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

Chapter 38

“How could you do this!”

Dalton Steyn slammed his hands on his desk, rattling the pens as the contents spilled onto the wood and over the floor. He glowered at the son standing across from him.

I grabbed the bottle of whiskey still sitting out on the coffee table with the two other unfinished drinks. As I poured myself another drink, I listened to another round of shouting between father and son.

“For that last time, Father!” Ashton snapped, pacing back and forth in front of the expensive wooden desk, “The club had a strict no-reporter policy! Those reporters were trespassing!”

Translation: I didn’t know I would be caught. Nothing is ever my fault.

I snorted, downing my third glass of whiskey for the night.

“Regardless of the reporters or not, you have shamed this family!” Dalton yelled as he slammed his hand on a copy of this morning’s gossip tabloid. The pictures of Ashton and his mistress were everywhere, on the front page of practically every magazine.

I scrolled through my phone, every social media app had blown up with this piece of news. I had to admit I did enjoy how the Internet was raking him over the coals for this.

The meme they’d made was particularly hilarious..

Even more so because Ashton deserved every bit of hate he was receiving right now,

“The picture was taken out of context!” Ashton tried to explain. his face turning red from the hour-long shouting match I had to be here to witness. I knew he was seething at my presence, and it made me that much happier to know I was making him uncomfortable.

“You think you can weasel out of this with flimsy excuses?” our father growled, glaring at his son the way he would an enemy.

“This is everywhere! You’ve dragged our family name through the mud. Now, they’re questioning me. I can’t keep cleaning up your messes as I did before! Everyone has seen this! Now, the wedding has even been postponed!”

“I get it! I’ll talk to Corinna, and we’ll set another date,” Ashton crossed his arms, begrudgingly. “She’ll get over it! Trust me, she doesn’t even really care. Her only concern is how it’s making her look.”

“You think this is just about that mistress’s child?” Dalton said, darkly. “This goes so much further than that! The Hildebrands are trying to have your entire engagement nullified, and your grandfather is pestering me to agree!”

My head snapped up in interest at this piece of news. Ashton paled, staggering back on his feet.

“Grandfather is?” he murmured to himself as he collapsed onto the couch opposite of me. He grabbed his whiskey glass and downed it in one gulp.

retired long before I had been accepted into the family. Unlike Dalton, whose personality was like a tyrant who’d spent fifty years being a drill sergeant, Grandfather

vacation he and my

be going to this extreme, it was more serious than I

have done my best to pacify him, but it is up to you to convince him that this.” Dalton grabbed the magazine, shaking it in the air with a snarl on his face, “was taken out of context.”

by his side. His nostrils flared

I apologize,” he bit out.

him to have to take responsibility for once. Normally, he’d argue for another two hours that it had to be my fault somehow.

complete “sshole

with the way this had gone until my father opened his arrogant mouth.

up,” Father said coldly, as he smoothed back his hair. “It’s time for you to shape up, or

I set my untouched drink back onto the coffee table, turning

Ashton automatically replied, but I cut in.

said loudly, glaring at my father, “He should shape up because his wedding was supposed to be today. He was supposed to be getting married today. Perhaps he should

at our father with wide eyes, and Father narrowed his gaze

had stopped being disappointed by my father and brother a long time ago. I thought I had stopped expecting anything but scorn from them since I was

guessed there was still something left

a good father and husband? How was I related to them?

of contempt. Crossing his arms, he

to insult me. He got to his feet, glaring at me as his mouth

a nobody with no drive and no prospects to

protect you forever? I can

voices continued to get louder and louder until I could barely hear myself think.

party boy!”

illegitimate child with

the shame

their reputation, their jobs, and their money. My mother had suffered under Father’s thumb for so many years just to keep me in this family,

a

both made that clear enough. I didn’t know why I even expected them to act like

to say goodbye. I didn’t say a single word

before

I was strong enough that they wouldn’t dare to hit me. They both knew they’d lose in a battle of fists

back here!” my father screamed, but I