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

Chapter 1

*Adelaide

“To the future bride and groom!” My father raised a glass of champagne in the festive air, a proud smile on his lips as he gestured to my half-sister and her fiance. “This is a proud day of union for the Hildebrand and Steyns!”

“Cheers!”

I needed a drink.

My now ex-boyfriend leaned down to kiss his beautiful fiance, and I ducked behind the wall, fists clenched so tightly I felt my nails as they dug into my palms.

The b’stards hadn’t even invited me.

Perhaps, that shouldn’t have been what stung the most, but it was something else that drove a perfectly manicured nail in the coffin that was my heart. I had been completely blindsided.

Then, there was that patent he’d been after… I shook my head, not wanting to think about that at the

moment.

When I first heard the news, I hadn’t believed it. I had been in the airport as I waited for my flight in Los Angeles to fly to New York for a business meeting. The news had been the only channel blaring on every lounge TV.

“Ashton Steyn, the youngest member of Nevada’s First Congressional District, has officially announced his engagement tonight. His engagement to Corinna Hildebrand is being celebrated at a private affair at Caesars Palace,” the blonde on the nightly news had reported.

I should’ve just gotten on the d’mn plane to New York!

Instead, I’d changed my flight and came here in some misguided hope that all of this was some cruel practical joke. The worst part was that I couldn’t even march in there and slap him across the face as he deserved.

“I don’t want my position to affect you.” That’s what he had told me every time I asked why he kept our relationship a secret. And just last night, the exact day before the engagement party here, he called me honey and I said goodnight.

I was too foolish to look past my rose-colored lenses.

To the rest of the world, our grandparents were friends and nothing more. If I had stormed in there, I’d have only humiliated myself further.

I watched as my half-sister, Corinna, smiled, her cheeks pink as the crowd adored her, just like they always did. Her perfectly practiced smile and curled blonde hair were the epitome of the fiancee he’d always wanted. Ashton’s arm wrapped around her shoulders as he held her close for the

cameras.

An inferno had raged inside my chest. It had boiled over until my heart had shriveled up and died. Every moment I’d shared with Ashton went up in flames and left behind nothing but ashes and me.

I snatched a champagne glass from a tray of a passing waiter. I ignored the nasty look he sent my way for snatching the glass, pulled my mask below my lips and downed the champagne like it was water.

I swallowed the bubbly liquid and with it, any remnants of my pride.

With one last resentful glance at the happy couple in their joyous moment, I tugged my mask back into its spot and had just turned to go to the bathroom to calm down when I met a brick wall of a man

Chapter 1

to the face.

on my

I shouted, irritated as I rubbed my sore arms and hopped up. When I faced the offender, my eyes went

his

on my face as I

but he stepped in front of me. I frowned and stepped the other way, but he blocked my path

so not in the

way,” I snapped, arms crossed.

please,” he

in his smug face. Instead, I breathed out to

through my teeth.

a grand flourish of his arm. I eyed him, and the path he

should’ve known

backward. A large warm hand on my back stabilized my balance, but the stranglehold

against his firm grip on my wrist, but it was useless. He had always been stronger than me. The warmth of his hand on my back vanished, and I couldn’t stop him

with that d*mn smirk on his face. He twirled my

hello, Addie?” he

turned to look at us, and I flinched, trying not to draw any more

who’d always been a pain

and I had been forced into playdates as children. I might have said we were childhood

eyes flickered over me, unimpressed. “You came to an engagement party dressed like that?”

I looked down at the business suit I’d been planning to wear to my meeting in New York. I glared

wasn’t invited,” I said

Chapter 1

was 1, but I don’t look like I’m going to

my teeth at how flippant

you?” I stepped into his personal space. “You knew

that my girlfriend would suddenly get

snapped, “you don’t

felt his warm

to reply, but a bunch of girlish

rounded the corner with champagne glasses in

hands.

a short green dress called out. “I

see me.”

Melanie,” Damon leaned back from me with a polite smile on his lips.

forward to clutch at

me,” she

hoping to escape the situation before anyone

huge grin on her face. “Is that

swore the universe had it out