The CEO’s Substitute Lover

The hospital had informed Octavia that her brother had been matched with a suitable heart. However, Gar Gills was too weak to undergo the surgery and needed to improve his physical condition. Once all his health indicators are in order, then the operation could be scheduled. She was so happy to hear the news and the first thing Octavia Gills wanted to do was to tell Tredan, to share her happiness with him and to thank him for helping her save her brother Gar Gills. Octavia Gills had no choice but to discard this thought, reminding herself that the Drye Family had saved her family’s life before. Caught between this painful emotional and moral choice to escape, Octavia Gills thought that when her brother recovers, she will definitely get away from here!

Octavia Gills was in the kitchen cooking up a nice meal for herself when the doorbell rang!

“Who is it?” Octavia Gills mentally expected it to be Tredan, but when she opened the door to see who this svelte and regular visitor was, Eddison’s cheery smile caught Octavia Gills’ eyes, which disappointed her a bit.

“Good morning, General… Manager! What are you doing here?” Eddison was dressed casually today and was holding a bouquet of red roses for Octavia Gills, who was a little embarrassed that he had come to her house with roses, red ones at that! Oh my God, this prince of love really knows how to flirt!

“Octavia, these flowers are for you, you are like these flowers…” Eddison was just thinking about how to confess his love to Octavia Gills, but before he could start, Octavia, who was not in her right mind at the moment, took the roses away from him and said to Eddison, “General Manager, why don’t you just come over? Don’t buy flowers all the time, if you want to bring a gift, you can buy some fruit. This makes you look pathetic!” Octavia Gills’ divine words instantly cooled Eddison’s warm heart and broke it to pieces, thinking, “How could I have fallen for such an insensitive little girl? If it had been a normal woman, she would have happily accepted the flowers and maybe even given him a hug and a kiss.” Well, since he was rejected cruelly by Octavia, he was prepared to put in a little effort to take down this woman from another planet.

“Wearing such lovely pajamas and an apron, I’ve never seen a young master as unconcerned about her appearance as you are, has the rice been cooked? Don’t worry, I’ll keep you company from now on!” Eddison said jokingly to Octavia Gills.

“Uh… at home, Hah! comfort matters! Ah no… GM, you came over in the middle of the day and in this heat, oh??and you even bought such expensive flowers just to find someone to have dinner with?” Octavia Gills is all but stunned by Eddison!

“Wrong, it was so you wouldn’t have to eat by yourself that I chose to sacrifice myself! And by the way, let’s discuss about how you should repay me for my kindness!” Eddison, who had no intention of being polite, headed for Octavia Gills’ kitchen, and before he could even get close enough, he could smell an aroma that tempted his craving!

“General Manager, can this payback you mentioned be compensated with money?” Octavia Gills had wanted to repay Eddison for saving her life by treating him to a meal, but he ended up paying for it! It’s hard to get a favor for nothing, but it’s also hard to get a favor!

“Octavia, how many times have I told you that you can call me Eddison the rest of the time except when we’re at work?” Wait? He does look like a little brother to me, and said to Eddison, “How about little brother Eddison? I’m a few years older than you!”

“Brother Eddison? Octavia, you’ve gone too far! Call me Brother Eddison or Treasure Eddison, one or the other is fine! It’s half the saving grace! I’m hungry from the smell of all that food!” Eddison wasn’t going to be polite at all.

Brother Eddison??! How could she even think of that? Octavia Gills only dared to think about it in her mind. “All right! I’ll just stir-fry the bok choy and we can start eating! Total… Ah brother Eddison, go get a plate for me!” Octavia Gills went along with Eddison’s wish, making Eddison smile cheerfully as he felt that he had made a small step towards success and went to get a plate for Octavia Gills.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“OK! I’m bringing it right over!”

Octavia Gills and Eddison were seated opposite each other at the small table, and Octavia Gills suddenly felt like she was surrounded by family. It was nice to have someone to eat with!

“This is yummy!” Eddison wolfed it down like a man who had been starving for days and nights, “This is good too, Octavia, I can’t believe it, you’re such a good cook!”

“Is it?” Octavia Gills was particularly skeptical as she took a few bites to try it, “Nothing special, same as usual, is it really as good as you’re saying?”

“Yes! It’s really good! It’s like an authentic home-cooked little dish rather than a beautifully decorated dish of a hotel!” Eddison suddenly felt sad that it had been a long time since he and his mum was at the old Group Davi house, sitting at the little table with his mum, and eating the little meals she used to cooked?? being rich wasn’t always a good thing!

Octavia Gills, who suddenly looked glum, panicked, “What’s wrong? What’s wrong? Suddenly you’re feeling sad? Aren’t you feeling well?”

