Contract Marriage: The President's Stand-in Lover - Chapter 19:

Questions and Cracks

In the board meeting, Gu Chen’s unwavering support, along with that

dinner where work was set aside, had brushed away the lingering shadows in

Wei An’s heart like a warm spring breeze. She began to believe that perhaps,

in his mind, she was not merely an inconsequential substitute or symbol.

The carefully nurtured feelings she had guarded so cautiously began to sprout once more,

quietly and timidly.

But this rare calm and hope did not last long. Elizabeth’s presence was like

a thorn that could never be fully removed, surfacing unexpectedly to

remind Wei An of a past in which she had never played a part.

That afternoon, Wei An went to the top floor of the Gu Corporation for a

foundation document that urgently required Gu Chen’s signature.

Linda informed her that he was in a small conference room meeting with the

Art Investment Department. At the door, she noticed it wasn’t fully closed,

leaving a narrow gap.

The voices inside froze her hand mid-air, poised to knock.

Elizabeth’s voice carried a mix of agitation and hurt.

She accused him of favoring Wei An’s plan over hers for the Qingyuan Village project,

questioning if it was merely because Wei An was his wife.

Wei An’s chest sank, her breath caught in her throat.

After a brief silence, Gu Chen’s calm, almost icy response cut through,

the project decisions were based on comprehensive evaluation, not personal relations.

Wei An’s proposal better aligned with the project’s long-term goals and social responsibilities.

Long-term? Social responsibility? Elizabeth’s voice sharpened as if mocking him,

reminding him of their shared ambitions to build an empire together

rather than dabble in charity projects in the countryside.

Gu Chen’s sudden, stern command to stop silenced her, leaving the room in an oppressive quiet.

Outside the door, Wei An turned pale, her bl00d seeming to freeze in that instant.

The unfinished words pierced the fragile fortress of confidence she had just built.

All the warmth, all the special treatment she had felt, now seemed to bear a cruel footnote

it was only because she resembled someone else.

She couldn’t even bear to hear more. Clutching the documents, she stumbled backward,

almost fleeing from the top floor.

Back at the foundation office, she sat, hands and feet cold,

Elizabeth’s words and Gu Chen’s harsh “Shut up” echoing in her mind.

Why had he stopped her? Out of guilt? Or fear that more truths she shouldn’t know would slip out?

Why maintain her dignity while leaving her in the shadow of doubt?

Anger, resentment, humiliation they churned like molten lava in her chest.

She could no longer bear the torment of suspicion and unease.

That evening, Gu Chen returned earlier than usual, visibly irritable from the afternoon’s

confrontation, loosening his tie with obvious frustration.

Wei An didn’t retreat to her room but waited in the living room,

calm in expression but with eyes edged in frost. Gu Chen froze for a moment upon seeing her.

She looked straight into his eyes and said with quiet finality, we need to talk.

He slumped back on the sofa, weary, saying that if this was about the meeting,

it was already decided, and there was no need to discuss further.

She interrupted, her gaze sharp, insisting this was about Elizabeth Martin,

about him, about her, about the truth behind their marriage.

His movements stilled, a complex mix of caution, impatience,

and a flicker of tension crossing his eyes, the kind she couldn’t read.

She asked directly if he had married her solely because of her face.

Gu Chen’s pupils constricted, his face darkening as he snapped that

she should not meddle in his past.

She rose, voice trembling, tears threatening to fall, demanding the truth.

She was a person with feelings who hurt, living under the shadow of being a substitute,

and she asked him bluntly—had he chosen her because she resembled someone he truly loved?

Her words spilled out like a storm, tears finally breaking free.

He jumped to his feet, gripping her wrist with such force it drew a cry of pain,

roaring at her for daring to speculate, for listening to idle gossip.

Yet beneath the fury was a hidden, raw panic and… perhaps pain.

Was it not so? She challenged, defiant, letting the pain in her wrist anchor her gaze on him.

Could he look into her eyes and claim that not even part of his choice was because of her face?

They were inches apart, breathing mingling, one consumed with anger, the other with tears.

The room was charged with heartbreak and tension.

Gu Chen stared at her, a storm raging in his deep eyes, seeing her pale face,

the tears, and the eyes that, though reminiscent of someone he once loved,

were now full of entirely different pain. His lips moved, nearly denying it all,

but something seemed to choke him, leaving him utterly silent.

His silence was the sharpest blade, severing the last thread of hope in her heart.

She forcefully shook off his hand, stumbled back, and offered a bitter, hopeless smile.

She understood, the weight of his silence heavier than any answer.

Without another glance, she turned and ascended the stairs slowly but resolutely.

Gu Chen remained frozen, watching her vanish around the stairwell,

feeling a crushing emptiness in his chest. He struck the sofa in frustration,

the sound echoing through the villa.

Why didn’t he deny it? Why couldn’t he speak? Was it because even he couldn’t

fully untangle the tangled motives behind his initial impulse?

Damn it.

That night, the villa felt colder and heavier than ever.

The crack that had shown signs of mending earlier not only reopened but deepened,

a chasm harder to bridge.

And this time, Wei An’s heart seemed truly broken.