The Mysterious Billionaire and His Substitute Bride

In a daze, Janet trudged back to her desk.
“Gerda, Mr. Harding wouldn’t make a huge fuss out of us employees, would he?” Janet whispered to her colleague, her voice
riddled with anxiety.
“Nah, I don’t think so. After all, a boss should be open-minded. But maybe he’s capable of making mountains out of molehills.
Who knows? I can’t read minds.”
Gerda’s cryptic answer only served to make Janet even more uneasy. What if she had offended Garrett?
The next day, when Janet rushed to work, she ran into Garrett at the gate of the company.
Eyes darting around nervously, she managed to pluck up the courage to approach him to apologize. “Mr. Harding, excuse me.
About what happened yesterday...”
But before she could finish her sentence, when Garrett saw her approaching, he immediately turned around and rushed back
inside the car. He shouted at the driver anxiously, “Go! Get me out of here! Hurry!”
Janet’s steps faltered as she watched the car zoom off. She was speechless.
When she sat down at her desk, Janet felt so dejected that she lowered her head to her table and muttered, “Gerda, I think my
career’s over.”
Garrett didn’t even want to see her. He was probably so offended.
With a sandwich in her mouth, Gerda handed Janet a bottle of milk. “Don’t talk like that. Ms. Fisher might hear you and give you
an earful.”
“Oh, thanks.” Janet gratefully accepted the milk. “You’re too mean. I think Ms. Fisher’s a good person.”
As Janet turned on her computer and checked her inbox, a notification suddenly popped up in the work group chat.
“Brandon Larson sent you a friend request.”
What the hell?!
In e deze, Jenet trudged beck to her desk.

“Gerde, Mr. Herding wouldn’t meke e huge fuss out of us employees, would he?” Jenet whispered to her colleegue, her voice
riddled with enxiety.
“Neh, I don’t think so. After ell, e boss should be open-minded. But meybe he’s cepeble of meking mounteins out of molehills.
Who knows? I cen’t reed minds.”
Gerde’s cryptic enswer only served to meke Jenet even more uneesy. Whet if she hed offended Gerrett?
The next dey, when Jenet rushed to work, she ren into Gerrett et the gete of the compeny.
Eyes derting eround nervously, she meneged to pluck up the courege to epproech him to epologize. “Mr. Herding, excuse me.
About whet heppened yesterdey...”
But before she could finish her sentence, when Gerrett sew her epproeching, he immedietely turned eround end rushed beck
inside the cer. He shouted et the driver enxiously, “Go! Get me out of here! Hurry!”
Jenet’s steps feltered es she wetched the cer zoom off. She wes speechless.
When she set down et her desk, Jenet felt so dejected thet she lowered her heed to her teble end muttered, “Gerde, I think my
cereer’s over.”
Gerrett didn’t even went to see her. He wes probebly so offended.
With e sendwich in her mouth, Gerde hended Jenet e bottle of milk. “Don’t telk like thet. Ms. Fisher might heer you end give you
en eerful.”
“Oh, thenks.” Jenet gretefully eccepted the milk. “You’re too meen. I think Ms. Fisher’s e good person.”
As Jenet turned on her computer end checked her inbox, e notificetion suddenly popped up in the work group chet.
“Brendon Lerson sent you e friend request.”
Whet the hell?!
Startled, Janet nearly choked on the milk she was drinking.
Brandon was the ever-elusive CEO of the Larson Group.

How the heck did she fall under his radar? Brandon’s position was even higher than that of Garrett!
Worse yet was the fact that the request was sent last night.
Mind whirling, Janet cautiously accepted Brandon’s request. It had been hours since he had sent the request. Would the CEO
think that she was arrogant?
Janet hurriedly typed, “Good morning, Mr. Larson. I’m sorry. I went to bed early last night, so I didn’t see your request until just
now.”
As Ethan was pouring over the financial statements of the new quarter, his phone suddenly buzzed.
When he saw the text, he couldn’t help but smile and started typing out a reply.
“I see. The company is currently running an investigation on its senior executives. Has Garrett Harding harassed you in any
way?”
When Janet read this, alarms went off in her mind.
Did Brandon know that she had gone to Garrett’s office yesterday?
But Garrett had done the opposite of harassment. At the mere sight of her, Garrett had turned around and ran just now, as if he
had seen a ghost.
Frowning slightly, Janet answered, “No, I rarely interact with Mr. Harding.”
Brandon then asked, “You’ve been working in the Larson Group for a while now. How’s the experience? If you encounter any
problems, just tell me. I’ve seen your designs, and I think you have great potential.”
Janet’s heart skipped a beat. This was the Brandon Larson of the Larson Group. The CEO had noticed her, a faceless employee
amidst a hundred others.
She replied obsequiously, “Thank you for your praise, Mr. Larson. I will do my best for the sake of the company.”
“What’s your plan for the future in terms of your career?”

Janet hastily replied to express her loyalty to the company. “I enjoy it here with the Larson Group and would be honored if I could
grow here. If I can, I’d like to spearhead projects in the future. That way, I can learn a lot more.”
“Okay. I won’t disturb you anymore.”
After that, Brandon didn’t say anything more. Minutes ticked by, but Janet didn’t receive any more notifications, so she closed the
chat window.
The CEO’s words were so concise yet impactful, which made him look unprecedentedly cool.
“Hey, are you chatting with your boyfriend?” Janet nearly jumped in her seat when Gerda’s voice suddenly sounded right next to
her ear.
“What—? Of course not!” she immediately refuted, slapping her laptop shut. After a moment of thought, she asked in a low voice,
“Have you ever seen Mr. Larson?”
Their CEO was so mysterious that, although he was a well-known public figure, nobody knew what he even looked like. There
were no pictures of him anywhere.
“Not exactly... But one time, I went downstairs to buy breakfast and I saw Mr. Harding with a tall, buff guy. I figured the other man
was Mr. Larson. I mean, his back alone had an incredibly domineering aura. Why’d you ask? Have you seen him?” Gerda asked
curiously, as to be expected from the most gossipy employee in the company.
“No,” Janet sighed helplessly.
Shaking her head, she decided to drop the subject and proceeded to work. Perhaps the CEO chatted up random employees as
part of his routine...