The Billionaire's Substitute Bride(She's Back With Twins)

Tessa walked through the hallway of the Winston mansion, still in awe of how a house could be this beautiful. It looked like heaven, she had only heard about how beautiful the villa was. But seeing it today indeed confirmed it.

Her grandmother, Mrs. Taylor worked for the Winstons as a gardener for so many years. She has always wanted to follow her to work but her grandmother always declined saying the Winstons can be a handful and she doesn't want her precious granddaughter to be humiliated. The Winstons are the most popular and

wealthiest family in the city. They controlled half of the city and their powerful aura was undeniable.

A smile suddenly crossed Tessa's face as she remembered Aaron Winston, the only son of the Winstons, she haven't met him but she always sees him in television. She has always admired him and loved him since she could remember. Knowing that they were from two different worlds and she didn't have hope of ever meeting him, she didn't have any other option than to love him from afar. Afterall he was to be married in two days time to his long time love of his life. Someone he flaunts everywhere including the media as his future wife. He was going to be someone else's husband,

However. She was extremely happy today as she entered the mansion, lt has been her wish to be here some day and finally she was here. Deep down she prayed to see Aaron even if that will be the last time as he was going to be with someone else in a few days. She knew it was impossible for Aaron to notice her as she wasn't anywhere near his class. Looking at him alone in the Tv, he oozed a kingly aura.

Yes she was very beautiful no doubt and her curves were fascinating but that was it. She was no match for Aaron in other aspect, the granddaughter of the gardener was no match for Jason Winston. She was just a nobody!....she didn't think for a second that Aaron would spare her a glance when he eventually meets her, her dress was torn and had patches of stitches all over, But still she hoped to see him.

Her grandmother was sick and she had to go take her place at work, she had quickly suggested it immediately her grandmother talked about getting a query if she didn't show up at work. Initially her grandmother refused letting her take her place, knowing how rudely Mrs Winston treated her workers. Nobody dared provoke her. She was like a lightened thunder that would strike at any given opportunity. Most people say she used to be a very kind and compassionate woman, not until her servant tried to destroy her marriage a few years back. She vowed not to trade sentiment with work.

Tessa couldn't watch her grandmother get punished for not showing up at work and she really wished to see Aaron, her long time love, perhaps it was all in her head. Her grandmother knowing Tessa wasn't going to give up easily, decided to oblige to her request"Fine you can go. But please stay out of trouble" she said, her grandmother warned her sternly before she left.

As Tessa glanced and touched the interiors of the house, lost in her own world as she tried to sink in the beautiful view of the house. Suddenly she rolled her eyes as she sighted a piece of art hanging freely on the wall, she moved closer as she touched the frame excitedly, she wondered what could have inspired the artist to create such a beautiful piece. Her lips curved into a smile as she strolled her hands on the picture, staring at it like someone that just saw a ghost

She squinted her eyes in fear as she heard voices coming from the opposite room. Her mind flipped, remembering that she was instructed earlier by the bodyguard she met at the entrance of the mansion to meet the chief maid who will hand her the gardening tools. The bodyguard would have taken her to the chief maid but he got a call, he ended up pointing to a room at the left hand side of the hall."Knock on that door and she will attend to you," he ordered.

She knew she was not supposed to be there, remembering her grandmother's stern warnings to stay out of trouble, she made to turn back and leave the hallway but she stopped suddenly at her pace.

"Read the handwriting on the wall Aaron, Lisa is missing. She's nowhere to be found, this cannot possibly be happening now. Your wedding is in two days Aaron," came a woman's voice in the room, she seemed angry and worried.

Tessa wondered what could possibly be the problem. She had stopped when she heard the woman yell. Out of curiosity she moved closer to the door, she peeped through the opening of the door. She saw a woman seated, then beside her was a tall handsome huge figure pacing around the room. He seemed angry and she could clearly see the hurt in his eyes. He was no other person than Aaron Winston, Tessa's crush.

She heard the woman call him Aaron and she quickly recognized him as she has seen him on Tv and had stalked him on social media for a very long time. A smile crossed her lips as she stared at him. Gosh, he was way handsome than she imagined. His pictures on his page didn't do justice to his good looks at all. He was hot!

"But what could be the problem? And who is Lisa?" she queried inwardly, rolling her eyes like she was expecting an answer from someone

"How do you explain to the media, our business partners and the whole city that you can't find your bride-to-be?" the woman scoffed angrily

Just then it dawned on Tessa that Aaron's wife-to-be was missing. But how? That was strange and weird at the same time, which woman in her right senses will escape marrying someone like Aaron, the most wanted bachelor in the city?

