Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 20

Wren swiped away the news article and tossed her phone onto the mattress.

She had zero time left to waste on this melodrama.

She had an internal technical summit at Stellaris at ten o'clock sharp.

She showered, changed into a fresh suit, and brewed herself a brutally strong black coffee.

The liquid was intensely bitter.

But she forced it down, drop by drop.

At that exact same moment, inside the Langford Medical CEO's suite.

Xavier stood before the massive mahogany desk, clutching an iPad and looking profoundly uncomfortable.

"Mr. Langford, the photos from last night's gala have already been picked up by several major financial outlets. The headlines... are referring to Willow as Mrs. Langford."

Lawrence was in the middle of reviewing the supplemental data for the Stellaris acquisition.

Hearing this, his hand paused mid-page turn.

Xavier asked cautiously, "Should I instruct PR to issue a clarification?"

The office fell silent for several seconds.

That same stack of unread documents still sat at the corner of his desk.

Buried at the very bottom lay the signed divorce papers Wren had couriered over.

Lawrence remained entirely oblivious to their existence.

His entire focus was locked onto the photo displayed on the iPad screen.

In the shot, Willow stood close to him, her head bowed in a demure smile. It was undeniably a misleading image.

But Willow's impromptu speech last night had performed exceptionally well.

Search metrics for Langford's charity initiatives had spiked this morning, and several partner foundations had already reached out with glowing feedback.

From a purely corporate standpoint, the viral publicity was a net positive.

Lawrence tossed the iPad back onto the desk.

"No need."

Xavier blinked in shock. "No clarification?"

"Have PR monitor the situation and ensure the narrative doesn't veer too deeply into my private life," Lawrence ordered coolly. "But let the charity angle ride out the viral wave."

Xavier hesitated. "But what about your wife..."

Lawrence shot him a lethal glare.

Xavier instantly clamped his mouth shut.

Lawrence's expression darkened.

"Do you think she'll see it?"

"Most likely," Xavier murmured. "The articles are spreading fast."

Lawrence fell silent.

The memory of Wren's venomous words at the gala echoed in his mind.

Waited for me to correct everyone that you aren't actually Mrs. Langford?

Her eyes had been so terrifyingly empty when she said it.

The suffocating thought was instantly suffocated by Lawrence's ego.

She wouldn't really leave.

Wren could never survive without Leo.

And she could never survive without this marriage.

She was simply dragging out her little protest longer than usual.

A soft knock broke the silence.

Willow pushed the door open.

Dressed in a chic beige trench coat, she clutched an insulated meal bag in her hands.

"Lawrence, Eleanor asked me to bring you some hot soup," she cooed, sauntering inside. "You drank a lot last night. I know you definitely skipped breakfast this morning."

Taking the hint, Xavier discreetly slipped out of the office.

Willow placed the thermos on his desk, her eyes predictably darting toward the illuminated iPad.

The tabloid article was still wide open.

The second she spotted the headline, she threw on a mask of pure, frantic horror.

"Lawrence, this article..."

Lawrence watched her. "You saw it too?"

Willow bit her lip and nodded, her eyes swimming with tragic apologies.

"I am so, so sorry. I swear I had no idea the reporters were going to spin it like this. Should I issue a public clarification immediately? Wren is going to be absolutely heartbroken when she sees this."