CEO's Stand In Lover

When Truth Clashes with Illusion

But at the very moment he looked up, the faint smile on Kevin’s face suddenly froze.

Lucy stood not far away, motionless under a patch of sunlight—as if she had been there for an eternity.

Kevin stared at her, at a loss for words.

How long has she been here?

How much of my conversation with Shangguan Yun did she overhear?

If she learns the whole truth, will she leave me?

I suppose she would—someone as proud as her would never deign to remain by a man who deceives her.

In that instant, Kevin’s eyes darkened. He realized with mounting dread that he was terrified of losing Lucy—so utterly afraid of her leaving him!

Kevin left the black marble desk and slowly approached Lucy. Gazing at her calm, serene face, his heart sank.

“Lucy, when did you get here?” he asked.

“Just now,” she replied with a faint smile. “I heard you arguing outside—what happened?”

“It’s nothing; Shangguan and I are always like this,” Kevin said with a small smile, his violet eyes never leaving her face, as if afraid to see even a trace of emotion he wished to hide.

“Have you seen how Yan Yishan is doing?” he asked.

“She’s okay; those bullies have backed off. Besides, the CEO himself went to set things right—who would dare mess with her?” Lucy continued to smile as she handed him a small box. “These snacks were made by Yan Yishan. Try them!”

A soft light flickered in Kevin’s violet eyes—as if a slender beam had pierced the still night—when he took the box, and a bright, cheerful smile lit his lips.

Watching the scene, Shangguan Yun felt almost superfluous—an outsider, uninvited. His gaze lingered on Lucy’s face, yet he noticed that from the moment she arrived until now, her eyes had been fixed solely on Kevin’s face. Her expression had not changed at all, as if he, Shangguan Yun, were nothing more than a stranger to her.

A strange sense of loss welled up inside him—perhaps a loss so subtle he hadn’t even been aware of it.

Under the brilliant sunlight, the ring Kevin had placed on Lucy’s finger glimmered faintly. In that instant, it caught Shangguan Yun’s eye, and the light in his dark eyes dimmed in a flash.

“Since you two are getting along so well, I won’t disturb you—I’m leaving now.”

“Leaving already?” Kevin looked up at Shangguan Yun, a smug smile tugging at his lips. “Not waiting any longer, are you?”

“Not at all!” Shangguan Yun replied, then suddenly turned back to Kevin as if recalling something. “Kevin, remember my words—if that day ever comes, I will do exactly as I said!”

“That day will never come,” Kevin replied as he reached for Lucy’s hand, a determined light burning in his violet eyes—a look that left Lucy utterly spellbound.

In the backlight, her figure gradually faded from view. Yet, the sunlight remained brilliantly radiant, its glow tirelessly streaming through the silent room.

Kevin continued to stare intently at Lucy’s inky-black eyes. Whether her eyes were dark because she concealed her true feelings or because she was masking them too well, he couldn’t decipher any trace of sadness, anger, or even hatred. There was only calm indifference.

“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked, noticing the bright spark in his eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?”

She reached up and touched her cheek.

At the sight of that bright glimmer, Kevin felt as if his heart had been plunged into a deep valley—each ray of light piercing his eyes like a sharp needle.

“Lucy, if one day you find out I’m not as wonderful as you imagine, will you… will you hate me?” he asked in a trembling whisper.

Lucy suddenly looked up at him, her violet eyes, beautiful and clear, reflecting a complex mix of emotions.

Is he still going to confess everything?

She had stood outside for what felt like an eternity, overhearing every word of his conversation with Shangguan Yun. She had pretended not to know—perhaps out of an instinctive fear of losing him.

Is it fear of losing him?

“Hate you?” Lucy forced a laugh, though her smile was stiff yet strangely beautiful. “Why should I hate you?”

Kevin hesitated, then lowered his lashes so that his long lashes concealed the tumult of feelings in his eyes.

If all of this is just a façade—or if none of it is because of you but because of her—what then?

Lucy’s eyes turned somber; her delicate face, once radiant, now seemed drained, like a rose that has withered from lack of water. Every word she spoke now sounded weak, pale, and void of strength.

“Why… why must you treat her this way?” she pleaded silently.

She had tried so hard not to care—so why must he be so cruel to her?

Even if he treats her as a substitute, she doesn’t mind; all she wants is to remain by his side. Is that not enough?

Kevin’s voice trembled ever so slightly, laced with a hint of hidden fear. “You heard everything, didn’t you?”

“Yes!” Lucy replied softly.

“Then let me tell you—it isn’t true. In the beginning, I did see you as Bella’s substitute, but after these days together, I know clearly that you are not her!”

“So then?” Lucy asked, her voice suddenly turning cold, and her clear gaze sharpening.

Kevin stared at her strong form; for a fleeting moment, his eyes flickered with confusion, and even the silver cross on his ear seemed to lose its luster.

“You don’t believe me?” he demanded.

“Believe?” Lucy suddenly burst into a mocking laugh—one that was as cold as it was biting. “In this world, there’s nothing truly worthy of trust; the only thing you can rely on is yourself!”