Todos os capítulos de The CEO’s Wife Was Never Just a Substitute: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

A heavy silence fell over the room.Nathan’s expression darkened instantly, and a quiet gasp rippled through the crowd.Sharon was left speechless, her eyes brimming with tears, looking utterly aggrieved.In the end, Nathan stepped forward and paid his respects to Lizzie’s father.He stood before the casket, his back straight, yet for some reason, a tightness crept into his chest.Lizzie never looked at him again.After a brief pause, Nathan stepped back.Turning around, Nathan looked at the slender figure. He hesitated, then finally spoke. “Liz, I’ll stay.”“Nat…” Sharon suddenly pressed a hand to her forehead, her body swaying slightly as she murmured, “I feel dizzy… I don’t feel very well…”The hand clutching his sleeve trembled faintly, as if she could collapse at any moment.Nathan’s hand hovered midair.A few seconds later, he still reached out to steady her. “I’ll take her back to the hotel first. As for things here…”“No need,” Lizzie said lightly. “It’s my father’s funeral. I

A tight pressure settled in her chest. Lizzie took a slow breath, then opened Nathan’s social media again.The page loaded, and one entry after another filled the screen—his schedule.[Sharon—checkup][Sharon—book flights and hotel][Sharon—birthday][Sharon—…]As for Lizzie, only one entry appeared, buried all the way at the bottom. The day they got married, three years ago.Lizzie leaned back in her chair, her fingertips turning faintly cold.She pushed the feeling down and opened another folder, scrolling through Nathan’s recent property purchases and stock trades.She didn’t understand most of it, but that didn’t matter.She photographed everything she could find, compiled it into an email, and sent it to Victoria.The reply came quickly:[The information is useful. Thank you, we’re making good progress on our end.]She closed the laptop and stood.The rain from earlier hadn’t stopped. Lizzie walked to the window and cracked it open slightly. A gust of cold air, laced with rain,

His tone was gentle, as if he were thinking of her in every way. But Lizzie knew him too well.Those words were nothing more than a way to ease his own faint sense of guilt. He was certain she would, as always, be sensible enough to refuse.“Sure,” Lizzie said.“Hm? What did you say?” Nathan froze for a moment, not quite processing it.“I said sure. I’m almost fully recovered. It might be nice to meet your friends.” Lizzie smiled.After all, there probably wouldn’t be another chance to see them again.The next evening, at a private club.The spacious, well-appointed main hall was open to all members. The lighting was dim, rows of liquor bottles lined the walls, reflecting a warm golden glow.Further inside were the exclusive VIP rooms.Lizzie walked in beside Nathan.She wore a simple beige knit dress, her makeup light and understated.As the private room door opened, laughter and chatter spilled out.“Nathan’s here? Oh, you brought someone tonight?”Someone recognized Lizzie. “This

He didn’t even bother opening it. “Put this away, and I’ll pretend none of this happened.”Lizzie took in his reaction, then opened the envelope, pulled out the documents, and handed him a pen. “Mr. Hall, you’re experienced in signing contracts. You might as well sign this one too.”She spread the papers out, her fingertip tapping lightly over each clause, pausing especially at the section on marital assets.“Ten luxury properties in Rivergate. Ten percent of your company shares. Four million as compensation for the three-year marriage.”Nathan let out a long breath and rubbed his temple. “You seem to know my assets pretty well. So, this divorce is about money?”Lizzie looked at him and gently shook her head.“In your eyes, is that all I am?”Her thoughts drifted back to three years ago—how she had rushed into marrying him.Her mother had passed early, her father was in the late stages of cancer, and she had been left to hold everything together alone while juggling her studies and run

Lizzie shook her head. “No.”Her voice was soft, as if cutting off that piece of memory.Whitney glanced at her, then suddenly reached over and ruffled her hair. “Alright, forget the past. Let’s talk about what’s next.”“What next?”“I’ve decided!” Whitney slapped the steering wheel. “I’m lining up twenty candidates for you!”“Don’t be ridiculous.”“Relax, I have standards! Eight-pack abs, broad shoulders, long legs, emotionally available—men who actually know how to show up.”She paused, then added with a sharp edge, “Definitely not like your brain-dead ex.”Lizzie laughed. “We’re not divorced yet. He’s just the soon-to-be ex.”The car finally pulled into a residential complex in the west side of the city.The greenery was lush, the surroundings quiet, with barely any foot traffic. The air carried a faint, clean scent of trees.Whitney helped her carry the luggage upstairs, talking as they went. “The landlords are overseas most of the year. I told them you’re an artist—quiet and easyg