"I don't care how you do it but you need to find a bride Aaron, and you need to do it real quick, you have to present a bride on your wedding day," the woman yelled between gritted teeth.

"Mom, Lisa might be in danger. She can't possibly back out from this wedding. She loves me," he screamed, rage evident in his voice, he defended Lisa irrespective of his mother's opinion. He knew better than to disappoint his mother, he needed to get a bride from anywhere as it was clear that Lisa was gone and he didn't have much time on his side. He needed a substitute bride till he finds the love of his life.

Tessa's heart melted the moment she heard Aaron's voice, though he was angry but his voice sounded soothing to Tessa. She had longed to hear his voice, she felt bad for him and hoped he finds his missing bride soon. He loved him for the longest time but since she was no match for him, she could only wish him well and love him from a distance.

As she turned to leave, she bumped into the flower vase beside the door and it fell down leaving a loud noise hovering around the place.

Her heart skipped the moment it happened, her heart was racing against it's ribcage. She didn't know what to do, she bent down quietly as she picked the flower vase and kept it in place, thankful that it didn't break, she would have landed herself in big trouble. Knowing that the sound of the flower vase could raise alarm and she might be caught eavesdropping on their conversation. She tried to leave immediately but she suddenly felt a huge hand holding her firmly.

Her heart suddenly dropped as she felt like the ground should open and swallow her. She looked up to see Aaron glaring at her angrily. She loved how close they were to each other, she has never imagined that Aaron Winston would ever come an inch closer to her. She didn't expect to meet him under such circumstances.

"What the hell are you doing here. And who are you?" Aaron half yelled, pulling her off from her thoughts. The way he stared at her, his face devoid of any emotion.

He shot daggers at her, rage boiling within him. The look on his face was unimaginable. It felt like he was going to ripe her skin into a thousand pieces. He suddenly dragged her into the room as if changing his mind after waiting and didn't get an answer from her.

"Mom, l present to you my bride,"

Tessa rolled her eyes at him, not sure if she heard him correctly. She had always loved him since forever but presenting her as a bride to his mother out of the blues did not make sense to her. This had better be a joke, she thought to herself

Her mother stood up from her chair and approached Tessa, trailing her eyes at her body as if she was filled with filth. Tessa's clothes were stitched at the edges and merely looking at her one could tell she was from a poor background.

Mrs. Winston let go of her gaze and stepped back to her chair saying, "She's such a pretty girl. Aside from her horrible choice of clothes, which is not a problem. We can fix that up. She's perfect for the job," A smile suddenly crossed her face and she relaxed back in her chair.

Tessa chuckled inwardly, she gazed at them as if she was lost and what they were saying held no meaning. She managed to snap out of her trance and fired back at them"This is some sort of joke. Right?"

Aaron shot her a deadly look. She must really have the nerve to throw a stupid question at them. He moved closer to her, keeping an expressionless face, he grabbed her arms aggressively as he turned her, making her face him directly

"You sure do have the nerves to still ask questions. Not after l caught you red-handed snooping around this premises. Do you know l can charge you for invasion and intrusion? For all l care you could be a spy or a thief," he scoffed angrily

Tessa winced in pain as his grip tightened with each passing second."You're hurting me" she cried out. Just then it dawned on her that she was in a deep mess. She has heard stories of the rich oppressing the poor and this was a shred of evidence that they were not just stories but facts.

"Leave her Aaron, you're hurting her" his mother half yelled.

He let go of her arms and furrowed his eyebrow at her, "You do not have a choice here miss, you heard our conversation and this is your punishment for eavesdropping and intrusion. I do not have all the time in the world, my wedding is in two days. And you, my darling will be my substitute bride" he said mockingly

Maya gasped as she squinted her eyes in disbelief. If only she had listened to her grandmother, she wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. No doubt Aaron was a jerk and he went about the situation the wrong way. If only he had asked her politely to stand in as his bride, she would have done it wholeheartedly without any questions but he must really be an asshole if he thinks she was going to give in without any struggle. She has been dying to see Aaron for the longest time, little did she know that their first meeting would turn out to be a charade.

