Secret Billionaire’s Contract Bride: Marrying My Enemy’s Lover

Chapter 3

have any

idea what you’ve done?” My father’s fury was something I was used to but never before had I seen him this angry.

As soon as Damon and I walked through the front door of my house, it was like we’d walked into a warzone. My stepmother sat beside Corinna at the dinner table, as she held her hand and glared daggers at me. On Corinna’s other side was Ashton, who I took particular care not to look at.

I’d lose my cool if I saw that “sshole’s face now,

“I can’t believe you ruined Corinna’s engagement party with this nonsense!” red-faced with a receding hairline.

my father shouted,

“I’m sure Addie didn’t ruin my engagement on purpose, Father,” Corinna said bravely, hands clutched on her chest as she smiled tearfully at me.

“I’m so sorry we didn’t invite you or Damon. I couldn’t bear to make Damon watch my engagement after our horrid split,” she said with a pitying look at Damon.

I eyed Damon’s reaction. He paid her no mind, only picked up his steak knife and began slicing into

his steak.

Corinna turned to me with teary eyes, “And I knew you had an important meeting with. your sponsor, Addie. I didn’t want to make you miss it just for me.”

She looked away, hand on her mouth like she’d suppressed a sob,

“You’re such a good sister, Corinna,” my stepmother, Tabitha, patted her hand with a kind smile. She turned to me with a nasty look, “so unlike Adelaide.”

“Good sister, my *ss-” I retorted before I stopped myself.

“Adelaide!” my father slammed his fist on the table, rattling the dishes and spilling his third glass of red wine. “Don’t talk to your sister that way! I should’ve known you would’ve caused trouble!”

Corinna peeked beneath her hand, a tiny smirk on her face only I saw. I clenched my fists under the

table.

I knew better than to take her provocation, but I still wanted to reach across the table and smack her.

“Don’t blame Adelaide,” Ashton’s smooth voice said. “I doubt this was her fault.”

“Not her fault?” my father raged, “the press is having a field day with us! They think there’s a fight for the inheritance of our families because of what she and that illegitimate child did!”

I peeked over at Damon, but he was unaffected by the accusation. Despite being true, it was rude and callous of my father to point this out,

“Here

he laid down his knife and switched our plates so I had the

me like a child! I can cut my own steak! I glowered at him as he leaned back in

to plan something like this,” Ashton said

back reared its ugly head, ready to tear him apart.

Chapter 3

sorry about this. Please forgive Adelaide, Father.” Despite the trash flowing from Ashton’s mouth, my

to craft this plan,” Ashton accused his half-brother.

on my

this “sshole?

out of

must’ve infected him with

considering our family’s reputation,” Ashton said coldly to my father. “Father and I are politicians. This could influence the votes in

insane? I wanted to

down, “Adelaide would never do this

wow, so stupidity

a ceremony yet. This mistake can easily be reversed.

“What?” I gasped.

third wife,” my father

Corinna looked shocked at

single thing back as the room spun around me. Thoughts rushed through my brain in

over and over.

father hate

he was renowned to have a horrid temper and often visited

a little. Corinna was always his golden child, but me? Nothing I did was good

stopped trying to appease my cold-hearted father years ago.

was beyond cold. It was downright

But I couldn’t. I mustn’t. I must not cry. For years, I’d been telling myself to be strong, to be tough, to be

wrapped around mine. Stunned,

tightly under the table, cold and confident like everything was still in his control.

for only me to hear. “I won’t

with all the sincerity of Corinna’s tears and looked my father dead in the eye

Chapter 3

worry about, future

at us furiously before Father looked her way and returned to her

dare-” my father sputtered.

Piers, our family’s butler, interrupted him formally. Silent as a ghost as always, I hadn’t even noticed he had come

Most of the servants would’ve cowered, but Piers had dealt with my father’s temper for a long

madam is on

is?” My father

“Mother-in-law is coming? Why?”

congratulate me, obviously,” Corinna said,

response as I watched the room enfold into chaos. Father cleared his throat, and Tabitha brought out her compact make-up kit to do touch-ups. Even Corinna and Ashton fixed