Reborn as Mr.CEO's Fat Wife-Chapter 968: Is He That Important to You?

David Locke lit a cigarette and insisted on taking a shower despite his inconveniently injured leg.

Mary Scott felt uneasy and stayed outside the bathroom. When David came out, she saw Mary leaning against the bathroom wall, dozing off. Her head bobbed forward like a little chick pecking at grains.

Finding the scene amusing, David moved closer and propped up Mary’s chin with his hand. His nose brushed against her loose strands of dark hair, which carried a faint fragrance identical to the shampoo scent on him—subtle yet alluring. Unable to resist, he buried his nose into her hair.

Mary startled awake and, with sleepy eyes, looked up at the man beside her. Noticing his face buried entirely in her hair, the corners of her lips curved slightly, and she affectionately rubbed her forehead against David’s neck, her voice raspy, "Finished showering? You didn’t bump into anything, did you?"

"No," David responded with a low chuckle; Mary’s waking concern clearly delighted him.

Still worried, Mary lowered her head, wanting to check David’s wound, but he pressed her down with his broad hand and finally lifted his face from her hair. "Don’t move. Let me indulge a bit longer."

With that, he buried his face back into her hair. Even though they had already crossed the boundaries of propriety these past days, Mary couldn’t help feeling flustered by David’s obsessive gesture. She obediently let him continue.

They stayed like that outside the bathroom until David’s hair was mostly dry, then moved to the bed.

Mary lay half-sprawled on David’s chest, her cheeks tinged pink. She had thought that when the news broke, exposing her family background, it would mark the worst moment in their relationship. Yet, unexpectedly, it became the beginning of their closest, most trusting bond—and even more unanticipated was how, amidst the commotion outside, the two of them could shamelessly bask in each other.

Thinking about it, she couldn’t help but bury her face deeper into David’s embrace.

David laughed mischievously, his voice lowered, "Stop hiding. What if you suffocate?"

He gently lifted Mary’s head from his arm and said, "Let’s talk about Alfred."

"He just started school recently. I was worried that someone might expose him because of the fallout from my situation, so I wanted him to take a leave of absence and lie low for a while. But that boy won’t listen. He said he’d already taken half a year off, and it wouldn’t look good to take more time off just after going back for a few days." Mary pouted, resting her chin in David’s palm, her eyes sparkling as she voiced her complaints.

David adored her in that moment, caressing her flushed cheeks with his other hand. In a low voice, he reassured, "The public interest is already dying down, and Alfred does have a point. If you’re still uneasy, I can arrange for a couple of people to watch over him discreetly. If anything happens, they’ll inform you immediately."

"But... won’t that be troublesome?" Mary licked her lips.

David couldn’t help but laugh at her expression. "What trouble? It’s just hiring people."

"Well... okay." After conceding, Mary couldn’t resist asking, "Will it be expensive?"

David chuckled again, teasing, "Tell me, just how poor are you?"

Embarrassed, Mary shot him a glare, but thinking about the penalty fees for breaking contracts with LG and Raspberry, her shoulders slumped. "I really am pretty poor."

David looked at her weighed down by financial troubles. He should’ve felt heartache, but for some reason, he just wanted to laugh. His slender fingers pinched the soft flesh of her cheek. "If you’re a bit more proactive tonight, I might consider giving you an advance on your paycheck for ’The Doctors.’"

Mary’s eyes lit up briefly but quickly dimmed again. She glanced at David with a dejected look, as if accusing him of trying to fool her. Given her current situation, how could she possibly star in "The Doctors"? Even if David agreed, what about the investors and producers? Moreover, she couldn’t bear to compromise his hard work.

David noticed her gloom, gently rubbed her head, and said, "It’s not over yet. It might still be fixable."

Mary didn’t respond but rubbed her chin against David’s palm. "Go to sleep."

David didn’t say more, pulling her into his arms, gently running his hand up and down her back. Before long, she was breathing evenly, like a kitten soothed into slumber.

The next morning.

Mary woke up instinctively reaching out to the space beside her, which was, as usual, empty.

