Billionaire's Replacement Bride

Chapter 3 Broken

Alina's POV

I was too shocked to respond. My stepmother's words kept echoing in my mind. Once I regained my composure, I asked in a low voice, “Ava… was the one marrying him?”

Ava scoffed. “Oh, please. I wouldn’t marry a playboy like him. And for two years? Not happening.”

Jenny, my stepmother, folded her arms and shot me a cold look. “You should consider yourself lucky. You're going to marry the number one billionaire in London. Why else do you think we raised you? To let you live for free? No, Alina. We raised you so you could be of use to our business.”

Her words stung like poison. I swallowed hard, realizing what this really meant. They didn’t care about me. To them, I was nothing more than a tool—a pawn in their game.

“I won’t marry him,” I said firmly, my voice trembling with defiance.

“You don’t have a choice,” my father snapped. “You will marry him, and that’s final.”

“But I turn eighteen tomorrow!” I protested, my voice rising with desperation.

“And that’s exactly why the preparations will begin tomorrow,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

My stomach churned as I stormed out of the room, heading for the kitchen. The thought of food turned my stomach, but I went through the motions of a normal day. By the time the clock struck midnight, marking the arrival of my birthday, I was alone.

“Happy birthday to me,” I whispered, a bitter smile on my lips. No one had ever wished me on my birthday.

I climbed into bed, clutching my mother’s photo frame close to my chest. Silent tears streamed down my face as I cried myself to sleep, wishing she was here to protect me from the storm brewing in my life.

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Kai’s POV

Frustration clawed at me as I drove to the club to meet Roman, my best friend. By the time I arrived, he was already there, sipping his drink and smirking like he always did.

As soon as he saw me, he raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess. It’s your father again.”

“Yeah,” I muttered, sinking into the seat next to him. “He’s changed my bride.”

Roman nearly choked on his drink. “Wait, what? You were supposed to marry Ava Smith, right? What happened?”

“He wants me to marry her younger sister, Alina Smith, instead,” I said, the irritation in my voice is unmistakable.

“Why?” Roman asked, leaning closer.

“I don’t know, man. He didn’t give me a reason.”

Roman grinned suddenly, mischief dancing in his eyes. “Come with me. I’ve got something that’ll take your mind off this.”

Before I could protest, he dragged me out of the club and to a nearby penthouse. He unlocked the door, and there she was—a woman dressed in a see-through nightdress, smiling seductively at me.

I wasn’t in the mood for any of this. But when Roman gave me a knowing look and left, I decided to indulge. Maybe a little distraction was exactly what I needed right now.