The Billionaire's Stand-In The Heir Takes His Crown

Theater: NovelMaster  |  Language: English

Synopsis

For five years, I was Chloe Sterling’s secret lover.
To the world, I was merely her most reliable right-hand man at the company. In private, I was the one who held her close in bed every single night.
She promised she’d go public with our relationship when the timing was right. She swore I was the only man she would ever marry.
Until the day I saw her in a wedding gown, running toward another man—a man who looked almost identical to me.
Standing before the cameras hand-in-hand, she brushed me off with chilling ease:
"Julian is just a placeholder. But he’s useful at work, so there's no rush to throw him away."
I didn't yell. I didn't shed a tear.
I simply picked up my phone and dialed my father:
"Dad, I’m ready to take over the family empire. I agree to the arranged marriage."
The union between the Vance and Montgomery dynasties shook the entire business world.
And the moment Chloe saw the groom's face on the wedding invitation, her world collapsed.
I hung up the video call with my parents. The arranged marriage was officially settled.
Both families were thrilled with the match, and on paper, it was as perfect as a union could get.
I let out a long breath, booked the earliest flight back to my hometown, and started packing. Halfway through, someone knocked on the door.
Chloe had keys, but she never used them. She loved knocking and waiting for me to open it, so she could instantly throw herself into my arms.
In the past, every time she lunged at me, I would catch her firmly, spin her around in the air, and gently set her back down.
I cherished her, spoiled her, and loved her with everything I had.
Today, that knocking sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
I shut my suitcase, irritated. Why bother picking a fight today?
In less than twenty-four hours, I would be gone for good.
With that thought, I pulled the door open.
Chloe’s familiar embrace never came. Instead, standing right beside her was a man.
"What took you so long? Chloe’s drunk and sick to her stomach—can't you read the room?"
The man barked orders like the master of the house, treating me like an unpaid butler.
Or worse, a piece of dirt beneath his shoe.
"We were celebrating my welcome-back party tonight. Chloe got too excited and had one too many," he added smugly, giving an explanation no one asked for.
Last time, I had only caught a glimpse of him from across the ballroom. Looking at him up close now, my blood ran cold.
His brow, his eyes, his thin lips—he looked like he had been cast from the exact same mold as me. Even the slight arch of his smirk was an eerie mirror image.
So it was true. I really was just a pathetic substitute.
"Dominic... Dominic, don't leave... don't go... I’m thirsty," a drunk Chloe mumbled, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Dominic poured a glass of water and walked past me, leaving a trail of heavy lavender cologne in the air.
Chloe had always claimed she had a sensitive nose. She told me she hated men wearing fancy colognes. She swore she only liked a man to smell clean, like basic, unscented laundry soap.
To cater to her tastes, I threw away all my designer colognes. I hand-washed every shirt to keep that raw, simple scent she claimed to love.
To find the exact scent she demanded, she made me test dozens of detergents until my skin broke out in allergic hives. Even then, she never told me to stop.
Seeing Dominic tonight, the truth hit me like a slap to the face.
Chloe never loved clean laundry soap.
She loved Dominic's scent.
And I, like an obedient dog, had been trained step by step into his living shadow.
After nursing Chloe through the glass of water, Dominic toyed with the cup and turned to me.
"You must be Julian. Chloe mentions you all the time. You’re quite the efficient little assistant, aren't you? Great at closing deals."
"And it seems you’ve taken decent care of her, too. I really should thank you. Without you, Chloe would’ve been so lonely while I was away."
Every word was calculated to strip me of my dignity.
In Dominic's eyes, I was merely a toy Chloe played with to pass the time until the real owner returned.
There was never any love. Not a single drop.
Fearing I hadn't grasped the insult, Dominic took another step closer, lowering his voice:
"You know, Julian, your taste is remarkably similar to mine. The minimalist decor here, the way you dress—it’s practically an exact copy of me."
"Even your build... and especially this face. Anyone who didn't know better would think Chloe bought herself a counterfeit version of me!"
I stood silent for a second. Even though my heart was dead and I was already leaving, I wasn't going to let him walk all over me in my own living room.
"Is that so? This apartment belongs to me and Chloe. Are you her chauffeur? Thanks for dropping her off. Your job is done, so get out. I’ll make sure your tip clears tomorrow."
I thought I had scored a hit, but the drunken Chloe suddenly stumbled to her feet and wrapped her arms around Dominic.
"Julian Vance! What the hell... what are you doing? Can't you be sensible for once? Dominic and I are just keeping up appearances! What are you getting jealous for?!"
"Don't you dare try to kick him out!"
She slurred her words, barely able to speak coherently, yet her instinct to protect Dominic was as sharp as a blade.
What else was there to say? The clown makeup was already cemented onto my face.
Dominic flashed a triumphant smirk. He strolled toward me, voice dripping with condescension.
"See that? I can't leave. Chloe needs me. I’ll be taking the master bedroom tonight. Sorry you have to slum it in the guest room, but hey, someone has to take care of her."
