Wife by Day, Boss by Night by Thalia Quillspeak

Chapter 123
She remained still. Brian, who held her from behind, was true to his word. He held her close, and his breathing eventually
evened out.
Natalie tried to glance back at him, but he didn’t stir.
Brian had fallen asleep. Even in his sleep, his brow was furrowed, a testament to some silent struggle.
But sleep eluded Natalie. She fixated on the lines of his face, studying them for what felt like an
eternity.
Brian was, without a doubt, the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. No adjective seemed worthy of him. It would be
an insult to try and capture his allure in mere words.
He had inherited all the best features from his parents‘ good looks. Unfortunately, all their worst character flaws as well. His
temper was quick, his mood dark, his demeanor cold, and his pride insurmountable.
Yet, Natalie had fallen for him. He had tormented her to the point of exhaustion, both physically and emotionally.
The next morning at the Wright family.
Samuel watched Gracia absentmindedly stirring her oatmeal at the breakfast table. He couldn’t help but slam his cutlery down
with a clang, his voice heavy with reproach. “If you don’t have classes on Friday, why not visit the company? Or maybe arrange
to have lunch with some of your classmates?”

“If going to the company was of any use, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” Lydia, sitting nearby. immediately jumped to defend
Gracia.
BrightWright Entertainment was currently in the eye of a storm, and Brian showed no interest in lending a hand.
Furthermore, after they had pocketed the ten million dollars Brian had set aside for Natalie’s studies abroad, he had warned
them not to plead on his behalf in front of Davis.
“What’s the point in taking your anger out on your daughter?!” Lydia shot back, clearly annoyed. She was still seething from the
memory of Samuel groveling and apologizing to Natalie, a sight that had made Lydia’s blood boil.
“If you’re so capable, why don’t you fix that fiscal hole yourself?!” Samuel pointed a finger at Lydia, raising his voice angrily. “Was
I wrong to suggest Gracia should reach out to her classmates for lunch? At least they might come up with some strategies!”
“Enough!” Gracia suddenly threw her spoon down, “I can’t ask them for help. How humiliating would that be?”
Back in school, Gracia had been one of the most privileged students, always looking down on
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Chapter 123
others and the one others came to for favors.
Now Samuel was asking her to grovel and beg for help. To her, this was an insult far worse than a slap to the face.
She feared that her so–called friends, while offering help, would mock her with bottom–tier

connections.
“Can’t they help you after all the times you’ve helped them?” Samuel questioned Gracia, furrowing his brow with frustration.
“I’ve been working my connections tirelessly and just started to get the tax evasion scanda under control. What have you two
been doing? One of you is always off playing bridge, and the other lies in bed all day scrolling through her phone!”
“What do you expect me and Gracia to do? My bridge games are a way to network with those high–society ladies.” Lydia argued
defensively. “Don’t I contribute to your connections?”
“How much did you lose yesterday?” Samuel’s face turned ashen as he paused before asking.
“Not much, just around a hundred thousand or so,” Lydia replied, suddenly sheepish. She adjusted her hair, using her hand to
shield herself from Samuel’s piercing gaze.
Samuel felt his breath catch in his throat.
He glared at Lydia, at a loss for words. It was his indulgence that had fostered her extravagant spending habits.
That was when his gaze landed on the emerald bracelet peeking out from under Lydia’s sleeve. After a few seconds of silence,
he suddenly turned to Gracia. “All those gifts you’ve received over the years from Brian and the Howard family must add up to at
least twenty pieces, right?”
“Dad, what are you implying?” Gracia’s voice was tinged with surprise and disbelief.