The Masterpiece of Leaving：Prepared A Perfect Stand-In For Him novel Chapter 24

Lysander nearly crushed the phone in his grip. Only after several deep breaths did he regain a semblance of control.

"Hang tight. I'm on it!"

He raced back to headquarters at breakneck speed, only to find Celeste lounging in his executive chair.

"So, Lysander," she drawled, "satisfied with how things turned out? I told you I didn't want you bothering Navier."

In that moment, everything clicked. This entire catastrophe was Celeste's handiwork.

A bitter laugh escaped his throat as he snarled through clenched teeth.

"Well played, Celeste. I clearly underestimated you. But the Vanderbilt empire won't going down because of your little games. You think I won’t throw you into a cell and leave you there to rot?"

Celeste's smile remained soft and gentle—eerily similar to Ophelia's—but her words cut like ice.

"You won't."

"Just imagine poor Ophelia in a jail cell, eating terrible food, sleeping on a hard bunk, being bullied by other inmates. You couldn't bear it."

Her smile brightened further.

"Relax, Lysander. This little mess? Consider it my gift to you. You should actually thank me—I just helped you get rid of the dead weight in your company."

"I haven't broken any laws. I simply revealed the rot that was already inside your organization."

"Why not just stay here and fix your business? Why do you keep chasing after Navier? She's happy now."

"Your beloved 'Ophelia' is right here by your side forever. What more could you possibly want?"

Celeste couldn't comprehend Lysander's inner conflict.

He wanted everything, but life doesn't work that way.

Gaining something means losing something else—a perfectly fair exchange.

He should learn to be content.

Lysander's gaze shifted rapidly as he studied her, nearly choking on his rage.

"Celeste Stanley. You're just banking on the fact I won't hurt that face of yours. But what happens when you stop looking like Ophelia? Ever think about that?"

"When that day comes, I won't hesitate to destroy you."

Celeste embraced him tenderly, perfecting Ophelia's signature gaze.

"That day will never come, Lysander. But if it did, you'd be the one with regrets and fear, not me. After all, you love Ophelia more than anything... right?"

Her words left Lysander feeling utterly powerless.

He angrily pushed her away, conflicted as he stared at her face—a face he both loved and hated.

If only she didn't look so much like Ophelia.

Then he wouldn't need to hold back. He could deal with her however he wanted.

But that damn face was too similar.

Celeste dialed Navier's number with satisfaction.

"Navier! I hope you're happy. And if Aubrey ever mistreats you, I'll be the first one to set him straight."

Navier laughed, surprised that Celeste's first words after getting her number would be this.

"I'll pass that along to Aubrey. But how are you doing with Lysander? Everything okay?"

"Don't force yourself to endure mistreatment. With that face, he'd never harm you."

"To be honest, I regret asking you to stay by his side forever. I hope you get the chance to be your true self someday."

Celeste felt a wave of warmth at Navier's concern.

"Don't worry. I won't let myself be mistreated again. And this is my true self now—I don't mind playing Ophelia occasionally. I actually enjoy it."

"That's great!" Navier felt a felief.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Celeste finally hung up.

She turned to find Lysander still standing there, but felt no concern about his reaction.

There was nothing left to hide.

In the end, he was left with nothing.

The next few years had been everything I could have dreamed of and more.

After leaving the past life behind, I had built a beautiful life with Aubrey in England.

Aubrey Spencer, with his charming smile and unwavering devotion, had healed wounds in my heart I'd thought would never close.

Each morning, I woke up to his tender kisses.

When I discovered I was pregnant, Aubrey had been overjoyed. He'd pampered me throughout the pregnancy, his excitement growing with each passing day.

Finally we had our daughter, Iris Spencer, was now five years old—a perfect, precocious little girl with my eyes and Aubrey's smile.

Aubrey's business empire, the Spencer Group, had flourished under his leadership. Known throughout the business world as the "Business Emperor," he had expanded his influence across technology, finance, real estate, and entertainment sectors.

Our life together was everything I'd once dreamed of having with Lysander but never could. My nightmare of my previous marriage seemed like a distant memory now—a different lifetime.

I'd finally escaped the shadow of Ophelia Belmont and built a life filled with the love and respect I deserved.

Or so I thought.

Until one afternoon, when my daughter burst through the front door in tears.

She begged me not to make her go back to Oak Lane Academy.

She was too scared to tell me why. Just kept shaking and crying.

My gut told me something was wrong. When I checked her body, I found tiny puncture wounds all over her arms and chest.

Rage burning through me, I snapped a photo and posted it to the parents' group: "Who hurt my daughter?"

"My son did exactly what I told him to," Cathy replied instantly, with a smug emoji.

Then came two photos that stopped my heart.

A photo showed my husband Aubrey and her at the wedding.

The other was a family photo of me, my daughter, and my husband.