Home / The Fake Trophy Wife / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of The Fake Trophy Wife: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

19 Chapters

Chapter 1

The day the Twelve came after Grantcorp, I was shopping for new handbags at the luxury mall.Lily, the retail assistant, was holding up the only crocodile-skin handbag of this season before me with her white gloves.I didn't bother asking about the price and held out the black card I got from Carl Grant.However, as Lily swiped it, a shrill beep rang.Rejected.Lily's smile stiffened for a second, but she soon composed herself and explained, "It could be an issue with the system, Ms. Jones."However, I was seeing 'insufficient credit' on the screen for the first time.I had been swiping this card for three years, buying yachts, jewelry and a seaside villa I don't even remember the address of. It never failed me once.So, I whipped out my phone to call Carl.No one answered.In the past, whether he was in the middle of a board meeting or in his private jet, calls from me would just ring for three beeps before he picked up.I was going to call him again when a rowdy rush of fo

Chapter 2

I flipped the ticket while asking, "Where to?"Mutembo. An island country I had never even heard of."It will be a wonderful getaway," Carl assured me. "The weather's nice, and there's no extradition rules."I didn't understand the last part, but asked, "Are there malls there?"Max looked bewildered, while Carl replied patiently, 'Yes.""Limited-edition merch?""I'll have that stuff sent over.""What about my monthly allowance?"Quinn was just coming upstairs and heard that. She rushed over, snatching the plane ticket and flinging it on the floor. "Is money all you care about? My dad was forced to resign, and my brothers are in police custody! Carl is giving you what's left of his personal accounts to protect you, but you're still asking about allowance?"I simply leaned against the doorway in silence, while Carl glared at her coldly. "Pick it up.""Carl?""I said, pick it up."Quinn's eyes were teary, but she eventually picked up the plane ticket and shoved it into my ha

Chapter 3

The lights were on in only one meeting room on the top floor of the Zenith Club.As I entered, I found Carl standing by the glass wall, while representatives from the Twelve were sitting around the table; all individuals of different ages and nationalities, but having the same black folder placed in front of them.At the main seat was Zac Stark, who led the hostile takeover despite his youth. He was also once Carl's most trusted friend.Carl was scowling when he saw me. "Who told you to come?""I did. I missed you," I replied, shrugging."Go to the airport…""Too late. The plane took off," I said, dragging a chair to sit beside him.Carl stared at me for a few beats, but eventually took off his suit and draped it over my shoulders. "Just stay here. Don't say anything."Zac was watching us with amusement. "Worrying over the lady when you can't even protect yourself, Mr. Grant?"He beckoned his hand, and his lawyer promptly slid an acquisition agreement in front of Carl."Sign

Chapter 4

Zac never bothered to struggle. "You'd better think about this, Carl. Anything happens to you, and there won't be anyone in the Grant family who has the authority to sign the agreement."Carl glared at him, but ultimately released him.As Zac straightened and tidied his collar, the smile on his face faded. "Now, my patience wears thin," he growled, putting the pen in front of Carl. "You will sign our agreement one way or the other."Then, pointing at me, he smirked. "As for this one… It's no big deal to let me have some fun with her.""Dream on," Carl growled, pulling me behind him.Zac shrugged and checked his watch deliberately. "You only have thirty minutes left. You don't sign, and the twenty billion kept in Grantcorp foreign accounts will be liquidated mandatorily."Carl wasn't even looking at him. He turned, held my shoulders, and said very softly to me, "It's going to be alright. What you see here doesn't matter. Bob will be waiting at the basement carpark. Once the do

Chapter 5

After I hung up, the meeting room fell silent.After a few beats, Zac burst out laughing, reclining against his chair as if it was all a joke. "Stopping the continent's trade? Do you even know the scale of capital flow every second around here?"The representatives of the Twelve all laughed again, while the blonde man gave me another once-over. Turning to Carl, he said, "You can call me Roy, Mr. Grant. I must say, I'm really impressed how generous you are with your lady. You spoiled her to the point she can become that ignorant. What, do you really think my boss Donald Horn would show up here? She watched too many girlboss shows, didn't she?"Quinn tugged on my sleeve, her eyes puffy but her tone much milder now, "Not now, Vera. Don't worry, Carl will get you out one way or another…"I didn't respond, merely reaching for the acquisition agreement on the table.Zac snapped his fingers. "Get her phone."As the bodyguards reached for me again, Carl caught the nearest outstretche

