Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 230

Though the Hawthorne family utilized every ounce of their influence to suppress the news, a few uncensored photos inevitably leaked onto the internet.

Overnight, the scandal erupted across the entire city. Julian didn't just become famous; he became a spectacular laughingstock.

The Hawthorne family's reputation was dragged through the mud.

Rumor had it that Archibald Hawthorne flew into a violent rage, beating Julian half to death before freezing his allowance for the next six months.

But that was all yet to come.

Not long after Yates and Annika departed, Paige Brooks arrived at the ward.

She hauled in an assortment of premium health supplements, accompanied by a small, delicate gift box.

Paige popped the box open, revealing a pearl bracelet. "This is a formal apology from Mr. Sterling for the incident last night. He is very sorry."

Seeing the bracelet, Summer almost laughed out loud. It was literally a free promotional item.

Summer had seen Lily post about it on her social media feed. Xavier had purchased a set of ultra-luxury pearl jewelry for Lily, and the boutique had thrown in that exact bracelet as a complimentary gift.

Without a word, Summer reached out and took it.

Paige Brooks felt a surge of smugness. *Summer is only fit to wear Lily's hand-me-downs.*

Taking the box, Summer snapped a photo of it and texted it to Xavier. Then, she held down the microphone button and recorded a voice memo.

"Xavier, you should just legally change your name to Scrooge! A free promotional bracelet as an apology? Did a donkey kick you in the head, or has the Sterling empire officially gone bankrupt? Are you here to apologize or to dump your trash? If you want to throw away Lily's garbage, take it somewhere else. I'm not your damn recycling bin!"

Having delivered her piece, Summer violently hurled the gift box directly at Paige's chest. "Take your trash and get the hell out!"

Paige had never expected Summer to instantly recognize the bracelet, let alone possess the sheer audacity to rip into Xavier directly. But it didn't matter.

With Lily backing her, Mr. Sterling wouldn't dare punish her.

She bent down, scooped up the box, and tossed it into the nearest wastebasket.

"Trash belongs with trash."

With a contemptuous sneer, Paige turned and strutted out of the room.

Summer immediately instructed her caregiver to throw away every single supplement Paige had brought in.

Then, she had the caregiver prepare a very special "return gift."

Fortunately, Silas was still at the hospital. He helped her into her wheelchair and personally escorted her all the way to Lily's ward.

Inside, Julian was slouched on the sofa playing video games. Seeing Summer, his brow furrowed in disgust. "What are you doing here?"

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