Chapter 236
Chapter 236
Charles stared at the woman before him, expressionless.
Her teary, pitiful look reminded him even more of Victoria.
Especially that wounded expression—at least eighty percent similar.
Almost without thinking, his voice softened. "How much did my mother offer you?"
"Five hundred thousand dollars..."
The woman answered cautiously.
Five hundred thousand just for spending one night with Charles.
If she got pregnant, the price went up—one million for a girl, five million for a boy.
She hadn't held out much hope for herself.
Her competitors were all prettier, with better figures.
But Rhea had chosen her.
Charles's lips twisted at the number.
Five hundred thousand?
He'd never even given Victoria that much.
"What's your name?"
"Veronica Ward."
Veronica answered while stealing glances at his expression.
Whether she'd get paid depended entirely on her performance right now.
But Charles felt strangely dazed.
Even the name was similar.
"Fine. You can stay."
Charles couldn't articulate what he was thinking or feeling.
He just looked at that face—so like Victoria's—and couldn't form the word "no."
Veronica's heart leapt. She moved toward the bed immediately.
"Sleep on the couch. Leave first thing in the morning."
Charles stopped her, his voice cold again.
Veronica froze mid-step but didn't dare argue.
It wasn't what she'd expected, but getting five hundred thousand dollars just for sleeping on a couch overnight? That was a windfall by any measure.
She obediently settled onto the sofa.
The room was cold. She curled into herself instinctively.
Charles watched her small, thin frame for a long time. Then he got up and draped a blanket over her.
---
The next morning.
Veronica woke to find the blanket covering her. She blinked in surprise, then quietly crept out of bed.
She was about to leave when Charles's voice stopped her.
"Wait. Stay with me from now on. Two hundred thousand a month."
Veronica thought she'd misheard.
Her eyes went wide, round and doe-like as she stared at him.
Charles pulled the corner of his mouth up, slow and barely there. "If you don't want to, forget it."
"I—I do!"
Veronica blurted out.
She wasn't lying. Her family was genuinely struggling. Otherwise she'd never have degraded herself like this.
Now Charles was offering two hundred thousand a month. How was that different from winning the lottery?
Charles gave a slight nod. "I'll have my assistant send over the contract."
Veronica nodded, barely containing her excitement.
---
News that Charles had kept Veronica reached Rhea quickly.
She felt relieved that Charles was finally willing to be around another woman, but also deeply frustrated.
What was so special about Victoria?
Was she really worth this obsession?
To the point where even his replacement had to look like her?
The housekeeper poured Rhea's tea. "Mrs. Smith, Ms. Ward comes from a very poor family. Are you really comfortable having her stay with Mr. Smith?"
Rhea shot him a sideways glance and shook her head wearily. "Do you have a better idea?"
She couldn't exactly let the Smith family line die out.
Worst case, once Veronica delivered the baby, they'd simply remove her from the picture.
The housekeeper murmured his acknowledgment and said nothing more.
---
With Veronica by his side, Charles was discharged quickly.
He shed his former apathy and threw himself back into work.
The next time Victoria saw Charles was at a business gala she attended with Hugh.
Victoria wore a fitted black evening gown, a pearl necklace at her throat, her hair swept up in an elegant updo. She looked poised and refined.
She held Hugh's arm, smiling and chatting easily.
Several guests gathered around them, praising what a stunning couple they made.
Then the room went briefly, unnaturally silent.
People's gazes flickered between Victoria and someone else.
That's when Victoria noticed Charles had arrived.
The woman on his arm also wore a black dress. Her features bore a noticeable resemblance to Victoria's.
Veronica had never attended an event like this before. She looked painfully out of place.
She clung close to Charles like he was her only anchor.
More than a few guests regarded Veronica with open disdain.
These were people from elite circles—they had sharp eyes for this sort of thing.
Veronica's obvious inexperience made it clear she was no heiress.
Charles, however, seemed unbothered.
He leaned toward Veronica, speaking to her with gentle patience.
Veronica nodded earnestly, her rigid posture gradually easing.
Victoria glanced over once, then looked away.
She didn't care who Charles brought. As long as he stayed out of her way.
But of course, the universe had other plans.
Charles's gaze cut through the crowd and landed squarely on Victoria.
He strode over with Veronica in tow. "Victoria."
Veronica instinctively thought he was addressing her and nearly responded—until she saw Charles staring directly at Victoria.
She pressed her lips together hard and swallowed whatever she'd been about to say.
Victoria's expression cooled. She regarded him with distant indifference.
Before she could speak, a warm hand settled on her waist.
Hugh stood beside her, his demeanor cold and imperious. "Mr. Smith, addressing my girlfriend so familiarly to my face—don't you think that's overstepping?"
Something twisted across Charles's face, there and gone.
He forced a thin smile. "Victoria and I are old acquaintances. I just came to say hello. No need to be so on edge, Mr. Howard."
Hugh didn't respond immediately. Instead, his gaze drifted to Veronica.
Anyone with eyes could see the resemblance between her and Victoria.
Veronica's face went white.
She dropped her head, suddenly wanting to disappear. Every inch of her felt exposed and wrong.
She'd thought she was special to Charles. That he'd felt something for her at first sight.
Now the truth was obvious.
She was nothing but a pathetic substitute.
Victoria glanced at Veronica with a flicker of pity, then tugged lightly at Hugh's arm. "Let's go."
She didn't want to ask why this girl was with Charles.
She didn't want to get involved.
Everyone had their reasons. It wasn't her place to interfere.
Hugh nodded and followed Victoria without hesitation.
Charles stared after Victoria's retreating figure, jaw clenched, veins standing out on his forehead.
Veronica stood beside him, too afraid to say a word.
---
Since being welcomed back into the Johnson family—and with Hugh as her boyfriend—Victoria's standing in elite circles had risen considerably.
After a full evening of socializing, her face ached from smiling.
"I'm going to sit down for a minute and grab something to eat."
She told Hugh, then slipped away to a quiet corner near the dessert table.
She'd barely settled in when someone appeared beside her.
"C-could I talk to you?"
Veronica clutched the hem of her dress, her question timid and careful.
Victoria looked up at her.
The girl still had a softness to her features—young, clearly not much past twenty.
Victoria sighed quietly and patted the empty seat beside her. "Sit down."