THE BILLIONAIRE'S SUBSTITUTE BRIDE

Elena Carter stared at the wedding dress in the mirror and tried not to cry. The dress was beautiful. Too beautiful for the disaster that was about to happen. White silk hugged her figure before falling gracefully to the floor. Tiny crystals shimmered beneath the soft lights of the dressing room, making her look like the bride she had always dreamed of becoming. But there was one problem. She wasn't supposed to be wearing it. Her stepsister was. Elena slowly touched the veil resting against her hair. “Victoria should be here,” she whispered. She checked her phone again. No messages. No calls. Nothing. Her fingers trembled as she dialed Victoria's number for the sixth time. Straight to voicemail. “Elena!” The dressing-room door suddenly opened. Her mother rushed inside, her face pale. “What happened?” Elena immediately asked. Her mother didn't answer. She simply stared at Elena in the wedding dress. Then she looked away. “Where is Victoria?” Elena's heart sank. “She's gone.” “What do you mean she's gone?” “She left the house two hours ago.” Elena's eyes widened. “Left? Where?” “We don't know.” Silence filled the room. Then her mother grabbed Elena's shoulders. “You have to marry Adrian.” Elena stared at her as if she had lost her mind. “What?” “Victoria was supposed to marry him today. The Black family is already waiting. The guests are here. The ceremony starts in less than an hour.” Elena pulled away. “No.” “Elena—” “No!” Her voice echoed through the room. “You can't seriously be asking me to marry a man I've barely spoken to.” Her mother lowered her voice. “Do you know what happens if this wedding doesn't take place?” “I don't care.” “You should.” Her mother's eyes filled with fear. “The Carter family will lose everything.” Elena froze. Their family had been wealthy for years, but recently things had changed. Business problems had been piling up, and Elena knew her father's company was struggling. But she hadn't realized it was this bad. “What does Adrian have to do with Father's company?” “Everything.” Her mother swallowed. “The Black Group agreed to rescue us financially, but only after the marriage between Adrian and Victoria. If Victoria doesn't marry him today, the agreement is cancelled.” Elena's heart pounded. “So you want me to become his replacement?” “We need you.” “No. You need Victoria.” Her mother looked at her helplessly. “Victoria isn't coming back.” Elena looked at herself in the mirror. She thought about her father. Her younger brother. The employees who depended on the family business. She closed her eyes. This wasn't her wedding. This wasn't her dream. And Adrian Black certainly wasn't her future. Yet somehow, she already knew what her answer would be. “Where is the ceremony?” Her mother stared at her. “You'll do it?” Elena took a deep breath. “I'll marry him.” The wedding hall was packed. Hundreds of guests turned their heads when Elena walked through the doors. Whispers immediately spread across the room. “Isn't that Victoria's sister?” “Where is Victoria?” “Did something happen?” Elena kept her head high. Her heart was pounding so violently that she could barely breathe. At the end of the aisle stood Adrian Black. For the first time, she saw the man she was about to marry. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo. His expression was unreadable. Cold. Controlled. Dangerous. His dark eyes locked onto Elena. For several seconds, neither of them moved. Then Adrian's gaze narrowed. “You're not Victoria.” Elena stopped in front of him. “No.” A murmur passed through the guests. Adrian's jaw tightened. “Where is she?” “She disappeared.” “And you decided to replace her?” Elena swallowed. “My family needs this marriage.” Adrian gave a humorless laugh. “So does yours.” His words stung. Before Elena could respond, Adrian stepped closer. His voice dropped. “Do you know who you're marrying?” “Yes.” “No, you don't.” His eyes were terrifyingly calm. “If you walk down this aisle, Elena Carter, your life will never be the same.” She stared at him. “You think I don't know that?” Something flickered in his eyes. Surprise. Perhaps he hadn't expected her to answer back. The priest cleared his throat nervously. “Shall we begin?” Adrian continued staring at Elena. Then, finally, he extended his hand. “Let's get this over with.” Elena looked at his hand. Then she placed hers in it. His fingers closed around hers. Cold. Firm. Possessive. And for one strange second, Elena felt as if she had just stepped into a trap. The ceremony began. “I do.” Adrian's voice was emotionless. Elena took a breath. “I do.” The words left her lips. Applause filled the hall. But Adrian didn't smile. Instead, he leaned closer to her ear. “Congratulations, Mrs. Black.” His voice sent a shiver down her spine. “You've just married the man who has every reason to hate your family.” Elena's blood ran cold. “What?” But before she could ask what he meant, Adrian turned toward the guests. The ceremony was over. The marriage was real. And Elena had no idea that her new husband had been waiting years for revenge.