"I'm no thief, neither am l a spy. I'm the gardener's granddaughter, sent to stand in for her as she's sick and won't be able to come to work. And if you think you're going to force me into marrying you, then you must really think twice Mister Winston,' Tessa remarked

"She's unbelievably bold and outspoken. I like her already" his mother let out.

Aaron smirked mischievously. He glanced at Tessa and gave her a deadly stare."It seems you do not grasp the situation you're in, which is quite understandable seeing your type of person. But l do hope you know the consequences of your actions, l could send you behind bars at the snap of my fingers. So do not think for a second that you have a choice. Don't let your stupidity land you in a bigger problem than you already are. I'm going to give you till noon tomorrow to decide if you will give in to my request or spend the rest of your miserable life in prison,' he sneered angrily

"That's enough Aaron," his mother said as she stood up from her chair. Tessa understood that the woman wasn't totally a bad person as people portrayed her to be. Though she seemed and acted though. But at least she could differentiate between good and bad, that was commendable.

Tessa shifted her gaze to Aaron's Mom. At least she seemed reasonable and she felt she should apologize for eavesdropping on their conversation."I'm so sorry ma'am, l apologize for snooping in on you guys like that. I know l shouldn't have, please forgive me" Tessa apologized, not sparing Aaron a glance

Before Tessa could finish, Aaron turned and left the room angrily. He clenched his fists in rage as he walked away. Tessa could see the anger on his face.

She was supposed to hate him for the way he spoke to her, she was supposed to be angry at him for trying to blackmail her into marrying him. But rather she was drawn to him. How could she possibly be drawn to such an arrogant and ruthless man, she thought to herself.

She suddenly felt really bad for the way she spoke to him, he was probably depressed about his missing bride-to-be. She should have handled the situation differently, she thought inwardly.

She was suddenly interrupted from her thoughts when Mrs. Winston placed her hands around her shoulder."Is fine dear. I apologize for my son's behavior earlier. He's going through a lot and he's usually not like this. I'm not trying to justify his actions. However, please promise me that you will think about what he proposed earlier, I'm not trying to sound selfish or inconsiderate but see me as a helpless mother who will do anything to protect her son's image and reputation. Your grandmother has worked with us for years and she's one of my trusted workers. I have no doubt that you will make a good stand-in bride for Aaron."

Tessa's heart melted at her words. She indeed was a nice woman and people were wrong about her the entire time. The way she cared for his son was commendable. Growing up without her parents made her wonder what it felt like to have a mother or a father but nevertheless, her grandmother was everything to her.

Tessa has been in love with Aaron for like forever and sincerely speaking she would love to help him out of this situation but the fear of being hurt in the process was holding her back.

"How do I explain to my grandmother that I landed myself in trouble and my punishment was to marry Aaron Winston. My long-time crush."

Tessa walked into their apartment with mixed feelings. It was just a two-bedroom flat and they were just doing fine with the little they had. Tessa couldn't possibly say her day went well but she was glad she met Aaron.

Even though their meeting didn't turn out well, she still couldn't get over his cerulean blue eyes, he kind of looked cute when he was angry."No! Tessa, you can't possibly be drawn to that arrogant man" she could hear her inner mind yell at her, but No! She couldn't help it, she seemed to feel something deeper than she could explain.

Tessa quietly tiptoed into the bedroom, not wanting to wake her grandmother up, she had enough already in one day. And knowing how inquisitive her grandmother can be, she was definitely going to find out that something was off about her. However, she was not going to hide the situation from her for too long. One way or the other she was still going to find out.

"You're back?" her grandmother's voice rang in the room. Her heart almost jumped out from its ribcage when she heard her voice

"Grandma, god! You startled me. I thought you were fast asleep" Tessa scoffed as she placed her right hand on her chest, her heart racing faster

"I'm sorry about that. But why are you home so late? Did something happen at the Winstons?" her grandma queried, shooting her a questionable look.

"Not really" she stuttered, trying hard not to raise suspicion, she looked away from her grandmother. If she had stared a little longer, her expression would have given her away.

"Have you had anything to eat granny?" she asked, trying to change the topic which was very obvious to her grandma that she was hiding something, hence the change of topic. But she didn't try to push further with her, knowing her granddaughter, she was going to speak up when she wanted to.

"Well, l woke up and you weren't back yet. I had to fix something for us, knowing you would be very tired when you get back" she remarked.

A smile crossed Tessa's face and her heart fluttered, she moved closer to her grandmother and pulled her into a hug, "Aren't you the best grandma in the whole world? What would l have done without you?" Tessa said with her face brimming with smiles.

