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Chapter 33
Last Updated:
2023-12-20 01:29:59
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Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 34
VALERIAJust as I was about to get down to reading, I saw a shadow fall over me. Assuming it was Zane, I immediately switched off the screen of my phone and looked up while wondering to myself about how he had managed to return so soon.However, it wasn't him that I saw after looking up, it was an unfamiliar woman instead.The said woman was wearing an off-shoulder bling-bling black dress(don't ask me the brand 'cause I sincerely have no idea)¹ and was looking down at me haughtily.I couldn't help but feel irritated by that look of hers, however I managed to suppress my emotions when I thought of how I still didn't know what her purpose for coming here was."How may I help you?" I asked politely.The woman didn't answer me immediately. Instead, she gave me a once-over first off, which only managed to fuel my growing annoyance and right after, she posed a bewildering question, "You feel very proud of yourself currently, don't you?"Not quite understanding what she was getting at, I res
Last Updated : 2024-06-13Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 35
ZANE'I have been careless.'That was my first thought after Matt, my driver broke the news that we were being followed.As the leader of the biggest mafia organization in the country, AMETHYST, I have never been short of enemies (both internal and external) who aimed to take my life. For this reason, I never went anywhere without my convoy of bodyguards following right after me.But today, I had made a decision very uncharacteristic of me.Why?Because apart from the fact that I was being considerate of the fact that Valeria still didn't know of my identity as a mafia boss, I also didn't want to cause too much ruckus at Mr. Carson's birthday banquet.It was a form of respect to an ally.A loud bang sound suddenly brought me back to my senses.At the same time, the driver, Leo also spoke out, his voice cold as he suddenly swerved the car."They are aiming for the tyres, sir."After humming to show I heard him, I gave Valeria one last glance and then said to him."When I count to three
Last Updated : 2024-06-13Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 36
ZANELong after Valeria left, I sat alone in the study with a lot of thoughts running through my mind.It wasn’t until I heard a ‘ding’ sound that I came back to my senses. Picking up my phone, it was Mason who had sent me a message.[They have been brought over]Upon reading this, the look in my eyes immediately turned cold.I almost forgot that I was yet to hear an explanation for what happened today. Because of them, the dark part of my life which I wasn’t ready to tell Valeria about almost got exposed in advance.Well, since they were gutsy enough to do so, they’d better be ready to face the consequences for I always make sure to repay a favor tenfold!With this thought in mind, I stood up and walked over to the bookshelf and turned the mechanism slightly following which the bookshelf slid to the side to reveal a narrow entrance which was just enough for one person to pass through.After reaching the end, there was a door with a biometric scanner right beside it. I calmly placed m
Last Updated : 2024-06-13Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 37
ZANESurprisingly, the faces of the two men showed visible signs of struggle the moment they heard the question but upon thinking of the fact that they were likely ex-military men who had been through rigorous training, it became a matter of course.However, if it was that easy to overcome the effects of the serum, it wouldn’t be as rare and pricey as it currently was. Sure enough, their pitiful struggle only lasted a few seconds following which the drug took control and made them answer mechanically.“We actually have no idea who the other party is since he placed the order through the dark web, but judging from how inexperienced and easily led around he was during our chat, we guessed that he was likely a newbie to the platform.”“At first, we really had no plans to take the order because not to mention that the commission he offered was laughable, the fact that even top-tier mercs steered clear of any mission related to Mr. Harrison had long made us at the bottom rungs wary.”“But
Last Updated : 2024-07-10Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 38
VALERIANot knowing when I finally fell asleep, I woke up to find myself in total darkness and immediately panicked.As someone who suffered from fear of the dark, I always made sure to leave the nightlight on regardless of whether I was yet to fall asleep or not.‘So how could it possibly be this dark?!!!’ I thought to myself in agitation as I groped around trying to find the direction where the bedside table was.As I did this, I also wondered if the nightlight might have gone out due to a dead battery but this possibility was instantly ruled out by me. For no other reason that I might forget any other thing, but the one thing I would never do is charging my nightlight — that was just how important it was to me.All of a sudden, I stopped groping all around as I realized something strangeI seemed to be standing?And that was not all, I no longer seemed to be in my bedroom either because if I was, how was it possible that I haven’t bumped into anything except empty air after all th
Last Updated : 2024-08-04Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 39
VALERIAUntil a little over a decade ago, the Hales weren't exactly considered a top-tier aristocratic family in Meteor City because then, the prominent and well-known ones were just three — the Baltimores, the Astors and the Roosevelts — in no particular order.In short, we call them “THE BAR.”On the other hand, we could, at best, be considered the unofficial fourth along with the Morgans — Andy's family.Of course, this was just my dad's personal thoughts.Thoughts that I have come to understand were nothing but a product of his inflated pride considering how wide the gap between our families and THE BAR was at the time.That being said, whether it was due to coincidence or not, each of these five families had children in Grade 6 Class A, and just like every other aristocratic school, hierarchy existed among the students.The children of THE BAR, for example, were an exclusive and close-knit clique while the rest of the students had only two options; either become their sidekicks w
