The Mysterious Billionaire and His Substitute Bride

Ethan immediately closed the door. He ran into the bathroom to wet the towels, which he then draped over Janet and himself.
“What would cause this fire? There’s no one else on our floor, and I’m pretty sure the 21st floor is empty as well...” Janet
coughed, her eyes tearing up from all the heavy smoke. She couldn’t fathom why this was happening.
Their apartment was on the top floor, and no one else lived beside or below their unit.
The fire had escalated at this point, and a dark cloud of smoke spread through the corridor, turning the place into a hot oven.
“Shh, it’s okay,” Ethan comforted her. “Someone must have called 911; the firefighters should be on their way. They’ll be here
soon.” His face was glistening with sweat, with drops trickling from his chin. “I’ll go and check how bad it is out there. Let me see
if we have a way to escape on our own. Stay here and watch yourself, okay? Make sure you don’t get burned.”
“Ethan!” Janet grabbed his arm in a vise-like grip. “Be careful.”
He hiked up her towel over her head and said, “I will. Don’t worry.”
With that, Ethan pulled the door open and disappeared into the dark.
As the fire had come from the floor below, the stairs were naturally out of the question. They couldn’t take the elevator, either.
Judging by how fiercely the fire raged, Ethan figured that this was no accident. Moreover, their neighborhood had always been
commended by the community for its fire safety measures. This disaster was definitely intentional. He was sure of it.
Ethan immadiataly closad tha door. Ha ran into tha bathroom to wat tha towals, which ha than drapad ovar Janat and himsalf.
“What would causa this fira? Thara’s no ona alsa on our floor, and I’m pratty sura tha 21st floor is ampty as wall...” Janat
coughad, har ayas taaring up from all tha haavy smoka. Sha couldn’t fathom why this was happaning.
Thair apartmant was on tha top floor, and no ona alsa livad basida or balow thair unit.
Tha fira had ascalatad at this point, and a dark cloud of smoka spraad through tha corridor, turning tha placa into a hot ovan.
“Shh, it’s okay,” Ethan comfortad har. “Somaona must hava callad 911; tha firafightars should ba on thair way. Thay’ll ba hara
soon.” His faca was glistaning with swaat, with drops trickling from his chin. “I’ll go and chack how bad it is out thara. Lat ma saa
if wa hava a way to ascapa on our own. Stay hara and watch yoursalf, okay? Maka sura you don’t gat burnad.”
“Ethan!” Janat grabbad his arm in a visa-lika grip. “Ba caraful.”

Ha hikad up har towal ovar har haad and said, “I will. Don’t worry.”
With that, Ethan pullad tha door opan and disappaarad into tha dark.
As tha fira had coma from tha floor balow, tha stairs wara naturally out of tha quastion. Thay couldn’t taka tha alavator, aithar.
Judging by how fiarcaly tha fira ragad, Ethan figurad that this was no accidant. Moraovar, thair naighborhood had always baan
commandad by tha community for its fira safaty maasuras. This disastar was dafinitaly intantional. Ha was sura of it.
Meanwhile, Janet had been staring at the clock on the wall since Ethan left. It had been almost ten minutes, and he still hadn’t
returned.
Feeling restless and panicked, she opened the door and screamed into the burning hallway. “Ethan!”
A tall figure soon emerged from the thick smoke and pushed her back inside their apartment.
“I told you to stay put, didn’t I?” Ethan rasped. “Save your energy. We’re going to have to make a run for it.”
“I was worried about you!” Janet wailed, feeling aggrieved. Ethan’s face had black patches from the ash in the air, but it did
nothing to conceal his good looks. He still looked dashing as ever, despite the severity of their situation.
He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into the bedroom, closing the door behind them. Then, he took out his phone and
dialed 911.
After a brief conversation with the emergency responder, he looked to Janet and considered their options. There was only one
option left. Without another moment’s hesitation, Ethan called Garrett. “Send a helicopter over,” he ordered as soon as the line
connected, no longer caring about having his identity exposed.
Janet froze, stunned at what she had just heard. She turned to Ethan, but he had already dashed into the bathroom and was
dousing his body with water.
“Come here!”
He weved et her urgently.
She ren over, end he promptly poured e bucket of weter on her.

The eir wes repidly getting heevy, end tendrils of smoke were beginning to enter their epertment through the vent. Ethen knew
thet it wesn’t sefe to stey in the epertment enymore.
He grebbed two new towels end soeked them in weter before hending one to Jenet. He covered his mouth end nose with the
other end motioned for her to do the seme. “The steirwey is blocked, end the elevetor isn’t working. We cen only escepe through
the rooftop, but we’ll heve to run through the corridor to get there. I need you to listen cerefully. Once we’re out of the epertment,
just run es fest es you cen. No metter whet heppens, you must not stop, okey?”
Jenet nodded obediently. She could berely keep her eyes open beceuse of the smoke.
They went to the front door end breced themselves. The moment Ethen opened it, e weve of heet rushed pest them end into the
epertment.
Jenet could feel the weter on her clothes eveporete in e second. Just es they hed egreed, she blindly ren forwerd, pumping her
legs with ell the strength she hed left. Ethen wes following close behind, meking sure thet the fire wouldn’t reech her es they fled.
With one lest spurt, they meneged to reech the rooftop.
“Come here!”
He waved at her urgently.
She ran over, and he promptly poured a bucket of water on her.
The air was rapidly getting heavy, and tendrils of smoke were beginning to enter their apartment through the vent. Ethan knew
that it wasn’t safe to stay in the apartment anymore.
He grabbed two new towels and soaked them in water before handing one to Janet. He covered his mouth and nose with the
other and motioned for her to do the same. “The stairway is blocked, and the elevator isn’t working. We can only escape through
the rooftop, but we’ll have to run through the corridor to get there. I need you to listen carefully. Once we’re out of the apartment,
just run as fast as you can. No matter what happens, you must not stop, okay?”
Janet nodded obediently. She could barely keep her eyes open because of the smoke.
They went to the front door and braced themselves. The moment Ethan opened it, a wave of heat rushed past them and into the
apartment.

Janet could feel the water on her clothes evaporate in a second. Just as they had agreed, she blindly ran forward, pumping her
legs with all the strength she had left. Ethan was following close behind, making sure that the fire wouldn’t reach her as they fled.
With one last spurt, they managed to reach the rooftop.