Mr. CEO's Substitute Bride

"Don’t bother with me, you are brothers by blood, I’m just an outsider!"

Violet Zimmerman spoke a seemingly nonsensical sentence, leaving Joseph Lancaster stunned, even slightly amused and helpless. He helped her up by holding her shoulders, letting her lean against him, and spoke gently.

"What’s wrong with us brothers? Even if you’re convicting me, shouldn’t I die knowing why?"

"Hmph! How can you still laugh!" Violet glanced at Joseph in annoyance, "You never disclosed such a big thing to me!"

Joseph then realized that Violet was talking about Daemon Lancaster’s origins.

Feeling even more helpless, Joseph hugged Violet tighter.

"Why worry about someone insignificant!"

"How is this worrying? Clearly, you didn’t treat me like family!" Violet persisted, "And Daxton, I’ve been married to him for over twenty years, yet in the end, he’s not as close to me as you, his own brother!"

With a sigh, Joseph’s phoenix eyes lost their teasing gleam. His woman spoke of being "married" to his elder brother, which made him uncomfortable.

"Violet, you and big brother are only married in name. We are the true couple."

"Then why didn’t you tell me?"

Violet knew she had misspoken, though she married Daxton, it was Joseph who truly consummated with her, and for over thirty years, he had been the man behind her, never marrying, for her and their three children.

If feelings could be measured, these thirty years, she had owed him greatly.

At least in the eyes of the outsiders, she appeared to have a happy and harmonious family.

While Joseph, the second son of the Lancaster Family, was lonely and solitary.

"I’ve said he’s someone insignificant, so why bother? Violet, back then, big brother was worried about you being bullied, which was why he left this will.

Big brother knew well that Daemon’s side of the family always harbored resentment against us, and if he entrusted the will to you, he worried you’d be too soft-hearted, so he left it with me."

"Hmph! At least he has some conscience!" Violet huffed again, clearly older by two years than Joseph, yet she appeared like a willful young woman before him.

Because Joseph once said, he is a man, and his woman can always be willful!

Joseph knew all the hardships Violet had endured; evidently, it was a joint "mistake" by both, yet Daxton only punished his woman.

"Violet, big brother’s hatred stems from love. He is a man who keeps you in his heart but cannot give you happiness; otherwise, he wouldn’t have entrusted you to me before passing."

Though Daxton forced them into a ridiculous situation, he was also a pitiable man.

If he weren’t the Family Head, maybe he wouldn’t have pressured them, but his position was there, and the side branch eyed him for position, unwilling to let the Lancaster Family’s property fall into other’s hands, leaving him no choice but to act as he did.

Violet leaned on Joseph’s shoulder, reaching up to grasp his suit collar.

"Joseph, when can we be together openly, like a normal family, with children and grandchildren gathered during festivals, paying us new year’s visits, calling us mom and dad, grandpa and grandma?" No longer sneaking around like this.

Joseph sighed, his phoenix eyes gazed into the far-reaching night sky, and said.

"I’m afraid it’s impossible in this lifetime."

The Lancaster Family is large, with not only those living in the old residence but also plenty of side relatives; going public would mean enduring the stigma of incest.

Big brother Daxton has been gone for so many years, let the absurdity of the past be buried with him.

For the Lancaster Family’s reputation, they can live only this way for a lifetime.

"Didn’t you say, we’d retire abroad!" Violet questioned discontentedly. Joseph withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes to look at the woman leaning on his shoulder, and smiled.

"Even if we go abroad, you want the son to reveal our relationship to the daughters-in-law?"

Violet hesitated, saying nothing further.

The son could understand, but the daughters-in-law... knowing their uncle-aunt relationship, who knows how they’d react.

Lunchtime was late, closer to dinner, as it was finished past three. It was unclear if Aunt Zhang forgot dinner preparation, or knew Joseph was in Madam’s room, but she didn’t come to call them until nightfall.

Darkness fell outside, and Joseph prepared to leave, only to be halted by Violet.

Clutching Joseph’s wrist, looking at him, without speaking.

"Violet, I should head back."

He wished not to leave, though they had a son, their days of sharing a bed could be counted.

His bedroom faced Violet’s quarters; each sleepless night, his curtains remained open, gazing outside, imagining she was directly opposite.

That feeling was beautiful, yet tormenting, so close yet they dared not unite, so much in love yet unable to stay together, an undeniable torment for loving couples.

Violet clutched Joseph’s wrist and refused to let go, looking at him sideways, murmuring, "Aunt Zhang won’t come up."

Aunt Zhang had been with them for over twenty years, always loyal.

The moonlight outside was thick yet not as rich as the affection in the eyes of those inside. Joseph’s sexy Adam’s apple rolled once, then he sat back down, and enclosed Violet’s nape.

It’s said pregnancy dulls the mind for three years, yet Evander Lancaster found that since having their son, his woman had become more clever.

Yesterday she questioned him about his mother and second uncle, his dodging with "force" brushed off; today she raised it again.

Morning broke, and as Evander Lancaster lifted the quilt, Sophia Hamilton pulled him back.

"You haven’t answered yesterday’s question!"

Knowing well what Sophia spoke of, Evander pretended to be oblivious, "What happened yesterday? Was it about elder uncle’s side? They’ll move out in a week."

"Evander Lancaster! Don’t play dumb with me! Be serious, I’m talking about your mother and your second uncle!" Sophia directly reminded.

Evander paused slightly, phoenix eyes held a smile, pretending to not understand and retorted.

"What’s wrong with mom and second uncle? Aren’t they both doing well?"

"Their relationship isn’t normal!" Evander is her husband, so there was no need to beat around the bush.

Evander...

His smile froze, reaching-out fingers aiming to pinch Sophia’s chin stalled in the air.

Seeing his reaction, Sophia further confirmed her thoughts. Several times, her mother mentioned, "Evander’s mother seems very close to his second uncle,"

At the time, she deemed it a mere idle comment, but now she realized that her mother must have seen the unusualness between the two.

"Evander Lancaster, are you hiding something from me?" Sophia squinted her eyes slightly, suddenly sensing that Evander was aware of this issue.

Evander returned to his senses, took a deep breath, and grasped Sophia’s hand, saying, "Sophia, now isn’t the right time. I’ll tell you when the time is right."