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

Chapter 46

Corinna paled as the crowd roared to life, every eye on him as the letter he’d shown me of their sur

gacy was revealed.

“Corinna and Ashton intended to use a surrogate to win our families’ inheritance. Unfortunately for them both, it did not turn out the way they wanted.”

Damon nodded to Peter, and a spotlight searched through the crowd before finally landing on a single woman hidden in the

back.

It was a brown-haired woman, one easily passable in the crowd, but everyone knew who she was.

The surrogate.

Nervously, she stood up from her spot, glancing at Damon’s cold look and sighing

“I was contacted by Miss Hildebrand and Mr. Steyn to become their surrogate, it is true,” she declared before everyone. “But Mr. Steyn came onto me, and I couldn’t say no. I became pregnant before the surrogacy, and he told me to stay quiet and pass it off as Miss Hildebrand’s.”

If I thought it was loud before, it was nothing compared to the sea of whispers after the confession we’d all just heard.

“But Ashton,” the woman cried among the noise, “He told me he’s planning on running away with me tonight! So we can raise the baby together!”

Damon smirked, fully satisfied now as the press surrounded the woman in full, questions pouring out of them and cameras flashing. The poor woman looked overwhelmed but also pleased to have all the attention on herself.

Damon glanced down at Corinna’s shell-shocked form, still on her knees and looking like the world had fallen to pieces around her.

“Game over, Corinna,” Damon said coldly and then stepped off the stage.

Relief poured through me as Damon made his way through the crowd, ignoring everyone who attempted to stop him.

He reached out for me, and I fell willingly into his arms, sheer relief overcoming me.

It was over. It was really over.

A finger pulled up my chin and I met Damon’s eyes, so full of happiness and love and that same relief I was feeling.

“Adelaide Hildebrand,” he declared in the middle of the crowd. “I have loved you for more than twenty years. You are the only woman I have ever loved and the only one I ever will.”

He cupped my cheeks in his hands and tears rolled down my face.

“Not because of status or money or fame,” he whispered to me. “But for you. The crazy, kind, stubborn, beautiful woman standing before me. My amazing wife.”

“You’re such a sap!” I hiccupped.

“But I’m your sap.” he grinned.

“All mine,” I whispered just before our lips met. Right before they touched, however, a scream burst out.

“NO!” Corinna screeched from the stage, tears pouring down her face as she stared at us in despair. “Damon loves me! He’s mine! He’s just tricking everyone!”

But no matter how loud her scream, the crowd had turned tides. Guests exchanged glances, but no one stepped up to take

her side like before.

“I have never loved you,” Damon said, his words like a final nail as she stared at us with wide eyes.

I sighed, glancing up at her in pity. Father looked away from her as if he didn’t know her, and her friends had fled long ago.

She was truly left alone.

She had earned this. I had given her every chance to turn a new leaf, and she had refused. She had chosen this for herself, and she must reap what she sowed.

“Where were we?” Damon turned back to me with a smirk, and I giggled.

“Right about here,” I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him into me as our lips collided in a symphony only we knew how to play.

He tasted like fireworks just before daybreak, like summer days spent lying next to the one you love, like the first snow of winter, like the rainbow that shined after a thunderstorm, and every I love you whispered between lovers.

tasted like home.

coffee as I glanced through the front page of

I sat in his lap. He kissed my neck, breathing in my scent as he liked to do. “You

my eyes.

news. Luckily. Damon and I had been painted in quite a positive light. I couldn’t say

the page and nearly spit out my coffee

and looking like a million bucks, he was posing in front of

he rose to the top?” I read aloud in disbelief. “You didn’t tell me you released an article

forget to mention that?” Damon smirked. “There’s

as I flipped to the fourth page. On it was an article.

UCLA?” I gasped then turned in his lap

“Surprise,” he chuckled.

is amazing!” I kissed him, deeply and passionately. Damon pulled back after a

named Adelaide

after me?”

bit of hesitance on his face which then turned to panic as fat

sobbed, burying my face into

“As long as

sighing as he held me tightly as I

I clutched his shirt,

don’t have to do this. You

clutching the large white box in

at

across my cheek. “You’re too kind

to kiss the tip of his nose. I opened the car door, dodging his

open for all of the guests to enter. Damon rounded the car and grabbed my waist,

turned to the Hildebrand Mansion. It used to scare me as

anymore.

was just a

supposed happy celebration. It was to be expected after the disaster of

taken a huge hit to their stocks over the last

in the backyard, I quickly spotted him

beautiful path of white flower petals had been laid between sets

groom and bride would be married. The affair was much smaller than 1 ever expected, with only close family and friends. It was quiet and simple in a way that

I had been shocked when I’d received the new date for

take responsibility. They’d made

on Damon’s hand when I spotted my grandmother sitting quietly on one of the benches. I

talk to my grandfather who, by the way, is

rocking Hawaiian shirts. Damon kissed my cheek and reluctantly let

grandfather sent him finger guns as he approached, and

the seat beside her as I

smiled

sad but still happy

she was still shocked and disappointed by

brushing invisible fuzz off my dress to distract myself.

“I doubt she’s ever going to be ready for this, but it must

didn’t tell you earlier,” I said, softly. “I wanted to but …

many times you

shoulder, shutting my eyes as I enjoyed the

Bittersweet

in her voice. I smiled fondly, rolling my eyes as she glanced at me slyly.

“Grandma….” I warned.

mother’s dress outside of press

past

Despite the amount of makeup caked on. I could still see how

gripped my Grandma’s hand.

dear.” Grandma frowned. “I know

him,” I turned to her, avoiding anything to do

done with Ashton. His father had buried the sexual assault charges, much to Damon’s ire. He promised that Ashton wouldn’t get away

about. I’d been

the inheritance to Corinna?” I asked

above us. “Sometimes I think you have too much of your mother in you, Adelaide. You’re

grinned. “Is

Grandma threw her arm around me, pulling me close.