Marry My Billionaire Second Husband - Chapter 190

Chapter 190: Catherine’s Plan
A sharp slap echoed through the room, followed by a gasp of horror.

“Charles! Please!”

Aiden Montgomery stood still, his back straight and his posture tall, unwilling to bend down despite the searing pain of his cheek. Only his head was slightly veered to one side due to the force of the slap, but otherwise, he refused to move even an inch.

His mother had immediately wrapped her arms around him, trying to see his cheek. Aiden allowed her to just move him around to get a better glance, his own gaze cold and emotionless.

“Look at what you have done!” Charles Montgomery screamed, his entire body quaking with anger. “Do you even realize the gravity of the situation? Just because X’el is currently under Matteo’s control doesn’t mean that if it falls, we will not be harmed by the rubble!”

The slap had been so hard that he could taste a little bit of blood in his mouth. Perhaps it was from a split lip, perhaps something tore inside, he wasn’t sure. Whatever it was, it wasn’t the first time he felt this sort of buzzing pain, and he had long grown used to this.

“Charles,” Catherine said, her voice soft. She was scared of this husband of hers. Maybe during her youth she had plenty of control over this man, but she could feel this control slipping from her grasp as the years went by. She had to play this carefully. “Aiden is still young―”

“Still young?” Charles echoed, his face reddening even further. “Do you even hear yourself, Catherine?” He gestured to Aiden up and down, his veins popping against the skin of his neck. “He is only five years younger than Matteo, and the latter brought X’el’s stocks up while your good son is trying to bring it down!”

He turned around sharply, swiping the vase on the side table off. The antique crashed against the floor, instantly shattering into a hundred pieces.

“Aiden isn’t trained in business management like Matteo is,” Catherine tried to argue. “How about we―”

“Mom,” Aiden said, cutting Catherine off. “It’s fine. You know my stance on managing X’el.”

“Nonsense,” Catherine immediately said. “X’el is meant to be yours one day. Matteo is just managing it in your place for now. When you’re older and experienced enough, you will be able to―”

“I am not interested,” Aiden argued back. He hissed lowly, “Taking over X’el has always been your dream. Not mine.”

“Aiden!”

“You are a fool if you think that this is just about the company!” Charles roared. “Do you think this is as simple as sending a couple of hillbillies into the hospital for a heart attack?”

He then gestured to the smart TV placed in their living room, where it clearly displayed the rumored affair between Aiden and Amelia. Even Catherine sucked in a cold gasp of air.

“Amelia Kentwood? Seriously?” Charles questioned. “She is Matteo’s fiancée right now. That is something Horace Hawthorne is insistent on arranging, not to mention your current engagement with his precious Hawthorne princess.”

Aiden’s jaw clicked. His eyes lingered on the photo captured of him and Amelia, standing side by side. He had his arm around her shoulder, and even in blurry photos, she was a vision to behold. His arms could still feel the lingering warmth left by Amelia’s body pressed against his. Just the memory of it had Aiden flexing and unflexing his hands.

“Charles, the plan was always to have Emmeline Hawthorne marry Matteo,” Catherine said pleadingly. “We can’t tie her down to Aiden! Our son deserves someone better than her. If this rumor can break off their engagement―”

“Even if Aiden and Emmeline’s marriage is broken, Matteo will not marry Emmeline,” Charles shot back. “Not while Amelia Kentwood is alive! Horace Hawthorne now heavily favors his newfound granddaughter― their relationship isn’t as easy to ruin as you think it is. We cannot afford to offend him now that X’el is no longer entirely in our control.”

“I know, I know,” Catherine immediately cajoled. “But Matteo will not do anything against us, not when we have that on our hands.”

“That leash isn’t going to last forever,” Charles said through gritted teeth. “If he figures out we don’t have it at all, you can kiss this all goodbye.”

With that warning lingering, Charles left the living room. There was a loud slam of the door that followed shortly after, signaling that he had returned to his home office. Only then did Catherine let out the breath she held.

“Son―”

“I am heading out,” Aiden curtly said before grabbing the leather jacket that was thrown over the back of the couch.

“Where are you going?” Catherine said immediately, following him. “Aiden―”

Aiden ignored every word spoken by his mother. All his life, he had treated his mother’s warnings as though they were the words of God.

Never befriend Matteo. Never treat him as an ally or a family member. Work hard and take over the company business. Stay away from Emmeline Hawthorne.

For the most part, Aiden was able to follow his mother’s wishes. But when did his rebellion start? When did he realize perhaps what Catherine Laine had in mind wasn’t the best route to take?

In the end, Catherine wasn’t able to stop Aiden from leaving. She watched as Aiden left the Montgomery house in a flurry, leaving her alone in the driveway as he sped off on his motorcycle.

Catherine bit her lip. This wouldn’t do.

Ever since Amelia Kentwood appeared, all their plans had been going haywire. First it was Matteo and Emmeline’s engagement, then now it seemed like even Aiden had lost his mind because of that vixen.

Catherine’s hands shook as she turned back into the house and grabbed her phone from the side table. The servants had already cleaned up the broken vase, leaving no trace of what happened here prior.

Tapping on the screen a few times, Catherine then brought the phone to her ear.

“Johanna?” Catherine said once the call went through. “Yes, thank you for that favor. I wouldn’t know how to speak to Samuel about that request if it hadn’t been for you.”

She leaned against the back of the couch.

“Oh? They have?” Catherine said, checking her manicure. “What a shame. But I suppose it was inevitable. That stepson of mine has always been very efficient.”

There were some mutterings from the other side.

“Yes, I’ve heard. Caleb is heartbroken, isn’t he?” Catherine said. “It’s a shame. She is a fine young woman. If they stayed married, it would’ve been a great connection with the Hawthornes.”

Catherine’s lips slowly tilted into a smile.

“Listen, Johanna, wouldn’t you like Amelia Kentwood to be your daughter-in-law again? I think I might be able to help set the stage. But of course, it will still depend on Caleb whether or not he can charm his way back to her. If words don’t work, then, well,” Catherine’s eyes glimmered, “I might know just a thing or two about worming under someone else’s sheets.”