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Chapter 72
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A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 73
'Is he here to watch the fireworks alone?' Justine wondered.As the fireworks display began to wind down, the bustling energy around them subsided, marking the end of the first round of fireworks.Just then, a sugary voice floated from behind the screen, calling out in a familiar, coy tone, "Ashie, over here!"Justine withdrew her gaze from Ash, her lips curling into a faint, mocking smile. She acted as though she hadn't even seen him.Extending her hand toward Leon, she signaled for him to check the photo.The blue fireworks from earlier had been the most beautiful she had ever seen. If a good picture came out of it, she would definitely add it to her collection of life's special moments.Ash, burning with suppressed anger and jealousy, passed by their table.The subtle fragrance lingering around Justine clung to him like a venomous poison, seeping into his every breath and spreading through his very being.His temper and pride were ablaze, consuming his reason.Without so mu
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 74
Ash's lips curled into a subtle smile, his expression calm as he raised his glass toward Leon in acknowledgment.Meanwhile, Jenny offered a gentle nod, her demeanor soft and demure. However, when she turned back to glance at Ash, her face was tinged with complexity, laced with a trace of concern.Ash's tone was warm as he shifted his gaze back to Jenny, speaking with gentle ease. "Didn't you say you wanted to go to Ylishire? The acquisition is nearing its end. You should take a look at the hotels and see which one you like."Immediately, Jenny's face lit up. She straightened her back, brimming with pride and satisfaction. She wanted to ensure that Justine would sense her triumph even from a distance."As long as I'm with you, Ashie, I'll love wherever we stay." Jenny's voice was sweet and syrupy, dripping with affection.Ash replied calmly, "Alright, I'll have the secretary handle it.""You're the best, Ashie!" Jenny exclaimed, her happiness radiating."I don't know why, but Sol
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 75
Why was Jenny here alone? Where was Ash?"Ashie had some business to attend to, so he left early. I just came back to grab something I left behind," Jenny explained with a faint smile, as if seeing through Leon's concern."You rushed out here in such a panic... Surely you weren't worried that Ashie was pestering Justine, were you?" she probed."The less said about that nonsense, the better," Leon retorted, dropping all politeness and warmth from his tone, his words edged with sarcasm.Jenny remained unfazed, maintaining her delicate and demure posture. Her right hand rested gently on her stomach, adorned with an enormous pink diamond ring."Don't worry, Mr. Tuke. Ashie never had any feelings for Justine. He was forced into that marriage, and now that he's finally free from her, he can't be happier," Jenny said.She paused, glancing at him meaningfully. This man standing before her might not be as striking as Ash, but he was hardly less impressive.'Is he just some naive young he
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 76
Tears slipped down her cheeks, seeping between Ash's fingers as his reason gradually returned. His heart felt crushed once again as he finally broke off his rough kiss.He stared into Justine's eyes in the darkness."Why are you trembling? Why are you crying?" Ash asked. "If it were Leon, would you be smiling and playing along right now?"Watching the two of them that night had felt like an eternity for Ash, each second torturous."Do you really think Leon will offer you a better future?" His thumb brushed over her swollen lips. "Justine, Leon's family is incredibly complicated. His marriage will be one of convenience, between wealthy families. He's not going to marry you... Don't let yourself fall too deep."In response, Justine delivered a sharp headbutt to his chest.Ash's face darkened as he raised a hand to block her, more worried about her hurting herself than feeling any pain.Just then, Justine's phone rang—it was Leon.Ash wouldn't let her answer, leaving them in tense
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 77
But… Justine had told him she didn't love him anymore.Even if it killed him, Ash knew he could never beg her to come back, to love him again.Reason pressed him: "If order crumbles, rebuild it. If control slips, reclaim it. Ash, put an end to this nonsense. It stops here!"-By the time Leon dropped Justine off at her chalet, it was late.Meanwhile, Ash headed to the hospital where his grandmother was recuperating.Initially, he only planned to take a quick look and leave.But Eleanor, unable to sleep and out for a stroll, spotted him. "Why aren't you coming inside?""Hey, Grandma," Ash greeted her softly."What's wrong?" It had been some time since she had seen her grandson look so despondent. "You've gotten the divorce you wanted, and neither your grandfather nor I will interfere in your marriage anymore. So why aren't you happy?""A few acquisitions are happening at the same time. I haven't had much rest lately," he explained, quickly adding, "I'm not unhappy.""And what
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 78
"It's impossible!" Ash blurted. "Her recovery was excellent!"But as soon as the words left his mouth, memories surged back.Ash recalled the day Justine had returned to sign the divorce papers. He hadn't tried hard to stop her from leaving, yet in that moment, she had doubled over in pain, clutching her waist."My cousin wanted to invite Justine as a guest performer at his concert." Gaius' voice betrayed his frustration on the other end of the line.He couldn't believe Ash hadn't noticed anything."But her troupe said she can't dance anymore due to her injury. I looked into her medical records and spoke to her doctor. She told them she'd discuss her treatment plan with you—how could you not know? How do you not know?" Gaius questioned."She never mentioned a word of this to me!" Ash's voice dropped, his temples throbbing with sharp pain.There was a pause on Gaius's end. "Ash, what were you busy with three months ago?"Silence engulfed Ash. He sat frozen on the couch, feeling
