Secret Marriage: The CEO's Pampered Wife

Chapter 163: Chapter 159: You Can Treat Me as an Elder

Mrs. Ford watched her get thinner by the day, and it worried her sick. Every day when she brought lunch for her husband, she would always prepare a portion for Georgia Thorne as well.

But Georgia Thorne never seemed to put on any weight. Her delicate face had lost its baby fat, slimming down to a sharp chin.

In the blink of an eye, it was February.

Georgia Thorne’s days fell into a simple routine: attend her classes, then head to the art studio to teach children how to draw.

Occasionally, Mr. and Mrs. Ford would invite her to their home as a guest.

That Friday, as Georgia Thorne was packing up her art supplies, Mr. Ford invited her over to his house.

Georgia Thorne readily agreed. After gathering her things, she left with Mr. Ford.

On the way, Mr. Ford would reminisce about the past, telling stories about himself and his wife.

Their affection was a gentle, steady stream, free of great storms or turmoil. Georgia Thorne could see the profound happiness in Mr. Ford’s eyes, and the deep love he held for his wife.

Georgia Thorne had known Mr. and Mrs. Ford for nearly two months, and in all that time, she had never once seen them argue.

She truly envied their brand of simple, tender love.

Mr. Ford rang the doorbell, and the one who came to open it was Byron Shaw.

"You’re back!" Mr. Ford said, pleasantly surprised.

Byron Shaw nodded, greeted him as "Brother-in-law," and then his gaze fell upon Georgia Thorne, who stood behind him.

After Georgia Thorne had been hospitalized with her illness, Byron Shaw had returned to his home country the very next day.

The two of them hadn’t seen each other since.

Georgia Thorne smiled calmly and greeted him, "Attorney Shaw, long time no see!"

"Yes. Come on in," Byron Shaw replied coolly, sizing her up with a single glance.

Mrs. Ford was in the kitchen preparing ingredients. With so many people tonight, she wanted to make hot pot for everyone.

Mrs. Ford’s boisterous energy livened up the atmosphere, and Georgia Thorne even had a little beer.

The cold beer slid down her throat and into her stomach, a thoroughly chilling sensation.

Mrs. Ford took a few sips of her drink. "Oh, right, Blake, what brings you back today? Last time you said you’d probably be tied up in court for the next six months!"

"A friend came to visit, so I came along as well."

As Byron Shaw answered, his gaze was fixed on Georgia Thorne.

Their eyes met, locking in mid-air.

Georgia Thorne stared fixedly at Byron Shaw. "Are you free tomorrow?" he asked.

Georgia Thorne froze. Before she had a chance to refuse, Mrs. Ford, who was sitting beside her, hastily answered for her. "Of course she has time!"

"Huh? Um, tomorrow I..."

"You’re just cooped up in your apartment with nothing to do every day anyway. Go out with Blake, have some fun, get some fresh air. If you’re always sulking at home by yourself, you’ll just get depressed!"

"But I..."

"No ’buts’! It’s settled!"

Mrs. Ford gave Georgia Thorne a secret wink and patted her on the shoulder.

"Er..."

’So frustrating!’ Georgia thought.

’Mrs. Ford is always trying to set me up with Byron Shaw. It’s so obviously impossible.’

After the hot pot, she felt warm all over.

In her effort to matchmake, Mrs. Ford deliberately had Byron Shaw walk Georgia Thorne home, hoping to give them some more private time together.

The two of them strolled slowly along the road, neither one speaking.

Georgia Thorne kept her head down, watching their two shadows stretch out long on the ground.

After walking for a few minutes, Byron Shaw, beside her, finally spoke. "Georgia Thorne, you don’t have to pay any attention to what my sister says."

"I’m not paying attention to it!" Georgia Thorne laughed reflexively, but when she lifted her head and met his serious gaze, the smile instantly froze on her face.

’All right, who am I kidding? It’s impossible not to care.’

Georgia Thorne averted her gaze and subtly quickened her pace.

When they reached the bottom of her apartment building, Byron Shaw spoke again. "Georgia Thorne, you don’t need to avoid me. I won’t develop feelings for you, and it’s impossible for me to ever like you in that way. You can just think of me as an older brother or an elder. Also, I’ll be here to pick you up at ten tomorrow morning."

After he finished speaking, Byron Shaw turned and walked back the way they had come.

Waves of heat washed over Georgia Thorne’s face. It was incredibly awkward.

’Did I completely misread what he meant?’

The next day at ten in the morning, Georgia Thorne received a call from Byron Shaw. She threw on a coat and hurried downstairs.

Byron Shaw was in a black Cadillac. He gestured for her to get in the car.

After their conversation the previous night, Georgia Thorne’s wariness toward Byron Shaw had lessened considerably.

To be honest, her impression of Byron Shaw wasn’t bad; in fact, it was quite good.

Byron Shaw had taken on Lynn Thorne’s case pro bono. That alone was enough to earn her respect.

"Where are we going?"

"To an exhibition."

Byron Shaw took two tickets from the glove compartment and handed them to her.

Georgia Thorne glanced at them and was so shocked she nearly jumped out of her seat. "This is for the Goldsmith design exhibition?"

On the ticket, as always, was the English word "KING," written in Goldsmith’s own hand.

Georgia Thorne was so astonished she could hardly believe it. ’Is this really the world-renowned number one designer, KING?!’

"She’s a friend of mine."

"Is she the friend you were talking about last night?"

Byron Shaw nodded, and Georgia Thorne’s mind was thrown into chaos.

’I heard this top designer, KING, is supposed to be an oddball, a loner who never socializes with anyone!’

