Billionaire Substitute

and the hushed conversations of the elite. At the other end of the room, Vincent Delacroix, the center of all eyes, strolled with natural ease, an affable smile plaster

lated, every smile a tool to st

the business world nor in this evening. His empire touched everything – real estate, cutting-edge technology, fashion. There was not a

daughter, Camille, who, at the other end of the room, was chatting with foreign investors. His gaze rested on her for a moment, a silent pride crossing his

ing. He stood up, putting a hand to his heart. The discomfort grew, becoming more intense, and his legs weakened slightly benea

other step, his body gave way. Vincent Delacroix, the man who seemed unshakeable, collapsed to the ground. The guests around him re

she rushed to his side, but her body remained motionless,

thoughts muddled by the monotonous day he had just spent. The steady sound of his shoes on the worn pavement was the only sound that accompanied him. One

ance. The bills were piling up, his fridge was half empty, and hope for a better future was fading with time. Yet something inside him r

re were showing a special news bulletin, and the images he saw through the window made him stop in his tracks. A familiar face appea

charity gala. » Journalists were already speculating about the cause, while images showed shocked guests and medical teams milling

this moment, it had never become so real. Watching him on television, this striking resemblance became almost frightening. Adrien shook his head to get

ept coming back to his mind. If he was dead... what would happen next? Adrien's thoughts were racing, confused. He turned on the radio for some noise i

semblance was so striking. No one could really know. He shook his head, dismissing the idea as madness. And yet, this thought, once sown,

hat shiny floor, was etched in his mind. One life had just end

at made him an ordinary man, a worker among many others. However, something had struck him since the day before, since he had seen the face of Vincent Delacroix on television, lying inert. This face...their face. It was a

yes, imagining what that could be. Luxury cars, trips to exotic places, deals that happen with a snap of the fingers, the respect and fear of others. Everything he'd never had, everything he'd secretly dreamed of,

d himself. *I have to see, understand what this life really is before launching myself into anything.* The idea of getti

onous daily life. He found himself imagining how Vincent would behave in such a place, how he would walk with confidence, how the workers around him would look at him, respectful and envious