All Chapters of The House Husband is a Secret Tycoon : Chapter 1
- Chapter 9
9 chapters
Chapter One
"Sorry, sir. Ms. Mercer and her gentleman are hosting a celebration upstairs. We're not taking walk-ins today."What? Her gentleman? Then what was Julian?Three years of marriage kept secret from everyone and he'd never once set foot inside Mercer Industries. Now he stood at the security desk with a gift box in his hands, containing a limited edition Birkin, a perfect gift for their anniversary. But the guard just said she was upstairs with ‘her gentleman’. That didn't make sense. Julian was her husband. If anyone should be up there with her, it was him.His stomach twisted. Who was she with?They'd met in college. Back then, she didn’t just smile at him.She waited for him after his late classes, even when it was cold.She saved him a seat in crowded halls.She brought him food when he forgot to eat, and sat beside him until he finished every bite.She held his hand in front of people like she was proud of him.She used to look at him like he was the most important person in her w
Chapter Two
He sat on the cold steps outside Colette's house and told her everything, without missing any detail. Antonia listened without interrupting. When he finally stopped talking the line was very quiet.Then she spoke."If you need to cry, then cry. I won't judge you for it."Julian's breath caught. His throat closed up and his eyes burned hot. He covered his face with his hand and let out a sound he'd been holding back for hours. For years, maybe.His mother stayed on the line, saying nothing. When he finally stopped, she spoke again."I forgive you." She said, “But I will not pity you,”Julian exhaled. His chest loosened slightly, “I'm not asking for pity,”“Good. Because you do not deserve it,” She said, “I am aware of everything that has been happening to you over the past five years – including the events of this past month, and even what happened today.”“As my son, I refuse to accept you being a coward—a useless person who gets bullied but lacks the courage to strike back.” she s
Chapter Three
The woman stood beside the car, looking perfectly composed in her tailored suit, and smiled at him.Julian stared – he knew that face. She was Gianna Brennan, CEO of Apex Innovations, one of the largest tech companies in the region. The newspapers always referred to her as the Ice Queen because she was cold, untouchable and ruthless in business.There was a story about her that everyone repeated – how the richest man in the city had pursued her for months, sent her gifts, showed up at her office with flowers, and she'd turned him down without a second thought.But right now, she was giving him a warm smile, as if she'd known him for a long time and had been waiting for him."Young Master," she said again.Julian's expression remained hard. "Do I know you?"Gianna laughed softly. "Of course you do. We've met many times."He searched his memory and came up empty. "I don't remember –""This isn't a good place to talk," she said, gesturing to the car. "Please. Let me explain properly."
Chapter Four
"Justin, what you did was totally unacceptable! You need to come to my office and apologize to Sebastian, properly and in person."Colette's voice was sharp through the phone. Julian stared at the table in front of him, his coffee going cold."If you don't," she continued, "I will never forgive you for this. Do you understand me? Never.”There was silence for a while, then,"No," Julian said coldly, "Everything that happened tonight is your fault. Yours and Sebastian's. I'm not apologizing for anything."He heard muffled sounds on the other end, like someone was speaking in the background.Then Sebastian's voice cut through, loud enough for Julian to hear clearly. "Colette, it's fine. I don't need an apology. Really. I don't want to come between you two."Julian's jaw clenched.Of course Sebastian would say that. The perfect, understanding gentleman, making Julian look like the unreasonable one."See?" Colette snapped. "See how understanding he's being? And you can't even do the bare
Chapter Five
The security guard at the front desk barely looked up when Julian walked through the lobby of Mercer & Co.The guard nodded at him and waved him through without a word.Julian walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the twentieth floor. The divorce papers were folded in his jacket pocket, crisp and official against his chest.The elevator climbed slowly. Julian watched the numbers tick upward and felt nothing.When the doors opened, he stepped out into the familiar hallway. Colette's office was at the end – glass walls and a polished nameplate that read Colette Mercer, CEO in elegant lettering.The door was half-open.Julian could hear voices inside. Colette's laugh was bright and genuine in a way he hadn't heard in years, maybe ever.He pushed the door open and stepped inside.Colette and Sebastian were standing close together near her desk, heads tilted toward each other like they were sharing secrets. Sebastian said something low and Colette laughed again, her hand resti
Chapter Six
Panic flashed across Colette's face like lightning.Her hands gripped the divorce papers so tightly they crumpled at the edges. Her eyes, wide and disbelieving, searched Julian's face for some sign that this was a joke, some terrible misunderstanding."Why?" she demanded, her voice shaking. "Why are you bringing up divorce?"Julian looked at her with cold, detached eyes. "Because I don't love you anymore."The words landed like physical blows.Colette's face went pale, then flushed red. Tears welled up in her eyes but she blinked them back furiously."Is it just because I asked you to apologize?" she cried out. "You're doing this because I asked you to apologize to Sebastian?"Julian's expression didn't change. "Is that not enough?""Enough?" Colette's voice rose to a near-shriek. "You're going to throw away everything we've built together over the past three years? Everything we've shared? You're going to discard our entire history because of one argument?"She took a step toward him
Chapter Seven
Colette stood at the window of her office, staring down at the empty spot where Julian had been standing just moments ago.Her hands were still shaking.She pressed her palms flat against the glass, trying to steady herself, but it didn't help. Her whole body felt like it was vibrating with shock or maybe disbelief or something worse. "I shouldn't have signed," she whispered.Sebastian appeared beside her, close enough that she could smell his cologne."Don't say that," he said gently. "You did the right thing."Colette shook her head, her throat tight. "Julian's always been so calm. So compliant. He never pushes back, never argues. For him to act like this, to ask for a divorce..."She turned to look at Sebastian, her eyes wide and uncertain."Did I go too far?" she asked. "Maybe I did. Maybe I should have –""Stop," Sebastian cut her off firmly. "You didn't do anything wrong, Colette. Julian is the one at fault here. Not you.""But –""Listen to me," Sebastian said, his voice drop
Chapter Eight
Colette stood frozen in place, her hand still gripping the car door, her mouth hanging open.Sebastian was equally stunned beside her, his earlier smugness wiped clean from his face.Neither of them had expected this.The woman sitting in the driver's seat wasn't some random blonde Julian had picked up at a bar. She was Gianna Brennan, the legendary figure whose single contract had brought Mercer & Co more profit in six months than Colette had managed to secure in the previous two years combined.And she was the one person Colette had been desperately trying to expand a partnership with.Colette's mind raced, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.Why was Julian – her house husband, the man who cooked her meals and did her laundry – sitting in a car with someone as powerful as Gianna Brennan?It didn't make sense. None of this made sense.Colette released the car door and took a step back, her face flushing hot with embarrassment."Ms. Brennan," she stammered, forcing a smile th
Chapter Nine
By this time, a small crowd had gathered.They were employees from the building who had come outside for a smoke break or to catch some air, now standing in clusters near the entrance, their phones out, whispering to each other.Some of them had their cameras pointed directly at the scene unfolding in front of Gianna's car.Sebastian was still on the ground, clutching his wrist where Gianna had twisted it, his face pale with shock and pain. Colette knelt beside him, her hands fluttering uselessly over him like she didn't know what to do.And Gianna stood over them both, her expression cold and commanding."Haven't you two made enough of a scene?" Gianna had just said, her voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. "Do you really want to keep pushing your luck?"The whispers grew louder as people confirmed her identity, "Is that Gianna Brennan?""The CEO of Apex Innovations?""What's she doing here?""Did you see what she just did to that guy?""Who are those two on the ground?"S