"Oh, by the way... I heard Chloe never lets you into the private study in the master suite. Want to take a wild guess whose pictures are inside?"
Without waiting for an answer, Dominic guided Chloe into the bedroom.
I knew that study. I had tried every combination—her birthday, our anniversary, every significant date. Nothing worked. Once, when she caught me trying the lock, she screamed profanities at me for the first time and gave me the silent treatment for an entire week.
Now, the mystery was solved.
Not that it mattered anymore.
I was leaving.I spent the night in the guest room.
Morning sunlight slipped through the blinds, casting warm streaks across the bed, but it couldn't thaw the ice in my chest.
Chloe stood beside my bed, looking uneasy and anxious, as if searching for an excuse.
"About last night... you’ve got it all wrong."
"Dominic and I are just keeping up appearances for the press. The board was hyping it up, that's all."
"You and I aren't just partners in private; we're partners at the firm. If we went public and got married, people would gossip. Dominic is just a cover."
I listened quietly, staring fixedly at the ceiling.
"So, are you going to marry him?"
My heart was a frozen lake, without a single ripple.
I had overheard her on FaceTime just a few days ago. Her friends were teasing her that now the real prince charming had returned and proposed, how was she going to get rid of me?
Chloe’s answer had been effortless: "Julian is just a substitute. But he's useful, so I won't throw him out completely just yet."
Her voice had been so cold. Yet in the beginning, she wasn't like that.
My family had an empire waiting for me to inherit. I came to her company under a fake resume just to train in the field.
One evening after work, I ran into her on the street. Her heel had snapped, leaving her stranded in the rain, looking utterly helpless.
In that moment, my heart softened.
I bought her a pair of flats, knelt down, and gently massaged her sprained ankle to ease the pain.
After that, things moved fast. Her smile, her gentleness, everything drew me in.
Yet all those sweet memories shattered the moment I saw her in a bridal gown, running toward Dominic.
I had imagined walking down the aisle with her a thousand times. But reality was brutal: I was nothing more than an unacknowledged stand-in, kept in the dark shadows of her life.
Chloe grew impatient. "I’ve explained it clearly. Stop throwing a tantrum, okay?"
I finally turned my head to look at her. "Is that so? Just keeping up appearances? Then can I go check out the master study?"
Chloe’s face flushed red, then turned pale.
Right then, Dominic pushed the door open.
He was wearing one of my custom-tailored designer shirts, a mocking grin on his face.
His tone was sickeningly gentle:
"Chloe, you're up so early? I was wondering where you went... feeling any better?"
"Morning, Julian. Hope you don't mind me borrowing your shirt. Seems our style is identical, and our sizes match perfectly. What a coincidence."
Chloe didn't even notice the disrespect.
She let Dominic mock me, turning to him with a soft, doting smile to smooth things over:
"Did I wake you? Go back to sleep for a bit. Julian was just acting childish again. Don't let him ruin your mood."
Hearing those words, the last ember in my heart died.
To her, I was just the unreasonable, childish one.
This entire five-year relationship had been a running joke. And I was the punchline.
I took a deep breath. I wanted to say "we're over," but I realized I didn't even have the title to break up with her.
Ending a relationship that never officially existed? What a pointless farce.
I slammed the door and headed straight to the office.
Sitting alone at my desk, I began boxing up my belongings—the framed memories, the client files, the little tokens from five years of sweat and devotion.
I packed them methodically.
It felt like sealing a dead chapter in a vault, saying a final goodbye to the fool I used to be.While I was taping up my personal box, Chloe and Dominic barged into my office.
Both of their faces were contorted with fury, as if I had committed treason.
"No wonder you bolted out of the apartment this morning! You stole company secrets and tried to make a run for it!"
Dominic went on the offensive immediately, pointing his finger right in my face.
Chloe hesitated for a second, but then her expression hardened. "Julian, I thought you were just being petty, but I never thought you’d be a thief!"
Dominic shouted with absolute conviction, acting like he held undeniable proof.
I was completely baffled.
"What did you just say? I stole something?"
I looked at them, disgusted.
"Cut the crap! My confidential client acquisition file is missing. You're the only one who had access to my laptop!"
Dominic’s tone was absolute, sentencing me on the spot.
I glanced around. Staff members from every department were gathering around the glass partitions, whispering, staring at me with suspicion, pity, or cold amusement.
In their eyes, I was already the traitor who sold out the company.
And all of this was orchestrated by the woman I gave five years of my life to, and her darling fiancé.
Chloe stood to the side, crossing her arms.
"How else do you explain packing your boxes right now? Where do you think you're going? You’ve disappointed me, Julian. That file is critical to Dominic's upcoming pitch. Stop playing games and hand it over!"
I looked at her like she was insane, picked up my box, and moved toward the door. "Get out of my way. I don't have time for your circus."
Seeing me ignore her authority, Chloe’s face darkened. "What do you think you’re doing? Don't embarrass me in front of the entire office! Stop pushing your luck!"
Dominic yelled, "Don't let him leave! He’s getting away with the files!"
Chloe hesitated for half a second before calling security.
