All Chapters of The CEO’s Substitute Bride: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The Man at the Altar For several seconds, nobody moved. The wedding bells continued to ring. Lena could hear them clearly, each note striking against the silence that had fallen between her and Adrian. His eyes remained fixed on her. “You’re not Sophia,” he repeated. It wasn’t a question this time. Lena swallowed. “I know.” A muscle tightened in Adrian’s jaw. Behind them, whispers began spreading through the hall. “What happened?” “Is that really Sophia?” “Why does Adrian look so angry?” Lena’s fingers tightened around the bouquet until the stems pressed painfully into her palm. She had imagined this moment countless times in the last hour. She had imagined Adrian shouting. She had imagined him walking away. She had even imagined the entire wedding collapsing. What she hadn’t imagined was the calmness in his expression. It was worse than anger. He looked like a man trying to decide exactly how much damage he could cause without losing contro

Chapter Four The Unknown Number Lena stared at the message until the screen began to dim. You shouldn’t have married him. Her first instinct was to reply. Instead, she locked her phone. Her heart was beating too fast. Who was this? And how did they know about the wedding? She looked toward the hallway. Adrian was gone. Lena unlocked her phone again and typed: Who is this? She hesitated before pressing send. The message delivered immediately. No response. She waited. Thirty seconds. A minute. Nothing. “Mrs. Blackwood?” Lena nearly dropped her phone. She turned around. Mrs. Miller stood several feet away. “Sorry,” Lena said. “You startled me.” “I apologize.” The older woman smiled gently. “Your room is ready.” Lena followed her upstairs. As they walked, she noticed how quiet the mansion was. Too quiet. There were several staff members moving through the halls, but everyone seemed unusually careful. Almost nervous. “Mrs. M

Twelve Years Ago Lena barely slept. The photograph sat on the bedside table throughout the night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw it again. Her father. Adrian’s father. Sophia. Standing together twelve years ago. And beneath them, those four words: Three families. One mistake. One sacrifice. At six in the morning, Lena finally gave up. She got out of bed and walked to the window. The grounds were quiet. For a brief moment, she wondered if everything that had happened the previous night had been a nightmare. Then she looked at the photograph. It wasn’t. A knock sounded. “Come in.” The door opened. Adrian stood outside. He was already dressed in a dark suit. “You’re awake.” “So are you.” “I usually am.” Lena folded her arms. “We need to talk.” “We do.” He walked into the room and closed the door. For a moment, neither spoke. Then Lena held up the photograph. “You said my father was there the night your father disappea

The words stayed in the room long after Adrian said them. “Inside this house.” Lena stared at him. “That’s impossible.” Adrian was already moving. “Why?” “Because Sophia has never been here.” “You’re certain?” “Yes.” Lena followed him into the hallway. “She came to the wedding venue that morning. She disappeared before the ceremony. She couldn’t have come here afterward.” Adrian glanced at her. “Then someone brought her phone here.” The certainty in his voice made Lena uneasy. They walked quickly through the corridor, Adrian speaking into his phone as he contacted security. “I want every entrance locked,” he ordered. “Nobody leaves the property. Check the cameras from the last twenty-four hours.” He ended the call. “Where is the signal coming from?” Lena asked. “East wing.” She stopped. “The east wing?” Adrian nodded. “Most of it isn’t used.” “Why?” His expression hardened. “My father’s study is there.” Lena felt a chill move through her

The silence after the car disappeared felt heavier than before. Lena stood beside Adrian, still trying to process what she had heard. Sophia was alive. Michael Blackwood was alive. And now someone claiming to be Sophia had warned Adrian not to trust his dead mother. None of it made sense. “Adrian.” He didn’t respond. He was staring through the window at the empty driveway. “Adrian.” This time, he looked at her. “Tell me everything.” His expression hardened. “Everything about what?” “Your mother.” He looked away. “My mother died eight years ago.” “I know.” “Then there is nothing to tell.” Lena shook her head. “That isn’t true.” Adrian’s eyes narrowed. “You heard what Mrs. Collins said.” “Yes.” “She could have been mistaken.” “She said your mother came here last night.” “She could have lied.” “And Sophia just called you.” His jaw tightened. “She could have been lying too.” Lena stared at him. “You don’t believe that.” He didn’t answer. Because they both