On the other side, Lily received a call. With a troubled expression, she relayed the message to Kylie.

"Kylie, you don't need to come in tomorrow."

"Why? Is it because of Jonathan?"

Kylie was furious. Even though she had hurt Jonathan tonight, it was because he had forced her into it in the first place. Plus, she had already apologized. How could Jonathan be so ruthless?

Rich people really did whatever they wanted.

Without this part-time job, her monthly income would be reduced. What would she do about her brother's medical bills?

Kylie couldn't accept it. She thought if she couldn't work at this place, she could find another. Jonathan couldn't possibly blacklist her from every club in Jorundale, could he?

Lily seemed to guess what Kylie was thinking. With a tone of regret, she tried to convince her.

"I'm afraid you'll have trouble finding another job at a different nightclub. Maybe it's time to switch careers."

Kylie felt helpless. Clearly, she was the one who had been abandoned by Jonathan. So, how did working a part-time job at the nightclub upset him again?

Jonathan said he didn't want his woman working at nightclubs. Did that mean he still cared for her?

But Jonathan's actions tonight had clearly shown his disgust and disregard for her. He even made her drink an entire bottle of whiskey, knowing she couldn't handle it...

At that thought, Kylie felt a lump in her throat.

She had been Jonathan's secret lover for three years, and she had been nothing more than his plaything.

Their dates always took place at his villa.

On the bed, on the couch, in the bathtub—he seemed to never tire, always insatiable.

What Jonathan cared about was just her body. Once he was bored, he discarded her without a second thought.

That day had been Kylie's birthday. Jonathan had messaged her, asking her to come to the villa that night. She thought maybe he was planning a surprise for her, but the chances of that were slim. Still, Kylie couldn't help but feel excited.

But when she arrived at the villa, Jonathan was nowhere to be found.

He had always been punctual in the past. But this time, Kylie waited for a long time. Her makeup had smudged, and still, there was no sign of him.

Finally, after what felt like ages, the door of the villa opened.

However, it wasn't Jonathan who walked in. It was Michael.

"Sorry, Ms. Cooper. Mr. Sinclair asked me to take you home."

Kylie felt a pang of disappointment, but she obediently followed Michael into the car.

When she got home, Kylie stared at her phone, waiting for Jonathan's call. She couldn't shake the feeling that he would explain his absence.

But in the end, what Kylie received from Jonathan was a short, cold message, [You don't have to come over anymore.]

She clearly remembered the emptiness she felt as soon as she read those words.

She mustered up the courage several times to call him, wanting to ask Jonathan why. But every time she dialed his number, she hesitated and hung up.

Later, when she finally called him, all she heard on the other end was, "The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable."

Kylie knew that she was just his kept woman.

Over the years, she had taken plenty of money from him, and their arrangement had always been mutually beneficial. Why should she care about a few comforting words or some baseless explanation from him?

He must have just gotten bored. For rich, spoiled guys like him, it was nothing new.

Kylie tried to console herself. Her relationship with Jonathan had always been about simple, physical attraction, nothing more. If she tried to make it about love, it just didn't feel right.

So, she sent him a simple reply, [Okay.]

Then, she cried for Jonathan all night.

During the day, Kylie worked at the Jorundale Real Estate Development Group. It was a company that handled numerous commercial and residential projects.

As soon as she arrived at the office this morning, her colleague, Lana Lewis, came over to gossip.

"Did you hear? We're getting a new CEO!"

"A new CEO?" Kylie was confused.

"You really don't keep up with what's happening with the higher-ups, huh?" With a sigh, Lana continued to explain. "The shareholders have changed, and the Sinclair Group is now the major shareholder. They're sending a new CEO to manage us."

Lana's face lit up with excitement as she spoke, practically glowing with anticipation.

"Are you seriously swooning over the new CEO?" Kylie asked, opening her computer as she gave Lana a puzzled look.

"Well, he's a total heartthrob! I bet no girl in the company will be able to resist him!"

Lana clasped her hands together as if in prayer, her mind filled with a fantasy, as though she was already imagining the new CEO noticing her.

Seeing Lana so dedicated to her admiration, Kylie couldn't help but feel curious, so she asked, "How handsome can he really be?"

"Seriously, he's stunning! Wait a sec, I'll show you a picture."

