Chapter 399
After a few months of training, Kyler Bradley became a pretty solid stand-in. Thanks to his acting background, he slipped into the role in no time. Aubree even brought in people to coach him on how to carry himself and act the part.
Just by looking at him, people would totally buy that he was a refined, gentle, almost scholarly guy–the kind of gentleman who’d catch anyone’s eye at first glance.
The scene where Alice ran into Kyler again was all part of a carefully crafted setup.
On the first day at the art academy, Alice was dropping Carmen off. The entrance was a total mess with cars everywhere, and even though security guards and traffic cops were trying to keep things under control, something still went wrong.
Kyler, sticking to the script Aubree had given him, jumped in right as a little girl was about to get hit by a car. “Where are your parents? There are way too many cars here. Go find your mom and dad. It’s not safe to be out here alone,” he said.
The sunlight was just right that day, and his gentle, understated smile appeared at the perfect moment.
When Alice turned at the commotion and saw this scene, her heart started pounding uncontrollably, like it was about to break free from her chest, whether she wanted it to or not.
“Xander…” she whispered. For a split second, it was like she was watching her past self being pulled from under that car all over again.
“Mom, what are you looking at?” Carmen asked as she hurried back after finishing her registration.
Alice quickly averted her gaze, flustered and a little panicked. She discreetly gestured to her bodyguards, signaling them to stop Kyler.
‘No matter who this guy is or why he showed up in front of me, I’m not letting him slip away!’ Alice thought.
Carmen followed Alice’s gaze but only caught a glimpse of a man’s back. She felt a bit curious but didn’t dwell on it.
After dropping Carmen off at school, Alice did not dwell on saying goodbye to her. She was so anxious to leave, it was like she wished she could grow a second pair of legs just to get away faster.
Carmen noticed how off Alice seemed and wondered, ‘Why is she in such a hurry? Is it because of that man from earlier?’
‘Maybe I should go see what makes that guy so special.’
Meanwhile, Aubree’s plan was a total success. She knew that Alice liked men with an ethereal, untouched-by-the-world vibe. Kyler’s appearance was, in a way, a perfect reenactment of Alice’s very first encounter with her Xander Freeman.
Alice’s bodyguards had already brought Kyler to a café near the university district.
“Sorry, I don’t know any of you. Could you please let me go?” Kyler said.
Kyler frowned slightly, but even though he’d been half-forced there by strangers, he still kept his manners and asked to leave in a calm, polite tone.
When Alice walked in and saw this scene, her heart started pounding wildly again, completely out of her control.
She thought, ‘He looks just like him. How can two people in the world be this alike?
‘From his aura to his face, he is the spitting image of Xander from all those years ago!’
Alice, unable to contain her excitement, stepped forward. “Hi, I’m Alice.”
Kyler knew who she was, but still put on a slightly confused look. “Hi, is there something you need from me?”
“I…” For a moment, Alice didn’t know what to say. She wanted to blurt out that she wanted to keep him as a sugar baby but was afraid she’d come off way too abruptly.
Staring at his face, just as young as in her memories, she suddenly felt awkward. ‘He’s still so young, and I’m already in my fifties…’ she thought.
She wasn’t young anymore, and even just starting a conversation with him felt a bit presumptuous.
She asked, “I’m the owner and chief designer of Cloud Design, a fashion design brand. Your look and temperament fit perfectly with the theme of my new collection. Would you be interested in being my model?”
Kyler looked genuinely surprised. “Sorry, I might not be able to give you an answer right now.”
“That’s alright. We can exchange contact info,” Alice said.
“Well…” Kyler looked a little hesitant.
“Here’s my business card. If you’re not comfortable, you can always come to the company to find me. Cloud Design has a studio in Rithol City,” Alice added.
“Alright.” Kyler gave a faint, gentle smile. “Let’s keep in touch.”