Last Updated : 2024-09-23Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 40
VALERIAIn the days that followed, Madeline did as she promised and came to me multiple times to ‘continue’ from where we left off our prematurely interrupted conversation.She was a persistent one, honestly.One time, I remember asking why it had to be me or rather, our group of mavericks.Her answer was, “You guys seem really cool to me, and it made me want to get to know you better.”To the adult me, such words would barely have made an impact, but for teenagers obsessed with the word ‘cool,’ it was everything!It doesn’t matter how mature a teenager was, being called or known as one of the cool guys was simply the ultimate compliment.So it was hardly surprising that I quickly threw caution to the wind and allowed her into our small circle of friends. Of course, the annoyance from Jack’s constant threats/demeaning words, in addition to my twin sister, Vanessa’s passive-aggressive ‘persuasion’ couldn’t be omitted as contributing factors.When I came back to my senses later on, I di
Last Updated : 2024-09-23Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 41
ZANEValeria was avoiding me.If I had only been suspicious before, now I was certain.Today marks the third day of which I have seen neither hide nor hair of her. Of course, this wasn’t that unusual in her case considering how I have been witness to her staying cooped up in her room for days, neglecting to eat while working on her music.Eventually, I had to step in and personally deliver her meals to her room.However, when I asked Arlo about her yesterday, I was told she usually comes down to eat breakfast after I leave for work.If that doesn’t make it glaringly obvious that she was avoiding me—especially when it had become the norm for us to eat breakfast together—I don’t know what will.But let’s say that the first and second day were nothing but coincidences; today happens to be the third day, so I will verify in person whether it's indeed a coincidence or a deliberate avoidance, like I suspect!With this in mind, I gave my chauffeur a call, instructing him to drive-off and ret
Last Updated : 2024-10-08
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Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 53
AARON“Sorry, can you repeat that again. I didn’t catch it the first time.”“You want to do what?” I looked at the woman in front of me—someone I called my sister—the way one would look at a lunatic.“I want to replace Valeria as Ria.”“You can make it work, right?”Okay. So my hearing was perfectly fine. I had heard her correctly.The way she put it—so casually, as if it were the most reasonable request—left me utterly befuddled.Is Vanessa… in her right mind?Genuinely puzzled, I blurted out the question before I could stop myself.I expected her to get angry at me, undeniably insulting as my question was, but to my surprise, she didn’t.‘I guess she also knew how crazy she sounded,’ I mused.“You only have to tell me whether you’re willing to help me or not,” she leaned forward, stubborn determination in her eyes.My answer was just as resolute, ”I won’t.”“I don’t know how you got this idea or the delusion that you can make it work, but I have no intention of going along with or p
Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 52
VANESSAThe moment I stepped into class, I sensed something was off with the atmosphere and the way my classmates looked at me.Excitement. Curiosity. Gloating. Disdain.I stopped abruptly at the entrance, instinctively pulling back.The first two, I could understand and even welcomed, but the last two?What the hell was that about?My gaze swept across the room, and with each glance, my irritation deepened.Unable to stand being kept in the dark a second longer, I shot a look at Hannah and Paige—my friends, or rather, my minions—and gestured for them to follow me outside.In the empty classroom next door, I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at the duo standing in front of me, “Why were they looking at me like that?”Hannah and Paige exchanged a nervous glance, fueling my frustration.“Spill it,” I snapped.They flinched, but still hesitated, testing the limits of my patience.Especially with those looks—the gloating, the disdain—replaying in my mind and chipping away at my compos
Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 51
DAMIANAs the warm water hit my skin and ran down my body, a subconscious sigh of comfort escaped my lips.After pulling an all-nighter for three days straight and finally closing a headache-inducing business deal in the early hours of the morning, I was beyond exhausted.All I wanted after getting out of the shower was a good sleep before my flight back home.But I had barely taken a step out when I heard a knock followed by my secretary, Vivian’s voice.“Come in," I said lazily after a brief pause, fastening my robe more securely in the process. Vivian might be married, middle-aged, and have been around me for a couple of years, but I still wasn't comfortable showing her too much of my skin.“Is there a problem?” I asked as she entered, for I had made it quite clear that I was not to be disturbed until it was time for my flight.“I apologize for intruding, but there’s a situation online that I think you ought to see.”With half-lidded eyes, I found my way to the sofa and took a seat
Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 50
