Reality Sets In

The Placeholder Bride's Secret Billionaire Revenge

Luo Ye

For two years, I was the invisible force behind tech billionaire Kieran Douglas, convinced that our "private" romance was his way of protecting us from the tabloid spotlight. I managed his mergers, warmed his bed, and waited for a future that didn't exist. The illusion shattered at 6:00 AM when a Page Six alert debuted Kieran's "real" romance with socialite Aspen Schneider. Before I could even process the betrayal, Kieran sent me a cold, professional text: "Order flowers for Aspen. Pink peonies. Her favorite." When I tried to walk away, my own mother called me a disgrace and threatened to lock my inheritance forever unless I married a sixty-year-old businessman to save her failing estate. At a high-society gala that same night, Aspen intentionally crushed my burned hand in front of the cameras, while Kieran stood by and dismissed me as a "mediocre assistant" who had overstayed her welcome. I stood in the cold New York rain, drenched in champagne and humiliation, realizing that every sacrifice I made for Kieran was a joke. I was a ghost in a penthouse that was never mine, discarded the moment his "soulmate" returned. To the world, I was just a placeholder whose time had run out. But Kieran forgot one thing: my father's multi-million dollar trust fund unlocks the moment I legally marry. I didn't need love; I needed a signature and a shield. I walked into a discreet law firm and signed a marriage contract with a man I believed was the city's most notorious, scandal-ridden playboy. I thought I was marrying a degenerate "beard" to buy my freedom and secure my revenge. I didn't realize the man who signed that paper wasn't a playboy at all, but Gaston Collins-the most powerful and dangerous man on Wall Street-and he had no intention of letting our fake marriage stay fake.

Modern Playboy Billionaires

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A black car left the fishing village, got on the highway, and ran at top speed.

Hailey Anderson, who just had her 19th birthday, looked out of the window at the quickly receding trees. Her face was expressionless.

Leilani, a maid who was sent there to pick her up, was playing with her phone raptly in the passenger seat.

The entire carriage was filled with the noise of the phone and Leilani's boisterous laughter.

She hadn't reached Anderson's door yet, but the maid had already shown such an attitude. Imagine what she was going to face.

According to Leilani, she was Melody Anderson's daughter. At her young age, Melody was capricious and ignorant. Her family found her a good marriage partner, but she ran away with a toyboy. In the end, the man cheated her out of her money and left.

In his anger, William Anderson, the patriarch, disowned his daughter. Melody felt too ashamed to go back and chose to marry a random guy. Then, her contact with her family was lost for 20 years.

The maid also claimed that William had been missing his daughter. Upon hearing the news of Melody's death, the old man was seriously ill and insisted on taking Hailey back. On top of that, he would acknowledge her at the birthday banquet tomorrow.

At that, the corner of Hailey's mouth curved up in a faint sneer.

William had her back just for trade.

The main business of Anderson Group was health care. Last month, Jack Anderson, William's eldest son, signed a 20-million-yuan supply contract with a company from Country M. It was their largest order in the past five years.

One month later, right before the delivery date, their partner suddenly disappeared.

Apparently, Jack was caught in a fraud.

20 million yuan's worth of goods was overstocked. If they couldn't sell them off and get the payment, bankruptcy could be expected soon.

Then someone came up with the idea of seeking capital injection through marriage.

The Anderson Family soon found a buyer—The Cox Family from Sea City. Their third son was paralyzed from a car accident.

There was only one girl in the Anderson Family at a marriageable age, but Eliza Anderson was the beloved granddaughter and the apple of William's eye. The old man would not marry her off and shifted his attention to the other granddaughter. Hailey was living in a small fishing village.

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