She sat dazed on the bed for quite some time, recalling an old piece of dark humor she’d once read: "If your life feels easy, someone else is likely carrying the burdens for you."

The person bearing her burdens now was David Locke.

Her heart ached, softened. Getting out of bed, she spotted a black card on the nightstand, held down by a note. She picked it up and read David’s handwriting: "Salary card turned in to the wife."

At the bottom, he had drawn a cartoon of a wolf pup holding a card in its mouth. With just a few strokes, he captured the pup’s essence vividly, its expression clear and strikingly similar to David’s. Beneath the wolf pup was a delicate fawn, its eyes wide with innocence, contrasting sharply with the brave wolf pup.

Mary felt her eyes sting. Amused and touched, she pocketed the card and picked up her phone, which she had set to "Do Not Disturb." She sent David a message, then dialed Lawyer Yardley to settle the legal fees.

Much of her success in severing ties with Starlight Entertainment was thanks to him.

However, when she explained her purpose for the call, Lawyer Yardley politely declined, "Mrs. Locke, there’s no need. Director Locke has already paid."

Mary froze for a moment, then thanked him and hung up. Just then, David’s message arrived: "There’s no limit on the card. You’re not worried I can’t afford to support you anymore, right?"

Staring at the message, Mary pursed her lips. "No, I’m not worried. I’ll make sure to spend recklessly."

On the other side of the phone, David raised an eyebrow and smiled, his mood improving even further.

Mary truly wasn’t shy. After replying to David, she called Grace Rachel to relieve her of advocacy duties and transferred the remaining public relations fees to her.

Once finished, Mary called the respective heads of LG and Raspberry to discuss compensation, then tasked Lawyer Yardley to handle the details.

With those arrangements settled, only "Detectives and Wilderness" remained. According to the original schedule, she was supposed to film the third episode with the crew tomorrow. But given the current situation, it was obvious she couldn’t participate, nor could she even complete the last two episodes. Even though the program was initially contracted through Starlight Entertainment, she had still accepted a 6-million fee. Breaching the agreement meant compensation—even if the investor was Lambert Norman, rules were rules.

Simon Baker quickly assured her, "What? Compensation? No need. Although ’Wilderness’ has only aired two episodes, the buzz you generated has already filled the sponsorship slots. Even if you step away, it won’t matter."

Mary tried to argue, but Simon interrupted her again. "Miss Scott, it’s settled. Forget about breaching the contract. This program was Mr. Norman’s gift to you in the first place. If you have other issues, you can discuss them with him directly. Also, the others on the team asked me to pass along their words: They’ll always support you."

Although it had only been two episodes, Mary had brought life to the entire project. Everyone had gotten along well, and even with the recent fallout, they only felt pity for her.

Warmth filled Mary’s chest. Sparing Simon further trouble, she called Lambert directly.

From the moment David had stepped in yesterday, Lambert had been dealing with chaos. Several of his artists were being dragged into scandals by David, and he was grappling with the cold reality that his careful schemes had failed spectacularly. Worse still, he knew there was a significant risk of Mary learning the truth about his past manipulations. Fearing her wrath, he hesitated a long time before answering her call.

Fortunately, David seemed magnanimous enough not to reveal Lambert’s scheming to Mary outright. After hearing Mary’s explanation, Lambert frowned slightly. "Mary, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes. I only entered the industry to make money. With things as they are, the audience won’t support a tarnished actress like me. There’s no point in staying." Mary spoke candidly, her regret over dragging him into this apparent.

"But if you leave, you won’t be able to act anymore," Lambert responded softly.

Feigning lightheartedness, Mary said, "I never liked acting that much anyway."

Mary had told the same lie to David, a lie that felt heavier each time she said it.

Initially, she truly had no love for acting when she entered the industry. She didn’t even understand what it entailed. But through years of hard work, she had come to love this once foreign art form immensely. She relished playing different roles and had been elated when David offered her the female lead role in "The Doctors." She had thoroughly prepared herself, eagerly waiting for the cameras to roll and showcase her efforts.

But now...

No matter how much pain laced her heart, Mary knew the trade-off was necessary. Giving up her career was the best choice in the current situation. Otherwise, the man by her side would only sink deeper into her troubles, tirelessly shielding her and paying the price of being further entangled in her fallout.

