The CEO’s Wife Was Never Just a Substitute のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 41 - チャプター 50

As she spoke, she gave Sharon a meaningful look. “Judging by how you look, things worked out?”The Grant family had always been as powerful as the Johnsons and the Halls in Rivergate, and their information network was just as sharp. The entanglement between Sharon and Nathan had never really been a secret in their circle. Yvonne naturally knew most of it.Now that Sharon had returned, the only unfortunate one was the woman who had married Nathan.But her sympathy went no further than that. She had never judged people by moral standards. To her, the outcome was what mattered. As for the process, whatever means were used, those were always secondary.A faint flush rose to Sharon’s cheeks. She answered vaguely, “Don’t tease me. Things are going… fairly smoothly.”After they ordered, the server closed the door behind him. Yvonne swirled her glass. “You didn’t ask me out just to catch up, did you?”Sharon lightly traced the rim of her glass, choosing her words. “Yvonne, I remember you m

She rinsed the last trace of paint from the tip of the brush, flicked off the excess water, then carefully smoothed the bristles before setting it on the rack to dry. Only after finishing did she take a towel from the side, wipe her hands, and pick up her phone.Felix pushed the door open, a draft of wind following him in.“Registered?” he asked.“Mm.” Lizzie nodded.“Which piece are you submitting?”“Lonely Me.”At that, Felix’s expression shifted with understanding. “That one’s good.”She created Lonely Me when she was sixteen.Back then, Noah had disappeared from her world without warning.She called him obsessively, sent message after message. There was never any reply.She waited for a long time, until every bit of hope burned away. She thought something had happened to him and worried endlessly, until one day, that long-silent chat suddenly flickered to life.She opened it at once. A single line appeared, in Noah’s usual tone: [Don’t contact me again.][There was never any rea

The next day, at the Grant residence.The estate was a classic garden-style mansion, with rock formations and flowing water. Passing through the corridors, one arrived at the reception hall.Gregory sat firmly in the high-backed carved wooden chair at the head of the room.His hair and beard were entirely white, yet his complexion was ruddy, his eyes sharp and restrained. His gaze swept past Heath and landed directly on Lizzie, sizing her up from head to toe. His brows immediately drew together in a deep frown.Gregory’s voice was loud but laced with unmistakable displeasure. “Heath, are you making a fool of me? This is the ‘most skilled restorer’ you were talking about? “What can this young girl possibly do? She’s not even as good as that young man from last time. His skills weren’t much, but at least he could barely meet my standards.”The “young man” he referred to was naturally Felix. “This Autumn Mountain Visit was passed down through generations. Its significance goes far be

Lizzie inclined her head slightly, a faint smile touching her lips. “I’ll do my utmost not to disappoint your trust, Mr. Grant Sr.”For the next full week, Lizzie practically lived at the Grant residence. Aside from eating and resting when necessary, all her time was devoted to Autumn Mountain Visit.The process was mentally exhausting, yet as she immersed herself in it, her mind grew unusually calm. When the final stroke was completed and the entire painting came together seamlessly, she finally let out a relieved smile.She didn’t know why, but while restoring this piece, everything had felt effortless, as if somewhere, something was quietly assuring her that she would succeed. Even that first damaged section, the tones she had worked with, her mother had made her practice mixing them countless times when she was still alive.Gregory personally inspected the finished work. Looking at the painting restored to its former state, he could hardly contain his excitement, praising it agai

“Oh? Then your parents must have put in a great deal of care, “Gregory pressed.Lizzie paused slightly. “My parents… have both passed away.” Her tone was calm, yet at the mention of them, a faint sheen of moisture surfaced in her eyes.She didn’t know why she felt so emotional today. Perhaps it was the quiet warmth Gregory carried, or perhaps it was the man sitting across from her, someone who had once been as close as family.Something about the atmosphere made her lower her guard without realizing it.At her words, Noah fell silent as well. He still remembered those years when they had been neighbors—the couple had treated him with great kindness. Twenty years ago, when he first arrived in Rivergate, he had, by chance, ended up living next door to Lizzie.That year, he was ten. Lizzie was five.In the early years, the aftereffects of the poisoning had left him in poor health. He coughed constantly, often waking in the middle of the night. It was Lizzie’s parents who prepared m