Married to a Secret Billionaire (Stella Taylor) novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Both Substitutes

Stella's mind went blank.

She felt a warm chest pressed against her back and heard the rapid beating of his heart. The scent of male hormones enveloped her. She took a deep breath, but her limbs remained stiff.

The man suddenly stopped moving.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked.

Stella was taken aback.

He was implying that he was her husband and that it was natural for such things to happen between them on their wedding night.

Failing to comprehend his meaning, Stella timidly answered, "Yes. You're Liam."

His eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of his lips rose gently.

Liam... He didn't expect her to remember the name.

It was a shame that he was not Liam Anderson.

And she was not Amelia Taylor.

In fact, from the moment she entered the door, he could see that she was just a substitute. Although he didn't know the details, given the character of the young lady of the Taylor family, she would never be married to a villager.

But it didn't matter. She was a substitute bride, and he was a substitute groom. They were even.

"Liam..."

He returned to his senses and lowered his head to meet her watery eyes. Her shy and soft look seemed to reach deep into his heart, stirring emotions in a place he couldn't quite comprehend.

"I'm sorry. I was too nervous," she said, biting her lip and tentatively throwing her arms around his neck. "You're my husband, and it's only right for you to do this. So, let's get started."

Stella's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly turned away.

She was sleepy, and her mind was scrambled with thoughts of her stepmother's and Amelia's taunts toward her before she got married. They told her that the Andersons had been their family friends for generations and that they had a marriage contract. Unfortunately, something happened to the Anderson family, and they had been hiding in a small mountain village since then. Their family was now dirt poor, and their son was a notorious hooligan. It was said that he frequently ended up in the detention center.

"How can I marry a punk?" Amelia sneered. "You're more suitable anyway since your mother has been with many men and your siblings are all wild."

"People like you can only be matched with punks!"

"Stella, think about it," her father said coldly. "As long as you're willing to take Amelia's place and marry Liam, I'll give you a sum of money, with which you can treat your mother's disease."

Her stepmother poked her head in and scoffed, "You should feel grateful that we let you marry as the second young lady of the Taylor family."

Stella woke up with a start to find that the sky was already bright and the man beside her was nowhere to be seen.