All Chapters of THE SUBSTITUTE HUSBAND BECAME HIS WIFE'S BOSS: Chapter 71
- Chapter 80
102 chapters
Chapter 50 PART 1
Diego's phone rang at eleven in the evening, pulling him from the notes he'd been reviewing about Alejandro's reappearance. The number was unfamiliar, local but not one he recognized."Hello?""Mr. Herrera?" A woman's voice, professional but strained. "My name is Dr. Elena Cordova. I'm calling from Saint Catherine's Hospital. Vittorio Caruso is here, and he's asking for you."Diego's grip tightened on the phone. "What's his condition?""Declining rapidly. He doesn't have much time." A pause. "He was quite insistent that I reach you. Said it was urgent.""I'll be there in twenty minutes."Diego grabbed his jacket and keys, leaving a brief note for Esperanza who'd already gone to bed. The drive to Saint Catherine's—a private hospital near the city center that catered to the wealthy—took him through quiet streets, the late hour meaning minimal traffic.The hospital's lobby was hushed, the night staff moving with practiced quiet. Dr. Cordova met him at the reception desk—a woman in her fo
CHAPTER 50 PART 2
"Who deserves it more?" Vittorio's eyes were intense despite the failing body. "Some distant relatives who never visited? Business associates who were only friends when it benefited them? You're the only person in my life who ever acted without expectation of reward.""I don't need your money. The Vega family—""This isn't about need." Vittorio squeezed Diego's hand with surprising firmness. "It's about legacy. I spent sixty years building businesses, accumulating wealth, creating something that mattered. I'll be damned if I let it vanish into government coffers or get divided among vultures.""But there must be someone else—""There isn't." Vittorio's voice was absolute. "My will is finalized, Diego. Signed, witnessed, legally binding. Half to charity, half to you. It's done."Diego sat back, overwhelmed. "Vittorio...""I have peace with this decision." The old man's breathing had grown more labored, his strength clearly fading. "I leave everything I built to a man with a heart of go
Chapter 51
Diego sat in his car in the hospital parking lot, the engine off, staring at the business card Marco had pressed into his hand before he left Vittorio's room. The card was expensive—embossed lettering on cream-colored stock.Adrián Reyna, Estate AttorneyFollowed by an address in the financial district and contact numbers.The weight of Vittorio's final gift pressed down on Diego's shoulders. Half a fortune. Billions in assets. A legacy built over sixty years, now his responsibility."Quite the inheritance."Diego's hand flew to the knife concealed in his jacket, his body coiling to strike—but he stopped himself at the last second. The voice from the backseat was female, familiar, and carried an edge of bitter amusement.How had someone gotten into his car without him noticing? His instincts were usually infallible."Lucia," he said quietly, not turning around."Surprised you didn't sense me earlier." Her voice was cold. "Two years ago, you would have. Maybe you're getting soft, Diego
Chapter 52
Diego ensured that Adrián Reyna and his family were moved to a secure location under the protection of Ricardo's most trusted security personnel. The lawyer's gratitude had been almost pathetic in its intensity, but Diego understood—the man had been caught between impossible choices.The inheritance itself didn't trouble Diego. He'd never needed Vittorio's money, and losing it to Lucia's machinations changed nothing about his own financial situation. What bothered him was the aura surrounding both Lucia and Alejandro—especially Alejandro.The man who'd appeared at the engagement party was fundamentally different from the desperate gambler of two years ago. Something had shifted in him, something that made Diego's instincts scream danger.He needed to discuss this with Esperanza.Diego found her in the villa's study, reviewing contracts on her tablet. She looked up as he entered, immediately sensing his troubled mood."What happened?" she asked, setting the device aside."We need to ta
CHAPTER 53 PART 1
Alejandro moved through Club Eclipse with the confidence of someone who owned the place, navigating past dancing bodies and expensive bottle service until he reached the VIP section—a cordoned-off area elevated above the main floor, accessible only by velvet ropes and intimidating security."This section is private—" the guard started.Alejandro didn't slow down. His hand shot out, striking a nerve cluster in the guard's thigh. The man's leg buckled instantly, sending him stumbling aside as Alejandro walked past."Torres, Mendez," Alejandro called back. "Guard the entrance. No one comes in or out until I'm finished."The two enforcers took positions at the VIP entrance, their presence alone enough to deter curious onlookers.The VIP section was exactly what Alejandro expected—leather couches, low tables covered with bottles of expensive liquor, and at the center of it all, Henandez Harrio holding court like a young king.The politician's son was twenty-three, handsome in an overly pol
