Inside the grand banquet hall of the Serenity Hotel, a wave of applause crashed through the room as the host's voice boomed, welcoming Carl's arrival.
To the sound of thunderous clapping, Carl strode in confidently, his secretary Paulina walking gracefully at his side.
The event, held in Giphis's most luxurious hotel and personally hosted by the Hughes Group, had drawn nearly half the city's elite—movers and shakers, along with every major partner the company had.
All of them gathered for one reason. To witness the announcement of the Hughes Group's next CEO.
"Wow, Mr. Hughes is absolutely gorgeous!"
"Not just good-looking—he is the whole package. Successful, devoted, and completely loyal to his wife, who has been bedridden for three years. He never so much as glanced at another woman. And get this—she was an orphan to begin with."
"My goodness, that woman hit the jackpot."
"Of course she did. Three years ago, even Raphael Nelson—the country's top medical expert—said there was no chance she would recover. Yet Mr. Hughes never lost hope. Honestly, without his stubborn refusal to give up, she wouldn't have lasted this long."
The hall buzzed with admiring whispers and sighs.
Carl soaked it all in, his chest swelling with pride almost without him noticing.
At that moment, Oliver Hall, the board's representative, stepped forward and addressed the crowd. "As everyone knows, our former CEO, Ms. Marsh, has been unable to fulfill her duties for three years due to her serious illness. The board has therefore decided to appoint a new leader to take over her responsibilities. And that new CEO is…"
Right as the suspense peaked, a sharp ringtone sliced through the silence, cutting him off.
Carl pulled out his phone. Seeing the hospital's name on the screen, he froze for a split second before answering.
A nurse's excited voice spilled through almost instantly. "Mr. Hughes, it's the hospital. Your wife has just woken up. When can you come see her?"
"What?" Carl's grip trembled so hard he nearly dropped the phone.
Ashlyn had woken up? That wasn't supposed to happen.
But not wanting to cause a scene, Carl quickly ended the call and flashed a tight smile at Oliver. "Just a trivial matter. Please, go on."
In his mind, he figured that as long as he locked down the shares first, it would already be too late—even if Ashlyn had miraculously opened her eyes.
Oliver nodded politely and carried on. "On behalf of the board, I am proud to formally appoint Mr. Carl Hughes as the new CEO of the Hughes Group."
The room erupted in enthusiastic applause once more.
"Mr. Hall, where do we sign the equity transfer agreement?" Carl asked quickly, his pulse racing now that he knew Ashlyn was awake.
Oliver shook his head. "Mr. Hughes, the contract won't be signed tonight."
"Not tonight? Then when?" Carl's face tightened, a flicker of unease creeping in.
"The official signing will happen at the press conference three days from now, where we'll announce it publicly. Tonight was simply the preliminary announcement." Oliver's calm explanation echoed in Carl's ears like a taunt.
Even after the banquet ended and he slid into the driver's seat of his sleek luxury car, Carl was still reeling, as if from a physical blow.
"Damn it."
He pounded the steering wheel with his fist, frustration boiling over.
"Carl, what's going on?" Paulina asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"The shares aren't mine yet—and Ashlyn woke up first," he muttered darkly, turning the key in the ignition. "We're heading to the hospital. We have to keep her quiet for now."
...
In the softly lit hospital room, Carl leaned in close, his voice a careful murmur. "Ashie, you've only just come around. The doctor says you need plenty of rest. Have a little something to eat first—you must be famished. Don't worry about the company at all. I'll take care of everything. You just focus on getting better in here."
Lying back against the pillows, Ashlyn watched Carl and Paulina fuss around her bedside in silence.
If she hadn't stayed conscious the whole time, she never would have believed that mere hours earlier, these same two people had been whispering betrayal right beside this very bed.
"Oh, yes, Ashie," Carl added smoothly, "I checked with the doctor a little while ago. He said you're still extremely fragile and shouldn't be around radiation from screens—it could slow your recovery."
He strolled over, clicked off the television, gave Ashlyn's nose a playful tap, and scooped up her phone with an affectionate smile. "No phone for now, either. It's not good for you. Just be a good girl and hang in there a few more days."
Until he had put his signature on that equity transfer and officially become CEO, Ashlyn could not—under any circumstances—be allowed to reach the outside world.
And the company absolutely could not learn that she was awake.
If they did, every scheme he had spun over the past three years would crumble like a house of cards.
"That's right, Ashie," Paulina chimed in gently. "Your health has to come first. With Mr. Hughes looking after the company, you can relax completely."
She delivered the reassurance with the ease of long practice, even brushing an invisible tear from the corner of her eye—no drop ever appeared, but her voice dripped with worry. "Ashie, those three years you were out… you can't imagine how terrified we were. Mr. Hughes and I both—we lived in fear you would never open your eyes again. We sat right here every single day, calling your name…"
In the past, those words would have melted Ashlyn's heart. But now, they turned her stomach.
"Is that so?" A soft, almost amused laugh escaped her lips. "During those three years of sleep… I think I do remember hearing your voices."
