THE SUBSTITUTE WIFE

THE EXPECTED SIGNATURE

"I am a suitor of Eloise!" he responded quickly, and Kellan almost let out a laugh right there.

He was a not very detail-oriented suitor, he thought; as he hadn't noticed that the woman next to him at the altar was much shorter and curvier than Eloise Miller... Kellan wasn't stupid, he never was.

Now he was more than sure, someone had set a trap for him and his family.

But they were going to find out who he was!

Anastasia couldn't believe her bad luck.

She was about to sign and that man appeared out of nowhere.

Upon hearing him, she tensed, but not for the reasons anyone might think, like being exposed or something, no.

But because she feared they would lift her veil and reveal her identity.

She was sure her future husband wouldn't forgive her for such deception, because she didn't know if it was out of guilt or something else, but she felt his presence so heavy and authoritative.

Unfortunately, she couldn't see beyond her high-heeled feet, but if there was one thing she was sure of, it was that what that man was saying was a big lie.

Oh, Anastasia knew her sister very well.

Eloise didn't accept suitors so easily, no.

She was more of a hunter; she was never one to be hunted or claimed by anyone.

And honestly, now that she thought about it, she should have assumed long ago that her sister

"I can't allow you to marry him, Eloise," the guy began, and Ana narrowed her eyes, trying to see through the veil, but it was impossible.

"Oh, really? Who are you to interrupt a Vills wedding?" a voice asked, and she identified it as Bemus Vills's voice, only it sounded more authoritative; nothing like the voice he had used with her.

"Who am I?... I am the one who has evidence that Kellan Vills was cheating on the bride a couple of days before the wedding!" the man exclaimed, and there was a laugh from Kellan's grandfather.

Anastasia could feel Kellan tensing next to her, and she felt a little bad.

It was possible that she was marrying a man who already loved another, she never thought of that.

She had no moral ground to claim anything, besides being an impostor she had lost her virginity recently, but that didn't stop her chest from burning at Kellan's obvious guilt.

"Do you mean he cheated on the bride... With the girl from the video?" the eldest of the Vills asked aloud.

"Yes, that...!" the intruder began to respond, while she listened attentively.

Suddenly, the veil that obstructed Anastasia's view was lifted, and she could see the place clearly.

Her eyes struggled to adapt to the light quickly.

Surprised, she could see that there weren't many people, but the few who were present seemed to be synchronized, because they all gasped collectively at seeing her face.

She felt horrible, whatever the Vills did in revenge, she deserved it.

She tried to blame her father, so she thought of putting it on him.

Anastasia quickly searched for Kellan's expression and was stunned.

She wasn't surprised to see him furious looking at her, observing every feature of her face, no, she was actually terrified to see that her future husband was none other than the man she had had her first time with.

That man seemed to be about to kill her with his own hands.

To Kellan, it really didn't matter that the man was there making a fool of himself.

That had taken a back seat as soon as he saw the bride's face.

Or rather, the substitute.

The world was a small handkerchief.

The woman he had been searching for so much!

She had been so close all along!

But who was she?

He didn't know who she was, but here they were about to tie the knot.

Destiny was a piece of crap and it was proving it to him once again, for the third time in his life.

He was about to marry the woman he had f****d and deflowered, quite eagerly, two days ago!

He told himself that not everything was negative, in the end he had found her and on top of that, he was very lucky.

After searching so much, suddenly he had her before his eyes.

It was madness, but Kellan told himself that this way he would be sure not to have any illegitimate children.

Being a father was not in his plans, God knew it wasn't... But he was willing to take responsibility, he wasn't going to be like his own father in his adolescence.

Although that thought didn't take away a certain bitterness from his mouth, because he tasted it just by thinking that he was that girl's first time and now he was going to be her husband.

He didn't want her to get emotionally confused just because he had been the first man in her life.

He was a Vills through and through, responsible and true to his word. He was going to take care of her and any children they might have as a result of that night, but he didn't want her to have illusions about him or feelings.

He was not going to be more than her husband by convenience, and he hoped that was clear to the girl.

He felt so indignant about what was happening.

The girl looked at him looking stunned and he almost laughed at that expression.

Was he going to pretend he hadn't set a trap for her?

Please!

Surely she had lost her virginity to him intentionally!

"But if she's not...!" the man shouted with frustration, and the grandfather let out a laugh that made him think he was up to something... As always.

Old rascal and controller, he thought indignantly.

"She is my grandson's wife... Does the name Anastasia Miller, Pietro Miller's youngest daughter, ring a bell?" the old man asked suspiciously, the man shook his head.—"Because that is the only name of my grandson's wife." he stated and gestured to security.

The man's shouts were not long in coming.

"Where is Eloise?! You're mistaken, I...!" he yelled and kicked while the security men dragged him out of the hall, turning his shouts into unintelligible murmurs.

Kellan cleared his throat, taking a pen in his hand.

"If you're not Eloise, who am I marrying?" he asked as he adjusted the registry book and gripped the pen to scribble his signature.

Was he willing to sign? It still seemed like a strange dream.

"I am Anastasia..." she responded in a whisper.

"That's not the name the priest read." he quickly pointed out.

"No. He used my first name... Nix, but nobody calls me that. They call me Anastasia or just Ana..." she began to babble, caught up in the topic.

"Nix! Like the damn goddess of the night?" he asked, unable to avoid sounding indignant.

"Yes..." she admitted and Kellan shook his head from side to side.

He felt so angry with her and with himself for not clarifying things before the ceremony.

He should have made things clear!

Why had he let his request affect him so much?

Why had that whisper prevented him from going ahead with his plan?

It caught him off guard and like an i***t, he got married without clarifying things.

What would he do now?

Would she accept what he thought to offer her?

He didn't know the answer and he wasn't in the mood to keep thinking about it, honestly.

He signed his name forcefully, almost tearing the paper.

"Don't think about it anymore." he said after signing the document, offering her the pen.

She took it shyly, giving him a curious look.

"Okay..." she murmured and then leaned over the registry, making the veil fall back over her face, as if she were a virginal bride.

The reality of having deflowered his wife hit Kellan with tremendous force.

That woman had already been his, he knew what it felt like to be inside her.

How was he going to stay away from her?

How was he going to keep his word not to touch her with a ten-foot pole?

As Kellan racked his brains, Anastasia signed.

She did it with a confident stroke and so elaborate that it aroused curiosity in her now husband.

Damn, that's not a common signature, he thought, discreetly looking at her.

How could an airhead girl have such a signature?