Lana quickly pulled out her phone and began searching for photos of the new CEO online.

In less than three seconds, Lana handed the phone to Kylie.

"Look, isn't he handsome? I'm calling him my new celebrity crush!"

Kylie glanced at the phone screen, and the familiar face of the man caught her eye.

His sharp nose, strong jawline, captivating eyes, thick dark hair—everything was so familiar to Kylie.

So the new CEO Lana had been talking about was Jonathan Sinclair!

Kylie felt an immediate headache coming on.

First, Jonathan caused her to lose her part-time job. And now, Jonathan had become her new boss.

She had a feeling that Jonathan had come here to mess with her on purpose—how else could it be such a coincidence?

Was her full-time job next? Would she be fired from here too?

The thought made Kylie's heart race with panic.

She got up and headed to the breakroom to get some water, hearing her coworkers discussing Jonathan along the way.

"The new CEO is young and promising. I also heard he's still single!"

"No way, I just saw online that he has a fiancee."

"Really? Is it one of those rich family arranged marriages?"

"Wow, being his bride must be amazing."

When Kylie heard Jonathan had a fiancee, her brow furrowed.

When had Jonathan gotten engaged? They had just broken up a week ago, and she hadn't heard anything about a fiancee in the past three years.

Kylie's mind went blank for a moment, and she didn't even notice the water in her cup spilling over. The liquid pooled on the floor before she snapped out of her trance.

Without hesitation, she grabbed her phone and typed "Jonathan fiancee" into the search bar.

Soon, various news articles appeared on her screen.

[Jonathan Sinclair's Mysterious Fiancee Spotted at Jorundale Airport]

[Jonathan's Fiancee Is a Local Woman Returning From Overseas]

Kylie clicked through the articles, all of which were dated on the same day as her birthday.

And then she saw the picture of Jonathan's fiancee.

Her name was Zoey Whitfield, and she was a woman of mixed heritage.

What shocked Kylie even more was how much Zoey looked like her. They looked almost exactly the same!

At that moment, everything clicked into place for Kylie.

The trope of the "stand-in" from the novels had become her reality.

She had been the stand-in. For three years, she had been nothing more than Zoey's substitute.

That was why Jonathan had discarded her the night Zoey returned to the country.

Of course, now that the real deal was back, what use did he have for the stand-in?

Jonathan was Kylie's first love. Perhaps that was why she could never shake the complicated emotions she had for him.

The thought of him touching her, of her being in his arms, made her heart ache with a bitter, unspoken pain. Perhaps he had always been imagining Zoey instead of her.

In that instant, Kylie felt utterly foolish.

Jonathan would never love her. How could she have ever believed that this man, so high above her, could have feelings for her?

Kylie comforted herself. Since she had initially gone for the money, there was no point in talking about love. After all, one shouldn't be too greedy.

Jonathan was just her sugar daddy, a passing figure in her life. He was never someone to spend her life with.

Her brother was the only man in this world who truly mattered to her.

Thoughts of Kevin, lying in the hospital bed, sent Kylie's mind spiraling back to three years ago.

That accident had torn her family apart.

Her apartment building had caught fire in the middle of the night. The entire family had been asleep when the fire broke out, and by the time they woke up, the flames had already spread.

Kylie had screamed as she tried to escape, but the heat pushed her back. Kevin had rushed out immediately, holding her close to protect her without hesitation.

They had pounded on their parents' door, but there was no response.

With Kevin shielding her, Kylie had managed to escape the blaze. But he had run back in, trying to save their parents.

By the time the firefighters arrived, the fire was already out of control.

Kylie had watched in horror as her parents were carried out, their bodies lifeless. Meanwhile, Kevin had collapsed, unconscious from smoke inhalation and exhaustion.

In an instant, she had lost both parents, and her brother was left in a coma.

After their parents' death, the small family business they had owned had collapsed under the weight of debt from the fire.

In one night, all the burdens of the family had fallen onto Kylie's shoulders.

To cover Kevin's medical expenses and pay off the debts, Kylie had turned to working part-time at a nightclub.

It was at the nightclub that she had met Jonathan—and become his lover.

"Kylie, what's wrong?"

Lana's voice pulled Kylie out of her thoughts.

