, let's just go. He's not worth it.""Theodore ignores you for a few days, and you're already onto someone else. I always knew you were just a desperate woman!" Finley shouted.Matthew suddenly stopped and turned around with a threatening look. "Say that again.""I'm just being honest. Do you think you can do whatever you want and no one's allowed to say a word about it? Even if Theodore were here, I'd still say the same—"Finl

The night was chilly, and the wind howled through the balcony. Theodore lit a cigarette and took a long drag, deep in thought. The vibration of his phone broke the silence."Hello?""Mr. Theodore, Mr. Finley and Mrs. Bassett had a heated argument because of Ms. Saville. Also, Mr. Evans was indeed reviewing a legal contract with Mrs. Bassett at the restaurant. There have been some rumors recently about you and Ms. Saville…"Theodore paused, then instructed, "Get rid of all the news right now and arrange a press conference with Gale Media for tomorrow morning."His eyes narrowed against the chilly wind, and his voice turned serious. "Announce that Finley is stepping down from the entertainment industry."…The next morning, Willow was startled awake by a call from Joey."Are you still in bed?" Joey's voice was frantic. "Haven't you checked the news?""What news?""I'll send you a link. You need to see this. It's happening live."Willow scrambled for her computer and opened the

"I don't want to go," Willow said."Are you sure?" Terence asked while unlocking his phone. "Just check this out first."Willow narrowed her eyes when she saw the photo.…The yard of the suburban villa was adorned with colorful balloons and streamers. The Bassetts had invited all their friends and family. Looking every bit the perfect host, Iris was wearing a vibrant red dress and bustling around."So Iris, you took Theodore in when he was a kid? That explains why he treats you differently from everyone else.""Exactly. Everyone's been curious about where you came from and why we haven't seen you in Emperia before.""It's just childhood stuff. Theodore's pretty sentimental, so he still holds onto it. Honestly, I barely remember," Iris said."Well, you're definitely in the Bassetts' inner circle now. Didn't Madam Sara give you a pair of gold bangles? There must be some significance to that, right?" The crowd gathered around Iris and showered her with compliments.After a few

"First come, first served. The world doesn't deal in 'what ifs.' Plus, holding on to that old connection from 20 years ago doesn't make you comparable to Willow," Erica said."I never made a big deal out of it," Iris responded."Stop playing dumb. How did everyone else find out if you didn't bring it up?"When Theodore confused Willow for someone else, nobody in the circle knew about that brief connection from 20 years ago. So how did it suddenly become common knowledge in just a few weeks, especially after Iris showed up?Erica's gaze was intense, and it cut through Iris like a spotlight in the darkness. It made her feel uneasy. Iris gritted her teeth and forced herself to say, "But it's still the truth.""It's just a fleeting connection. Even if you did Theodore a big favor, you're still just a guest here. If the hostess is generous, you can stay as long as you want. But if Willow decides she's had enough, she can ask you to leave anytime, and no one would fault her for it."Ov

"I'm sorry I've been upsetting you lately." Theodore's voice—rich and deep—drifted to Willow as he patted her shoulder."I never meant to keep things about Iris from you. I didn't want you to worry too much, so I thought it would be best to wait until after the wedding to explain everything. But I didn't expect—""That I'd find out sooner." Willow raised her head, and her eyes sparkled with life as the fireworks lit up the night sky.Theodore playfully tapped her nose before pulling her into another embrace. He said with a sense of resignation, "I should've known better than to think I could hide anything from my smart wife.""So, don't keep secrets from me. It only causes misunderstandings.""You're right."While the fireworks burst overhead, Theodore spoke with heartfelt sincerity, "Willow, you and our baby mean the world to me."Willow pursed her lips and held him closer.Meanwhile, Terence was setting off fireworks with a group of interns at the foot of the hill."Dr. Roth