The Substitute Bride -- CEO's Secret Darling Wife

From a young age, Emily had always felt like an outsider in her own family. Her parents favored her younger brother, Luo Chenguang, and her younger sister, Luo Aiqun. Their strong patriarchal mindset left Emily feeling neglected and unwanted.

She often wondered if her mother would have treated her differently if she had been a boy. Would she still be scorned and looked down upon?

As she stepped out of the People's Hospital, her phone rang.

It was her mother calling.

Emily hesitated for a moment, recalling the harsh words her mother had just spoken to her. She answered the phone reluctantly.

"Mom, is something wrong?" Emily asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"You answered the phone so late, is he dead?" Luo's mother's voice was sharp, filled with annoyance.

Emily's chest tightened, but before she could speak, her mother continued, "Listen, the costs for your dad's stay in the ICU are astronomical. The company is gone, and we don't have any income. Your brother is still in school, and your ungrateful sister won't even come back. I'm the one taking care of your father in the hospital, and you need to figure out how to support this family! Do you understand?"

"I… I understand," Emily replied, the weight of her mother's words pressing down on her. She felt a deep sense of helplessness. She wasn't like she was back when she lived with the Lu family. She had to fend for herself now, handle everything on her own.

The line went dead with a sharp beep as her mother hung up.

Emily shoved the phone into her pocket and made her way to the film and television city to find some work. For her family, yes—but more importantly, for the baby growing inside her.

On her way to the film and television city, her phone rang again.

It was Luo's mother, again.

She answered the call with a weary sigh. "Mom, do you need something else?"

"Emily, something happened to your brother, Chen Guang. You need to go to the Royal Nightclub and find him," her mother's voice crackled with urgency.

"What's happened to Chenguang?" Emily asked, her voice remaining calm despite the growing unease. Her brother wasn't at school, but at a nightclub?

"You'll see when you get there. Just go and bring him back. I don't care how you do it—just get him back! Otherwise, don't come home!" Her mother's tone was sharp, almost desperate. "I still have to take care of your father, and I can't deal with this too. That's it."

Emily frowned, a sense of frustration rising within her. It felt like her mother had just dumped this mess on her without a second thought. But after all, Chenguang was her brother, and she couldn't just ignore him. So, with a resigned sigh, she turned around and headed for the nightclub.

Royal Nightclub

When Emily arrived at the VIP box in the nightclub, she found her younger brother, Luo Chenguang, struggling in the grip of two burly security guards. His face was bruised and swollen, clearly the result of a beating. The room around them was a mess, littered with empty bottles of expensive liquor and half-eaten food.

"Second sister, you finally came! Please, help me, I need 800,000 yuan urgently!" Luo Chenguang's eyes lit up when he saw her, as though she were his savior. His voice was pleading, desperate.

"Eight hundred thousand?" Emily's heart skipped a beat. She felt a mix of shock and confusion. Why did he need such a large sum?

"Yes!" Luo Chenguang strained against the guards, trying to break free. "Come on, second sister, don't you know? You married into the Lu family—the richest family in the capital! It's just 800,000 yuan. Are you worried about owing money? You can't possibly be afraid of that!"

Emily's stomach churned at the mention of the "Lu family." She couldn't ignore the pang of pain that shot through her chest. If Luo Chenguang knew that she and Alexander were divorced, would he still say something like that?

"What happened?" Emily asked, trying to understand the situation.

Before Luo Chenguang could speak, the manager of the nightclub intervened. "Your brother came here last night with a group of friends, drinking and partying. They opened seven bottles of Remy Martin Louis XIII, worth 49,800 yuan each, along with other foreign liquors and food. All in all, the bill came to 800,000 yuan. But when it was time to pay, he had no money and tried to run away."

Emily's jaw dropped as she listened.

No wonder her mother hadn't dared to explain the full story to her. It was a disaster.

The manager's patience was wearing thin. "I don't care who you are, but if you can't pay the bill, I'm calling the police."

Emily's eyes widened in panic. She felt her heart race. How could her brother get himself into such trouble? And how could she get him out?

The manager eyed Emily, sizing her up. If she was really part of the Lu family, why was she dressed so modestly? Was she really their wife?

"No! Second sister, please, just give them the money already!" Luo Chenguang begged, his voice trembling.

He was truly desperate now. The police showing up would make everything much worse.

But Emily could only shake her head. "I don't have the money, Chenguang. I don't have anything. I can't help you."

"Stop joking, second sister. You don't have it, but your husband does. Just call him. Or ask my parents to transfer the money to me." Luo Chenguang's tone was full of disbelief. He couldn't fathom the idea that Emily might not have the money.

"I'm not joking, Chenguang." Emily's voice faltered with frustration. "I really don't have 800,000 yuan. Neither I nor my parents have it."

Luo Chenguang's brow furrowed as he realized the gravity of the situation. Emily's tone was too serious. This wasn't a joke. She wasn't pretending.

It struck him as odd—his mother, who always coddled him, should've been the first one to come to his aid. But instead, it was Emily, his older sister, who had to clean up his mess.

Just then, the manager took out his phone, ready to call the police.

"No!" Luo Chenguang struggled even harder, trying to grab the manager's phone from his hand.

Seeing how violent he was getting, one of the security guards swiftly kicked him in the abdomen. Luo Chenguang doubled over in pain, vomiting the alcohol he'd consumed all over the floor.

"Please, don't call the police," Emily pleaded, stepping forward to stop the manager from dialing.

"Get out of the way!" The manager shoved Emily aside without a second thought. She stumbled, her hand instinctively clutching her stomach protectively.

Was there no other way? Was she really going to have to watch her brother get arrested?

Just as the tension was about to break, a voice rang out from the door.

"Manager Li, the debt is on me."

A tall, handsome man entered the room, his voice clear and confident.

The manager looked up in surprise. "Young Master Bai?" he asked, recognizing him instantly.

Bai Geng.

Luo Chenguang's confusion deepened. Who was this person? He had never seen him before. But it didn't matter. Someone was offering to pay, and that was all that mattered.

Bai Geng's gaze shifted towards Emily, though he didn't acknowledge her. Emily, in turn, avoided his gaze. They both knew each other, but there was no need for words between them. She had always kept her distance, never speaking to him when he came to the Lu family.

"Please don't worry about it, Manager," Bai Geng continued smoothly. "I'll take care of everything."

The manager, seeing the influence Bai Geng wielded, immediately softened. "Of course, Young Master Bai. No problem at all."

With a single command, the security guards released Luo Chenguang, who was left standing, dazed and confused. He was free, but at what cost?