Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 186

Xavier's car sped off into the distance.

Summer's eyes were bloodshot with rage, her whole body trembling. Why couldn't he just drop dead!

In that moment, Summer truly wished Xavier would just die.

She took several deep breaths before the raging fire in her chest began to subside.

Xavier was notoriously ruthless toward his enemies, and she was genuinely terrified he would follow through on his threats and target her friends.

But dropping the lawsuit? She couldn't accept that. She absolutely refused to cave in!

She immediately called Gavin, Tessa, and Sebastian, giving them a brief rundown of what had just happened so they could mentally prepare themselves and stay vigilant against any of Xavier's dirty tricks.

Gavin laughed over the phone. "Our company might be small, but we've got top-tier talent backing us. Let him try. Don't worry about the business. Go ahead with the divorce, and whatever you do, don't drop the lawsuit. If you do, you're no longer my junior partner. Call me if anything happens—don't try to shoulder this all by yourself."

Tessa was furious. "It's just a promotion! Tell that bastard Xavier to bring it on. I'm not scared of him. But you better not let him intimidate you. Don't hold back, do whatever you need to do. Do not drop the lawsuit! Do not drop the lawsuit! Do not drop the lawsuit! You got that? Repeat it back to me three times!"

Sebastian's voice was warm, carrying a gentle laugh. "A dead rat covered in blood, or a threatening letter? I get dozens of those a year. I'm immune to it. Summer, I'm your lawyer, which makes me your sword. I'm not a burden. So don't worry about your sword getting chipped. Protecting you and fighting for your rights is my job! Don't be afraid of him. So what if he's the wealthiest man in Empire City? You think he can take on the entire justice system? Trust me. I'm not that fragile."

Initially, Summer had been consumed by worry, but the unwavering support of her friends infused her with strength, washing away her fear.

She wasn't standing alone.

She had her family. She had her friends.

****

Xavier had given Summer three days to consider his ultimatum. In those three days, she needed to finalize Maeve's medical treatment.

Summer went to Heritage Row and bought a painting of a snow-covered pine tree. The calligraphy on the scroll was bold and full of character: *Heavy snow crushes the green pine, but the green pine stands tall and straight.*

Carrying the painting, she went to visit Dr. Whitmore.

Just then, a man walked down the stairs. Summer was facing away and didn't catch a clear look at his face.

The man looked like he was heading out, but upon spotting the painting in the housekeeper's hands, he abruptly changed direction and walked over to them.

"Grandpa, isn't this the painting you tried to sell? It didn't sell, so you bought it back yourself?"

Summer stared at Dr. Whitmore in utter shock.

She truly never expected that the painting was actually Dr. Whitmore's own masterpiece.

No wonder the old man was so thrilled.

What were the odds? It felt like even God was trying to help her out.

Seeing Dr. Whitmore's joyous expression, Summer felt a wave of relief wash over her. Securing his help to treat her mother shouldn't be too hard now.