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The Billionaire's Substitute Bride 27
SOPHIA An Immaculate Deception.The internet was on fire with headlines.“Please, SHARE A KISS; I tell you, Ricci Russo and his hot wife Sophia are the definition of romance!”“A contemporary fairytale—billionaire sweeps wife off feet.”“From a shrewd businessman to the most loving husband—Ricci Russo shocks the world.The photos that went along with the headlines made me sick.Ricci, the calculating man, performed his role without a hitch. He would pull my chair out at restaurants, his fingers skimming my skin just enough to feel intimate. He’d step forward while I was talking, staring into my eyes like I was the most interesting thing on the planet. And the worst part? After every meal, he kissed my hand, an act so rehearsed, so deliberate that it was captured on film each time.Each contrived second added to the illusion.Strangers wrote under the articles, raving about how fortunate I was.“She’s living every girl’s dream!”“The way he looks at her. Like I need a Ricci Russo.”
The Billionaire's Substitute Bride 26
SOPHIA Departure and the first blow.I watched as Isabella zipped up my last suitcase and patted it like she had just finished some great accomplishments.Meanwhile, I sat on the edge of the bed, arms folded, as if my life were spinning out into some awful soap opera.“All done,” Isabella said, turning with a big smile toward me. “Your fake honeymoon awaits.”I released a slow breath, looking at the luggage as if it could grow legs and gallop away. Because that is exactly what I wanted to do.“Remind me why I’m doing this again?” I muttered.“Because Ricci would have made your life hell if you didn't,” Isabella smirked while crossing her arms. She has obviously come to realize that I wasn't as much in love with Ricci as she had expected.“And, deep down, you know you love drama.”I shot her a glare. “I do not.”She shrugged. “Whatever you say.”I grimaced, massaging my temples. This was insane. A fake honeymoon? Ricci had already ghost-written me into matrimony, and now he wanted to
The Billionaire's Substitute Bride 25
SOPHIA An Unfriendly Acquaintance.The soft knock pulled me out of my daze.“Lunch is ready,” Isabella called through the door.I blew out a breath and rubbed my temples. I was still so taken aback by my realization earlier, and my mind wasn’t in the best of places. The voice was still echoing in my mind—the threat, the slip, the unsettling realization that the voice had been a woman’s.I hadn't told Ricci yet.I didn’t know why I was hesitating, but something told me to sit with this information a little while longer before I threw it at him. Wasn't like he needed to know anyways.Isabella knocked again.“Coming,” I grunted as I rolled off the bed.We strolled in silence down the hallway toward the dining hall. I looked around as Isabella shuffled hurriedly and nervously, her head darting sideways intermittently."What's with you?" I asked.She glanced over, blinking as if she hadn’t noticed I was watching. "Nothing.""Liar."She let out a small sigh. "Ricci has a guest."I frowned
The Billionaire's Substitute Bride 24
RICCI Wildfire.The screens in front of me just seemed to cycle through every possible mention—my name stretched across the headlines of each one like just another cheap tabloid scandal. Is Ricci Romano's Marriage a Business Deal? Empire Built on Lies? The media wasn’t merely speculating—they were out for blood.I took a deep breath, tapping my fingers on the desk. Somebody had pulled this off. This was no accident, and it damn sure wasn’t just some journalist who happened to stumble on a rumor. This was definitive and deliberate.A knock at the door.“Come in,” I said, my voice clipped.Leo entered, his face inscrutable, but I knew him well enough to register the tension in his shoulders. He had that look—the one he always got before he delivered bad news.I sighed and closed my eyes. I was not ready for whatever he wanted to say.“You’re not gonna like this,” he said, slamming his phone on my desk.I glanced at the screen. An anonymous source with inside knowledge of my contracted
The Billionaire's Substitute Bride 23
SOPHIA Caught in Between.The headline stared back at me like an accusation, each word searing itself into my skin.“Ricci Russo’s Marriage a Deal? Sources Say Sophia Williams Was Purchased in a Contract Deal.”I clutched my phone, my breath hitching in my throat. I was immediately consumed with noise, a ringing that put every other sound around me to shame.No.My shaking fingers forced themselves to scroll down, my pulse pounding in my chest as I skimmed the article. It was like I was slapped with every sentence. The specifics, so exact, so carefully tailored to make me appear pitiful, showed with no question that whoever had leaked this meant to humiliate me.But I hadn’t told anyone.Only Ricci and my father, who signed the contract, knew.So who did this?I suddenly shivered; I tried to ruin Ricci and in the end…The caller. I was so sure that this had everything to do with the caller.I exhaled shakily, my hand tightening around the edge of the table as I exited the article and
The Billionaire's Substitute Bride 22
RICCI An unexpected Twist.I was awakened by the sound of my phone vibrating against the nightstand. Not just one call—several.I groped blindly for it, my fingers curling around the cool metal as I rolled onto my back. The notifications filled the screen as I stared at it. As I sat up, my chest felt tight.Scandal.I knew—the notifications on the screen had already spelled out a lot. I took a slow breath and opened the news app.Ruthless Tycoon or Faithless Husband? Ricci Russo Caught in Bed with an Unknown Mistress!My stomach twisted into a knot. The shot had been taken while I was still unaware; the angle was a trick. I was too close; her fingers dug into the sheet, and her face turned so it was impossible to identify her. There was a flicker of something unreadable in my face.I clenched my jaw. The media was crafting its own narrative.Sophia. This was her doing. She did this. I should have stopped her when I had the chance. How she stormed out of dinner last night, her emotion
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