All Chapters of The Substitute Bride : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

148 Chapters

Good news alongside a bad news

Klaus stepped into his boss’s study after being summoned, his footsteps quiet on the polished floor. Only seconds earlier, he had left this same room while Rivero drifted into an exhausted sleep. At the time, everything had been in perfect order. Now, the space looked like a battlefield. Had Klaus not known better, he would have sworn their turf had been infiltrated by spies from a rival gang. His gaze swept across the room and landed on a photograph lying on the massive mahogany desk. Klaus’s face tightened into a deep frown. He scanned the large study for any sign of his boss but found nothing. Turning to leave, he had taken only a few steps toward the door when muffled sobs reached his ears. His hand froze on the brass knob. Slowly, he turned back. A pair of expensive shoes protruded from behind the desk. Klaus moved closer. What he found behind the heavy mahogany table made his heart drop. Rivero was sprawled on the floor in a broken heap. His usually impeccable hair was disheve

Office Enemy l

Few hours ago! Chloe’s sudden sneeze shattered the heavy silence inside the car as they drove toward the Reigns Corporation. It was her second sneeze in ten minutes. She flicked her hair back over her shoulder and lifted her head, meeting Liam’s sharp gaze. “Did you catch a cold?” he asked. Chloe shook her head quickly. “I did not. It’s just a sneeze.” She wasn’t entirely sure whether the sneezes came from the long, steamy shower she had taken earlier or if someone out there was calling her name. Whatever the reason, it felt like a jinx. “Good,” Liam replied flatly, already turning his attention back to his phone. “Because I wouldn’t have my employee sick on her first day at work.” Chloe scoffed under her breath and mimicked him in a mocking whisper. ‘I wouldn’t want my employee sick on her first day at work.’ It’s not like I chose to fall sick, she thought bitterly, nor did I apply to work for you. She grimaced and rolled her eyes. She turned her gaze to the window, desperate

New Beginnings and Silent Shadows

Passing through the same gleaming hallway they had come through earlier, Chloe smiled at her reflection dancing across the glass walls. Hanah opened the elevator doors and stepped inside. Once the doors closed, Chloe could no longer hold back the question that had been nagging at her since they left Liam’s private floor. “Hanah, uhm—” She smiled nervously, trying to mask her curiosity. Not wanting to come across as overly inquisitive, she quickly shut her mouth and stared straight ahead. “Yes, Chloe? You were trying to say something,” Hanah prompted gently. “Ah—it’s alright. Never mind.” Chloe dismissed the thought too quickly. Hanah turned to face her with the brightest, most encouraging smile. “Look, Chloe, it’s alright if you want to ask anything. Feel free. You’re one of us now.” Chloe hesitated for only a second before the words tumbled out. “It’s just that I noticed Mr. Liam occupies a whole floor.” “Oh! That’s nothing,” Hanah replied lightly. “Mr. Liam has the tendency to

Office Politics And Silent Defiance

A few seconds after the manager left, Chloe remained standing awkwardly, maintaining a polite smile while the group engaged her in a silent, fierce staring contest. No one made any move to approach or introduce themselves. It was as if they were waiting for an invisible signal or someone’s permission before they could act. Chloe’s eyes singled out one particular woman whose gaze was locked on her with unmistakable hostility, as though they shared a personal vendetta. Standing behind a bulky man, the woman wore a cunning smile that suggested she was thoroughly satisfied with the tense situation. Chloe was momentarily taken aback, wondering what could possibly be amusing about such a cold welcome. In response, Chloe gave her a stern, unwavering look, ignoring the presence of the others and whatever judgments they might form. After several long moments of this intense eye battle, the woman finally rolled her eyes dramatically and walked away, her heels clicking sharply against the floor

The Office Witch And Unexpected Crowns

Chloe looked up to see the woman Darlyn had mentioned earlier—Trisha—standing in her cubicle with another lady beside her. The accomplice clutched several thick folders tightly against her left arm. Chloe wondered what had brought them to her space so soon. “Who do we have here? Well, if it isn’t the murderer,” Trisha said suavely, tilting her head to the side with a mocking smile. Chloe forced a polite smile, straightening her back against the swivel chair and clasping her hands together. She took a full view of the woman she had already mentally tagged as the ‘office witch.’ If she had to be honest, Trisha was quite beautiful—oval face, striking brown eyes, straight nose, and thin lips coated in heavy red lipstick. Her figure was average, not overly curvy, with slender legs. But her beauty only amplified her bitchiness. After assessing her, Chloe glanced at the nervous-looking accomplice. The woman had short black hair pulled into a neat ponytail, red palazzo pants, a white long-

