The Mysterious Billionaire and His Substitute Bride

It was a hot summer day. The downpour seemed to make the climate more humid. The bus was teeming with people.

Janet Lind got out of the bus with her luggage. As she looked around, her gaze landed on Bernie Lind -- he was standing at the exit of the bus station. He looked much older now, and his hair had turned grey. "Dad," she called, biting her lip.

"Come on, let's go home. Your mom has cooked all your favorite food because you're coming back." Bernie smiled, the corner of his eyes creasing with wrinkles. He took the suitcase from her hand and put it into the trunk.

Janet's breathing faltered.

Bernie and Fiona Duncan weren't her biological parents. She was only adoptive. The couple had stopped caring about her like their own after giving birth to a daughter.

She knew Bernie was kind and enthusiastic to her today because he and Fiona were expecting her to marry in place of her sister.

The car drove through the bustling downtown and entered a luxurious villa community.

Seacisco had changed a lot in the past few years.

Bernie opened the door and entered the villa with Janet's suitcase.

Janet followed him in. As soon as she stepped on the carpet, she heard a maid screaming, "Oh, God! Step out! You're dirtying the carpet. I just changed it today. Look at your shoes! They're covered in mud. You've ruined everything."

Janet flinched back at the deafening voice.

She stepped out of the house and looked at her shoes. A frown lined her forehead when she realized they weren't dirty.

The maid was deliberately insulting her.

Just then, the sound of soft footsteps reverberated across the villa.

Jocelyn Lind descended the stairs, twirling a strand of hair around her finger as she happily looked at the door. The smile on her face froze the moment she saw Janet.

She hadn't seen her sister for several years -- her parents had left Janet in the countryside to be raised by other people. She felt a pang of jealousy because Janet had become more beautiful now. Jocelyn had always been jealous of Janet and despised her for being the prettier child. The gap between the two had grown bigger over the years.

Jocelyn quickly faked a smile and looked at the maid. "Why didn't you let my sister in?"

"Her shoes are covered in mud," the maid said with disgust.

"It doesn't matter. You will have to let my sister into the house even if she has turned into a homeless beggar. Otherwise, how can we discuss business?"

Jocelyn's words dripped with mockery. She turned around and sashayed into the living room, not bothering to look at Janet.

The maid quickly strutted to the shoe cabinet, pulled out a pair of shoe covers from the drawer, and threw it at Janet. "You think too much of yourself, don't you?" she snapped viciously. "Wear them before setting foot into the house!"

The maid's insults pierced through Janet's heart. She put on the plastic shoe covers and looked up, anger blazing in her eyes.

She couldn't argue with them before getting the money.

Janet had lost her appetite, so she couldn't stomach the food.

Fiona sat beside her, dazzling as ever, even in her fifties. "Since you have made up your mind, the wedding will be held tomorrow. Is that okay?"

Janet put down the knife and fork and looked at her. "I want to confirm something first. Will you give me the money right after I get married in place of Jocelyn tomorrow?"

She was going to trade her marriage for the money. It was a life-altering decision. Therefore, she wanted to be sure of everything before agreeing.

Bernie and Fiona didn't have children for several years after their marriage. Thinking they would never be able to conceive, the couple had adopted Janet. However, a few years later, Fiona got pregnant and gave birth to Jocelyn.

Fiona started despising Janet and became more partial toward her own daughter. She didn't feel the need to have an adoptive daughter since she had given birth to a beautiful girl. Therefore, she asked Bernie to leave Janet in the countryside where she could live with their old maid, Hannah.

Hannah had been the Lind family's faithful servant before retirement. She had raised Janet all by herself, and the two were like grandmother and granddaughter. Three months ago, Hannah was diagnosed with advanced liver cirrhosis. Now, she needed to have a liver transplantation. The procedure was expensive, and they needed a large sum of money to cure her. Time was limited. They couldn't delay the operation anymore.

"We are family. Why are you always talking about money? Don't worry. I will give you all the money you need. You only have to get married soon." There was a trace of impatience in Fiona's gentle tone.

She hated Janet. Back then, she had adopted Janet only because she was under great pressure. The Lind family taunted her, and Janet's presence was living proof of her infertility. The mere sight of Janet infuriated her.

Later, as time went by, Janet grew up to be a better woman than her daughter in every aspect that seemed to intensify her hatred for Janet even more.

If it weren't for the engagement between her own daughter and the illegitimate son of the Lester family, Fiona wouldn't have brought Janet back from the countryside. She believed such an outcast deserved to stay in the countryside.

"We say we'll give you the money, and you'll get the money, alright? Stupid beggar!" Jocelyn snorted.

"You pay me, and I do the job. Fair and square," Janet frowned.

Although she seldom showed her anger in front of the Lind family members, Janet wasn't a pushover.

She had also heard about the man she was going to marry tomorrow. His name was Ethan Lester, the illegitimate son of the Lester family. He had been engaged to Jocelyn ever since they were children.

Jocelyn was a conceited woman. She would never marry an illegitimate son. Moreover, it was said the Lester family had driven him out several years ago. He didn't even have a decent job and had been struggling to make ends meet.

Although Janet looked calm, the thought of marrying such a man frightened her. However, she had to do this to save Hannah's life. "Don't worry. I will marry him tomorrow."

The next day, Janet went to a small church in the suburbs all by herself in a simple white slip dress.

