Chapter 664
The Mysterious Billionaire and His Substitute Bride
After the call ended, Janet had to press her face against the pillow to keep herself from laughing too hard.
She realized that Brandon had developed a knack for blowing hot air when he had to say something embarrassing.
A while later, Johanna saw her daughter coming downstairs with a huge grin, and then she glanced at the suitcase in her hand. âYouâve packed since day one. Are you finally leaving now?â
âThings are going more smoothly than I initially thought,â Janet replied. âI still donât know what happened to Brandon, but things seem to be getting better.â
âWell, it only goes to show that youâve made the right choices,â Johanna said kindly as she reached out and pinched Janetâs cheek. âItâs getting late and Iâm afraid it wonât be safe for you to take a cab alone.
How about I ask our family chauffeur to drive you there?â
Janet didnât even try to refuse. âOkay.â
Johanna saw her daughter off and reminded her to take care of herself.
Just before she got into the car, Janet turned to her mother and said in a somber tone, âMom, can you do me a favor?â
*******
Just like that, Janet moved back into Brandonâs villa in Barnes.
Since she was now living with him, he naturally spent more time at home.
He rarely went to work on weekends and just stayed with Janet instead.
She couldnât help but reminisce the time when they had just been married. The only difference was that Brandon now seemed more introverted and reserved than he had been in the past.
Janet studied the man sitting across from her on the balcony, reading. She went into a trance, feeling like she had been transported to two years ago.
Brandon never returned to Seacisco, not even for a quick visit. Needless to say, Charis was on the edge.
She hadnât seen him in over a week. She had always been around Brandon until recently, so she was able to keep an eye on him. Now that he was in the same city as Janet, she was rapidly spiraling into a panic.
On the second weekend, Charis flew to Barnes under the pretext of inspecting the progress of their companyâs ongoing project. She deliberately brought some documents with her and took them to Brandonâs villa.
He was visibly surprised when he opened the door. âWhat are you doing here?â
Charis already had an answer prepared for this very question. She held up the stack of papers to him.
âIâm here to send you these files. We need them for Mondayâs meeting. Itâs urgent, so youâd better deal with them right away.â
âAll right,â Brandon said indifferently as he took the folders from her. âYou can head back now.â
Charis mustered a small smile and asked, âArenât you going to invite me in?â
Her heart ached at his dismissive attitude, but she did her best not to show it.
It wouldnât be polite to turn her away at this point, so Brandon sighed and said, âPlease come in.â
Charis entered without a secondâs hesitation.
After all, her real purpose for coming was to see how things were going between Brandon and Janet.
As soon as she stepped inside, she spotted Janet lounging on the sofa in her pajamas, munching on an apple while watching TV.
She looked back at the sound from the door and called out, âDo we have company? Are we expecting anyone today?â
Janet was addressing Brandon, but her eyes locked on Charis.
With a bright smile, Janet tilted her head to the side and asked, âWhat brings you here, Miss Turner?
Donât you take a break even on weekends?â
âI came to relay some important documents to Brandon,â the other woman answered calmly. âI thought it would be nice to pay you a visit while I was here.â
âOh.â Janet raised her eyebrows and gave her another faint smile. Then she went back to her apple and continued watching television. She had no interest in talking to Charis any more than was necessary.
Brandon walked toward the staircase. He was going to his study to take care of the work that had just been dumped on his lap. He passed by the sofa on his way and noticed that Janet was leaning closer and closer to the TV. He lightly knocked a folder against her head.
âDonât get so close to the TV. Youâre going to damage your eyes.â
Janet rubbed the spot on her crown and glared up at him. âYes, yes, I know already!â she grumbled.
It was an innocent and ordinary exchange, but Charis found it incredibly alarming.
Had these two been getting along so well in such a short amount of time? Their relationship had been terrible just a while ago. How did things change so fast?
Although Brandon and Janet werenât so intimate and sweet as they had been before, they still looked like a real couple now.
Charis knew she would be done for if she still failed to separate them. Brandon was obviously in love with Janet again. If this continued, all of Charisâ efforts would be in vain.
She was at a loss. After Brandon disappeared upstairs, she murmured an excuse and fled the villa.
Charis was in a thunderous mood on her way back.
She couldnât think of any other way to possibly alienate Brandon from Janet.
Clearly, inciting any form of discord between them wasnât a permanent solution. As long as Janet was still alive, Charis would never have a chance to be with Brandon.
Her only option now was to kill the woman. Charis needed to get rid of Janet once and for all.
Charis gritted her teeth at the thought, her nostrils flaring. She knew she was running out of time. She needed to act while she still had Brandonâs trust.