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Chapter 30
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A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 1
It had been three years of marriage.Justine Thorpe finally found her husband, Ash Vanderbilt, in the OB-GYN clinic of a hospital. He hadn't shown up for three months.However, he was not alone. Another woman—his mistress—was with him.She bore more than a passing resemblance to Justine. Her name was Jenny Thorpe, and she had been living as Justine's replacement in the Thorpe family for 16 years.Justine had suspected her husband of having an affair for at least six months, but she never imagined it would be with Jenny. Not that the revelation was entirely surprising, now that she thought about it.Everyone in Sol's upper class knew that Ash's true love had always been his childhood friend.Justine was the devil who had gotten in the way.Seeing Ash and Jenny together somehow relieved Justine. The mystery was finally solved.She watched them enter the elevator. Ash's delicate eyelashes were lowered as he spoke softly to his companion. Justine had never seen him this gentle befo
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 2
At the Grand Theater of Sol. A towering man stood in the darkness where the audience gathered. He felt as cold as winter. His eyes were fixed on the stage as the Black Swan darted across it, agile and mesmerizing.The Black Swan's movements were fluid and firm, sensual and tempting. The man almost wished he could possess her right now.The performance was nearing its end, so the man turned away and strode toward the backstage.-The performance ended.Justine felt a quiet pain in her waist, but she gritted her teeth through the production.The crowd erupted in ovation.She took one last yearning glance at the stage and her adoring audience before returning backstage.Iris had been watching her every move with concern."Is it hurting? I can cancel the fan meeting and photo session if you need it. You can rest in the breakroom, and once the rest of the performance is over, I'll come for you," Iris suggested.Justine waved reassuringly.Many of these fans had traveled all the
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 3
Ash sneered and went through the door.Justine watched his hulking frame, suddenly recalling hazy memories of her teenage past: a younger version of him, tall and lean, with his back against her.Despite her earlier calm, she felt a sharp pain in her chest."Justine…" He had stopped by the door and turned to face her. "I no longer answer to my grandfather, Justine. So there's zero chance of you going back to being my wife after this. Don't regret it."And most importantly—don't give Jenny shit. You've tormented her enough."Ash understood how obsessive her love had been.Justine's life was so devoid of meaning that the only two things she had were ballet and him. This was why Ash was convinced that Justine's sudden change of attitude stemmed from spite after seeing Jenny.Once she calmed down, he was sure she would regret this decision.His job was to ensure her regret was futile. She could no longer return to him—and he would never accept her.Justine was kind and courteous t
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 4
Aurora knew exactly what was on her mind. She had raised this child, after all.Half a year after Ares' death, the Thorpe family located Justine in Glascape.Aurora hadn't wanted to be separated from the young woman, but Justine's worsening mental state had made her reconsider.Justine had taken it poorly, wasting all her time searching for news about a man who was already dead.She had been a woman possessed—everyone feared she would become more self-destructive.Aurora had hoped that sending Justine away to a new place with her original family might help her move on. That was why she had accepted the Thorpes' offer. Thus, Justine returned to Sol.Who would have thought Justine would marry someone not long after?Aurora knew how much Justine had loved Ares. There was no way she could have accepted another man in her life so soon—let alone a husband.Fearing it was a political marriage of convenience at the cost of her child's agency, Aurora had rushed to Sol.That was when sh
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 5
The woman on the other end of the call sneered. "Sure as hell. She's obsessed with kissing up to those old couples! You can count on her to show up at every Thierry family event."The Thierry family were Ash's maternal relatives, wealthy for generations.Ash's father had perished during the Vanderbilt family in-fighting, forcing Ash to return from abroad as soon as he could. His uncles had nearly stolen his birthright within the family business.At that time, even if Justine hadn't appeared, Jenny would have already discarded the engagement arranged between her and Ash. He was a broke man with no future, abandoned by his elite family.Who could have predicted that Ash would gain his maternal grandfather's support by marrying Justine and fulfilling the Thierry family's wish?With Felix's money, Ash had risen back to prominence and wealth.Meanwhile, the fool Jenny had chosen to bet on failed spectacularly. He had lost everything and dragged her down with him. If not for Ash's inte
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 6
Ash left soon after that.Felix watched from the window in his study as Ash opened the passenger door for Jenny. Soon, the car sped away."Sweetie?" Eleanor called out.Felix didn't turn to meet her."Ash said Jean has returned to Minnishkee," he said, frowning.Eleanor looked stunned. "She hasn't visited that place in years. But I guess it's where she was raised, so..."Felix and Eleanor exchanged a silent glance."Maybe Jean has finally come to terms with reality," Eleanor added hopefully. "It's good for her to visit that town."Her expression shifted to one of frustration. "But we have more pressing matters. We need to help Jean!"Felix looked confused. "What's the matter?""Didn't you notice? Jenny's pregnant!"Jenny might have tried to hide it, but a mother's instincts were hard to fool. One evening was all it took.Felix's anger surged. "What?!"Even the maids, though far away, shrank in fear at the sound of his voice."Hush!" Eleanor scolded, glancing out the windo
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 7
Ares Vance had died from drowning while attempting to rescue someone. His body had washed ashore only after half a month.The corpse had been so bloated and disfigured by the elements that no one could recognize it was him. This was why Justine had so much trouble accepting his death. She had forbidden anyone to display his photos during the funeral or place them on his grave.The mason looked at her in confusion.Justine hopefully gave him a piece of paper. [This is my favorite picture of him. Please add it to his headstone. Thank you.]The mason nodded. "Ah, of course, young lady!"With that settled, Justine bought her ticket. She still had some unfinished business to attend to.She would return here—her real home—soon.-While at the airport, Justine decided to finally respond to the messages left by Ash's lawyer.She had deliberately ignored everyone from Sol during the funeral, her mind occupied by a growing suspicion of conspiracy.There were too many strange elements s
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 8
"This doesn't count!" Ash declared brashly. "I'm going to draft a new legal document for our divorce. You're signing that one!"The compensation Justine was entitled to in the older version was significant, but it was outdated. After all, she had saved his life.The young woman, however, was only irritated. She tried to pull her hand out of Ash's grip. "I don't need it."Ash's temper flared. He tightened his hold and yanked her closer."I don't know what your problem is, but you saved my life a year ago and sustained a serious injury. I'm not the kind of heartless bastard who forgets that!" he snarled. "This new agreement will give you more property. You'll have a secure future! Your property in Voue—"Voue? Justine had to suppress a laugh. Had he missed her text about her shattered dreams as a prima ballerina? Or had his little girlfriend read it first and deleted it?Not that it mattered anymore. He didn't need to know."That sounds like a hassle. Just add your compensation to
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