Billionaire's Substitute Lover

Chapter2

It seemed the woman wasn’t lying.

She seemed to expect a reaction from Scarlett—sadness or rage—but found neither on Scarlett’s face.

"You came just to tell me this? If you care so much about Thorn, why aren’t you the one dining with him?"

Scarlett’s response surprised the woman. She sneered angrily. "Just wait and see. My sister will steal Thorn away from you."

Scarlett didn’t care.

The two figures on the second floor also drew the attention of others at the party. After all, Thorn was always the focus wherever he went.

People occasionally approached Scarlett, some wanting to see her reaction, others showing sympathy.

Although everyone thought Scarlett wouldn’t stay by Thorn’s side for long, his actual abandonment of her was still big news.

Scarlett could bet that by tomorrow, everyone would know about it, and some nosy reporter might even write a story about it.

"Do you need some comfort?" A drunken voice asked.

A man who looked rather disheveled, completely out of place with the party’s vibe, approached Scarlett. The strong smell of alcohol emanated from him as he leered at her. “I heard you got dumped, didn’t you? Poor thing, you need some comfort, don’t you?”

Scarlett didn’t want to engage with this drunk, especially given his lecherous gaze. She told him to get lost and turned to leave, but the man grabbed her arm. “Hey, Scarlett, you’re really beautiful, you know? Honestly, I’ve been watching you for a while…”

“Let go of me! What the hell are you doing?” Scarlett struggled, finding his grip surprisingly strong.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the dining area.

“Mr. Thorn, I truly admire you. Your charisma and eloquence are exceptional… Mr. Thorn?” The woman was expressing her admiration, but Thorn had been staring out the window for some time.

Suddenly, Alexander Thorn stood up and rushed downstairs without a word. With his long strides and swift movements, the woman didn’t even have time to react before he was gone.

The woman felt a sense of urgency. She had waited a long time for this opportunity and didn’t want it to slip away. So, she grabbed her bag and followed him.

Scarlett was struggling with the drunk, feeling it becoming a real hassle. Fortunately, Mary noticed the situation and hurried over to help, abandoning her intention to mock Ethan’s lover.

However, Mary was intercepted by two people, one being the sister of the woman upstairs and the other appearing to be her accomplice. “They’re just having a chat. We shouldn’t interrupt them.”

“Get out of the way!” Mary was furious, but these people's despicable actions indeed hindered her.

By now, many at the party had noticed the commotion. If Scarlett were humiliated by this drunk, it would undoubtedly become gossip for some ill-intentioned people.

“Hey, Scarlett, your eyes are so enchanting, and your face… God, I think I’m in love with you,” the man’s stench was overwhelming, and Scarlett’s wrist hurt from his tight grip.

“Scarlett, since Thorn doesn’t want you, how about me—”

The man was cut off mid-sentence, suddenly sent flying into the pool, creating a massive splash.

The entire party fell silent at this unexpected turn.

“She’s my woman. I thought I made that clear,” Alexander Thorn had appeared behind Scarlett and pulled her into his arms.

“Mr. Thorn?!” “When did he get here?” Thorn’s appearance caused quite a stir. No one expected him to show up here and get angry over a woman many thought unworthy of his attention.

“Mr. Thorn,” Vanessa Sterling, the woman who had been dining with him, felt a surge of jealousy seeing this scene.

Thorn ignored Vanessa and dragged Scarlett away from the party.

Scarlett stumbled a bit, her wrist still sore from the drunk’s grip, but Thorn wouldn’t notice such a minor detail. It was already surprising enough that he had come downstairs at all.

Perhaps he didn’t want someone with a face resembling Anna’s to be humiliated, Scarlett thought.

Suddenly, Thorn let go of her hand.

Scarlett felt a sense of relief in her wrist. They walked side by side in silence for a while. It was nighttime, and only the sound of insects surrounded them.

Their shadows on the ground seemed well-matched, the lighting making them appear closer than they were, giving an impression of intimacy.

Thorn escorted Scarlett back to her house.

As Scarlett sat at her vanity, slowly unbraiding her hair, Thorn smoked a cigarette not far behind her. She realized that her outfit today was entirely to her own taste.

As a stand-in, this was unprofessional behavior. Scarlett decided to be stricter with herself in the future; after all, the compensation Thorn provided was enough to warrant such diligence.

