All Chapters of From substitute bride to CEO : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

The following morning, the penthouse was quieter than usual. Chloe had already been awake for hours. After finishing breakfast, she carried one of her sketchbooks into the living room and settled on the sofa.She wasn't drawing this time. She was reviewing a few designs Evie had asked her to improve before their next presentation. Every now and then, she made small notes in the corner of the page before turning to the next sketch.The sound of the doorbell pulled her attention away. A few moments later, the butler entered the living room."Mrs. Grey."She looked up. "Yes?""Mr. Caleb is here."Chloe nodded. "He can come in."The butler stepped aside just as Caleb walked into the room, a leather document case in one hand. He greeted her with his usual respectful smile. "Good morning, Mrs. Grey.""Good morning, Caleb.""I hope I'm not disturbing you.""Not at all."Caleb glanced at the sketchbook resting on the coffee table before looking back at her. "I came to deliver some documents t

The next few days passed quietly. Blue Designs kept Chloe busy with revisions, meetings, and discussions about their upcoming collection. Most mornings, she left the penthouse with her sketchbooks tucked neatly into her bag, returning only after sunset with fresh ideas filling another notebook.She liked it that way. Work gave her something else to think about. Something that belonged entirely to her.The conversation with Amelia had faded into the background. It no longer occupied her thoughts. Every time doubt tried to creep in, she reminded herself of the promise she had made. She wasn't waiting anymore. She was moving forward. That was enough.Late one afternoon, Chloe sat at the dining table, reviewing several gemstone combinations for a necklace design. Her pencil paused. A sharp pain spread through her lower abdomen. She immediately inhaled."...Ah."This one lasted longer than before. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table as she remained perfectly still. The pain

The silence remained between them. Neither Chloe nor Lucien moved. The conversation they had just shared lingered in the room, settling into every quiet corner. For the first time, neither of them seemed eager to escape it.Lucien's gaze rested on the notebook still in Chloe's hands. He looked at it for several moments before speaking. "Show me."Chloe blinked. "...Show you what?"He met her eyes. "The designs."She frowned slightly. "What designs?""The ones you've started for Blue Designs." He glanced toward the stack of sketchbooks on her desk. "All of them."She stared at him. For a second, she thought she had heard him wrong. "You... want to see them?""Yes." The answer came simply. Without hesitation.Chloe searched his face. She had become good at reading people over the years. She looked for sarcasm. For doubt. For another accusation waiting beneath the surface. For some hidden reason behind the request. She found none. Lucien simply stood there, waiting.She looked away first

The morning had started better than the night before. By the time Chloe woke up, the sharp pain had eased again. She sat on the edge of her bed for several minutes, taking slow breaths."It passed..." she whispered to herself.Maybe it really was stress. That was what she kept telling herself. She couldn't afford to stop now. Blue Designs had scheduled another meeting, and she had spent days preparing for it.After getting ready, she left the penthouse with her sketchbooks in her bag. The butler smiled politely as she walked past. "Have a good day, Mrs. Grey.""You too."She returned the smile before getting into the car.---The meeting at Blue Designs lasted longer than expected. The design team gathered around a large table, discussing materials, production schedules, and final adjustments.Evie held up one of Chloe's sketches. "I love this version.""So do I." Another designer agreed. "The details around the center stone are much stronger."Chloe smiled. "I'm glad you like it."Fo

The doors to Chloe's ward had barely closed behind him when Lucien turned toward Amelia. His brows were tightly drawn together. "What are you doing here?"His voice was calm, but the concern beneath it was obvious.Amelia took a slow breath. "I came to visit your mother."Lucien looked at her carefully. "What happened?"As they began walking down the corridor together, Amelia answered quietly. "She invited me over for tea this afternoon."Lucien listened without interrupting."We were talking. She seemed completely fine." She paused, as though the memory still unsettled her. "Then suddenly... she stopped responding."Lucien's expression hardened. "What do you mean?""She just..." Amelia swallowed. "...collapsed. I called for help immediately. The staff contacted the family doctor while I stayed with her until the ambulance arrived."Lucien's pace unconsciously became quicker. "Did she regain consciousness?"Amelia shook her head. "Not before they brought her here."Silence settled bet