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Chapter 46: Your sister is here
Date de publication:
2026-09-17 20:50:54
Dernier chapitre
From substitute bride to CEO Chapter 133: She believed in second chances
The ballroom was full by the time Chloe stepped onto the stage. People from across the luxury industry filled the room—designers, investors, journalists, buyers, and executives sat beneath the warm lights, waiting for her to speak. Tonight wasn’t only about jewelry. It was about the woman behind it.Chloe stood at the front of the room in a simple black dress that fell elegantly around her. Her hair was pulled back, leaving her face uncovered. But what caught the light wasn’t her dress. It was the small bird resting against her throat. The engraved necklace. Her mother’s necklace. For years, Chloe had kept it close but hidden. Tonight, she had chosen to wear it where everyone could see. She touched it briefly before looking out at the audience.“Thank you for being here.”Her voice carried easily through the room. She paused.“My brand started with something very personal.”The room quieted.“I’ve always loved jewelry, but I didn’t understand why until I was older.”Her fingers brushe
From substitute bride to CEO Chapter 132: I owe you an apology
The office was unusually quiet that evening. Most of the staff had already gone home, leaving only the soft hum of the air conditioning and the faint glow of the city beyond the glass windows. Lucien sat behind his desk, but he wasn’t working. The meeting from earlier kept replaying in his mind—not because of the mistake itself, but because of how quickly Chloe had looked at him after he made it. For half a second, there had been something familiar in her eyes. That old hesitation. That instinct to pull back. And Lucien had hated seeing it. He had spent so long trying to prove that he was no longer the man who made her feel invisible, that realizing he had almost slipped into that version of himself again had shaken him more than he wanted to admit.A soft knock came at the door. Lucien looked up.“Come in.”Caleb walked inside with a tablet in his hand.“I brought the revised figures from the meeting.”“Leave them there.”Caleb placed the tablet on the desk. He turned to leave.“Cale
From substitute bride to CEO Chapter 131: He caught himself
The meeting was supposed to be simple. Chloe had been invited to Grey Group's headquarters to discuss a potential collaboration between her jewelry brand and one of the company's luxury divisions, and although the idea involved business between them, she had made sure from the beginning that she would be treated like any other CEO in the room.She arrived with her assistant and took her seat at the long conference table. Lucien was already there with Caleb and three senior executives."Good morning," Chloe said."Good morning, Miss Campbell," one of the executives replied.Lucien looked at her for a second before giving a small nod. "Thanks for coming.""Of course."The meeting started well. Numbers were discussed, timelines were reviewed, and the executives presented a proposal that Chloe listened to carefully. Then one of the slides appeared on the screen.Chloe leaned forward. "I don't think that launch date will work."The executive looked at her. "Why not?""The campaign is too c
From substitute bride to CEO Chapter 130: Thank you Lucien
The final decision came on a quiet morning in Chloe's studio. The collection had already been completed, photographed, displayed and discussed by people far more interested in numbers than she was. The only thing missing was its name.Her team had gathered around the long table in the middle of the studio, surrounded by sketches, sample pieces and trays of unfinished jewelry."Everything is ready," Zoe said, flipping through the final launch schedule. "Except the name."Chloe sat at the end of the table with one of the pieces resting between her fingers. The engraved bird caught the morning light."Maybe we don't need one," Chloe said.Zoe stared at her. "Every collection needs a name.""Why?""Because that's how this industry works."Chloe smiled. "You sound like my lawyer.""I'll take that as a compliment.""It wasn't."Zoe laughed. "Fine, genius, what are you calling it?"Chloe looked down at the necklace. She remembered the first time she'd held it as a child. She remembered carry
From substitute bride to CEO Chapter 129: I want to be part of yours too
The twins had been asleep for almost an hour when Chloe finally received Lucien's message.‘Can I see you tomorrow?’She stared at it for a while before replying. ‘Where?’‘Somewhere quiet.’She knew what he wanted to talk about before she even agreed. Still, she typed: ‘Okay.’The next afternoon, they met at a quiet café away from the places where people knew them. Chloe arrived first. She chose a table near the window and ordered tea, keeping her phone beside her as she watched people pass outside.When Lucien walked in, his eyes found her immediately. He approached without rushing. "Hi.""Hi."He sat across from her. For a few seconds, neither spoke. Then Lucien rested his hands on the table. "I want to tell you something, and I don't want you to feel like you have to answer me today."Chloe looked at him carefully. "Okay.""I want to be part of their lives fully."Her expression softened slightly. "Leo and Leah?""Yes, but not only them."She already knew what he meant. She waited
From substitute bride to CEO Chapter 128: They're still their grandparents
Chloe almost said no when Richard and Evelyn asked to meet the twins. The request came through a message from Evelyn, carefully worded and without the confidence Chloe remembered from years ago.“We would like to meet Leo and Leah, if you are comfortable with that. We understand if you're not.”Chloe read it while sitting at the kitchen table, her coffee cooling beside her. She didn't answer immediately.When Zoe walked in, she found Chloe staring at the phone. "What's wrong?""Richard and Evelyn want to meet the twins."Zoe stopped. "Oh it's their turn now?”"That's exactly what I thought.""Are you going to let them?"Chloe looked toward the living room where Leo and Leah were playing. "I don't know.""You don't owe them access.""I know.""But?"Chloe sighed softly. "They're still their grandparents."Zoe pulled out a chair. "Then make the rules."Chloe looked at her. "I was planning to."So she did. The meeting would be at the hotel restaurant. Public. Short. No gifts without her
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