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

Chapter 19

Home is where the heart is. That’s what everybody used to tell me.

“What a lovely home,” they’d say with jealousy at our million-dollar mansion with fancy cars and butlers and maids.

I never understood it.

Standing in front of my father’s mansion as it loomed over me as a nightmare did to a child, I realized this place never felt like home to me.

My father decked out the mansion in artwork and vases and a thousand things that I was not allowed to touch. I remembered every rule as Piers welcomed me into the house.

When I lived here, I felt more like the mosaic my father hung on the wall than a daughter. It was no wonder this place had never felt like mine. I never belonged there.

As I entered the large room for gatherings, I spotted every member of our extended family laid out before me. Cousins and distant aunts or uncles that I had barely spoken a word to in my entire life. Why on earth were all these people here?

Corinna and Ashton were here, much to my dismay. They were talking away with my father and stepmother, Tabitha with their plastic smiles. They were all faking their enjoyment in each other, that was plain to see.

I grabbed a champagne glass from one of the tables set up and sipped it, noticing how Ashton looked over at me.

His smile fell as he stared at me intensely, but I didn’t really care. He was nothing to me anymore. And I wanted nothing to do with him.

Surprisingly, I wasn’t in a bad mood just from seeing him. I didn’t feel a rush of anger or resentment toward them.

I just felt nothing.

I shrugged, continuing to search through the wide area until I found who I was looking for.

My grandmother sat on one of the sofas, looking as prim and proper as ever. She looked regal, fitting as the head of our family. I ducked behind

Chapter 19

one of the servants as I snuck up behind her with a grin.

Just when I was right behind her, the guests spotted me before she ever did- I breathed in, ready to scare the bejeebers out of her, reaching with my hands to grasp onto her shoulders.

“Hello, Adelaide,” she said, knowingly without even turning around.

I gathered rushed out of me, and my hands fell to

my head on the back of the couch

everything, dear. Now, come over here and meet my

“Yes, Grandma.”

for me right next to her, and

me, even though his father was clearly trying to catch his attention, but it was like

me, but I didn’t really have a choice in the matter.

wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me close with a proud smile.

heavily in a French accent. She was near my grandmother’s age but looked just as timeless. “Last time I saw you,

due to your

you,” I smiled brightly at her.

I have heard about

“Thank you.”

I could ask Gretchen anything about

Chapter 19

to roll my eyes at the sound of her shrill voice.

me as she and Ashton approached. “I’m a bit disappointed

appearance. “This is my other granddaughter, Corinna.”

Maelyn have another

air immediately went cold.

afraid Corinna is my half-sister,” I told her, innocently. “She’s the daughter of my father’s

looking between the two of us. “But you are of similar ages? Maelyn did not pass away until…”

in her eyes before they went cold.

see,” she said, simply, the disapproval

are complicated,” Corinna giggled nervously, her arm wrapped around Ashton’s.

do?” Gretchen asked me,

we’re the best of friends. In fact, Addie volunteered to be my maid of honor at my wedding, didn’t you, Addie?” Corinna

angry as I thought I would. I still had no intention of being her maid of honor, no

Or I was

back to Damon and the texts he sent me all night

had to admit, his teasing was always harmless. And the way he looked at me hadn’t

how to stop, Damon never went far enough that I could truly despise

Chapter 19

my wife, that’s what

being truly honest, I couldn’t say I had

and demanding and tricky, but he was also intelligent and always