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Chapter 15

Author: Janice Mark
last update publish date: 2026-07-03 01:23:18

Julian

My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird as I stepped into my father’s office. The air here was filled with the smell of stale tobacco and the suffocating weight of decades of lies.

My father was down the hall in his bedroom, wheezing his life away, but the room still felt like his cold, dead eyes were watching me.

"Charity," he’d barked.

I stormed over to the desk, shoving aside documents and confidential files. I ripped the drawer open, and I saw the document titled Chari
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  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S REPLACEMENT BRIDE   Chapter 15

    JulianMy heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird as I stepped into my father’s office. The air here was filled with the smell of stale tobacco and the suffocating weight of decades of lies. My father was down the hall in his bedroom, wheezing his life away, but the room still felt like his cold, dead eyes were watching me."Charity," he’d barked.I stormed over to the desk, shoving aside documents and confidential files. I ripped the drawer open, and I saw the document titled Charity. There it was. A thin, leather-bound file. I yanked it out, but the corner caught on the metal track.Then I heard a click.The back panel of the desk slid forward an inch. I frowned as I pulled the panel all the way open. It wasn't a standard drawer. It was a shallow, hidden compartment built into the wood. My breath stopped as I reached in and pulled out a small, dust-covered envelope.I looked back at the door. I was alone. I tore the envelope open, and a black-and-white photograph slid ou

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S REPLACEMENT BRIDE   Chapter 14

    JulianThe silence in the foyer was suffocating, heavy with the stench of my own failure. I didn’t look back at the stairs where Scarlett had just disappeared, her stinging words still echoing against the marble like gunshots. My jaw ached from clenching it so hard that my teeth felt like they might crack.I grabbed my coat from the chair, the heavy wool feeling like a lead weight in my hands. Every movement felt mechanical. I didn't say a word to the staff, just shoved the front door open and stepped out into the biting afternoon air.My driver was standing by the black car, his posture stiff, sensing the storm radiating off me. I didn't even look at him. I yanked the passenger door open, the metal handle cold against my palm, and threw myself into the back seat."Drive," I spat, the word barely a growl."Yes, sir," he muttered, quickly sliding behind the wheel.The car roared to life, the tires biting into the gravel as we tore away from the estate. I stared out the tinted window

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S REPLACEMENT BRIDE   Chapter 13

    JulianThe phone on my desk vibrated again, the screen illuminating the dark study. It was Lady Eleanor.I didn't answer. I let it ring out, my thumb tracing the rim of my whiskey glass. The liquid amber swirled, catching the dim light of the room. When the vibration finally stopped, I stood up and threw the glass against the brick fireplace. It shattered into a hundred glittering shards.I didn't care about the glass. I cared about the humiliation.I marched out of the study and stepped into the foyer just as the heavy oak front doors flew open. Scarlett stumbled inside. Her neat low bun was destroyed, strands of dark hair whipping across her face. The pale blue dress was stained, her chest heaving as she gasped for air. Smears of black mascara tracked down her pale cheeks.She froze on the bottom step of the staircase when she saw me."You're late for lunch, Scarlett," I said, my voice dropping to a freezing tone that usually made grown men flinch.In my right hand, the phone bega

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S REPLACEMENT BRIDE   Chapter 12

    ScarlettThe car drove into a huge mansion filled with guards and maids walking up and down. The driver slowly drove down the path and stopped at the front of a huge door. A security guard opened the door and I stepped out feeling nervous. A maid with a cold expression was there to usher me in. The door groaned as I stepped into the house. The cool, stale air of the foyer clings to her skin. The house felt less like a home and more like a museum. The maid with the expression as wooden as the floorboards beneath them, gestured for me to follow.They moved through a labyrinth of dimly lit corridors and the silence was broken only by the rhythmic click of my heels. Finally, the maid paused before a set of double doors, placing a soft knock before pushing them open.The room beyond was bathed in the amber glow of a dying fire. Eleanor sat by the hearth, a book resting forgotten in her lap. As I stepped into the room, Eleanor rose with a grace that made the space feel suddenly smaller.

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S REPLACEMENT BRIDE   Chapter 11

    ScarlettA sharp knock dragged me out of a heavy, dreamless sleep. I blinked against the bright morning light streaming through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, my body aching from where I had fallen asleep directly on the hardwood floor. At some point during the night, I had managed to crawl onto the plush area rug near the bed, but the heavy silk of the gown was still twisted uncomfortably around my legs, wrinkled and ruined."Miss Vivian?" a cheerful voice called out from the other side of the door. "It’s Chloe. May I come in?"Panic spiked through my veins for a split second before I remembered where I was. Vivian? That was my name now. I scrambled to my feet, my muscles stiff and protesting, and quickly unlocked the door.Chloe stepped inside, holding a silver tray with a steaming pot of tea and a single cup. Her bright smile faltered slightly as she looked me up and down, taking in my smeared makeup, messy hair, and the crumpled formal gown."Oh dear," Chloe said, setti

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S REPLACEMENT BRIDE   Chapter 10

    ScarlettMy fingers shook so hard I almost dropped my phone into the marble sink. I took a deep, ragged breath, trying to stop the wild trembling in my chest, and opened my messages.“We have to leave right now,” I typed, my thumbs clumsy and wet with sweat. “Penelope knows the real Vivian. She’s going to figure out I’m an impostor. Julian, please.”I stared at the screen, watching the little typing bubbles appear and disappear. My heart beat against my ribs like a trapped bird trying to break free.The phone buzzed, the vibration loud against the marble. It was JuliaYou foolish girl. Do not come back out here.Before I could even blink, another text popped up right below it.There is a service exit at the back of the lounge. Take it. Hide your face and go down to the parking garage. Derek is waiting in the sedan. Get in and don't let anyone see you. If you ruin this tonight, your father's medical bills stop getting paid tomorrow.The words felt like a slap to my face. I pulled the

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S REPLACEMENT BRIDE   CHAPTER 7: Terms And Conditions

    SCARLET’S POVThe entire ride back to Manhattan was awkward but thankfully, rain started halfway through the drive, so I didn't need to say anything. I sat beside Julian with my hands folded tightly in my lap trying not to replay Eleanor’s final words over and over in my head.“Men like Julian Cro

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S REPLACEMENT BRIDE   CHAPTER 6

    SCARLET“Ding, ding, ding,” The ringtone was alarming but I paid no attention to it since the call wasn't coming from my phone. I was heading to the dining area to be served breakfast but the mobile's ringtone kept picking my attention. “Ding, ding,” it didn't stop and by impulse I went back up th

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S REPLACEMENT BRIDE   CHAPTER 5

    SCARLETI woke up the next morning feeling odd. Not bad or dejected as I had been last night. But odd in a way that I knew things were changing.With a sigh, I got out of the bed and quickly freshened up, getting ready for the day. As soon as I left the room, the first place my eyes wandered to was

  • THE BILLIONAIRE'S REPLACEMENT BRIDE   CHAPTER 4

    JULIANThe look in her eyes should have seemed pitiful to anyone. And yet all I felt the longer I stared was disgust.Pure disgust that made me want to rub my skin raw. I pushed her away, ignoring the whimper that left her.Her head fell, eyes bouncing as she put together the pieces of the puzzle. S

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