All Chapters of Mr. Devilish's Substitute Bride: Chapter 41 - Chapter 48

VALERIAAfter a good night’s sleep, I got up from bed early, washed up in preparation to start my first day as a college senior—yes, the seemingly never-ending summer break became officially over yesterday.Speaking of which, I would have forgotten all about it if Chris and Andy hadn’t given me a call and sent a message one after the other to remind me yesterday’s morning.I tend to forget about stuff like that, they said, and that, if I were to be honest with myself, was nothing but the truth.I, indeed, have always had trouble keeping track of events, holidays and even my own birthday--like I know and keep the date at the back of my mind, but on that particular day or the day before, I always manage to forget about it for some reason. Thinking of how the duo had made a tease bet on our gc to see whether I’ll still remember by today, I shook my head and smiled to myself.Following after, I gathered my thoughts, looked at the items spread out on the bed and tried to see if I had miss

VALERIALost in thought, I was startled back to reality by a light tap on my shoulder. I blinked and turned around, just in time to hear the person call my name.“Hey, Val.”It was one of my former roommates from freshman year. We had been the only ones in the dorm studying the same major, so we naturally became the closest. That hasn’t changed,, at least for me—she was still the closest female friend I had on campus.Seeing her, I couldn’t help but smile, “Sarah.”“Welcome to the final stretch,” I added as an afterthought.“I know, right?! it’s crazy to think we’ll be graduating soon. Time’s gone by so fast,” Sarah said with a nostalgic, yet excited smile on her face as she took the seat next to me on the right.“Crazy indeed—it feels like just yesterday that we were freshmen. It’s honestly such a bittersweet feeling.”Silence ensued between us after this, only to be broken by Sarah’s abrupt question.“You haven’t logged onto the school forum today, have you?”“The school forum?” I d

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

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