Three Years as the Substitute

Chapter 1

It was an open secret in their circle that Adrian Blackwood, president of Blackwood Corporation, kept a woman he only looked at, never touched.

Elena Vale was merely a living portrait in his study—a quiet keepsake to remember someone by.

Then came the night that should never have happened.

He pinned her beneath him, but the name he gasped was her twin sister's—Sophia Vale.

From that night on, she became his hidden, frequent lover.

The sofa in the CEO's lounge, the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, the edge of a luxury hotel pool… they clung to each other in feverish passion.

After another night spent together, he held her from behind, his chin nestled in the damp hollow of her neck, his breath ragged, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.

"Elena, Sophia is coming back tomorrow."

For once, he actually said her name.

The moment the words left his lips, Adrian's phone buzzed to life on the nightstand.

Sophia: [Adrian, my flight back is tomorrow. It's been so long… How have you been?]

Elena could almost hear the frantic drumming of his heart.

In the next instant, he flipped her beneath him, his gaze burning with desperate fire.

That night, Adrian seemed driven to pour out every drop of pent-up desire he'd harbored for years on her again and again, insatiable, until they'd emptied a whole box of condoms.

Elena turned away from him, gazing silently at the neon-lit cityscape. Her muscles were heavy with fatigue, but her mind was cold and still.

She had been waiting for this day far too long.

"I understand." Her tone was flat as she gently pulled away from his embrace. "I'll get my things together and be out quickly."

The silk sheets slid off, baring her smooth back.

His eyes darkened. "Good."

He reached out, mussing her hair like she was a well-behaved pet. "Don't worry. The deal with your family still stands."

He liked how she knew her place. In three years, she'd never been any trouble.

"Thank you, Mr. Blackwood." She lowered her lashes, hiding all emotion.

He didn't notice her coolness, his thoughts already racing toward Sophia's return.

His phone rang again—Sophia's special ringtone.

He answered immediately, his voice oddly gentle. "Sophia? You just landed? Tired? Good, I'm coming to get you now!"

He sprang from bed and headed for the bathroom.

The shower's roar drowned out everything.

Elena rose efficiently, dressed, and made quick work of the tangled sheets.

Only then did she pack. She took so little that it all fit in one suitcase.

She left all his gifts—the jewels and designer clothes—exactly where they were.

When Adrian emerged dressed, she stood waiting, poised and ready, her bag at her side.

"I've purchased you a villa," he said, pausing at her readiness. "The driver will take you."

"No, thanks." She lifted her gaze. "I've filed for immigration—"

His phone interrupted, "Sophia" pulsating across the screen.

Snatching his jacket mid-call, he strode out as if she'd dissolved into air.

Alone, she extracted her phone.

The line rang endlessly before her mother's voice crackled through, laced with irritation. "Well?" Margaret Vale said.

"Mom." Elena's voice was flat. "Sophia is back. My task is complete. Don't forget your promise to me."

There was silence for a few seconds before the reply came. "Understood. The agreement ends here. The termination of parental rights will be sent to you tomorrow. Take care of yourself."

"By the way," Margaret added abruptly, "since Sophia is back, resign from Blackwood Corporation. I don't want her to feel uncomfortable."

"I've already submitted my resignation. In a month, I'll be relocating overseas. I won't remain an obstacle for your precious daughter." Elena gazed out the window, expression blank.

Margaret seemed momentarily taken aback before replying stiffly, "Ahem… good."

The call ended.

A wave of relief washed over Elena.

Three years ago, Sophia had rejected Adrian's ninety-ninth proposal and eloped abroad with a man she met online, leaving Adrian humiliated. In a fit of rage, he severed all ties with the Vale family.

To appease his fury, Elena had been sent as a peace offering.

At first, he would only gaze at her face—uncannily similar to Sophia's—in a dazed stare, occasionally sneering, "You're trying to copy her. How pathetic."

Elena managed his life and handled his affairs, silent as a ghost.

Then came the night he drunkenly mistook her for Sophia, and everything spiraled out of control.

He couldn't get enough of her.

At his weakest, he pressed against her, his sweat-drenched forehead touching hers, breath scalding, eyes dark with confusion.

He kissed her repeatedly, voice growing hoarse. "Elena… Elena, why couldn't you have been the one I met first?"

In that instant, he held her so tightly that she thought he might fuse her into his bones, as if she were his only lifeline.

In the darkness, Elena simply listened in silence.

She neither responded nor lost herself in the moment.

She understood better than anyone that she was merely a temporary substitute to ease his longing.

For three years, she had remained by his side without any formal recognition, making everyone think she was desperately in love with him.

But only Elena knew the truth.

She did not love him.

Since childhood, she had been Sophia's shadow. Despite being twins, a passing remark from a psychic had branded her as a jinx, shunned by everyone.

When she agreed to go to Adrian's side, she struck a deal with her parents: the instant Sophia had a change of heart, she would leave immediately, severing all ties with the Vale family.

With the transaction now complete, she felt an unprecedented sense of liberation.

The moment Elena returned to her rented apartment, Adrian's call came through.

On the other end, a woman's tinkling laughter could be heard, followed by his doting reply, "Alright, as you wish."

Then, turning his attention to Elena, he gave an instruction.

"Sophia wants some rice pudding. Make it and bring it to her yourself. I'll send you the address."

Elena quietly assented.

Before the call ended, she could still hear their teasing conversation in the background.

"Ms. Substitute is truly devoted to you. She's always on call for you."

Adrian chuckled and corrected, "Ms. Substitute? Don't be ridiculous. Sophia, you're one of a kind. No one else even compares."

Staring at the now-dark screen of her phone, she turned and walked into the kitchen.

She was still Adrian's secretary, and until her final exit, she couldn't risk causing a scene.

Otherwise, the Blackwood family would make her pay.

'It's okay. Only one more month to go,' she muttered to herself.