Eddison shook his head and said with a smile, “It’s nothing, it’s just that I suddenly feel that although I am a rich prince and don’t have to worry about any food or clothing, I envy those small families that are full of affection.”

Hearing Eddison’s heartfelt words, Octavia Gills felt that the lives of the rich kids from complicated families were indeed a bit bleak!

“What are you doing?”

Tredan had been under a lot of stress with the recent incident with Ottilie Berkes’ brother, and it was only today that he had some time to spare to see Octavia Gills and get some relief from his ambiguous feelings. Tredan’s face was already dark enough when he pushed the door open to find Octavia Gills hugging the man he hated most, Eddison, who was now staring at them with a grimace.

“… Tredan! What are you… doing here?” Octavia Gills hurriedly pulled away from Eddison and ran over to Tredan. “Tredan, listen to me, it’s not what you think, you’ve got it all wrong!” Octavia Gills cried out in panic and confusion, deeply afraid of being misunderstood by Tredan.

Tredan shook off Octavia Gills’ hand with a disgusted look. Without a word, he stepped forward and swung a heavy blow at Eddison.

“Ah… Tredan, what are you doing? General manager you… are you in pain?” Octavia Gills couldn’t believe that Tredan had hit Eddison so hard without so much as a warning making Octavia Gills feel a little more guilty toward Eddison.

At the sight of Octavia Gills defending Eddison, Tredan, like a lion king in a rage, resented the tenderness that Octavia Gills was showing Eddison at this moment. “She’s not a woman you can touch! And even if I don’t want her, you can’t have any part of her.”

It was like lightning had struck Eddison from the moment Tredan came in. Tredan? With her? What’s their relationship? How could this be? No, it couldn’t be! Eddison didn’t believe it; he definitely didn’t believe that Octavia Gills was his big brother’s woman. Octavia Gills couldn’t be his big brother’s lover.

“Brother, aren’t you getting engaged with Lilian Drye? Aren’t you and Ms. Lilian childhood sweethearts? Why do you have to sully Octavia’s innocence because you hate my guts?” Eddison looked like he was just giving himself a reason to convince himself.

“General Manager, you’d better go home, this is a personal matter between me and Tredan. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get you involved it!” Octavia Gills didn’t want to see Eddison get involved with this for no reason. Octavia Gills didn’t want Tredan to take what little self-respect she has left, throw it to the ground and trample on it.

Eddison looked at Octavia Gills with difficulty, grabbing Octavia Gills’ hand to get a some sort of denial, he looked at her and asked, “Octavia, is there something you’re not telling me? Talk to me and I’ll help you out, he’s not right for you, he’s practically a married man, you know that? Octavia, I love you, I can give you what he can’t, please believe me!”

When Eddison said ‘I love you’ to Octavia Gills, she was horrified and broke away from Eddison’s grasp. How could this happen to her? Was fate playing tricks on her!

“General Manager, you are so young and talented, so handsome, so gentlemanly, you are surrounded by many fine ladies, while I am just a broken flower. I will remember your kindness all my life, General Manager. For taking care of me and rescuing me. I know you will find happiness with someone else; but in my mind you are as lovely as my brother!” Octavia Gills was making a mockery of herself to Tredan.

“Octavia …”

“I only want to make some sense out of this wickedness!” Octavia Gills never knew for a moment what she had to do as clearly as she did now.

Eddison also needed time to digest the unbearable events of the day. So, he got up and left, leaving Tredan and Octavia Gills behind.

When Eddison had left, Tredan slammed the door hard behind him, angrily forcing Octavia Gills into the corner by the door and squeezing her thin jaw like an angry monarch.

“Young and talented? Handsome and dashing? Gentlemanly? What a pity, what a rich, wealthy prince, I feel sorry for you even thinking about it.”

Octavia Gills looked at Tredan and shook her head, her tears welling up in front of him, and when Tredan looked at Octavia Gills’ innocent look, he said in a low, cold voice in Octavia’s ear, “I underestimated you. I was almost fooled by your pitiful look and innocent eyes, are you planning to seduce my half-brother? Do you think that with Lilian back, you’ll be able to justify your search for a rich man to fulfil your dream of becoming rich? You really know how to pick and choose, how much effort did you put into planning that night with me at the hotel and succeed in climbing into my bed.”

Octavia Gills’ heart ached so much! Why did Tredan have to insult her and hurt her so much? She could feel the pain tearing at her heart even with the slightest breath!

Tredan left at that, he humiliated her severely and then left, leaving her with a message on his way out, “You and I still have a contract! Unless I don’t want you anymore, or if you betray me, all payment for the medical expenses of your brother Gar will be stopped!”