CHAPTER 53 PART 2
Alejandro struck again, this time hitting a cluster of nerves along Henandez's right side. The young man's entire right arm went limp, dangling uselessly at his side. His right leg buckled, and he would have fallen if two of his friends hadn't caught him."Get off me!" Henandez tried to push them away, but his right side was completely paralyzed. "What the hell is happening?""The paralysis will spread," Alejandro explained, his voice carrying across the suddenly silent VIP section. "Slowly. Over the next four days, it will creep through your body—shoulder to torso, torso to organs. And when it reaches your heart..."He let the implication hang in the air."You'll die," Alejandro finished. "Painfully. Your heart will seize up, unable to beat, while you're still conscious enough to feel every agonizing second."Henandez's face had gone deathly pale. "You're insane! My father will—""Your father can't help you. No doctor can help you. The only person who can reverse what I've done is me
Chapter 54
Diego stood by the villa's window, staring out at the manicured gardens while Esperanza sat on the couch behind him, her patience clearly wearing thin."You're being unreasonable," she said, her CEO voice slipping through despite her attempt to remain calm. "Canceling the honeymoon is one thing. But now you want me to go stay with my father? Like I'm some helpless child who needs protection?""It's not about being helpless—""Then what is it about? Because you've been acting paranoid for days, checking every shadow, jumping at every noise. What aren't you telling me?"Diego turned to face her, and the vulnerability in his expression made her breath catch. "I'm scared, Esperanza.""You? Scared?" She stood, moving toward him. "Diego, I've seen you face down criminals, con artists, poisoners. You've never been scared before.""I've never had this much to lose before." His voice was raw. "I love you. More than I ever thought possible. And the idea of something happening to you because of
Chapter 55
Esperanza stood in the empty living room, staring at the door Diego had just rushed through. In all the time she'd known him—through crisis, danger, and impossible situations—she'd never seen him rattled like this.She was the CEO of a multibillion-dollar conglomerate. She didn't scare easily. Fear was a luxury she couldn't afford in boardrooms filled with sharks and vultures disguised as business partners. She'd faced down hostile takeovers, corporate espionage, and attempts to undermine her authority with nothing but cold calculation and steel resolve.But seeing Diego—her Diego, the man who faced everything with unshakeable calm—genuinely frightened? That terrified her more than any business threat ever could.His cool, collected demeanor had cracked. And that crack revealed depths of fear she hadn't known he was capable of feeling.She pulled out her phone and called her father."Esperanza? Is everything alright?""I need to come stay at the compound for a few days. Diego thinks i
Chapter 56
The room erupted in chaos the moment Diego's words registered."Who the hell are you?" Alvaro shot to his feet, his grief instantly transforming into rage. "How did you get in here? What kind of sick bastard walks into a hospital room and tells a father his son is going to die?""Security!" The head doctor—a stern-looking man in his fifties with wire-rimmed glasses—barked the order. "Detain this man immediately!"Three guards rushed forward, grabbing Diego's arms roughly and forcing them behind his back. Diego didn't resist, his expression remaining perfectly calm despite the violent response."I've seen what I came to see," Diego said evenly. "I'll leave now.""Like hell you will!" Alvaro moved to block the door, his face flushed crimson. "You think you can drop a bomb like that and just walk away? Who the fuck do you think you are?""Sir, please—" One of the nurses tried to intervene, but Alvaro waved her off violently."Someone answer me! Who is this man and what is he doing in my
Chapter 57 PART 1
"What do you mean we're all in danger?" Alvaro demanded, his voice tight with barely controlled panic. "Explain yourself!"Diego's hands moved slowly over Henandez's body, not quite touching but tracing patterns only he could sense. "All the signs and symptoms of a nerve pinching technique are evident. The blue veining, the progressive paralysis, the specific pattern of neural disruption. Your son's energy has been turned inward against him.""Energy? What energy?" Alvaro looked desperately between Diego and his son's still form."The body's natural bioelectric field. Life force, if you prefer simpler terms." Diego's fingers hovered over Henandez's chest. "The attack disrupted the flow, creating a cascade that's slowly shutting down his vital systems. If it's not reversed, it will kill him."Dr. Mendoza, who'd remained near the door despite being dismissed, burst into rough laughter. "This is complete bullshit! Nerve pinching techniques? Life force? Energy fields? Senator, this charla