Substitute Bride: Utterly Pampered by Her Billionaire Husband Chapter 2: Newlywed Husband

Lillian Sterling, Serena’s stepmother, was once a celebrated movie queen who commanded the entertainment world. Even after bearing two daughters, she retained her allure, appearing as a charming and elegant woman.

This Lillian Sterling had risen from the shadows of being a mistress, yet she possessed considerable skill. Not only did she skillfully erase her past, securing her position as the matron of the Sterling family, but she also adeptly navigated the exclusive social circles of the city’s elite ladies.

Lillian Sterling had orchestrated the day’s wedding with exquisite care, even commissioning a custom wedding dress from Milan at great expense for Serena. Her efforts earned widespread praise.

Serena, feigning ignorance, displayed the demureness of a young lady. She gazed expectantly towards the doorway, asking, "The auspicious hour is drawing near, why... has the groom not yet come to fetch me?"

The moment she spoke, Lillian Sterling’s countenance shifted dramatically.

A ripple of confusion spread through the guests; did the bride truly not know she was to marry a man known as a terminally ill ghost?

Her purpose was to bring good fortune, a union fated to occur without a groom present.

Gregory Sterling stepped forward, his expression a mixture of guilt and evasion as he addressed Serena, "Serena, the groom today... the groom is not feeling well, so he will not be coming. You should proceed directly to the venue."

Serena paused, then quickly offered a meek smile. "Alright, I will then."

Alone, Serena entered the waiting luxury car.

As the guests observed Serena's elegant departure, remarks circulated, labeling her a bumpkin recently returned from the countryside. Yet, adorned in her stunning wedding gown, her slender, graceful figure radiated an inexplicable, serene beauty.

Furthermore, her apparent obedience and lack of awareness evoked sympathy, prompting murmurs and pointed fingers directed toward Lillian Sterling.

So dazzling on the surface, yet still a stepmother, attempting to sacrifice another’s daughter in place of her own for the wedding’s sake, all for good luck.

Lillian Sterling’s face contorted with displeasure. The wedding, initially under her complete control, had been effortlessly turned against her by Serena, leaving her humiliated. It was evident she had underestimated her stepdaughter.

However, there would be ample opportunities ahead, and she possessed the means to deal with Serena!

...

Serena reached Orchid Court and entered the bridal chamber.

The room was shrouded in darkness, creating a chilling ambiance.

Within the gloom, Serena’s dark, glossy eyes flickered with cautious, sharp awareness. She approached the bed, catching a vague outline of a person reclining upon the soft mattress.

This was her husband, whom she had just married.

Serena reached out her hand, intending to feel for his pulse.

But in the very next second, her delicate wrist was firmly grasped by several long fingers. The world seemed to tilt as she found herself pinned beneath him.

Startled, Serena had believed her new husband to be the terminally ill phantom, but the fingers gripping her wrist were robust and steady, undeniably belonging to a man in peak health.

Who was this man?

Serena instinctively drew her knee upwards, aiming for his groin.

However, the man reacted with greater speed, effortlessly evading her strike before pressing her down with unyielding force, immobilizing her completely.

His movements were swift, precise, and devastatingly effective.

"Who are you? Let me go!"

Serena thrashed, their bodies brushing against each other through the thin layers of their attire.

Soon, a deep, resonant voice murmured close to her ear, "Is the bride always this ardent?"

"..."

How shameless!

A sudden realization dawned on Serena: the man present in this room could only be her new husband, yet this husband showed no signs of illness, possessing the vigor of a strong, healthy young man.

At this precise moment, the man’s long fingers had already traveled from her chin, reaching the buttons of her dress and systematically undoing them.

Serena quickly seized his large hand. "I've stopped struggling, what are you doing?"

"Scream, can you?"

Scream?

Just then, Serena detected hushed sounds from just outside the bridal chamber. A maid was attempting to restrain an elderly woman, "Madam, this doesn't seem right. Perhaps we should leave..."

"Shh." Old Mrs. Crawford made an angry silencing gesture to the maid. "I am merely listening, not observing!"

Old Mrs. Crawford was positioned by the window, eavesdropping intently.

Serena attempted to rise and investigate the commotion, but Hayden Crawford’s hand pressed down on her shoulder, urging, "Scream quickly."

A shiver traced Serena's skin, her delicate arms instinctively rising to guard her chest. As a young woman, a soft gasp of surprise escaped her lips.

Hayden Crawford's lips curled into a smirk. "Can you scream now?"

"..."

Serena tilted her head up, finding him utterly brazen!

Hayden Crawford planted his hands on either side of her, effectively trapping her within his powerful hold.

In the dimness of the room, Serena, being just a girl, felt the tips of her snow-white earlobes flush a deep crimson.

"Keep screaming, or I'll get serious," he murmured, his voice a low threat.

Serena's lashes fluttered; not for a second did she doubt his words. Closing her eyes, she let out a scream that echoed his.

Outside, Old Lady Crawford clasped her hands together fervently. "Amitabha, thank goodness! My grandson isn't… he's not impotent! He has finally awakened! Ancestors, bless me, I shall soon hold great-grandchildren!"

Overjoyed, Old Lady Crawford practically danced with glee before swiftly departing for the ancestral hall to offer incense.

Serena seized the opportunity, pushing the man above her. This time, Hayden Crawford readily complied, releasing her.

With a soft click, he flipped on the wall lamp.

The soft, diffused light spilled down as Serena sat up, her fingers quickly fumbling with her dress buttons, concealing her bare shoulders and delicate skin.

She lifted her gaze to meet the man's eyes.

He had already risen from the bed, his handsome visage now fully revealed. His features were remarkably chiseled, as if sculpted by the heavens, and an air of natural aloofness and nobility permeated his every movement.

But Serena had no time to appreciate the man's striking appearance; her pupils contracted slightly.

Because this man...

"It's you!"

He was the man from the train!

He was her newlywed husband!

Serena had known she was marrying a man with a terminal illness and had braced herself for it, but she never anticipated it would be *him*.

Back on the train that day, she had berated him loudly, confidently announcing herself as the bride betrothed to Orchid Court. He must have been observing her folly then.

Hayden Crawford's thin lips twisted into an enigmatic smile. "You recognize me? I did say we'd meet again soon."

A spark of amusement danced in his eyes. The butler had informed him that the Sterling family had sent a country bumpkin as a substitute.

Let it be a substitution; as long as it pleased his grandmother.

Especially since the 'country bumpkin' turned out to be her.

But then again, should a country bumpkin behave like her? He himself had witnessed on the train how she brought that scarred man to his knees before her.