The Stand-In Boyfriend Chapter 2

Liam and I are twins. He studied acting in college; I majored in economics.

He was the trophy boyfriend for Celeste Zhao, the reigning queen of the box office. She spotted him at an audition during his senior year and basically whisked him away.

I was the stand-in for Chloe Vance, the billionaire heiress. She cornered me in a parking garage after a job interview and made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

We grew up in an orphanage. This insane luck, this life of unimaginable wealth, all came down to one thing: we both looked like a guy named Julian Ashworth.

For three years, money was never an issue. Celeste, being a celebrity, was obsessed with her public image. Everything had to be perfect.

Chloe was different. As the sole heir to her father’s fortune, she was a volatile, beautiful storm. Anyone who crossed her learned to regret it. Deeply.

We thought this life could go on forever. But things had changed.

Julian, the man who had once proudly refused any financial support from Celeste, was back. Life abroad had beaten him down, and he was done struggling. He had returned to choose between the A-list starlet and the billionaire's daughter, securing a life of comfort for himself.

"He told me at the gallery," Liam said, his voice tight, "that all he had to do was snap his fingers, and Celeste would give him every resource she had. And that she'd tell me to get lost. Looks like he was right. I don’t care if I get kicked out, but Chloe… Chloe isn’t so forgiving. What if she decides to just… toss us both in the river?"

I shuddered, remembering the last time Chloe got angry. Some guy had called me a gold digger. She’d found him, tied a bungee cord to his ankles, and had her men make him "jump" off a bridge all night. The next day, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, muttering nonsense.

And I was just a stand-in for Julian.

If Julian decided to come after me next… what chance did I have? He was her real childhood friend.

Go. We had to go. Immediately.

The plan was set. We would each go home, grab our cards, and run.