Thorn extinguished his cigarette and approached from behind. Scarlett could see his movement in the mirror.

He stopped behind her.

Scarlett turned and looked up at Alexander Thorn. She knew that this angle made her look more submissive, perhaps more like Anna?

Thorn silently observed her face. She was clever, adept at using her looks to her advantage. He couldn’t resist a face so similar to Anna’s.

Seeing her being harassed, his brain hadn’t even had time to think before his body reacted. In that moment, he saw Anna, not Scarlett.

Scarlett tilted her head back as Thorn gently kissed her lips. He was tall, but this kiss was filled with tenderness and longing. Then he bent down, holding Scarlett and burying his head in her hair.

Scarlett knew he never showed such moments to anyone unless it was Anna. Perhaps the events of the evening had stirred something in him; Thorn was Anna’s knight, never allowing her to be hurt in the slightest.

Then he began kissing her passionately, his kisses fiery and filled with emotion. He confused Scarlett with Anna.

That night, Thorn was unusually gentle, even if that gentleness was meant for Anna.

The next morning, Scarlett woke to find Thorn still asleep beside her. He didn’t like seeing someone with a face similar to Anna’s get hurt, Scarlett concluded.

When Scarlett and Thorn arrived at the company together, many curious eyes followed them.

Around noon, someone came to the office looking for Thorn.

It was a young, handsome man who seemed to have something urgent.

When he passed Scarlett, he paused for a long time, staring at her face in confusion.

“Sir?” Scarlett asked.

The man snapped out of it, frowning. “I need to see Thorn.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“I’m Henry Whitmore. I don’t need an appointment.” He responded impatiently, eyeing Scarlett up and down as if she were something distasteful.

Scarlett noticed that, aside from her, no one else in the company seemed surprised by Henry’s presence; they all knew him. It seemed Henry was someone who frequented the office before Scarlett arrived.

Moreover, Henry Whitmore… Scarlett suddenly felt the name was familiar.

Thorn’s true love, Anna’s full name was Anna Whitmore, wasn’t it?

To play Anna well, Scarlett had read some things about her, including the fact that she had a younger brother.

So, this was Anna’s brother. No wonder he looked at her with such disdain.

Soon, arguing voices could be faintly heard from the office.

Henry stormed out, pausing to glare at Scarlett. “Do you think you can take anything from her?”

Scarlett looked at him calmly. “Money. That’s all I want.”

Scarlett expected Henry to say more, but if that was the question, she had a clear answer for him.

Anna’s brother, like Anna, was probably naive and kind-hearted, unable to fathom someone willing to be another person’s stand-in for money. Hearing Scarlett’s answer, he looked incredulous.

Then his gaze turned even more disdainful.

This time he chose not to speak to her, as if staying near her for another second was intolerable.

Scarlett didn’t mind. Her choice, she could bear it. Besides, it wasn’t a big deal.

Having experienced poverty in her childhood, Scarlett knew that was the most terrifying thing.

Scarlett thought her encounter with Henry was over, but the next day, seeing Henry before her again, she felt a headache coming on.

It was obvious Henry didn’t like Scarlett; her resemblance to Anna made him uncomfortable. Yet, he was not mature enough, always finding ways to punish Scarlett.

“I’m organizing a fashion show and need an assistant. Thorn said you should be my temporary assistant.”

Scarlett thought it over. It did sound like something Thorn would say.

Thorn didn’t care about Scarlett. Even knowing Henry was making an excuse to hassle her, he wouldn’t intervene.

“Alright, no problem.”

Henry’s expression was superior, looking at Scarlett as if she were garbage.

“First, make copies of these.” He handed her a thick stack of documents.

The documents were not straightforward to copy; they were incomplete. Henry just wanted to make things difficult for Scarlett, not actually get useful work done, but Scarlett had to comply.

She spent the entire morning handling the copies.

When Scarlett brought the completed documents to Henry, he didn’t even glance at them, placing them on his desk. “So slow,” he sneered, his eyes full of mockery and challenge.

He was itching for a fight with Scarlett, wanting to expose her true nature to Thorn.

Scarlett found Henry immature. “If I were you, I’d spend more time preparing for the afternoon meeting with the partners instead of making things hard for an assistant.”

