Stand-in Novels & Stories

I can tell she's hesitant to give me any information. "Stacy." I give her my most reassuring smile. "Hi, Stacy, I'm Cassidy and this is,," I point to the obnoxious buffoon standing next to me, "Alex. We're having a little disagreement that needs to be settled. Would you mind weighing in on the matter?"

"What's up?" "Hey..." I spoke nervously. "About the other day... in the shower." I felt unnerved by Barry who was staring intently at me. "I... am sorry I left. I just... was afraid someone would see us. But, is there anyway that I could... get another chance?" Barry crossed his arms and looked me over. "I knew you'd be back," he said with a smirk. "Come over to my house in exactly one hour. We can sort this out over there." Barry stood up and walked over to the other side of the gym.

“We’re in the middle of an ad shoot. No unauthorized personnel are allowed inside.” “Then can I at least stand here and watch?” Rina said, clearly unwilling to back down. Seeing Rina’s frustrated expression, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction. I looked away and focused my attention on Bonnie and Dane in front of the camera. Dane truly lived up to his reputation as a rising sports star. With his experience in front of the camera and numerous endorsements, he performed almost flawlessly. But Bonnie… not so much. “Cut,” I said, frowning as I signaled the photographer to stop.

We got to the stage and opted to stand at ground level in front of it. I stood to the right side of Chase, and a step behind and Zack stood to his left, a step behind me. It was the traditional hierarchical stance for official announcements. I could see Alpha Jeremy sat in the front row. He saw me watching and nodded to me, which I returned just as Chase started speaking.

Adrian said without batting an eyelash. "Please don't take my child away from me, I'm her mother," Nikki pleaded and went on her knees in front of Adrian. "Nikki, stand up, don't do that," Nikki's husband instructed her. I sat and was looking at everyone, I was confused, I didn't know what to say and didn't know what to do. I wanted to hold my child in my hand, love and cherish her but she already knew my sister as her mother and knew me as her aunt.

Once upon a time, this place had been my turf. I pushed open the door to see Janae sitting inside with a wide smile. She seemed to have been waiting for me. "You look like a stray dog now, Renee. So what if I'm a stand-in? I'm the one Marcus loves now, and you are nothing. You're not even worthy of being my stand-in now!" she said. I stood there dazedly and looked around the familiar room, feeling like my heart was bleeding. Then, I heard Marcus' voice in the distance—he was shouting and warning me not to do anything to hurt Janae.

Elara gasped, stepping forward. But as she reached out, another figure manifested ten feet away. This one was older, wearing a flight suit, her face lined with the stress of the ISS mission. And another—a Sarah in her thirties, holding an invisible child, her mouth moving in a silent, terrifying lullaby.

The door opened and a man in black stepped out, making me frown at him. “Miss Aria Robert?” He called out and my eyes widened as I nodded gently. “I'm sure your father has filled you in on everything. You'll be the stand-in bride for Mr. Rosanov. You'll sign the contract with me, his secretary, once you agree.” He said, his voice stoic and I glanced at the company for a moment. “What do I get from this deal?” I asked and he looked at me with raised brows like he couldn't believe I asked that question.

Alexander nodded curtly, stepping in front of the full-length mirror to check his collar. Vivian stood near the door, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She felt invisible amidst the corporate machine, a painted doll brought along to legitimize the King's throne. She looked at her reflection in the glass wall—the stark white dress, the severe updo, the pale skin. She looked like a ghost waiting for execution.

I squinted my eyes and looked toward the source of that shout. Across the road, Daniel stood beside a car. His suit was wrinkled. His eyes were bloodshot, and there was a layer of stubble on his chin. He looked grim and disheveled, a far cry from his once-refined and noble self. He stormed across the street in long strides and shoved the young actor aside while reaching out to drag me with him. "You're coming home with me!"