The Ruthless CEO's Revenge Wife-Chapter 199: Get some rest

The house was quiet, bathed in the soft amber of early nightfall. The only sound was the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock and the faint hum of the AC.

Jean was still asleep... deeply, peacefully.

It had taken hours for her breathing to settle, for the tremble in her fingertips to disappear. Logan had sat by her side the entire time, brushing his thumb over her knuckles, matching his breath to hers.

And now... he couldn’t sit anymore.

He stood on the balcony outside their bedroom, phone pressed to his ear, eyes fixed on nothing.

"Notify every board member. There will be a full board session tomorrow at ten sharp."

Hannah on the line hesitated. Is this the right thing to do? "Should I say it’s been called by Jean Kingsley?"

Logan’s voice was steady.

"No. Tell them it’s been called by her husband. Logan Kingsley. Temporary acting authority."

A beat.

"Understood, but what if Jean doesn’t like it?"

Logan knows she won’t like it. There is no ’if’. "I’m doing this for her only."

He hung up and exhaled slowly, fingers tightening around the phone.

He’d already spoken to legal. The contracts Jean signed had specific clauses... if the CEO is incapacitated, a spouse may assume emergency oversight until deemed fit by internal medical counsel. He’d made sure of that when the merger was finalized.

He never thought he’d have to use it.

But tonight... he was glad he insisted.

Back inside the room, Jean stirred slightly in bed, shifting under the duvet. A faint sigh escaped her lips... something tender, like she was finally letting go.

Logan walked over slowly.

Sat beside her again.

And this time, he leaned down... pressing a soft kiss to her temple, lingering a second longer than necessary.

"Sleep, Jean," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "While I remind the world exactly who you are."

He stood again.

And as he buttoned the cuffs of his midnight black shirt, the softness in his face disappeared.

Now, there was only steel. He needs to prepare for tomorrow’s battle.

__________________________

Jean woke up to sunlight.

Real, unfiltered and gentle sunlight... not the grey and blue glow of her laptop or the unforgiving buzz of her alarm.

Jean blinked.

The room was quiet. Her limbs were heavy. And for once, her body didn’t feel like it was fighting her every breath.

She sat up slowly, the sheets still tangled around her waist.

Where was Logan?

There was no trace of him. No rumble of his voice on the phone. No warm pressure of his hand wrapped around hers.

She frowned slightly.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she stood, wincing at the residual ache in her calves. Her body still felt fragile, like someone had wrung her out and barely set her upright again.

She followed the sound of faint clattering down the stairs. The smell of toast. Coffee. Something buttery.

Logan? He must be in the kitchen.

She reached the kitchen doorway and paused.

It wasn’t him.

It was Martha.

In a neat blouse and apron, sleeves rolled up as she coordinated the house staff like a five star general. The staff were moving like clockwork around her, and the counters were already laid out with enough food to feed a small army.

Jean stood there, confused.

"Martha?"

Martha turned and as her eyes fell on her... her face lit up.

"There she is. The runaway bride of responsibility."

Jean blinked. "What... are you doing here?"

With no hint of humour, she spoke. "Feeding you. Scolding you. Possibly tying you to the bed if you try to leave again."

Jean gave a weak laugh, stepping into the kitchen.

"Where’s Logan?"

"Gone to the office," Martha said, not missing a beat. "Told me to come stay with you while he handles something important. Wouldn’t say what. But my boy looked like he was marching into war, not a conference room."

Jean’s stomach twisted.

He left without saying goodbye.

She wasn’t sure why that hurt but it did. Is he growing on her?

Still, she forced a smile. "I should get ready too. There’s too much on my plate. I need to fix the mess from yesterday."

Martha turned sternly. "No, you don’t."

Jean froze in the middle of her step.

"Excuse me?"

"You’re not allowed to step foot outside this house until you’ve gained some weight."

Jean’s brows shot up. "Martha..."

"No. Don’t ’Martha’ me. I’m not your intern. I’m your very stubborn mother in law. And you are banned from working until you look less like a walking caution sign."

Jean opened her mouth, then shut it.

Martha stepped closer, her voice softening. "You fainted, Jean. In your own office. In front of your team. That’s not strength... that’s self destruction. And Logan... he might not say it, but I saw it in his eyes. That boy’s terrified of losing you."

Jean looked away.

Martha reached out and gently took her hand. "Eat. Rest. Let someone else carry the weight for once. You’ve earned that much."

Jean stood there for a moment, overwhelmed by the warmth. The quiet authority. The genuine care.

Then she nodded. "Okay."

A little.

And sat at the dinning table.

_________________________

The boardroom was packed with tailored suits and hidden daggers.

They’d scheduled the emergency meeting under the guise of "concern" but Logan could read every smug glance and calculated frown. Jean’s absence had opened a door they’d long pretended wasn’t there.

He took her seat at the head of the table without asking. Let them choke on it.

One of the older members... Gerald Monroe, silver haired with a fox’s grin... cleared his throat first. "Mr. Kingsley. We appreciate your... support. But we do need to address the elephant in the room."

Logan’s eyes narrowed. "You mean by Jean’s health?"

"Yes. She fainted in the building yesterday. Publicly." He said it like it was a scandal. "And while we all admire her dedication, it’s clear she’s... reached her limit."

A few murmurs of agreement. Polite. Controlled. But Logan caught the way Gerald looked at the others... rallying silently. As if taking others agreement as vote.

And then he dropped the real card.

"Perhaps it’s time we discuss interim leadership. Temporarily relieving Jean of her position might help the company’s image and ensure its stability."