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

knife and switched our plates

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

simple-minded to plan something like this,” Ashton said to my father

back reared its ugly head, ready to tear

Chapter 3

positive this must be Damon’s doing. He must’ve taken advantage of her. I’m so sorry about this. Please forgive Adelaide, Father.”

have seduced her to craft this plan,” Ashton

choked on my

By this “sshole?

Ashton’s wine glass, bewildered and infuriated by the accusations that came out of his stupid mouth. His glass was still full

must’ve infected him

thought he was playing a prank, never considering our family’s reputation,” Ashton said coldly to my father.

to

never do this

wow, so stupidity is

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

“What?” I gasped.

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

Corinna looked shocked at my father’s sudden declaration.

couldn’t retort or say a single thing back as the room

over and over.

hate me

a notorious “sshole. Though successful, he was renowned to have a horrid temper and often visited brothels even when

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

appease my cold-hearted father years ago.

was beyond cold. It

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

around mine. Stunned, I turned

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

it back,” Damon whispered for only me to hear. “I

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

Chapter 3

nothing to worry about, future father-in-law. She has

before Father looked her way and returned to her gentle

my

him formally. Silent as a ghost as always, I hadn’t

would’ve cowered, but Piers had dealt

is on her

My father

gasped, “Mother-in-law is coming? Why?”

Corinna said, pridefully. “Right,

chaos. Father cleared his throat, and Tabitha brought out her