She didn't bother renting a wedding dress because she didn't want to pay for it. Janet had to pay the medical fees for Hannah's surgery.

She bought some white baby's-breath in a flower shop and asked the seller to give her an extra white silk ribbon to braid her hair. Janet looked pure and innocent.

It was time for the wedding. Almost all seats in the church were still vacant -- only a few people attended the wedding.

Bernie and Fiona glanced at the gate every now and then with bated breath.

"Why hasn't the groom and his family come yet?" Fiona frowned and glanced at the vacant seats.

She was dressed in a gorgeous outfit today. The light purple dress and subtle makeup accentuated her features -- she looked breathtaking

"Maybe there is a traffic jam. Let's wait a little longer."

It seemed like the Lester family didn't value the marriage. However, Janet wasn't bothered. All she wanted was the money Fiona had promised to pay her after the wedding.

Moments later, Jocelyn arrived. She walked into the church in haute couture and expensive jewelry, holding her boyfriend's arm. She arrogantly strode to Bernie and Fiona as if telling them that her boyfriend was a thousand times better than Ethan.

"Is that your elder sister Janet?" Jocelyn's boyfriend asked, gaping at Janet. Her pristine beauty seemed to allure him.

Jocelyn gritted her teeth. Her boyfriend had been staring at Janet ever since they entered the church. She couldn't tolerate it. Janet had effortlessly seduced him in a matter of a few minutes.

Nothing had changed even after all these years. Janet managed to captivate everyone with her charm. People always paid attention to her instead of Jocelyn.

Jealousy reared its ugly head. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Jocelyn growled. "Believe it or not, I'll gouge your eyes out. How could you be interested in a bitch from the countryside?" Jocelyn hissed at her boyfriend.

"Why hasn't that bastard, Ethan, shown up yet?" Her nose scrunched up in disgust. "The man is late for his own wedding. How could he be reliable? Besides, his family hasn't arrived yet. It looks like they don't care about him."

Jocelyn was a princess at home. No one would blame her for making such rude comments. However, they were in a public place, and she was the bride's sister. Her rude, presumptuous behavior had become the topic of everyone's gossip.

Janet gently lifted her hemline and stepped forward. Janet had tolerated Jocelyn regardless of how arrogant and heartless she had been in the past. However, she couldn't put up with her nonsense anymore. "Jocelyn, don't call anyone a bastard! You're in a church now. Mind your language! Don't you have basic manners?"

Jocelyn was taken aback. She had never seen Janet like this -- the woman had always been tolerant.

Hearing that, the church fell silent. Just then, the gate creaked open.

A tall man stepped inside. The dazzling sunlight seemed to outline his slender frame.

As the church gate closed again, the man looked up. His deep eyes swept across the crowd, his lips pursed into a thin line. He buttoned up his suit and smoothed his coat as if he had come here in a hurry.

The sunlight cast a soft glow on his handsome face. It looked like God had put all effort into creating him. All eyes were on him as if he had cast a spell on everyone in the church.

Everyone looked at the man in awe. He seemed to exude an effortless charm.

Jocelyn's eyes lit up. She guessed the handsome man would be one of Ethan's two elder brothers. The Lester family was one of the most powerful families in the city. After all, Ethan was an illegitimate son -- Jocelyn felt he would never stand a chance against the noble members of the family. The man before her looked charming and regal, so she thought he must be the legal heir of the family.

His good looks and charm both surprised and excited her. Jocelyn had always thought her boyfriend was handsome, but he faded in comparison to the man in front of her.

Jocelyn walked forward and greeted the man. "Are you Ethan's brother?" Merely looking him in the eye made her blush. "Well, the groom's family is yet to come. Please take a seat. The wedding won't commence for a while."

Jocelyn had the urge to ask for the man's phone number, but she didn't dare cross the line when her boyfriend was with her.

The man didn't bat an eyelid at Jocelyn. He ignored her and went straight to Janet.

Jocelyn's face burned with embarrassment. The shyness and excitement vanished in an instant.

She angrily returned to her seat. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw the handsome man take position beside Janet. That was when it dawned on her: he was none other than the bridegroom, Ethan.

Jocelyn shook her head in disbelief. 'How could Ethan look this handsome?'

She leaned over and whispered in Fiona's ear, "Mom, why didn't you find a photo of Ethan for me? If I had known what he looked like, I wouldn't have asked Janet to marry him in place of me."

Fiona closed her eyes and blew out a loud breath, shaking her head in disapproval. Then, she turned and cast a reproachful look at her daughter. "You are still young. When you grow up, you will know that a man's appearance is the least important thing. Ethan is a loser -- he doesn't even have a decent job. He is a useless idiot who doesn't have a life. He is the perfect match for Janet. The two will remain outcasts forever."

Jocelyn didn't bother retorting. However, she hated the fact that Janet was going to marry a handsome man. He looked like a movie star.

Ethan walked to Janet and studied her face. "I'm late because I had to deal with personal affairs," he said flatly, scratching his brows.

"It doesn't matter." Janet didn't mind. She was glad to know that Ethan was a good-looking man. There was at least something good about him.

Just as she turned, her gaze settled on the Patek Philippe watch on his wrist that was dazzling under the sunlight.

Although Janet grew up in the countryside, she wasn't completely ignorant. She recognized at a glance that the watch was worth at least a million dollars. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Everyone had told her that Ethan was a poor lowly man. That was why they wanted Janet to marry him in the first place. How could he afford such an expensive watch then?