She could promise to stay loyal to David, to remain by his side, but she couldn’t bear to see him burdened any longer.

Lambert could hear the forced ease in her voice. The pain in his chest deepened. He had watched every work Mary had ever appeared in, be it as a lead, a supporting role, or even a background extra. It was clear to him how much she had grown to love acting over the years. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have spent her days struggling in different sets even while being subjected to unfair treatment.

And now, her decision... it was unmistakably tied to him and his endless manipulating. Lambert’s plan to take her under his wing had backfired bitterly. Hearing her determined words only amplified his regret. All he could feel now was the sting of David’s mockery lingering like a wound that wouldn’t heal.

"Mary, are you sure?" Lambert asked softly.

"Yes," Mary replied, her tone steady yet burdened with hidden emotions.

Lambert fell silent, his heart burning. Remembering David’s deliberate open collar from the other day and the visible traces of intimacy beneath, any guilt he’d felt earlier dissipated, replaced by a flame of jealousy and anger. "Is he that important to you?"

"You, of all people, should know better than anyone," Mary answered solemnly, ignoring the turmoil unwinding on the other end of the line.

Lambert froze. Yes, he understood Mary’s feelings better than anyone. That was precisely why he’d sown seeds of doubt between her and David, making it seem like her affections were misplaced all those years ago. It was why, in M Kingdom, he had tiptoed around her emotional boundaries, carefully nurturing an impossible fantasy of replacing David.

And yet, he was left empty-handed. All that remained was a broken dream of winning her heart after having her witness David’s flaws firsthand. What he hadn’t foreseen, however, was how David had managed to claw his way back into her heart completely, and irrevocably.

When all else failed, Lambert could only offer a self-mocking laugh, surrendering to fate. His deflated sigh echoed over the line. "Alright, Mary. How can I help you?"

Mary hesitated before softly stating her request, "Can you help me arrange a press conference? I want it kept confidential until the date is fixed."

"So you intend to keep this from him?" Lambert immediately picked up on her thoughts.

Mary whispered a soft "Yes."

"He wouldn’t agree, otherwise."

She had spent the last two days keeping an ear to the news. David pretended to be indifferent, but his actions behind the scenes spoke volumes. He was flipping the entertainment world upside down, leveraging every connection he had to shield her, dragging others down in the process. If he continued, he’d end up irreparably blacklisted—not to mention incurring even more clandestine enemies.

The entertainment world was unpredictable; powerful figures lurked in everyone’s shadows. Mary knew she couldn’t let David keep throwing himself into the fire for her. The mess he was creating had already begun to ripple out of control.

If even Duke Blue dared to hire someone to harm her, who else might retaliate against David in secret?

Mary couldn’t sit by idly, letting David burn more bridges for her sake. It was time for her to do her part.

Yes, walking away from an industry she loved would tear at her heart, but in comparison to the man she adored, walking away was a small sacrifice.

He intended to protect her, shield her from harm. But how could she allow herself to stand by and do nothing? ƒreewebɳovel.com

"Have you thought this through?" Lambert attempted one final plea. "If you let the heat die down, you might find the opportunity to reemerge, slowly and safely..."

Mary interrupted him, her words resolute. "No, I’ve made up my mind. I’m stepping away."

Heaving a sigh, knowing he couldn’t change her mind, Lambert relented. "Alright, I’ll help."

Mary exhaled softly, relieved. "Thank you."

Once the details were settled, Lambert hung up. Mary noticed a new message from David, asking what she wanted for lunch. She stared at the screen for a moment and mischievously typed back, "You."

Meanwhile, David had been up since five, listening to updates from his colleagues. Upon seeing Mary’s reply, his hand slipped, and his phone landed on the floor. He coughed to recover, composing himself. "A slight mishap. Continue."

The once-tense office went silent for a beat before resuming its activity. Martin leaned over cautiously to remind him, "Director Locke, seven additional calls have come in from higher-ups. If this continues, your position in the industry might..."

David’s expression was calm, his tone cold, interrupting firmly, "Carry on."

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