VALERIAIt was a girl in ponytail.Seeing everyone look in her direction, there was no embarrassment on her face. Instead, to my foreboding, the excitement in her eyes became more intense as she stared at me.The words she spoke next proved that I was right to feel that way.“The paparazzi revealed the true identity of Ria! Hurry and take a look—her identity would knock your socks off!”Upon hearing this, i wasn’t too panicked, after all, there have been so many fake reveals prior to today.‘This time is probably no different,’ I thought to myself.However, when I accidentally locked eyes with the girl and caught the fervor in her fixated gaze, I couldn’t help but take a step back silently. At the same time, the sense of foreboding in my heart grew stronger.Something… does feel different this time.‘To be on the safe side, I’d better make my escape while everyone is still distracted,’ I decided as my gaze swept around the crowd busy with their phones.Without a moment of delay, I ste
Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 49
VALERIA“What's there to be unsure about? Slander or lies only exist if what's said isn't true. But tell me, Valeria—what part of it isn't?”“The part where you are married? Or the part where your husband is an old man?” Jenna shot back, her smile brimming with confidence.I remained unbothered, crossing my hand over my chest as I spoke, “You sound so confident that I'd find it a shame not to indulge your curiosity.”Jenna's grin widened in triumph.“To start with, you are right about one thing—I’m indeed married.”The crowd erupted in a flurry of gasps and murmurs .‘What the h*ll!’‘She’s really married?! Does that mean…?’‘She got married so early?’‘I guess she did marry for money after all.’‘Ugh, i can’t believe I used to admire a gold-digger like her. What a disappointment.’‘I have a hunch there might be a plot twist ahead, so I'll wait and see how things unfold.'‘Hold on... If she’s married, what about Chris? i thought they were an item?’Their comments came loud and clear,
Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 48
VALERIAZane didn’t return home last night.This unsolicited tidbit was provided by Arlo while I ate breakfast this morning.Honestly speaking, the thought of asking for Zane's help when I saw Jenna’s post yesterday did cross my mind. After all, nothing could quash the rumors better than a clear picture of my so-called husband. But that thought lasted only a moment..First and foremost, our relationship was meant to be strictly business—a performance for the eyes of those who mattered. What's more, Zane had put up with years of being mischaracterized by the public as an old, dying CEO, which spoke volumes about how much he valued his privacy.With what reason or standing could I possibly ask him to make an exception for me?More importantly, after hearing him reiterate the true nature of our relationship yesterday, I can no longer bring myself to seek his help. The last thing I want is to be labeled or misunderstood as opportunistic.Fortunately, thanks to Sarah, I had other ways to d
Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 47
ZANEHis eyes bloodshot and filled with remorse, Mason laboriously spat out another apology.But the sight wasn’t enough to soothe my anger—nor the overwhelming disappointment.As my trusted right-hand man, he knew better than anyone the things I detested most. Yet, he dared to suggest the one thing that topped the list.Releasing him, I rose from my seat and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Gazing at the sprawling city below, I asked, “Do you still remember Eric?”I didn't need to look back to see the blood drain from his face. The name and the person had long become an unspoken scar for both of us. One time could never heal.“Of course, you remember. How can you not, when he was the one who took you in?” My tone softened slightly, though a trace of sadness crept into my heart.Eric was my best friend. Back then, godfather took both of us in at around the same time. We trained together, fought together and did everything side by side.He was the closest thing I had to family—so
Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 46
VALERIA“I’ll take the legal route.”“Dealing with her through the law is indeed a good idea, but don’t you plan on confronting her first?” Andy asked.While tucking a rebellious strand of hair behind my ear, I replied nonchalantly, “I’m taking the legal route precisely because I don’t want to waste my time on pointless things. Besides, would confronting her change anything?”“No, it wouldn’t. it would only make things even more unpleasant than they already are.”“You do have a point,” Andy nodded in agreement as realization dawned on him. “But even if you don’t plan to, after she receives the court summons, she will definitely come find you.”“Then let her come,” Chris, who had been silent all along, interjected.His tone was plain and ordinary, nothing that should cause unease. Yet, for some reason, I found myself grabbing his sleeve with urgency, “Don’t do anything, Chris. Please.”He paused, his dark eyes flicking to mine with a flash of unclear emotion, before a familiar teasing
Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride Chapter 45
VALERIA“So is the Jenna you two talking about really that bandmate of yours?” Sarah once again interrupted my thoughts.“Yes, that’s her. She’s no longer a member of the band though. Or rather, our band is now disbanded; we’ll make an official announcement on our page later.”“That explains it then.”It was yet another enigmatic statement, which made me unable to help but wonder when Sarah developed a habit of speaking in circles.“That explains what? Can you explain more clearly?” I asked, my tone laced with no small amount of helplessness.In response, she scooted closer to me and then said in a conspiratorial tone, “Before I say anything, let me make this clear first—I’m definitely not trying to speak badly of her, since this is practically basic knowledge to those in the know.”“Note taken. Go ahead.”“So the thing is...,” she scooted even closer, “Jenna has always been jealous of you.”Noticing the dubious look I threw her, she didn’t panic and continued speaking, “I know you wo
