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.

gathered rushed out of me, and my hands fell to

my head on the back of the couch as she glanced back at

dear. Now, come over here and meet my friends.”

“Yes, Grandma.”

couch. She’d cleared a spot for me right next to her, and I took it, easily.

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

but I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. I’d rather not argue in front of Grandma’s guests.

granddaughter, Adelaide. You remember her, right?” My grandmother wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me close with a proud smile.

my grandmother’s age but

was the ambassador for France. She used to spend a lot of time here due to your grandfather’s job but moved back to France when you were a toddler,” my grandmother

you,” I smiled brightly

have heard about your engagement,”

“Thank you.”

I could ask Gretchen anything about her own life, the

Chapter 19

of Corinna interrupted. I tried my best not to roll my eyes at

as she and Ashton approached. “I’m a bit disappointed you didn’t come to

at their appearance. “This

Maelyn have another child?”

as the air immediately went cold.

her, innocently. “She’s the daughter of my father’s second wife, not my mother.”

between the two of us. “But you are of similar ages? Maelyn did

seemed to dawn in her eyes

disapproval in her

nervously, her arm wrapped around Ashton’s. “But Addie and I get along

Gretchen asked me, looking

best of friends. In fact, Addie volunteered to be my maid of honor at my wedding, didn’t you,

face and then Gretchen’s. I took a sip of my champagne, not really feeling as angry as I thought I would. I still had no intention of being her maid

today. Or

Damon and the texts he sent me all night

been enemies, or rather, I’d always considered him my enemy. But I did had to admit, his teasing was always harmless. And the way he looked

didn’t know how to stop, Damon never went

Chapter 19

that’s what he’d said.

I was being truly honest,

and tricky, but he was also