Numb feeling

Chapter 26: Bitter Coffee and Shattered Illusions Chloe eventually accepted Darlyn’s offer to buy her lunch after his firm refusal to take “no” for an answer. He had insisted it was his only way of apologizing for the department’s icy welcome earlier. She didn’t know how to refuse him anymore. Now seated in the charming café she had spotted from Liam’s office window, Chloe chose the table closest to the counter, facing the entrance. This gave her a full view of the lively space downstairs, even if she couldn’t see the upper level. “So, how did you end up here?” Darlyn asked, giving her a skeptical look. It was the first time he had spoken since they arrived at the café. Chloe nearly choked on her coffee. Her heartbeat spiked. Out of all the possible questions, he had picked the one she least expected and had no prepared answer for. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over her. She sipped her coffee slowly, desperately trying to mask her nervousness. “It’s a long story. Trust me, you

Echoes of the Heart And Unwanted Truths

After Liam returned to his office from the café that Gwen had basically dragged him to—claiming he owed her a date—he ended the outing earlier than expected. His mind and soul had remained trapped downstairs the moment he saw Chloe’s face. Despite Gwen’s attempts to spice things up by throwing herself at him, his thoughts were elsewhere. At first, he hadn’t understood why she had booked the entire upper floor. Now, it was painfully clear. His mind drifted back to their conversation earlier that day. “Do you hate me, Liam?” Gwen had asked, blinking at him with a pitiful look in her smoldering eyes. Her voice had pulled him from his thoughts. “No,” he deadpanned, offering only a subtle reply. A quick pang of relief washed over her. She closed the distance between them, holding his gaze with that same pleading expression. “You claim not to hate me, but you always distance yourself from me,” she pouted. When he didn’t respond, she continued, “I’m sorry if you’re still upset with me. Le

Moonlight Shadows And Lost Threads

Chloe tossed and turned restlessly in her bed that night. The painful scene at the café replayed endlessly in her mind. She kept seeing the way Liam had completely ignored her existence, and how that glamorous vixen had snaked her arm possessively around his. Despite the few intense encounters they had shared, Chloe had formed a deep impression of Liam. He was ruthless, cruel, and incorrigibly heartless. The tiny spark of feeling she thought she harbored for him vanished the moment he had looked right through her at the café. What had she even been doing, letting her imagination convince her that Liam could change for the better? Tsk. I wish. She scoffed and turned her head toward the window she had left open earlier, mindful of the burn on her wrist. The moon hung full and bright in the sky, accompanied by a cold wind that she desperately needed to soothe her raging nerves. She climbed out of bed and slipped on her fluffy bedroom slippers at the foot of the bed. Padding over to t

Silent Gestures and Careful Distances

Liam returned to the mansion later that night. The living room was engulfed in pin-drop silence, and his footsteps echoed through the hallway on the first floor. His eyes instinctively flitted toward Chloe’s bedroom. The lights were off, suggesting she was already sound asleep. Blaze suddenly appeared, leaning casually against the hallway wall. He followed Liam’s line of sight and immediately understood what was running through his mind. “She’s asleep, if that’s what you’re wondering about.” Liam turned sharply to the intruder of his thoughts. “And what makes you think I was thinking about her?” he snapped, shooting Blaze a glare. “Who are you kidding, Liam? It’s written all over your voice. You do care for her,” Blaze stated bluntly. He could no longer stand by and watch this unfold blindly. “And who made you the judge of that?” Liam demanded, his tone cold and indifferent. “You’re only stalling the inevitable.” “What are you still doing in my house? Last I checked, you have y

Tangled Gazes and Rising Tensions

Several thoughts spiraled through Chloe’s mind as she stood in the parking lot. She knew exactly who had paid for the driver—it was the same person who had assigned him to her in the first place. Darlyn, she mumbled under her breath. She slipped the notes back into her purse and tossed it inside her bag. She was still trying to process everything when a car honked nearby. Smiling awkwardly at the driver she couldn’t clearly see through the tinted windows, she waved apologetically and hurried inside the building. Stepping into the lobby, she spotted Trisha talking to the receptionist at the counter, her back racing Chloe. In no mood for more trouble, Chloe tried to walk past as quietly as possible. Trisha’s face was the last thing she wanted to see right now. Who knows what the she-devil is up to this time, she hissed inwardly and headed straight for the elevator. “Chloe!” Chloe halted mid-step, a frown etching across her face. Whoever was calling her name was only drawing unwanted

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