All Chapters of From substitute bride to CEO : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Lucien sat behind his desk, staring at the document in front of him. The same page had been open for nearly twenty minutes, and he hadn't read a single line. His pen rested loosely between his fingers as his thoughts drifted somewhere else entirely."You choose not to look."Chloe's voice echoed in his head again. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed a hand across his face. It wasn't like him to lose focus during work. Normally, once he stepped into his office, everything else stayed outside those doors. But today was different.The argument from the previous night refused to leave him alone. Then there was what he had seen earlier that day—Chloe, walking out of that building, alone, confident, holding those sketchbooks so carefully. He had asked her what she was doing there. Her answer had been short."Building something."For some reason, those two words bothered him almost as much as the ones she'd said the previous night. Building what? He realized he didn't know. In fact, he kn

Sleep never came.Lucien lay on his bed with one arm resting over his eyes, staring into the darkness behind closed lids. Every time he was close to falling asleep, his thoughts drifted back to Chloe, to the way she had sat quietly by the window, completely absorbed in her sketches. There had been something peaceful about her. Nothing forced, nothing dramatic, just... calm. It didn't match what Amelia had described earlier that afternoon.He turned onto his side with a quiet sigh. Then Caleb's words returned."She had dreams long before the marriage."He remembered the sketchbook in Chloe's hands, the small smile on her face, the way she seemed most alive when she was creating. Without realizing it, he found himself comparing the two conversations. Caleb had spoken with facts. Amelia had spoken with concern. Yet somehow... the more he thought about it, the more uncertain he became.He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. This wasn't like him. He hated uncertainty. He preferred fact

Chloe woke up the next morning feeling unusually refreshed. For the first time in what felt like forever, there wasn't a heavy weight pressing against her chest. The conversation with Zoe had done something to her. It hadn't erased the pain. It hadn't changed her marriage. But it had given her direction. Instead of wondering what Lucien thought of her, she found herself thinking about her future. A small smile touched her lips.Her phone buzzed on the bedside table. Thinking it was another random notification, she reached for it without much thought. The moment she saw the sender's name, she immediately sat up. Evie. Her heart skipped. She opened the message almost instantly."Good morning, Mrs. Grey. We've reviewed everything, and we'd love to move forward with you. We'd like to sign a collaboration agreement today if you're available. I've attached the address below. Looking forward to seeing you."For a few seconds, Chloe simply stared at the screen. She read the message once. Then

The drive back to the penthouse was as quiet as the one before the dinner. Neither Chloe nor Lucien spoke. The city lights flashed past the windows while silence settled comfortably between them. Chloe wasn't bothered by it. Her thoughts were still back at the Grey mansion. More specifically, at the moment Catherine had stopped her just as she was about to leave."Chloe, I'd like a word."The memory replayed in her mind as the car pulled into the underground parking garage. The chauffeur stepped out first and opened the door. Lucien got out without saying anything. Chloe followed quietly behind him. They entered the penthouse together. The soft click of their shoes was the only sound between them. When the doors opened, Lucien headed toward his study as he usually did. Before disappearing down the hallway, he paused."Goodnight."Chloe looked at him in slight surprise. It wasn't much. Just two simple words. But it was the first time in a long while that he had said them first."...Goo

The next few days passed quietly. Chloe spent most of her time in her room, surrounded by sketchbooks, loose sheets of paper, and colored pencils. Some designs came together easily. Others didn't. Whenever one didn't feel right, she simply turned the page and started again. This was no longer just a dream. It was her work. Her future. Blue Designs had trusted her enough to give her an opportunity, and she intended to give them her very best.That morning, she had just finished adjusting the details on a bracelet design when her phone vibrated on the desk. Without looking, she assumed it was another message from Blue Designs. She picked it up anyway. The caller's name flashed across the screen. Zoe.Before Chloe could even answer properly, a loud scream came through the speaker."CHLOE!"Chloe instinctively pulled the phone away from her ear. "What happened?""What happened?" Zoe repeated dramatically. "You seriously have the audacity to ask me that?"Chloe frowned. "I don't understand