CEO's Stand In Lover

Love and Its Illusions

“Why… why… even though I know this might all be a scam, even though I know you might only be treating me as a stand-in for that other girl, why do I still feel even the tiniest hint of sweetness in my heart? Why?!”

“President Kevin, I’m not the Bella you speak of—please get it straight! I’m Lucy, not someone else’s substitute!”

Lucy said coolly, as her hand slowly slipped from his large grasp, her clear eyes instantly darkening.

“I said, don’t ever call me ‘President Kevin’ again!”

Kevin’s tone turned cold, his face clouding with gloom. “It seems we’re not that close—I don’t need to be so intimate by calling you ‘Kevin’.”

Lucy’s dark eyes narrowed, distant and guarded. “President Kevin, you have a terrible memory!”

Kevin reached out once more, firmly pinching her chin, his violet eyes blazing with an overwhelming possessiveness. “You can only call me Kevin—only you may do that!”

At that moment, Lucy’s vision felt as if shrouded in a thick mist; her once-crystal-clear eyes were now rimmed with a damp sheen. “The one you truly love is that girl, Bella. So why do you cling to me? Are you trying to make me your substitute? If that’s your plan, let me tell you—I, Lucy, no matter how humble I might be, will never stoop to being someone else’s replacement! I am Lucy. We are two distinct souls—even if you look like her, you are not her!”

Suddenly, Lucy laughed—a bright, joyful laugh, as fleeting and delicate as freshly fallen winter snow that barely has time to melt before the wind scatters it. “Really? Then should I feel honored?” Her voice flowed like icy water—cold yet gentle.

“Come on, let’s go!”

Kevin took her hand and led her toward the car. Bathed in sunlight, his handsome face and those translucent violet eyes shimmered with a clear, almost otherworldly light. “From now on, never let me see you with another man—you are mine!” he declared.

The sunlight danced brilliantly over everything, washing the world in radiant light. On that bright Monday morning—clear and pure as flowing water—more than a month had passed since that fateful incident. During these days, Kevin’s gentle care had slowly drawn Lucy in; despite knowing deep down that his heart still belonged partly to a woman named Bella, she found herself, like a moth drawn to a flame, utterly unable to let go of him. So much so that in later days, to ease her pain, she even resorted to hurting herself.

At the lakeside, under the shade of a crabapple tree, Lucy sat on a chair humming a little tune that drifted far away. Her mood was light, and her smile shone as vividly as blooming flowers—her entire presence was as graceful as that of a tiny fairy.

“Lucy…”

Yan Yishan stepped out from behind her and cautiously patted her shoulder. Lucy turned, smiled warmly at her, and resumed humming her tune.

“Lucy, you seem so happy lately! Is it because of President Kevin? He’s been so caring toward you recently!” Yan Yishan asked in a hushed, curious tone.

Lucy beamed. “Yes! At first, I misunderstood Kevin—I thought he was cold and unapproachable. Now I see he’s kind and attentive!”

Yan Yishan’s eyes widened with astonishment, though beneath her surprise lay deep concern. She had learned from some older colleagues that Kevin once had a lover—Bella, the only daughter of the Xu enterprise. They had loved each other dearly until, four years ago, Bella tragically died from a congenital heart condition. Yan Yishan had never told Lucy—not even dared—to reveal that Lucy bore an uncanny resemblance to the late Miss Lin as if carved from the same mold.

Looking at Lucy’s happy face, Yan Yishan felt her heartache, knowing full well that one day, reality would have to intrude. In her eyes, Kevin was merely treating Lucy as a substitute for Bella; or rather, he had never truly loved Lucy at all—his kindness was only for her face.

“Lucy, let me tell you something. Please don’t get upset or hurt, okay?” Yan Yishan asked softly, worried that the truth might shatter her. “Could you please break up with President Kevin? Just leave him!”

“Huh?!” Lucy stared at Yan Yishan in disbelief, her dark eyes sparkling with surprise. Then she laughed and said, “Silly—I'm very happy! Kevin treats me so well. It’s a kind of love I never knew growing up, and I just can’t let him go!”

Back in the quiet of the day, Lucy’s mind was a whirlwind of contradictions. Even though she knew deep down that all this might be a grand illusion—that Kevin might merely be using her as a substitute for Bella—why did her heart still feel those soft, tender moments of sweetness?

“President Kevin, I’m not the Bella you speak of! Please, see it clearly—I’m Lucy, not someone else’s substitute!” she insisted, her voice steady but laced with hurt as her hand slowly slipped away from his. “And I said, do not call me ‘President Kevin’ anymore!”

Kevin’s face darkened as he replied in a low, cold voice, “It appears we aren’t that close; I don’t need to be so intimate.”

