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Chapter 99
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A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 100
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 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
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A Dance of Substitutes with Mr. Vanderbilt Chapter 100
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