"It's nothing."

Kylie brushed the stray hairs from her forehead and forced a faint smile before adding, "Oh, by the way, I have something to take care of at noon, so I won't be joining you for lunch."

Lana nodded. "Alright, but make sure you come back early. I heard the new CEO is coming for an inspection this afternoon."

Kylie's eyes flickered slightly, and she only murmured a quiet acknowledgment before falling silent.

-

Kylie took a cab to the hospital.

Kevin lay quietly on the bed, as peaceful as ever. His eyes were closed, and the light cast a soft shadow on his lashes. Aside from the prominent scars from the burns, he looked just like someone who was merely asleep.

"Ms. Cooper, your brother's condition is very stable, don't worry," the nurse said, offering reassurance.

Kylie came to the hospital every week, and every time, the doctors and nurses would say the same thing: "He's stable."

She knew that these words were meant to comfort. However, they also seemed to extinguish the flickering hope that Kevin would wake up, just a little bit more each time.

But Kylie believed, deep down, that her brother would wake up one day.

He had to.

She leaned down, gently stroking his hand, again and again, her eyes welling up with tears.

Seeing her in this state, the nurse hesitated for a moment before gently interrupting, "Ms. Cooper, I'm sorry to bother you, but please don't forget to pay the fees before you leave."

"Oh, right. I'll do that now."

After paying, Kylie went to find her brother's attending doctor for an update. But when she opened the door to the doctor's office, she was taken aback.

Sitting in the office was a face that was both familiar and foreign at the same time.

Before Kylie could process it, the person spoke first.

"Kylie."

Kylie blinked, shocked and a bit in disbelief. "Nathan?"

The man's delicate features held a youthful, innocent light, and he smiled warmly. "It's been a long time."

"What are you doing here?"

Nathan Kingsley pointed to the white coat he was wearing.

"Maybe... I work here as a doctor?"

Kylie froze for a moment, then quickly processed the situation.

"So, now you're my brother's attending doctor?"

"Yeah."

Nathan adjusted his glasses, his smile still as pure and untroubled as ever.

He was a star student at medical school, a year ahead of Kylie. Back in college, he was the perfect combination of handsome and brilliant.

The two of them had been in the debate club together, but after Nathan went abroad for an exchange program, they lost touch.

Later, when Kylie's family faced a crisis, she started working part-time at a nightclub and changed her phone number, severing contact with old classmates and friends. She never imagined she would run into Nathan here, of all places.

The senior she had once known had returned from his studies abroad, now a doctor and her brother's attending physician.

And here she was—having been someone else's lover for three years and achieving nothing in the end.

Nathan's appearance stirred up old memories in Kylie. Her classmates from back then must be doing well now, living happy, fulfilling lives.

As for her...

Kylie snapped out of it quickly, forcing herself not to dwell on the past. She mustered a faint smile and asked Nathan, "What's the likelihood of my brother waking up?"

Nathan adjusted his glasses, and his gaze through the lenses became somber.

"Currently, the medical technology here in the country has limitations when it comes to treating those in deep comas."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "If possible, I'd recommend considering taking your brother to the country of Altheria for treatment. Their research in neuroscience and coma recovery is much more advanced. The treatments are more cutting-edge, and he could receive a more thorough diagnosis and therapy, which would greatly improve his chances of waking up."

Nathan's words brought Kylie a glimmer of hope, but it also felt like a heavy stone pressing down on her chest.

If possible...

So, that meant money. It all came down to money.

Kylie clenched her fists, lowered her gaze, and sighed in defeat.

Just then, her phone rang—it was Lana. Her voice on the other end sounded urgent.

"Hey, Kylie, you need to come back right away. The new CEO is coming to inspect our department. Don't be late!"

"Okay, I'll be right there."

Kylie hung up, then stood up and prepared to say goodbye to Nathan.

"I have to go, Dr. Kingsley. There's something happening at the company. We'll catch up next time."

Before she could leave, Nathan grabbed her arm gently.

"Kylie, if you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out to me."

His words were soft but sincere, his eyes locked on hers with a tenderness that made her heart flutter.

Kylie felt a bit dazed. She hummed an agreement before turning and quickly heading back to the company.

Nathan watched her hurriedly leave, his eyes filled with heartache.