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 79
The young couple's death had been sudden.On the tombstone was a photograph taken at their wedding.Justine's father was strikingly handsome, bearing an uncanny resemblance to her grandfather, Frederick, as if they had been cast from the same mold.Her mother, just as beautiful as Justine remembered, beamed with radiant happiness, her arms wrapped around her husband's waist.Justine placed a bouquet before the gravestone.Most abandoned children harbored complex emotions toward their biological parents, usually a mix of yearning and resentment. Justine was no different.While Aurora had treated her kindly, as a child, Justine too had had nights where she silently cried, longing for her parents.But as she grew older, her personality solidified into one of strong likes and dislikes. Her feelings toward her biological parents gradually turned to mere disdain.Aurora had once tried to discuss it with her. "Jean, not every missing child is abandoned by their parents. What if—just w
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 80
Aside from hunting down Dennis, Justine needed to make a trip back to Glascape to sort through the belongings Aurora had left behind.After taking a final, lingering look at her parents' grave, she turned and left.The snow was falling heavier now.Justine sent Leon a quick message, informing him that she would be gone for two days on personal business.Then, she opened Benji's chat—the one she hadn't responded to yesterday.If Benji knew anything and, like Frederick, wanted to protect Charlie, he might have already tipped him off.Justine: [No special reason, just something came to mind these past few days. I realized I never really understood how my parents died. It's been weighing on me, so I visited their grave just now, and I feel a little better.]Benji's reply was instant.Benji: [Miss, the deceased are at peace. Your parents loved you dearly, and they wouldn't want you to be troubled by the past.]Justine: [I think so too.]Benji switched topics.Benji: [I've been wo
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Any rage Ash could have felt about Justine's antics vanished. Any thought of punishment was gone."I'm sorry," he whispered, pulling her gently into his arms.She sobbed like a wounded animal, and a while later, she fell back to sleep.Kitty rubbed her eyes groggily. A familiar stranger was hugging Justine and patting her back.Her eyes widened.Ash placed his index finger on his lips, signaling her to keep quiet.He remembered now. This girl was a deaf-mute. Justine had suffered a brick attack to protect her.Kitty regarded Ash warily, her finger hovering close to the nurse-calling button.Ash sighed helplessly."I'm her husband," he signed.Kitty was shocked."You can sign?!" she exclaimed via signing. "No, wait. You're lying! Ms. Thorpe is Dr. Tuke's girlfriend!""Who told you that?" he asked."I guessed it! I'm very smart, you know! So let her go, or I'll call the police, and you're dead, old man!" Kitty signed warningly.Ash stared at her, speechless. It was just a g
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 99
'Mrs. Vanderbilt never learns,' Ash thought.-Justine got herself a cab quickly enough. Where should she go?Ash could find her easily enough if she stayed in a hotel. The residence was out as well—it was too obvious.In the end, Justine instructed the driver to take her to Kitty's hospital.Dusk had fallen, and Justine felt exhausted. She closed her eyes and recalled how, when she had turned around mid-run, Ash stood alone in the middle of the crowd.He appeared almost pitiful.How insane was that? Anyone else deserved more sympathy than he ever could.-Justine arrived at the hospital just as visiting hours were about to end.Due to the sensationalism surrounding Kitty's case, many strangers wanted to visit her. To protect Kitty, the hospital had restricted visits, allowing only Leon and Justine to see her.Kitty had been transferred to a regular ward during the few days Justine had been absent.Seeing Justine filled the girl with such joy that she clung to her without a
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 98
Ash had taken over Vanderbilt Corp. from his uncle only a few months earlier. He had a mountain of tasks to tackle—how could he possibly afford to be out of town right now? That was why Justine believed he had been merely floating the idea without any real commitment.Ash had always prioritized his work far above Justine—even when she had suffered a grievous injury while saving him.Who would have expected him to mean it?"No!" Justine refuted.Her treatment was showing results, and Benji might be bringing Dennis back at any moment. She would not leave at this point.Ash's expression darkened slightly. She would decline treatment for something that was hindering her career? Who was she staying for?Justine sensed his mood shift."Look. You've just taken over Vanderbilt Corp. Many people are probably plotting to gain control of the company, right? My injury isn't that bad. As long as I don't dance, I'll be fine," she signed.Ash knew she was pretending to care. He had experien
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 97
