(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

“Ariana, I’m sure Gerald really cares about you,” Amber replied finally. Ariana still looked at her unbelievably.

“Okay. Let’s assume everything you’re saying is true. About him not introducing you as your true self to the public back then. Consider it from another perspective. Maybe at that time, he was still unsure about his own feelings. Maybe he had the same thoughts as you do now.

“If he intends to replace you with Karenina when the girl returns, why would he bother correcting everything? It would only make him tired again and, of course, confuse the public.

“And again, you also have to consider his position as a businessman. Choosing a wife alone could be seen as indecisive, especially when it comes to business matters. He would definitely be regarded as an unworthy businessman. And his business partners might decide to terminate their cooperation with Gerald.

“Imagine if that happens. Just because of a name change, are you willing to risk the fate of those who depend on Gerald for their livelihood?” Amber hypothesized.

“Listen and consider my words carefully. This is my perspective as a third party who is not involved in your marriage-although clearly, I have been involved because I’ve been meddling in your affairs. But in fact, I don’t know anything about your internal issues,” she continued.

“I don’t know your daily lives. I only observe you briefly as a stranger. Although, in reality, I am haunted by filthy thoughts remembering Gerald’s words when he prevented me from returning to the apartment and made sure that I would hear the ‘sound’ that would keep me awake all night,” she added.

Ariana winced at Amber’s final comment. In her heart, Ariana smiled if she remembered the recent incident. What did Gerald call it, hide and seek? But she didn’t want to share that with Amber. Let the girl assume whatever she wanted.

“Let’s start with my view of your marriage. Okay, if back then Gerald married you just to spare his family from shame. But what I saw afterward didn’t seem like a marriage set up to cover embarrassment.

“If, suppose, he still had the intention to replace you with Karenina when she returns. Why would he bother getting close to you and Axel? As a child who, sorry, has been separated from parents since childhood, you have to admit that a child’s feelings are sensitive.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

“If Gerald genuinely cares about that child, it means he will not only protect the child physically but also safeguard the child’s mental state so that it won’t be disturbed in any way. And introducing you into the child’s life only to replace you with someone else later is clearly not a good thing and something he would avoid,” Amber said.

“Then he came here, with his child. Indirectly, he wanted your closest people to know who he is, who the child he brought is. Although, okay, again you’re right if he didn’t introduce you to the public. But think about it again. What’s more important, your closest people knowing who he is, or the public knowing who you are? Hello, the public can judge without even knowing the truth. But your closest people, they will reach out when we face problems. So, in my opinion, it’s better that your closest people know first, so they won’t be shocked later,” Amber raised her hand again when Ariana was about to interrupt.

“Furthermore, when you disappeared like that, I, who am used to being abandoned by ghosts like you, wouldn’t panic at all. For me, you disappearing but coming back in a good mood is better than seeing your face with a bad mood all day. But it seems he isn’t like that. He looked genuinely worried and panicked when you weren’t around.

“Do you know how many times he called me when you disappeared like that? If he doesn’t care, he doesn’t need to be that panicked, right? I couldn’t even work properly. My ears felt hot. His calls were more frequent than the customers who could bring us profit.

“Then there’s Chris. Although I’m jealous because Chris pays more attention to you than to me, even though I’ve liked him longer, even though I know there’s nothing between you two. But I clearly saw that he was really jealous,” Amber raised her hand again when Ariana was about to interrupt.

“Again, if he doesn’t have any feelings for you, why did he, late at night, clearly exhausted from work, come here just to invite you back, or did he actually intend to invite you to have dinner together?

“I don’t know, I don’t need to know that. What’s clear, he sacrifices his time for you too. And then, do you know his threats, and hello, I’m allowed to be upset; after all, my apartment is partly paid for too, even though it’s just monthly rent. Can’t I return to my own place?” But Amber then waved her hand.

“Okay, let’s ignore that. Let’s move on to another topic. Yesterday, when Karen finally appeared, she seemed really worried about you too. Do you know, she kept calling me all day just to ask what you were doing? If I weren’t afraid of customers calling, I would’ve turned off my phone. Does she think I’m a CCTV? Unpaid and still being harassed.” Amber complained as she concluded her talk.

Ariana raised her eyebrow. She looked at Amber mockingly. “Are you done being a detective?” Ariana asked, curious. Amber nodded her head with a serious expression on her face.

“For your information, Sister Amber, the first point about why he’s getting close to Axel and me. I’ve already told you he’s trying to get an adoption letter from the department. It’s clear we have to behave as harmoniously as possible because who knows if we’re being monitored? And when I disappeared, he wasn’t worried about me. Like you said, he had to protect Axel’s feelings, and he did that. He was confused about what to say to Axel when I wasn’t there, even though I had only been at his house for one day.

Addressing your confusion about his feelings regarding Chris, let me clarify. He noticed Chris not because he was jealous of me, but because there’s an unpleasant history between them that I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. Anyway, they both don’t like each other, and that happened before they even knew me. So, erase your argument about Gerald being jealous of me.

And I’m sure he contacted you several times because he was afraid I might run away again. Even though it’s clearly impossible. Because there are two guards in the cage all the time, making me unable to move. And about your suggestion that he should get close to my closest people, hello, Amber. He should have known me first before trying to get to know my closest people.

If he really cared about me, he should know what I like and what I don’t. But he doesn’t even care about that. Isn’t it supposed to be to win someone’s heart, you do what they like? But Gerald? He does the opposite. Do you know the meaning of ‘trapped in a gilded cage’? I’m even worse than that. At least, those trapped in a gilded cage occupy the cage for themselves. They can roam freely even though they’re still inside their cage. While me? I’m not only locked up, but I’m even chained, while at the same time, people from outside are pulling me out. Because that cage isn’t for me, it’s for someone else.

So, I can’t accept any of your assumptions,” Ariana replied.

Amber squinted at Ariana. Ariana, her thought patterns and stubborn attitude were not easy to argue against. Amber was about to respond, but their room’s door was knocked from the outside.

“Come in!” Amber shouted, making Ariana, who was so close to her, jump. Her ears were ringing instantly, and she looked at Amber with her annoyed expression.

Adel came in flustered. The girl even held her chest before speaking. “There’s a visitor!” she said, panting. Ariana and Amber looked at her with furrowed brows, but before Adel could say who had come, the guest had already walked in and stood behind Adel with a challenging gaze and a condescending smile toward Ariana. Who else could it be but…

“Karen?” Amber and Ariana both asked simultaneously.