All Chapters of TOO LATE TO LOVE THE SUBSTITUTE BRIDE!: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

POV: IVY “Marry Michael Sterling in your sister’s place, Ivy, or you can watch your grandmother die without another cent from this family.”My mother Evelyn’s voice cut through the quiet air of the private dining room, as cold and sharp as cracked ice.I stared across the mahogany dining table at her, my breath catching painfully in my chest. I couldn't believe the words she had just spoken so casually. Evelyn didn't even look up as she spoke; she simply cut into her steak, her diamond rings catching the ambient light of the chandelier.Beside her sat my twin sister, Gemma, casually sipping red wine. She looked striking in her ivory silk suit, her golden-brown hair falling in effortless waves over her shoulders. On the surface, we were identical, the same oval faces, the same dark eyes, the same straight noses. But while Gemma sat like a polished princess showered in our mother’s endless affection, I sat like a ghost, discarded and unloved.Evelyn reached into her leather handbag and

POV: IVYGemma smiled as she handed me the details of my new identity, as though she were giving me a gift instead of selling three years of my life.I walked into her master bedroom, holding the legal papers from the downstairs desk tightly in my hands. The room was chaotic, filled with open designer luggage, garment bags, and glossy modeling portfolios spread across her king-sized bed. Gemma was sitting in the middle of it all, carefully packing high-end cashmere sweaters into a velvet-lined suitcase, humming a sweet tune as if she didn't have a single care in the world.She looked up at me, casually tossing a thick, leather-bound folder onto the edge of the bed near my knee.“Everything you need to survive is right in there,” Gemma said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.I stared at the black binder, unable to comprehend how my own identical twin sister could prepare for a trip to France while forcing me to marry a stranger without showing the slightest trace of remorse

POV: IVY The contract promised me freedom in three years, but every signature felt like another lock closing around my life.I sat in the quiet, climate-controlled office of Mr. Vance, the family’s corporate attorney. The morning sun filtered through tall glass windows, illuminating the thick stack of legal documents resting between us on the polished mahogany desk.Mr. Vance adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses and pushed a thin blue folder toward me.“This is the private substitution rider, Miss Ivy,” he said, his voice measured and professional. “It incorporates the strict terms you demanded last night. The family trust is legally bound to fund your grandmother’s ICU treatment, private doctors, and specialized equipment unconditionally. It also guarantees a two-million-dollar compensation payout directly to your personal account upon completion of the three years.”I let out a slow, heavy breath, leaning forward to read every line. But before my eyes could focus on the text, Mr. Vance