“How do you know I have a meeting this afternoon?”

Scarlett pointed to the documents on his desk.

Henry felt a bit embarrassed. He picked up the documents. “Got it.”

Scarlett turned to leave but paused to ask, “Should I attend the afternoon meeting?”

“No… I mean, of course, you should.” Henry hadn’t planned to involve Scarlett in his work, but her morning task didn’t trip her up, instead making him look foolish. His pride wouldn’t let the matter drop so easily.

“Alright.”

The afternoon meeting was crucial for Henry. He changed into a fresh outfit, temporarily putting aside any thoughts of troubling Scarlett.

“Why are you dressed like that?” Henry’s gaze couldn’t leave Scarlett.

Scarlett was a beautiful woman, and with a little effort, it was even more evident.

“What? Is this not appropriate?”

“No, it’s perfect. I just haven’t seen you like this before.” Even with his negative opinion, Henry had to admit Scarlett’s outfit suited the occasion.

The meeting was scheduled for 2 PM.

Henry appeared nervous. Being young, this opportunity was significant for him.

But just before 2 PM, Henry received a phone call.

"I don't think this is a good time to take a call unless it's something urgent," Scarlett said.

"This is none of your business," Henry replied coldly before walking away.

Henry was conflicted. This was a job opportunity he valued, yet he chose to take the call at such a critical moment. Clearly, the caller was more important to him.

Scarlett had her suspicions about the identity of the caller.

But the meeting wouldn't wait for him.

So, when the partners arrived at the agreed location, they only saw Scarlett.

"And you are?"

"I'm Henry's assistant. He went to take a call."

As expected, the partner's face soured upon hearing this.

When Scarlett was copying documents in the morning, she glanced at the materials and knew that the person Henry was meeting for the collaboration was very punctual.

Henry's chances of securing this partnership were looking grim.

If Henry were Scarlett's boss, she might have tried to salvage the situation, but he wasn't. He was just a petty man who enjoyed making things difficult for Scarlett. She had no sympathy to spare for him.

"Since you're his assistant, I believe we can start discussing," the partner suggested.

When Henry returned, he saw his partner and Scarlett deep in conversation.

"Sorry, I had an urgent matter to attend to," Henry apologized to the partner and sat next to Scarlett. "What happened?"

Scarlett hadn't planned on helping Henry, but her excellent memory allowed her to recall the information from the documents, facilitating a smooth conversation with the partner.

"As you can see, because of your delay, I had to take over your task. We both know I'm not your assistant."

"Mr. Henry, I reviewed your fashion design concept, but I still have some doubts about certain aspects..."

Henry was immature, but he was undeniably talented in fashion design.

It was evident that he had put a lot of effort into his work, and it was quite impressive.

Aside from the initial phone call, the meeting went smoothly.

"I think we can reach a partnership," Henry said.

"No, no, young man. Let's not rush. Let's have something to eat first and then discuss the details. After all, this is a big project with many aspects to cover," the partner said with a kind smile, looking relaxed.

"Yes, big projects require thorough discussions," Henry agreed and ordered some desserts.

However, Scarlett was not as optimistic as Henry, especially when she noticed that Mr. Smith, the partner, kept glancing at her face and body.

"Mr. Henry, I heard you have a sister? Is this lady your sister?" Mr. Smith asked.

Henry laughed as if he had heard a joke. "Of course not. My sister is the kindest and most angelic person in the world, and Scarlett is just my assistant, a temporary one at that."

"I see," Mr. Smith said, looking even more pleased.

Then, Mr. Smith and Henry chatted a bit, mostly about Henry's sister, Anna.

It was clear that Henry adored his sister, as he could talk about her endlessly.

But Mr. Smith's behavior was peculiar. He was the one who brought up Anna, yet he seemed uninterested in her, frequently redirecting the conversation to Scarlett.

"...My sister has no interest in luxury goods. I still remember when we were kids..."

"And Scarlett?" Mr. Smith interrupted Henry.

"I like luxury goods and beautiful jewelry. I have a large collection," Scarlett replied.

"Is that so? You should see my collection. I have many rare pieces," Mr. Smith said dismissively, clearly not taking Scarlett's claim seriously. After all, she was just Henry's assistant. How much could she possibly have? Even Henry himself only received some benefits thanks to Thorn.

