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

Chapter 5

POV: *Adelaide*

I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. My thoughts prevented me from getting a good night’s sleep, and I was groggy as I opened my eyes.

But work waited for no one.

I walked through my morning routine, feeling like it was just another day, but something had changed. Normally, I’d be texting Ashton, but my phone was silent this morning.

My gaze kept drifting to my new shiny ring as I thought about everything that happened yesterday. With a calmer head, I realized that something was wrong.

Damon, to be exact.

His whole demeanor was strange yesterday. Normally, he’d be instigating fights with me at every opportunity, but he was strangely restrained.

Completely calm in the face of his girlfriend’s engagement to his brother, going along with my panicked suggestion and even being willing to get the license straight away. The ring, too.

It all struck me as odd.

Normally, he’d come over to our house for dinner with Corinna. He’d always acted like he was in love with her, flirting with her every chance he got.

Their relationship wasn’t exactly a secret like mine and Ashton’s; it was painfully obvious as they flaunted it around. But yesterday, Damon didn’t even spare a glance at her.

I sighed, checking my emails as I rushed out the door. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Oh, well. Maybe he was just in shock, I thought as I input the address to set and drove off.

“Addie!”

As soon as I got out of my car, I was pulled into a hug by my friend, Jenna. A woman with short dark hair and a cheery disposition, I could always count on her.

“I heard about the engagement on the news! It’s everywhere. What on earth is going on?” Jenna rambled on, checking every inch of my body for injuries or marks.

“Good morning to you, too, Jenna,” I laughed as she pulled me into another hug.

She pulled back from me, and pouted her lips. “How dare you get married without telling me? To Darnon Steyn, of all people! I thought you two were mortal enemies and next thing I know you’re kissing on my TV screen!”

I winced, shrugging off her pointed stare.

“It’s a long story. I really don’t want to talk about it,” I sighed, as I pulled my hair into a ponytail. “Is Gabriel ready for his scene?”

The desert sun was just getting warmed up, and I knew it would get hotter. We were practically in the middle of nowhere with only cacti and lizards to keep us company.

The set had already been put up with the actors’ trailers ready and running. The entire area was fenced in, with one gate in and one gate out. We’d had problems with looters in the past.

“He’s in makeup, now,” Jenna, who was also my producer said as she followed me to the camera setup. “And don’t think you can get out of it that easy.”

“I’ll tell you all about it later, Jenna, I promise,” I told her, “But I want to focus on work right now.”

“Addie!” Lucas called out with a grin as I approached. “Camera’s all ready for you.

“Horses are cooperating?” I asked, sitting down under the canopy. I looked at the monitor, tilting my head to see the shots we were working with.

“One is.” Jenna snorted.

“The others are not so much.” Lucas shrugged. “By the way, I saw you making faces with that playboy in the tabloids this morning. Unfaithful but nice “ss.”

“Shut up. Lucas,” I snapped.

“Just calling it as I see it,” he said as he grinned broadly.

“Can we get a wider angle and turn the camera thirteen degrees west?” I ordered.

As the camera moved. I followed the screen with my eyes.

I jumped at the sound of a slamming door and spun in my chair.

Gabriel stormed away from his trailer, the door hanging open as the makeup artist called after him. shouting profanities.

“Get a white chocolate cappuccino for Giselle, please,” Jenna ordered a nearby assistant.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Why’s Gabriel in a bad mood?” I asked, curiously as he stormed over to us.

“No clue.” Lucas shrugged. “Maybe he’s just getting into character?”

“Gabriel!” Jenna shouted, “Treat the staff with more respect, please!”

Gabriel sent her a rude gesture, and I was pretty sure he was not just getting into character.

“It works for the scene anyway,” I stood from my chair as I yelled out, “Everyone places! We roll in five!”

I watched through the monitor as the actors took their places. Gabriel, covered in his dirt and ragged clothing looked like he’d been through a particularly bad day, and that was exactly what we wanted.