“President Kevin, you have a terrible memory!” Lucy shot back, her eyes distant and filled with guarded detachment. “Please, respect yourself!”

“You seem to have forgotten,” Kevin countered as he grasped her chin again, his violet eyes burning with an almost overwhelming possessiveness. “You can only call me Kevin—only you are allowed to. What is wrong with you?” he demanded.

Lucy’s vision blurred as if covered by a thick mist; her once-crystal eyes now glistened with unshed tears. “The one you truly love is that girl, Bella! Why are you clinging to me? Do you want me to be her substitute? If that’s your plan, know this: no matter how humble I may be, I will never sink into being someone else’s replacement! I’m Lucy—you are you, and we are two separate souls. Even if you look like her, you are not her!”

Then, unexpectedly, Lucy laughed—joyously, as if a delicate snowflake had danced in the winter air before melting away. “Really? Then should I feel incredibly honored?” Her voice, though cool, flowed like icy water—cold yet gentle.

“Come on, let’s go!” Kevin said, taking her hand as he led her toward the car. His handsome face and violet eyes shone in the sunlight with a clarity that made his words ring: “From now on, never let me see you with another man—you are mine!”

As the brilliant sunlight bathed everything in dazzling radiance, Lucy’s heart warmed despite the lingering doubts. Though she knew in her heart that this might all be a cruel trick, a part of her still clung to the sweetness of his touch. Even if she feared that in his heart there still lay a space for Bella, she could not help but feel drawn to him—so completely that she risked everything, even if it meant hurting herself in the process.

Later, as they walked together under a canopy of clear, sparkling sunlight, Kevin’s tone softened. Gently, he brushed his hand along Lucy’s flawless cheek and murmured, “You are mine, Lucy. So never let me see you with another man, or I’ll be hurt.”

Lucy’s heart trembled at his words. “Kevin, I’m not the Bella you speak of! Please, see me as I am—Lucy, not someone’s substitute!” she pleaded, her voice quivering with both defiance and sorrow.

Kevin’s expression turned grim. “It seems we’re not well acquainted enough. I don’t need to be this intimate.”

“Kevin, you have a terrible memory!” Lucy snapped.

Then Kevin, with a surge of possessive intensity, firmly grasped her chin. “You must call me Kevin—only you may do so!” he declared, his violet eyes smoldering with a passion that bordered on obsession.

Lucy’s eyes, once clear and bright, now shimmered with unshed tears as she retorted, “The one you love is that girl, Bella! Why do you keep clinging to me? Are you trying to make me your substitute? I swear, no matter how humble I may be, I will never become anyone’s replacement! I am Lucy. We are two distinct beings. Even if you resemble her, you are not her!”

In that charged moment, Lucy laughed—a joyful, crystalline laugh that burst forth like snowflakes in winter, so pure and fleeting. “Is that so? Then maybe I should feel honored?” she said, her voice cold yet laced with unexpected tenderness.

“Let’s go,” Kevin said as he led her to the car. His handsome face, illuminated by the bright morning light, glowed with an almost mystical intensity. “Never let me see you with another man—you are mine!” he repeated.

As the sunlight poured over them like liquid crystals, Lucy’s heart fluttered. Deep down, she knew the risk—she knew he might be using her as a substitute for Bella—but for now, all she felt was a bittersweet joy.

Later that bright Monday morning, as the world seemed to shimmer with promise, Yan Yishan approached Lucy with gentle concern. “Lucy, you seem so happy lately. Is it because of Kevin? He’s been very attentive, hasn’t he?”

Lucy’s smile grew radiant. “Yes! At first, I misunderstood him, thinking he was cold, but now I know he’s kind and caring.”

Yan Yishan hesitated, her eyes filling with worry. “But… I’ve heard things, Lucy. About Kevin and his past—about a Bella who was deeply loved and then lost…”

Lucy waved her off with a carefree laugh. “Oh, silly! I’m very happy. Kevin treats me like no one ever has, and I just can’t let him go.”

Deep inside, though, a shadow lingered—one that even the brightest joy could not entirely dispel. But for now, Lucy clung to that fragile happiness, determined to embrace the love she had found, however uncertain its foundation might be.

“Kevin,” she whispered to herself as she gazed out at the brilliant morning light, “I’m not your Bella. I’m Lucy. And if you truly love me, you must love me for who I am.”

With that, despite all the doubts, Lucy resolved to cherish the love that had unexpectedly bloomed—a love that, no matter how complicated or painful, made her feel more alive than she ever had before.

“Fool,” she murmured with a mix of defiance and contentment, “I am happy. Kevin treats me so well—something I never knew as a child. And I just can’t seem to let him go.”