While Leon had a modest number of patients, scheduling all of their appointments for noon would still take a considerable toll on him. The assistant thought it was a terrible idea."I need to return to Sol every afternoon," Leon replied.The assistant was stunned. "You can't be serious! You'll be going back and forth from Sol to the residence from now on?"Leon paused for a moment before remarking, "Doesn't sound very sustainable, huh?""Of course it doesn't! The journey from here to Sol takes three to four hours!" the assistant replied."Well, then please help me hire someone dependable who can drive that much every day," Leon instructed.He left without waiting for his assistant to respond.Leon went to his room in the residence to grab his car keys. On his way out, he bumped into Allan.Allan had not been attending his treatments lately. Instead, he had been cooping himself up in his room, caught up in a manic phase of songwriting and music composing.Leon checked on him fr
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 96
Justine never believed Jenny would give up. Hell, she had been counting on that woman to be more persistent.'Just seduce Ash already so he will divorce me and marry Jenny instead,' Justine prayed.Justine even reconsidered her stance against Jenny. If the latter could manage to seduce Ash away from her, Justine would forgive every petty thing Jenny had done. She would let Jenny live so that these two could be happy together!Ash declined the call and activated the "Do Not Disturb" mode."If anything's happening to her, they'll do better calling a doctor than me," he said.Besides, Ash had already placed some of his people around Jenny. If anything happened to her, they would notify him.Justine gawked at him as if he were an alien. Her frustration grew. Why was he treating his childhood sweetheart like this?-Sue hurled her phone onto the couch and shouted, "Fuck! That succubus' seduction has become so powerful that he isn't even picking up our calls!"Charlie took a deep pu
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 95
"I thought I saw Ares, but he also… didn't look like himself?" the man answered, scratching his head. "That dude was expressionless! He really sent a shiver down my spine."The woman slapped the back of his head. "I knew you drank too much! This is what I was saying! Come on, Ares has been dead for years! You saw a ghost in the middle of the day!"The man trembled. She was right! Ares had died in a drowning while trying to save someone!He scanned the airport but could no longer see the man from before. His skin crawled.Did he really see a ghost?-The simple explanation for why the man could not find him anymore was that Ash had left the airport.Justine saw Ash as soon as she got out of the car. She looked rather haggard—the lack of clues in Aurora's home had ruined her sleep the night before, not to mention how many times she had cried earlier that day."Are you feeling unwell?" Ash asked, placing his hand on her forehead.She didn't have a fever.Justine was too tired to
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 94
"You and your stories. If there's no picture, don't spread rumors!" The woman patted the girl's back. "Now quit dragging your feet. You have homework to do!"Penny Parkman pouted and mumbled to herself as she left. On the day that fuckboy and his bitch trended on Twitter, she had been taking a school exam. Just when she wanted to save those pictures, Ash had scrubbed the platform clean of any searches.The adults exchanged glances and silently decided not to bring up the topic.No matter who he was—or what he looked like—a man with foul behavior was as good as nothing. Justine was young and could still find herself a good husband if she chose.The townsfolk refused to accept Justine's payment for the gravestone, so she thanked them with a large feast at a local restaurant.After lunch, the town's older women began discussing renovations for Aurora's house.Suddenly, the driver called her, but Justine declined immediately."Time to go, huh?" Nyla asked.Justine nodded, smiling.
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 93
Justine searched every inch she could see but found nothing of interest. She fell to the floor, dismayed.Aurora was not usually like this.Justine bit her lip.This place was too clean. Aurora must have wiped every possible hint away, ensuring Justine could not uncover the identity of the real culprit, allowing her to remain in the safety of ignorance.At that moment, Ash's video call came through.Justine wanted to ignore it but knew it was better to answer him.Besides, she was visiting the grave of someone recently deceased. It was natural for her to look forlorn and teary—she didn't have to hide her emotions."What is it?" she signed.Ash noticed her puffy, red eyes and sensed her mood."I just finished work," he said gently. "Have you had your dinner?"Justine reeled.Dinner? She had forgotten even lunch."No, not yet. I'll eat now. Goodbye.""Jean."She paused. Ash had always called her "Justine". He never used her nickname."Don't cry alone. You can always talk t
A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 92
In their three years of marriage, Ash seemed to care about Justine only when they were having sex. Outside of those moments? He was apathetic.In the last two days, he had hugged her more times than he had over the entire three years."What's the hurry?" Ash tightened his grip on Justine's chin—but gently. "Have you forgotten what you usually do at this moment?"Justine glanced at him and brushed his lips with hers."Happy now?" she signed."Wow. Where's the effort?" he protested."You didn't always let me kiss you goodbye before, either!" she protested back, signing emphatically.Ash moved in and kissed her lips."You used to do it like this," he murmured, pulling away.She couldn't read his expression, but it looked almost like… grievance.'Grievance? What grievances? Since when had he been denied anything he wanted?' she grumbled inwardly.Justine looked away. "Whatever."She couldn't bear to see Ash look like that.Ash hugged her, ruffling her hair. "If you need anythi