’And Byron Shaw is friends with her?!’

If Nathan Rhodes was a rising star in the design world, then Goldsmith was its absolute king.

Before they entered the exhibition, Georgia Thorne asked nervously, "Attorney Shaw, will she be here in person?"

"Yes. You’ll see her in a little while."

Inside the exhibition, not only were there pieces that Goldsmith had personally designed and created in the past, but also her paintings.

Georgia Thorne had only ever seen them in magazines; she had never been able to see them this close.

With every piece she saw, she would stop to examine it carefully for a long moment.

There were many people who had come, drawn by the designer’s fame. Georgia Thorne followed behind Byron Shaw, moving slowly forward through the crowd.

She found herself captivated by every single piece Goldsmith had designed, reluctant to move on.

Toward the end of the tour, Georgia Thorne was left breathless by a wedding dress displayed in the very center of the hall.

The wedding dress was made of pure white satin. Its most creative feature was the skirt, which was sewn from a crystal-infused gauze. It refracted the light with an unusual shimmer, as if worn by a true angel descended from the heavens, radiating a divine glow.

The surface of the skirt was adorned with just the right amount of beadwork and bows, while the hem was hand-embroidered with an openwork lace pattern.

A wedding dress is the most faithful aspiration of every woman; there isn’t a single one who doesn’t love them.

It was with this very wedding dress that she had won the VOGUE Award in one fell swoop, landing the cover of VOGUE that same month.

A single wedding dress captured the world’s attention. After that, her talent blossomed, and she became an incomparable presence in the industry.

Georgia Thorne was so nervous that every cell in her body seemed to be trembling.

’Normally, at the end of an exhibition like this, the designer is supposed to come out and say a few words of thanks.’

And yet, Georgia Thorne waited until the very end of the event, and still didn’t see Goldsmith.

She couldn’t help but look anxiously at Byron Shaw, her eyes questioning what was going on.

"She has never liked attending these kinds of events."

Georgia Thorne grew anxious. ’Does this mean I won’t get to meet her in person?!’

The exhibition ended, and Georgia Thorne was quite disappointed at not having been able to see her idol.

They got in the car and drove to an Akashima-style restaurant.

They passed through a courtyard where a shishi-odoshi was placed in the center.

Spring water flowed continuously, and once the bamboo tube filled, it tipped and struck a stone, making a crisp sound.

Originally, it was used to startle small birds that landed in the courtyard, but now it has become a decorative piece, imbued with a special Zen meaning.

The two of them were led by a server through the chic and tranquil courtyard, heading deep down a corridor.

At the end of the corridor, the server knelt on the floor, announced their arrival to those inside, and then slid open a door. "Please, come in," the server said with utmost respect.

’There must be someone in the private room,’ she thought, ’but Byron Shaw hasn’t revealed a single word about who it is.’

Georgia Thorne felt a surge of excitement. He had said he would let her meet Goldsmith today.

Her intuition told her that Byron Shaw was a good person; he wouldn’t deceive her.

She followed Byron Shaw inside. The private room was in an orthodox Akashima style, chic and unique.

From the moment she entered, Georgia Thorne’s gaze was fixed on the woman sitting at the table.

She had a crisp, short haircut and sat languidly on a cushion. Her pure black clothes seemed to accentuate a personality that preferred not to engage with others.

The woman’s head was tilted slightly as she toyed with the cup in her hand, her gaze cool and detached.

Georgia Thorne was so nervous she could barely breathe. She knelt on the floor and, hidden beneath the wide hem of her clothes, viciously pinched her own thigh.

’My eyes aren’t playing tricks on me. The person sitting across from me really is Goldsmith.’

The room was completely silent until Byron Shaw slowly broke the silence. "Long time no see."

Only then did the aloof woman opposite them stop toying with her cup. Her cool gaze swept past Byron Shaw to land on Georgia Thorne.

Her words, however, were directed at Byron Shaw. "Is this her?"

"That’s right," Byron Shaw confirmed.

The exchange between them was too quick. Although Georgia Thorne didn’t quite understand what they were talking about, she had a feeling it was about her.

"Georgia, this is my friend, Seraphina Goldsmith. Seraphina, this is Georgia Thorne."

"Hello, it’s such an honor to meet you."

Meeting her idol for the first time, Georgia Thorne was so excited she didn’t know what to do.

She scrambled to her feet and bowed deeply to her idol.

"Hello," Goldsmith said, looking at her without a trace of expression.

She shifted her gaze to Byron Shaw. "This is the last favor I owe you."

"Mm," Byron Shaw said, taking a sip of tea before setting his cup down.

Georgia Thorne stood rooted to the spot, suddenly once again unable to understand the meaning behind their conversation.

Before long, the server returned to serve the food—authentic Akashima cuisine, which consisted mostly of seafood.

The meal proceeded in near-total silence.

It seemed both of them were naturally quiet people; there was no exchange between them.

Georgia Thorne also ate in silence.

’No wonder those two can be friends,’ she mused. ’They must be friends of the silent variety.’

Just as they were about to leave, Seraphina Goldsmith called out to her, her voice soft and a little raspy, "Miss Thorne, please be sure to arrive by nine o’clock tomorrow morning."

As she spoke, she handed over a black business card, as stark and minimalist as the woman herself.

"Thank you," Georgia Thorne said, accepting the card.

On it was her address in Akashima.

After they parted ways, Georgia Thorne got into Byron Shaw’s car.

She turned her head and couldn’t stop herself from asking, "Why are you helping me?"

Byron Shaw didn’t answer. He just turned the steering wheel and guided the car onto the overpass.