“Zoom in a quarter,” I told Lucas.

The zoom was just right.

“All right, rolling in five.” I counted down my fingers and watched the monitor as the scene played. out in real-time.

Gabriel was brilliant, his actual bad mood playing into the character as he and the hero fought it out.

We had to do a couple more takes due to the horses being uncooperative but eventually, we got the perfect scene just as the sun reached high noon.

“And cut! Perfect job, guys! Break while we set up the next scene!”

Lucas whistled as he watched the final take again.

“That is some footage. Addie,” he grinned, “Add some special effects, some battle music, and it’ll be perfect.”

“It’s not all the actors.” I flashed him a grin. “We gotta make them look good.”

“Especially that sister of yours. Not even a great director like you could make her look good.” Lucas shook his head. “She’d need talent for that.”

“That’s why she’s a model and not an actress,” Jenna responded with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. “She’s got a pretty face, and that’s all that matters.”

I begrudgingly sat back in my seat. Despite my getting into film school, despite becoming a director, my father only cared about Corinna’s modeling career.

She made a lot of money, and I didn’t. Not yet, anyway. Nothing else mattered to him.

I sighed.

“Hey, if this movie does well, it’ll shoot us all to the big leagues,” Lucas said. “See what that father of yours says about that when we’re on a red carpet premiere.”

I laughed. “That would be nice.”

“And of course, you’ll bring that new fiance of yours.” Jenna eyed me, bitterly. “Introduce him to us properly.”

“That is if he doesn’t attend on some other woman’s arm,” a gruff voice piped up. Gabriel stood at our directing area, covered in fake dirt and real dust.

He looked cross as he eyed me.

“Everyone knows he was dating Corinna and then suddenly, you’re engaged to him? What’s up with that?” Gabriel pointed out.

“True.” Lucas looked to me for answers.

“What’s up with your mood today? It worked out for the scene, but something is bothering you,” I asked, instead.

Gabriel sighed. “Someone I know is doing something really bad, and I wish I didn’t know.”

“Like how bad? Call the cops bad?” Lucas asked, alarmed. “Cause I got the number of a particular cute cop last week.”

“Of course, you did,” Jenna snapped, then she turned to Gabriel with a concerned look.

“It’s nothing like that. It’s not illegal, but it’s not right, either.” Gabriel shifted uncomfortably, looking away, and I frowned. “But enough about that, it’s your new fiance I want to talk about.”

I sighed. “Do we have to?”

“Yes!” the three of them responded firmly at the same time.

“How did this even happen?” Jenna shot rapid-fire questions at me. “Did you suggest it or did he? When did you even start dating? Why didn’t you tell us? When’s the grand wedding?”

“What about your family?” Lucas asked, “I’m assuming they weren’t happy about any of this. They’re not trying to trap you into this marriage, are they? Cause if it turns out your new fiance is working with your father and Corinna on this-”

“He needs to be knocked down!” Gabriel said furiously.

“Guys–” I was cut off, however, by an assistant rushing towards us.

“There are two men over there arguing and causing chaos!” she said, her eyes wide and hands.

gesturing quickly.

I looked around at everyone’s alarmed or interested eyes.

“I’m on it,” I said and walked briskly to the office. As I got closer, I could hear raised voices that sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place them. The dust whipped around as a gust of wind swept through the set, blowing my hair around my face.

The assistant stayed behind me, clearly not wanting to deal with these men. We were having such a good shoot today, so I wanted to get them gone as fast as possible to keep everyone focused.

As I rounded the corner, I finally recognized the voices and came to a halt.

Two men.

Both I was familiar with. Neither did I seem to ever really know.

Damon and Ashton stood nose to nose, as if they were going to kill each other, with cold eyes.

As soon as I walked around the corner, Damon noticed me and stepped back from Ashton.

Asthon followed his gaze, and they both turned to me.

“Adelaide Hilldebrandt!” Ashton stared at me.

At the same time, Damon called out, “Addie!”