The Doormat Wife’s Ultimate Glow-Up novel Chapter 448

Matthew glanced down at Reese, his long lashes casting gentle shadows across his skin. His eyes held something unreadable, a storm hidden behind calm, with a softness he barely let show. He didn’t bother with small talk. His thumb traced slow circles on the back of her hand as he spoke, his voice steady and almost casual, like none of this really mattered.

“The board picked two candidates. Me, and Joseph.” He paused, then smiled a little, almost like he was amused by it all. “Joseph lost his mind when he heard. Said someone like me—someone born out of wedlock—had no business touching Ratcliff Global. But honestly, I’m not interested.”

Reese almost asked why, but stopped herself. She remembered when Ramos Corporation was on the edge of collapse. Matthew had stepped in quietly, pouring in money, helping her pull everything back from disaster. He’d never asked for anything in return. There was no way his life was as simple as it looked. Maybe he really didn’t care about Ratcliff Global, not with all the fights and backstabbing going on inside. And she knew he hated that company, hated it all the way down to his bones. The Ratcliff family had hurt his mother, left scars that never healed. There was no way he’d want to take over a place that only brought him pain.

It was clear she’d have to think of something else.

Just as she opened her mouth to say something, Matthew seemed to know exactly what was on her mind.

“Joseph’s making a move now because he thinks I’m sick, that I can’t fight him. He wants to get the shareholders on his side and take over while he thinks I’m weak. If you don’t want to see him win, I can step in.”

Reese felt a warmth spread through her, calm and steady. She looked up at Matthew, a small smile tugging at her lips, relief softening her eyes.

“You don’t have to do this for me. What you want is what matters. But... I really don’t want him to get his way. I’m heading to Vista Tech to sort out the shares and the project stuff.”

“I’ll go with you.” Matthew’s answer came instantly, his voice sure and gentle, with none of the hesitation she usually heard from others.

Reese didn’t argue. She just nodded, her fingers wrapping around his, palm against palm, comfort flowing between them.

“Reese.”

The voice on the other end was all too familiar, and it made her skin crawl.

Her brows knit together and her voice dropped, cold and sharp. “What do you want?”

“I heard what happened with the Meyer family.” Sebastian’s voice was low and flat, impossible to read. “Bailey’s dead. Sofia got arrested for harboring a fugitive. The Meyer family’s out of money. And Joseph tricked them out of a huge project. I doubt they’ll last much longer, will they?”