"If there's something you like, I could gift you a piece," Mr. Smith offered.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm not interested," Scarlett replied.

Her rejection created an awkward silence.

Henry drank a few more glasses of wine and went outside for some fresh air.

Mr. Smith found an excuse to send his assistant away, leaving only Scarlett and Mr. Smith in the room.

"Miss Scarlett, are you sure you don't want to see my collection?" Mr. Smith moved closer, making Scarlett uncomfortable.

Scarlett leaned back against the chair. "Sorry, I'm not interested, and I don't want to see it."

Mr. Smith chuckled. "Miss Scarlett, I don't think you understand your position."

"My position?"

"Do I need to explain it to you? Miss Scarlett, you're not some pampered lady. You're just a small assistant. And your boss is merely a third-rate fashion designer. Without Thorn, he wouldn't have the opportunity to work with a company as big as ours."

"If I were you, I'd use my beauty to my advantage. I'm sure Henry would appreciate it, wouldn't he?" Mr. Smith said, reaching for Scarlett's hand.

In response, Scarlett poured a glass of cold water over Mr. Smith's head.

"They put plenty of ice in the water. Is it cool enough for you?" Scarlett asked, holding the empty glass.

Mr. Smith was incredulous that Scarlett dared to do this. He looked pitifully drenched, but his face turned red with anger. "How dare you do that?"

"How dare you try to grab my hand?"

"I bet you'll be fired soon," Mr. Smith growled.

"You can try," Scarlett said, picking up her bag and leaving.

At the door, she saw Henry standing there.

She didn't know how long he'd been standing there, nor did she care about his thoughts.

"Excuse me, you're blocking my way," Scarlett said.

Henry stepped aside to let her pass.

After Scarlett left, Mr. Smith didn't want to stay in such a frustrating place either.

"Mr. Henry, I think our collaboration is over. If I were you, I'd make sure to properly punish the person responsible for this failure."

"I think you're right," Henry said.

Mr. Smith smirked. "It seems Mr. Henry is quite—"

Before Mr. Smith could finish, he was punched in the face.

"Indeed, the person responsible for the failure deserves punishment," Henry said.

Henry felt conflicted.

On the one hand, he disliked Scarlett, but she had made the initial discussion go smoothly. Despite knowing he was trying to embarrass her, she still did her job well.

In contrast, he had been late and his partner had harassed Scarlett.

"Damn it," Henry cursed, punching the wall. He had to admit that in this situation, he was the one at fault.

When Scarlett returned home, she was surprised to find someone there.

Thorn was sitting on the sofa in the quiet house.

"Mr. Thorn?"

"Where did you go?" Thorn asked.

Scarlett was shocked. "Henry came to the company today and told me you assigned me to be his temporary assistant."

"So you went?"

"You know I follow all your arrangements."

Scarlett believed she was doing what a stand-in should do and that Thorn would be pleased with her response.

But Thorn stood up. "Scarlett, you did something unnecessary."

Thorn slowly approached Scarlett, his presence overwhelming her. "Mr. Thorn, I don't understand."

"I never gave such an order to make you someone else's assistant."

Scarlett retreated until she was backed against the wall. Thorn placed a hand on the wall beside her.

Throughout their contract, Scarlett had never seen Thorn this angry.

"Or do you think I would ever give such an order, to hand you over to someone else, hmm?"

He scrutinized Scarlett.

Scarlett lowered her head. "I made a mistake, Mr. Thorn."

Then Thorn lifted Scarlett's chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"You're lying. You don't want to look at me because your eyes are full of defiance."

"You don't think you did anything wrong, so why apologize?"

Scarlett had no response.

Thorn's fingers brushed against her lips. "You look beautiful."

"So, did he kiss you?"

Scarlett found Thorn's question absurd and felt a surge of anger.

His suspicion was baseless, and she had only helped Henry because she thought it was Thorn's instruction.

"Yes, he kissed me. Not only that, we did even more intimate things—Oh my—"

Before Scarlett could finish, Thorn lifted her onto his shoulder.

"Thorn, what are you doing?" Scarlett was genuinely frightened. She admitted her emotions were out of control; otherwise, she would never have said such things to Thorn. He quickly carried her to the second-floor bedroom.

Thorn threw Scarlett face down onto the bed.