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

smirked as he laid down his knife and switched our plates so I

I glowered at him

Ashton said to my father with a placating smile.

me? The anger I’d been holding back reared its ugly head, ready to tear him apart.

Chapter 3

be Damon’s doing. He must’ve taken advantage of her. I’m so sorry about this. Please forgive Adelaide, Father.” Despite the trash flowing from Ashton’s mouth,

have seduced her to craft this plan,” Ashton accused

nearly choked on

this “sshole?

accusations that came out of his stupid mouth. His glass was

Corinna must’ve infected him with

prank, never considering our family’s reputation,” Ashton said coldly to my father. “Father and I are politicians. This could influence the votes in the next

you insane? I wanted to

dying down, “Adelaide would never do this on her own. She would

wow, so stupidity is contagious.

said to me coldly, “you have not held a ceremony yet. This mistake can easily be reversed. You will annul the license and marry the man I have chosen for you.”

“What?” I gasped.

wife,” my father said, with no room for negotiation in his voice.

Corinna looked shocked at my father’s

retort or say a single thing back as the room spun around me. Thoughts rushed through my brain in a whirlwind but only

over and over.

father hate me

was renowned to

never my father’s favorite child, but I always assumed he had to care for me a little. Corinna was always his golden child, but me? Nothing I did

trying to appease my cold-hearted father years ago.

cold. It was

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

hand wrapped around mine. Stunned, I

my fingers tightly under the table, cold and confident like everything was

Damon whispered for only me to hear. “I won’t let

Corinna’s tears and looked

Chapter 3

worry about, future father-in-law. She has

before Father looked her way and returned to her gentle smile.

dare-” my father sputtered.

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

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

on her way.”

is?” My father

gasped, “Mother-in-law is coming?

congratulate me, obviously,” Corinna said, pridefully.

watched the room enfold into chaos. Father cleared his throat, and