Chapter 6

However, the representatives of the Twelve didn't dare answer. All the while, their phones kept blaring loudly like a choir.I knocked on the table. "Answer it."Roy was the first who did so. The furious bellow on the other end could be heard even without speakers. All color drained from his cheeks. "No, I wasn't claiming authority… Yes, sir, I will look into the frozen accounts. No, there's no way it's a permanent revocation. We're just shorting one company, and it's Grantcorp for goodness' sake…"We couldn't hear the next part, but Roy turned sharply towards me.I shrugged. With the Twelve's onshore accounts put on ice and the short trades halted for lack of capital, the sellers would suddenly be scrambling to get everything back.If it was allowed to drag on, the Twelve would lose more than just one money.One of the representatives couldn't help turning towards me. "I'm just following orders. We weren't part of the planning team of this hostile takeover…"Another chimed in

Chapter 7

The meeting room went dead silent when the geezer finished speaking.Zac's smile stiffened. The representatives of the Twelve were frozen, as if they had never heard of anything like that.Roy was the first who came to his senses and asked, "Mr. Horn? Aren't you mistaken? She's just Carl Grant's trophy wife…"Smack!Donald had suddenly slapped Roy across the face, sending him stumbling backwards and hitting the side of the conference room table. His cheek swelled rapidly.However, Donald wasn't even looking at Roy. Instead, he walked straight to me. "Director. I apologize for not disciplining my staff better."The rest of the Twelve who were right behind him all bowed their heads too, which left their representatives all panicking.Despite being so lofty a moment ago, some were quietly retreating to a corner of the room. Others turned off their phones, and several were drenched in sweat. Quinn, standing behind me, couldn't close her gaping mouth. Tugging on Carl's sleeve, she

Chapter 8

Holding Donald's gaze, Zac demanded, "What are you talking about?"Donald's expression remained cold. "She resigned three years ago, and the AGFO shortlisted potential successors. However, the committee never accepted her resignation, so her seat remains empty."Zac was left clenching his knuckles, while the representatives of the Twelve turned even paler.They thought I was calling old favors to shut down trade, but as it turned out, I was still the head of the AGFO. That meant I had the authority to not just freeze their assets, but I could also take everything away from them if necessary.Donald solemnly placed a lapel pin on the table, which belonged to the managing director of the AGFO. "The council confirmed your biometrics. Your authority has been restored."I picked up the pin and stared at it. "Good work."Although the leaders of the Twelve had straightened up, Zac was chuckling coolly. "Even if your authority is restored, you don't get to order the Twelve around. With

Chapter 9

News that Grantcorp had resumed operations quickly spread throughout the scene. Their share market value, which was in free fall seconds ago, was now shooting upwards.As the Twelve simultaneously withdrew their hostile trades and bought Grantcorp shares at a premium, investors who just offloaded their shares scrambled to rebuy.On the massive market screen, the red numbers flipped green in an instant, while calls from Grantcorp's CFO came repeatedly."Mr. Grant! Our share value has recovered from the three consecutive limit-down!""The banks have unfrozen our assets!""Our foreign creditors are calling to rescind demands for early repayment…"Carl appeared calm, but he was clenching his fist so hard it turned pale.In just a day, his father was forced to resign, his brothers were arrested, and the empire his family built over generations was inches from being taken away. But with just one phone call, I reclaimed everything.Hanging up, he turned to me. "Why are you helping u

Chapter 10

Carl seized Zac by the collar right then. "Where are they?"Zac didn't fight, and kept smiling. "Sign the acquisition agreement, and unfreeze the Twelve's accounts. Then, I will tell you… Or I can't promise you'd get your brothers alive."Quinn rushed up and slapped him across his face. "Animal!"Zac wiped the blood off his lips nonchalantly. "You either win, or you lose. Didn't Ms. Jones just do the same to the Twelve?"I shot him a look. "I'm freezing misappropriated capital. You are kidnapping people."Zac shrugged. "Is there a difference?""Of course," I replied, lowering my phone. "Also, I'm not losing."Zac's smile stiffened for a second, but he soon composed himself. "Only I know the route they took. You can send everyone, but you'd never find them in time."Carl released him and turned to me. "The compensation doesn't matter. We need Simon and Tim saved."The leaders of the Twelve all perked up right then, Once their accounts were unfrozen, a ton of their capital would

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