Replaced By A Pregnant Substitute

Five years ago, my fiancé, tech billionaire Jaxon Kent, went missing. When I reported it, I became the laughingstock of Seattle. The police told me his real fiancée was an actress named Kamila.

But I was the one living with him, hidden away in his coastal villa. I was his secret, his ghost, while she wore my identity for the world.

After a fall at the police station, a miracle happened: I regained my sight. The first thing I overheard was Jaxon telling a doctor not to let my vision be restored.

He said he' d fallen for my replacement. That a blind, dependent wife was better for him now that his substitute was pregnant with his heir.

He had built me a castle not to protect me, but to imprison me. He had given me the 'Eternal Heart' diamond, then sold our love for a cheap copy.

My life was a lie. My future was stolen. And the man I loved was a monster.

So I set the castle on fire. As the flames consumed the monument to my stolen life, I whispered to the inferno, "Your love is tainted, Jaxon, and I don't want it anymore."

Chapter 1

Ila POV:

Five years ago, on our anniversary, Jaxon Kent went missing, and when I reported it to the police, I became the laughingstock of Seattle.

The air in the police station was thick with the smell of stale coffee and indifference. My guide dog, Luna, whined softly, her body pressed against my leg. My fingers, numb from cold and fear, tightened around the handle of my white cane.

"Ma'am, can you please repeat the name of the missing person?" the officer asked, his voice laced with a weary patience that felt more insulting than outright hostility.

"Jaxon Kent," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "He's my fiancé. We've been engaged for five years."

A snort of laughter erupted from a nearby desk. "Jaxon Kent? The tech mogul? Lady, are you sure you haven't been watching too much TV?"

My chin lifted. "I am Ila Kline. I believe you can verify my identity." My name, once whispered in arenas and splashed across magazine covers, now felt like a foreign word in my own mouth.

The officer sighed heavily and tapped on his keyboard. A moment later, his chair squeaked as he leaned back. "Ila Kline… the figure skater? The one who went blind in that accident five years ago?" He looked at me, his gaze a mixture of pity and suspicion. "The records say you're registered as blind. But there's no record of any engagement to Jaxon Kent."

"That's impossible," I whispered, the floor feeling like it was tilting beneath me. "We live together. In his villa on the coast."

"Ma'am," the officer said, his tone turning condescending. "Jaxon Kent is a very public figure. His fiancée is Kamila Myers. They've been together for years. In fact, they just announced her pregnancy this morning."

A cold wave washed