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.

On the way back, Lana kept bombarding Kylie with messages, urging her not to be late. She stressed that if she was, the consequences would be serious.

That only made Kylie more anxious. She kept urging the driver to go faster.

Before long, the taxi pulled up in front of the company building.

Hearing that the new CEO was about to arrive, the department heads were already lined up downstairs in formal attire, ready to welcome him.

Seeing the scene, Kylie quickly lowered her head and hurried past. She reached out to press the elevator button—

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" a security guard barked at her. "That's the CEO's private elevator!"

Kylie was forced to use the regular elevator, but the floor indicator wasn't moving. Time was running out.

Gritting her teeth, she made a decision—stairs it was!

The finance department was on the 12th floor. If she ran, it would be faster than waiting for the elevator.

Without hesitation, Kylie kicked off her heels and dashed into the stairwell.

By the time she finally reached the office, she was completely out of breath.

Climbing twelve flights of stairs was no joke—especially for someone like Kylie, who hardly exercised.

She collapsed into her chair, reaching for her water bottle to take a sip, when Lana suddenly patted her on the shoulder and shrieked, "Kylie! Why are you barefoot?!"

Startled, Kylie fumbled and knocked over her water bottle.

The cold water drenched the front of her light blue blouse.

She scrambled to grab some tissues, dabbing at the fabric. But before she could do much, Alex Hill, the Finance Department Manager, was already leading Jonathan into the office.

As they entered, Alex was all smiles, bowing and scraping as he introduced the new CEO.

The man behind him carried an air of dominance—his presence was sharp, his gaze intense.

"Wow, he looks even better in person," Lana whispered excitedly.

Kylie kept her head down as she stood behind her chair, hoping to avoid his attention.

Jonathan strode closer. Even without looking up, she could feel the weight of his presence bearing down on her.

A moment later, his cool, impassive voice rang out—

"Ms. Cooper seems to have a lot of free time at work."

Kylie froze. She had no idea what Jonathan's words meant, and Alex seemed just as confused.

The man chuckled darkly, his tone growing sharper.

"Ms. Cooper, since you have time to work part-time at the club at night, I imagine your days must be pretty free, huh?"

Kylie bit her lip, a wave of hurt rising in her chest.

Why was Jonathan singling her out like this?

Even if he didn't love her, she hadn't done anything to offend him, had she? Well… except for that time when she had smashed something over his head.

Okay. Now Kylie regretted it—she regretted being so impulsive and smashing the cup on him. He probably never had anyone treat him like that before. Maybe she really had offended him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sinclair," she said quickly. "I've already quit the part-time job at the nightclub. I won't..."

"Did you quit, or were you fired?" Jonathan cut in, pressing harder.

"I was fired..."

The exchange made the room go still. Everyone, except for Michael, was left with wide eyes and expressions of disbelief.

Kylie gave up fighting back. She lowered her head even further, trying to shrink into herself.

Jonathan's gaze flicked down to Kylie's damp blouse, now almost see-through and clinging to her chest.

His eyes moved lower, catching sight of her bare feet. His brow furrowed.

He let out a disgusted snort, a look of disdain crossing his face. Turning to Alex, he snapped, "Is this the company dress code?"

"Huh?" Alex was stunned. He turned to Kylie, his face suddenly flushed with embarrassment.

Flustered, he hurriedly explained, "Mr. Sinclair, this... this must be a misunderstanding, really!"

Jonathan's cold eyes locked onto Alex's, sending a clear message of authority. Then, flanked by his entourage, he strode out of the finance department.

Alex stood there, drenched in sweat, still muttering to himself as Jonathan walked away.

"Misunderstanding... definitely a misunderstanding... ugh!"