Two burly guards rushed in, twisted my arms behind my back, and slammed me face-down against the mahogany desk to search me.
I struggled, trying to hold on to the last shred of my dignity, but they overpowered me.
Chloe told me not to embarrass her. Yet right now, she was the one publicly stripping away every ounce of my pride, believing Dominic’s slander without a second thought.
She let them pin an imaginary crime on my head.
They tore open my shirt, searching through my pockets, exposing my bare chest to the entire floor. In that moment, the humiliation cut deeper than any blade.
The guards searched every inch of me and my box. There were no confidential files. Nothing.
They exchanged awkward looks and stepped back.
"I told you, I didn't touch your damn files!" I panted, refusing to bow my head.
Chloe still refused to believe it. "Impossible! Only the three of us were in that apartment last night!"
"Where did you stash it?! Hand it over now and I won't press charges. Don't make me lose my temper!" Chloe barked, her voice cold and threatening.
"Oh, wait! Silly me, I just remembered!" Dominic clapped his hands together with theatrical realization. "I left the folder in the backseat of my Uber."
He laughed it off casually, treating the entire ordeal like an amusing little mistake.
I stared at him, white-hot rage and sickening humiliation churning in my gut.
He had just destroyed my reputation, dragged my name through the mud in front of the entire company, while everyone watched like it was cheap daytime television.
For a second, Chloe looked stunned. Perhaps a flicker of guilt crossed her mind. But she just avoided my eyes and muttered:
"Well... as long as it's found. That's all that matters."
No apology. No accountability.
Every ounce of love and respect I had ever felt was crushed beneath her heels.The whole farce ended in the most ridiculous way possible.
Chloe never offered a single word of apology.
Her silence cut deeper than any insult Dominic could throw.
For the next two days, she didn't come home once.
Fine by me. It gave me all the time I needed to clear out every trace of my existence from that apartment.
When my flight day arrived, I was ready to vanish from Chloe Sterling's world forever.
Sitting in the VIP lounge at the airport, my phone buzzed with messages from Dominic.
Every text was pure venom, laced with gloating arrogance.
“Julian, Chloe’s been staying at my penthouse every night. I’ve been keeping her very satisfied, so you don't need to worry your little head.”
“She's just as clingy as she used to be. She told me a cheap substitute doesn't have one percent of my charm.”
“I hear you like this position, too. We really are so much alike.”
Attached were photo after photo—intimate embraces, heated glances, and even a picture of torn black lingerie on the carpet.
I felt nothing. No anger, no pain. Just numbness.
I blocked his number.
As the jet engines roared and the plane lifted into the clouds, I watched the skyline shrink beneath me. I was leaving the ashes of my old life behind and stepping into the empire that was rightfully mine.
The moment I landed, my family gave me a grand welcome.
They knew nothing of the humiliation I had suffered over the past five years. They were just thrilled that their prodigal heir was finally home, ready to seal the mega-merger.
The alliance between the Vance Empire and the Montgomery Group was explosive news. It made headlines across Forbes and Bloomberg, thrusting my name back into the center of high society.
Gold-embossed wedding invitations were dispatched to every major corporate titan in the country.
Including Chloe Sterling.
The day the invitation arrived at her office, Chloe was hanging out at an exclusive lounge with her clique and Dominic.
"Julian Vance? Why does that name ring a bell? Who is this guy?"
"Oh, wait, isn't that the name of Chloe's little executive assistant?"
"Assistant? Please! He was just her little lapdog, a rebound doll to keep her warm until Dominic came back!"
Those in the inner circle laughed, showering Dominic with flattering toasts.
Dominic leaned back, preening under the attention, pulling Chloe tightly against his chest.
"I always thought that Julian guy looked like a desperate simp. Chloe barely tolerated him. Dominic is the only one who belongs at her side."
As the crowd chuckled, a cold dread pooled in Chloe's stomach.
Julian hadn't contacted her in days.
She knew she had crossed the line at the office, but she figured a little punishment would teach him his place.
I’ll just buy him an expensive watch and take him to dinner later. He always comes crawling back, she told herself.
Suddenly, someone in the corner gasped, staring at their tablet:
"Damn, talk about same name, different destiny. Both named Julian Vance, but this one is the sole heir to the multi-billion-dollar Vance Empire, marrying Clara Montgomery, the queen of the Montgomery Group! Meanwhile, our Julian is just a jobless simp."
Chloe's wine glass shook, spilling a red drop onto the marble table.
Could it really just be a coincidence?
At that exact moment, her phone chimed.
An electronic wedding invitation popped up on her SnapChat, sent directly from my account.
Before she could even read the notification, my profile went gray. Blocked and deleted across all platforms.
With trembling fingers, Chloe clicked the link.
On the digital cover, wrapped in an opulent custom couture gown, was the heiress Clara Montgomery.
And standing beside her, looking every bit like the cold, commanding billionaire heir he was born to be...
Was me.
Chloe's phone slipped from her fingers, smashing against the floor.

Chapters (4)

Chapter 1   Chapter 2   Chapter 3   Chapter 4

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Watch & Promotions

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