My Substitute CEO Bride

The leader of the Stick Gang had told Francel earnestly, "Francel, you need to

think this through. She's just a little girl. It's not that I'm being harsh, but given our situation, it might be tough to raise her. You understand what I'm saying, right?"

Francel nodded. "I understand."

The leader patted him on the shoulder. "Tomorrow, we'll send her to the orphanage."

Francel refused, "I don't know what the future holds, but I'm an orphan too, so I understand how it feels. For now... let's just keep her here..."

Maybe it was out of sympathy, or Francel had managed to persuade the leader, but he agreed to let the girl stay in the end.

With her around, the members of the Stick Gang found themselves working more energetically. Every time they came back, there would be genuine smiles on their faces despite their usual exhaustion. Those smiles came from the heart.

As they watched the cute little girl, the older, single men in the gang started to show a more fatherly and gentle side to themselves.

"Smiley? Smiley?" Francel's call brought her back to reality.noveldrama

Her name was Smiley because everyone smiled when they saw her. "What's up?"

Smiley turned her head and saw Francel pull out a big chicken drumstick from his pocket. Overjoyed, she eagerly grabbed the drumstick and said, "Thank you, old man!"

Francel laughed as the fire crackled and sizzled. Outside, rain was beating down heavily. Such weather was common in this place, where rainy days were frequent.

Meanwhile, at the Calhoun residence, Chuck had gone into seclusion for training. His father, Nestor, knelt before the family's ancestral plaque and pleaded, "Please protect Chucky, please protect Chucky."

From outside the room, Clayton knocked on the door softly. "Dad, it's already been three hours. Are you okay?"

"It's fine, I'll stay here a little longer."

"But Dad, your health..."

"Didn't you understand what I just said?" Nestor's stern reply left Clayton speechless, forcing him to return to his room.

Inside his room, Clayton pulled out a hidden drawer and took out a photo. The photo showed him and his mother together. "Mom..."

Clayton and Chuck's mother were not the same person. Clayton was Chuck's half-brother, and Chuck's mother was still living in the Calhoun residence while Clayton's mother had been expelled. Her current whereabouts were unknown.

"Everything is fake..." Clayton felt a pang of sadness, especially on a rainy night like this.

"Everything is fake. Dad and that woman only care about Chucky. Mom, what should I do? If it weren't for Dad's indecision back then, we wouldn't be in this situation, and you wouldn't have left me. Yes, it's all Dad's fault... And Chucky. Why wasn't I the chosen one?"

With resentment and anger, an evil plan began to form in his mind. Clayton was unwilling to accept this fate. He wanted to make his short-sighted father and Chucky, who had taken away his opportunities, pay!

...

Deep into the night in the Land of Nion, Charlotte was still monitoring the situation online. The country was eerily calm. It was as if it were the calm before the storm. The online voices against the Rauch family were growing louder.

At that moment, a figure slowly approached Charlotte, who seemed unaware of their presence. The figure eventually came to stand right behind her.