CEO's Stand In Lover

Conflicted Vow

Kevin slightly tilted his head as he gazed at the radiant smile on Lucy’s face. The sunlight falling upon her made her appear breathtakingly gorgeous—so stunning that for a moment, he was completely mesmerized.

He couldn’t help but admit: that Lucy was indeed more beautiful, purer, and colder than Bella.

“Kevin—were you protecting me just now?”

Lucy lifted her eyes to meet his, her tone earnest as she asked, “Just now, were you protecting me? I need to know the truth.”

Kevin’s eyes remained fixed on the ground, his gaze never leaving her porcelain face. He did not answer.

After a long, heavy silence, the smile that had played on Lucy’s lips slowly faded. A hint of self-mockery emerged as she whispered to herself, How could anyone possibly protect me? No one could.

Yet, Kevin’s narrow, violet eyes caught the trace of loneliness on her face—a sorrow he longed to soothe. In a low, gravelly voice filled with an unwavering determination—as if echoing across lifetimes—he murmured,

“I will protect you.”

Those words, spoken so softly yet with the weight of an unyielding promise, sent a shiver down his spine. His eyes, aglow with a violet radiance, locked onto hers as if to seal his vow.

“I will protect you,” he repeated, his voice a fragile blend of resolve and despair.

But as the moment passed, a painful truth surfaced in Lucy’s mind. Was this “protection” nothing more than another deception?

Her bright eyes flickered with uncertainty.

Kevin, upon hearing the familiar timbre of her voice, involuntarily tightened his grip on her hand—desperately wanting to keep her close, never letting anyone else claim her. His murmured words came out in a rush,

“Bella, I promised you, in this life and the next, forever—I will protect you, for you are the one I love most.”

In that instant, the warm pressure of his hand turned shockingly cold. Lucy jerked her hand away, her once-luminous eyes dimming with sudden disillusionment.

Then, a strange, almost mocking smile began to play on Lucy’s lips—a smile as delicate as cherry blossom petals. Her gaze, stubborn and resolute, held a trace of hidden anger behind the crystalline clarity of her dark eyes. Her lips curved into a cold, peculiar smile.

“So you’ve mistaken me for her, haven’t you?” she said, her tone edged with scorn. “That woman you call Bella—what kind of woman is she? How could someone so ordinary ever deserve your protection? Your promises… they were all for her, not me.”

“I'm not her!” Lucy declared sharply. “If President has any affection for someone, it shouldn’t be for someone you pretend to protect through empty vows.”

Kevin’s eyes widened in astonishment as he finally met Lucy’s gaze. Her delicate, cherry blossom lips curled into a faint, ironic smile—the very same cold and aloof expression he had first encountered. Her clear, deep eyes were as enigmatic as a dark pool, concealing emotions that no one could decipher.

“Just now, I heard nothing,” Lucy said coolly, her voice laced with icy determination. “If President Nan Gong wishes to recite his tender vows, he can do so to that Bella alone. Don’t direct those words at me—I am not her!”

With that, Lucy turned away, walking steadily toward the elevator. As she waited, sunlight danced across her face in scattered, glittering fragments—like broken mercury shining brilliantly.

Suddenly, a voice from behind shattered the tense silence. “Lucy, haven’t you forgotten who your boss is?!”

Kevin’s tone was low and harsh as he stepped forward, his large hand suddenly seizing her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. The closeness was disconcerting—he could see the fierce, fragile passion flickering deep within her eyes, like delicate crystal ready to shatter at the slightest touch. For an instant, a genuine desire to protect her surged within him.

But Lucy’s expression remained unmoved, icy, and unyielding. “President, what are you doing?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she felt his grip tighten, leaving an inevitable mark on her chin.

A soft breeze wafted in through the window, scattering beams of light across Lucy’s clear eyes—each fragment of light like a shard of brilliance, reflecting her inner turmoil.

At that moment, Kevin’s own heart felt as though it were pierced by a sudden, warm burst of sunlight—a sensation so foreign after years of cold darkness. The radiance in Lucy’s eyes, bursting forth like cherry blossom petals drifting in a gentle spring breeze, forced him to confront a painful truth: this woman before him was not his Bella.

Bella’s eyes would never have shone so brilliantly; she would have drowned in their depth without a trace of defiance.

Just then, the elevator doors slid open. Lucy, still wearing her impassive expression, stepped inside and glanced back at the dazed Kevin. After a moment’s hesitation, she softly inquired,

“President, are you returning to your office?”

Kevin remained standing, his chiseled features stark against the backlight—a living sculpture of perfect Greek marble.

“If you’re not leaving, then I’m heading up,” Lucy said coolly before pressing the button.

At the corridor’s luminous end, the silver elevator doors gleamed like shards of frozen light. As they began to close, a small gap remained—only a sliver. Suddenly, a large, solid hand jammed into the narrowing space. The heavy doors recoiled, splitting apart to release the trapped hand.

Lucy’s eyes widened in surprise as she fixed her gaze in the direction from which the hand emerged. Slowly, the elevator doors parted, and there stood Kevin—his presence undeniable.

“Lucy, as my secretary, how can you leave your boss out there alone?” he said, his tone mixed with irritation and something else she couldn’t quite define.