"Absolutely nothing, your grandma is the best" she chuckled with a wide grin on her face.

Mrs. Taylor was the only family Tessa had, even though she wasn't related to her by blood, she grew up knowing her as her grandmother and only family. The mystery behind her birth and the whereabouts of her biological parents still remained a mystery to her. Mrs Taylor had told her that she would find out when the time was right. She wondered when that would be."Is the right time ever going to come?" she thought to herself.

Tessa had tried a couple of times to unravel the mystery surrounding her birth. But the more she tried to, nothing meaningful was forthcoming, she ends up asking herself questions like"Was l such a bad child that my birth parents had to abandon me? How can a parent abandon their own?" she asked herself all the time but ends up not getting a reply. Her grandmother keeps changing the topic whenever she brought it up. However, she had long decided to forget anything about her parents. There was no need looking for people that gave her away when she was born or so she thought.

As long as she was concerned, they are dead to her. Her grandmother remains the only family she had

"So how was your day at the Winstons? Hope you didn't get into any trouble?" her grandmother asked, trying to bring up the topic again

"Well it was o-kay. Uhm you have nice co-workers" Maya stuttered as she ruffled her grandma's hair playfully. "I should go and eat now" she added quickly, she had to do so, in order to avoid further question. Tessa's heart raced as she walked slowly to the kitchen, remembering she had just 24- hours to either say yes or no to the ruthless Aaron Winston.

She knew she couldn't say no, being his wife was an offer she would jump into without batting an eyelid. The fear of going to prison scared the hell out of her, she had heard terrible things about the prison and how it was a pit hole. She couldn't categorically say he was just joking when he made that threat. She could remember vividly the dreadful look on Aaron's face when he looked deep into her eyes and made that threat.

~~~~~~~~

The following day Tessa had prepared to go to work. She had a part-time job in a convenience store, she worked twice a week and she loved her job. If she had to consider Aaron's request, not like she had a choice though. She had to resign from work if she had to move in with Aaron as his wife. Her supposed wedding was tomorrow. She couldn't believe she will be walking down the aisle with her long time crush. Indeed her life took a new turn in one day. How unfortunate or rather fortunate can she be?, she thought to herself

As she walked into the living room, ready to tell her grandmother about the turn of event. She couldn't possibly marry Aaron without letting her grandmother know about it. It was definitely going to kill her if she finds out by herself. She worked for them, so she was going to find out sooner or later. Nevertheless she wanted to tell her, her grandmother meant the whole world to her and she couldn't possibly hide anything from her.

"Grandma. I..l have something to tell you" Tessa quivered as she remarked as soon as she entered the living room.

"You are getting married to Aaron Winston. Aren't you?" her grandmother scoffed, she glanced up at her, giving her a questionable look. Her eyes slowly becoming teary.

Tessa's heart almost flew out of it's ribcage when she heard her grandmother utter those words. She felt like the ground should open up and swallow her. She could feel the pains in her grandmother's voice as she spoke."How- how. How did you find out about this" Tessa asked as she bent her head in regret, maybe she should have told her when she asked yesterday night or maybe she shouldn't have stepped her feet into that mansion in the first place. However, there was no need to cry over spilled milk. This has become her reality and she has to face it heads up.

"Mrs. Winston called to inform me yesterday, even before you got back. I tried to ask you yesterday but seeing you were not ready to say it, l decided to let it go, knowing you were going to say something this morning. And here you are!" she said, her angry face slowly fading away. Looking at her granddaughter, she couldn't stay angry with her for a long time

"But you know you shouldn't go on with this arrangement if you don't want to" her grandma remarked. She stretched her hands and held her firmly, slowly patting her palm.

Tessa's heart fluttered on her grandmother's understanding and sense of humor. "Thank you granny, but believe me l really want to do this," Tessa added.

Mrs. Taylor smiled, knowing her granddaughter has been loving Aaron for the longest time,"If you feel the need to opt-out of this, I will always be here to welcome you. And please l don't want you to hurt yourself in the process. I know how much you love him," she replied with a glint of smile plastered on her face.

Tessa pulled her into a warm hug even before she could finish. Her love for Aaron was undeniable. She let out a deep sigh and her lips curved up into a smile. Now, her reality of becoming Aaron's substitute wife was nearing and she couldn't wait. OaYes! You heard right. A substitute wife, and she was unapologetic about it. She could do anything to breath the same air as Aaron Winston.