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

Chapter 43

I yawned, feeling like taking a shower and crashing for the night. I was just in front of my door when I halted in my tracks.

The apartment number on the wall was the same as I remembered, but the door was not.

It creaked on its rusty hinges, hanging ajar with the bolted lock dangling against the wood.

Oh, f*ck no.

My heart thudded in my ears, adrenaline filling my veins as it woke me from any exhaustion I had been feeling. I was wide awake now.

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I reached for my phone, my fingers ready to dial the police, but I cursed as I pulled out the black screen. All my neighbors were asleep if they were even here, and the only security we had was James, the blind old man.

I debated for a moment on turning around and pretending as if I had never seen the door, sleeping in my car for the night until I could call someone to investigate in the morning.

That would have been the smart move.

But I never claimed to be smart.

I reached for the pepper spray I kept in my purse at all times, pushing the nozzle open as I readied it in my hand like a soldier with his weapon. I crept softly across the ugly carpet, making no noise as I peeked into my apartment.

It was dark, with no lights on except for the flickering fluorescent bulbs in the hallway. My shadow fell across the floor, obscuring any visage of light.

I kept the door open, in case I needed to run back out, as I crept inside. The light switch was on the other side of the wall.

I swallowed, fear building in my chest. I’d always hated scary movies, and now I felt like I was in one.

I raised the

in hand as I reached the corner wall. Slowly, I moved out from behind the wall, facing the pepper spray my living room with my heart racing out of my chest.

A dark figure stood in the middle of the room.

“Freeze!” I yelled, my hands shaking.

“Adelaide,” the intruder called, and I flinched, recognizing the voice.

“Ashton?” I lowered the spray, frowning as he chuckled, flicking on the nearby lamp.

I squinted at the sudden light, blinking away the white spots until I saw the intruder fully. It really was Ashton

looked terrible.

cheek as he stared at me deeply. His

to you?” I frowned.

bruise on his face.

here. He stared at me, unblinking. There was an unhinged appearance about him, like something in his

I asked, calmly, palming the pepper spray behind my back. I stepped back the moment he stepped forward, but my apartment was not very large.

and I swallowed, uncomfortably at the way

Almost, obsessively.

dying man who had seen an angel in his last

red and bruised, the skin split and bloody as if he’d been in a

he had apparently lost.

apologize

“Corinna?”

blinking stupidly like he didn’t understand what I

fiancee. My sister?”

head. “I don’t care about

step forward and smiling, “Was losing

to leave,” I said, firmly, pushing against the wall to move sideways. Before I could turn to the door, however, Ashton slammed his hand

heart pounded, and I gripped the pepper spray in my hand tightly as Ashton

whispered, looking like a broken man as he pleaded. “I made a mistake choosing Corinna over you. I understand now how much I hurt you,

into my hair, but I only stiffened. I felt disgusted, having his touch on me, and I pulled away with a sharp

“We’ve been over for a long time. Now please leave, and we can forget this

snarl twisting his handsome features until he resembled more of a demon than a man. “I’m not

upward, pressing down on the pepper spray, but Ashton

tightly. I screamed as my bones pressed together painfully, forcing

“No!”

as he grabbed my other wrist and slammed me against

“Help!”

wrong! What more do you want from me?” Ashton snarled into

I screamed, trying to tear myself away from him. I swung my legs forward to kick him,

my nose on the floor. It stung painfully and specks of red fell onto the floor,

worry about that.

what you made me do!” Ashton growled, running a hand through his messy hair.

nose. I scrambled forward, but

I threw my fists as fast as I could, blood pouring down

head in one hand

are mine, Adelaide,” he snarled. “Only

him in the nose. Both of us were left dazed by the impact as he cursed, letting my hands go. I struggled to wiggle out from under his weight, my nails scratching on the carpet as I tried to crawl away

him