Chapter 2

2

He remained as tight-lipped as usual and led me inside. That's where I found my answer.

Juno had released a new series of paintings.

The CEO stared at the canvas, lost in thought.

I was so bored.

I stifled a yawn and looked around the room.

It wasn't just this one piece; almost the entire gallery was filled with my sister's work.

Juno had boundless energy. Painting wasn't even a hobby for her; she just did it when she had a spare moment.

The pieces were unfinished and, frankly, a bit of a mess. She probably never expected them to sell.

The buyer was obviously Fulton.

I looked at him and asked, "If I learned to paint, would you buy my work and hang it here?"

His expression remained cold. "Don't compare yourself to her."

Translation: You aren't worthy.

I pushed further, acting stubborn. "I'm not comparing. I just want someone to be that good to me. Is that impossible?"

A flash of annoyance crossed his eyes. He finally looked at me, his voice freezing. "If you don't want to be here, go home."

I forced tears to well up in my eyes. "I'm not being difficult! I just―"

"Get out."

As expected, Fulton cut off my scripted nonsense and kicked me out.

I scrambled away instantly.

I was exhausted and had class the next morning. Who has time to watch you pine over my sister?

What a freak.

"Venmo: You received $15,000 from Fulton Price."

What a brilliant, handsome, and generous man.

I loved him so much.

After that night, Fulton and Jace left me alone for a while. I was able to focus on studying with Silas, and my grades improved significantly.

Once finals were over, I treated Silas to dinner at a high-end restaurant.

I never expected to run into Jace there.

He wasn't alone; he was with a woman, and they were being extremely intimate.

I took the opportunity to snap several photos.

The season was over, and I had my grades. I had been looking for an excuse to dump him, and here it was!

When I got back, I showed him the photos.

He didn't even flinch. He just lounged on his sofa, a mocking smile on his lips. "You can hang out with Silas, but I can't see other people?"

So he saw us.

Then why didn't he say anything?

I suddenly realized―he didn't love me, so of course, he didn't care.

He wasn't playing hard to get; he just wasn't playing at all.

As I was thinking, he stood up and loomed over me. "So, in what capacity are you asking me this? Are you my girlfriend?"

"Do you love me? Do you want us to be official?"

Hell no.

A guy like him was fun for a fling, but a nightmare for a relationship.

During our entire "arrangement," Jace had never stopped flirting with others.

One minute he'd be singing a soul-searching ballad to me, and the next he'd be whispering sweet nothings to some girl at a club.

His devotion to my sister was pretty superficial, too. He called her his "guiding star," but his bed was never empty.

He acted like a gentleman in front of her but was a total player behind her back.

Still, I had to admit he had the charm to back it up.

He was a rich kid, generous with his cash, and knew exactly how to make a woman feel special. All his exes spoke highly of him.

Except me.

He always said hurtful things just to see my reaction. No matter what I did, he laughed, making me feel less like a stand-in and more like a stand-up comedian.

I thought he just viewed me as entertainment, but his tone and the way he looked at me made me uneasy.

Was this guy actually considering making me his girlfriend?

My silence and clear resistance made his smile fade. His face turned stone-cold. "Get out."

He stared at me, his expression darkening, before he suddenly burst out laughing.

"I was just asking. Did you actually take it seriously?"

"You're a substitute. Don't get ahead of yourself."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, I played my part. I let my eyes turn red. "You always do this. Do you think I don't have a heart? Do you think I don't hurt?"

Before he could respond, I fired off my prepared speech.

"Jace, I regret this. I should never have gotten involved with you. I don't want to be a stand-in anymore."

"Don't call me again."

I ran out of his house like I was sprinting for an Olympic gold medal.

I was terrified I'd start laughing if I stayed one second longer.

Billionaires have their quirks, and so do I.

I loved pretending to be the tragic lead in a romance novel. I loved the feeling of being unwanted and the thrill of the final breakup.

It was such a rush.

But the rush was temporary.

The cleanup was going to be a pain.

Jace was always the one to do the dumping. Since I beat him to it, he wasn't going to let it go easily.

Silas was tutoring me at my place when Jace showed up to corner me.

Silas was a workaholic, and he forced me to be one too.

I originally only let him get close so I could get help with my exams and competitions, but he took it so seriously that I felt guilty being lazy.

He wasn't doing this out of the goodness of his heart, though. He was arrogant and looked down on anyone he deemed "intellectually inferior."