The billionaire substitute bride

On the morning of my wedding, I realized everyone in my family was hiding something from me. “Evelyn, stop moving.” I stared at myself in the mirror while the makeup artist pressed a damp sponge beneath my eye. “I’m not moving.” She gave me a pointed look through the mirror, and I caught myself tightening my jaw again. “You’ve been clenching your teeth for the last five minutes,” she said. I slowly released them, only then realizing how badly the muscles in my face ached. “I’m nervous.” She smiled as if that explained everything. “That’s normal. You’re getting married.” The word settled heavily inside me. Married. Today. I looked at my reflection again. White silk hugged my waist before spilling into a long, elegant skirt, and tiny crystals scattered across the bodice caught the morning light whenever I breathed. My dark hair had been swept into an intricate knot, with soft curls framing my face, and a veil rested over my shoulders like a thin layer of mist. I looked exactly like a bride should look. Beautiful, perfect and ready. Yet the longer I stared at myself, the stronger the uncomfortable pressure beneath my ribs became. Something felt wrong. I couldn't explain it, and that frightened me more than the wedding itself. A knock sounded against the door, and my mother stepped inside. “Oh, Evelyn.” Her smile appeared too quickly, almost as if she had practiced it before entering. Her eyes moved over my dress, then paused on my face. “You look beautiful.” I gave her a small smile. “Thank you.” She came closer and reached for my veil, carefully adjusting the delicate fabric even though there was nothing wrong with it. Then I felt her fingers tremble against my hair. I caught her wrist before she could pull away. “Mom?” She froze. “What?” I searched her face. “Are you all right?” She immediately tried to laugh, but the sound caught awkwardly in her throat. “Of course.” I didn't release her wrist. “You're shaking.” Her eyes flickered toward the door before she gently pulled her hand free and smoothed her dress. “It’s just the wedding.” I watched her avoid my eyes. “Did Dad say when Adrian is arriving?” “Soon.” “Has he met everyone?” “Yes.” “Then why does everyone keep acting like something terrible is about to happen?” Her smile faltered, and she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Nothing is wrong, Evelyn.” The answer came so quickly that my stomach tightened. Before I could ask another question, my father appeared in the doorway. “It’s time.” I turned toward him. “Already?” He nodded once. His tie was perfectly straight, his suit flawless, but the tightness around his mouth made him look as though he hadn't slept all night. I stood, and my mother immediately reached for my hand. This time, I let her take it. Her fingers were cold. “Everything will be fine,” she whispered. I forced my lips into a smile. “I hope so.” My father looked at me for several seconds, and something unreadable passed through his eyes before he cleared his throat. “Just remember to stay calm.” I blinked. “Why wouldn't I?” His mouth opened slightly, then closed. He looked away. That silence crawled beneath my skin. My mother squeezed my hand. “Come on, darling.” I followed them out of the room, but my father's silence followed me all the way down the stairs. The drive to the church was painfully quiet. Rain tapped against the windows in a steady rhythm, and the city outside looked blurred beneath the gray sky. My father sat beside me, staring down at his phone without actually reading anything on it. I watched his thumb move across the screen once, then stop. “Dad?” He glanced at me. “Yes?” I hesitated before asking the question that had been circling my mind since yesterday. “Why did the Sterling family choose me?” His fingers tightened around his phone. “What do you mean?” “Adrian barely knows me.” “The Sterling family approved the marriage,” My father said, “So he doesn't need to. Everything has already been arranged.” I looked back through the window as rainwater raced down the glass. Maybe he was right. Maybe weddings made everyone nervous. Maybe my mother's trembling hands meant nothing. Maybe my father's strange warnings were simply the nerves of a man giving his daughter away. But there had been something different about this marriage from the beginning. Everything had happened so quickly. The arrangements had been made almost overnight. Questions I asked were answered with short replies, and whenever I tried to learn more about Adrian, someone changed the subject. Still, I pushed the uneasiness aside. Adrian Sterling was the CEO of Sterling Holdings, one of the most powerful men in Silverridge, and somehow, he had chosen me. I didn't understand why, but perhaps I didn't need to. Maybe some things only made sense after they happened. The car finally stopped outside the church. My father opened the door and held out his hand. I looked up at the entrance. Hundreds of white roses lined the steps, their petals glistening beneath the rain, while warm golden light spilled through the tall doors. My heart began beating harder. “Ready?” my father asked. I drew in a slow breath and placed my hand in his. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” He offered his arm, and I held it as we walked toward the entrance. When the church doors opened, music swept over me. Conversations stopped. Hundreds of faces turned in my direction. I felt the attention immediately, pressing against my skin as my heels clicked over the polished floor. One step. Then another. At the end of the aisle stood Adrian Sterling. He was taller, broad-shouldered and perfectly dressed in a black suit that seemed almost too sharp against the soft white flowers surrounding him. His dark hair had been combed neatly away from his forehead, and his expression was controlled, almost unreadable. But his eyes stopped me. Cold gray. Focused. Watching me as if he were trying to understand something from across the distance between us. I swallowed and kept walking. He didn't smile. My father's hand tightened around mine. “Keep walking,” he whispered. I glanced at him, but he was staring straight ahead. So I continued until I reached Adrian. My father took my hand and placed it in Adrian's. Adrian's fingers closed around mine, warm and firm, and a small shiver moved through me. He leaned closer. “You look beautiful.” My cheeks warmed despite myself. “Thank you.” His eyes lingered on my face for another moment, and I noticed the slight crease between his brows. “Are you nervous?” he asked quietly. I nodded. “Yes.” He looked almost amused. “So am I.” I blinked. “You?” The corner of his mouth lifted. “I'm still human.” A tiny laugh escaped me before I could stop it. For the first time that morning, the tight knot in my chest loosened. Maybe I really had been imagining things. Maybe my parents were simply nervous. Maybe this strange feeling was nothing more than the fear of stepping into a completely new life. The priest began the ceremony, and I tried to concentrate on his words. My heartbeat seemed louder than everything else. Adrian's thumb moved once across the back of my hand, and I glanced at him. He was watching the priest now, his expression calm again. When the priest finally turned toward me, I straightened. “Evelyn Hart, do you take Adrian Sterling as your husband?” I looked into Adrian's eyes. This man was about to become my husband. My future. My family. I swallowed against the sudden dryness in my throat. “I do.” Adrian didn't look away from me. “I do.” The priest smiled, and a few people in the front row began smiling through tears. “You may kiss.” Adrian stepped closer, and his hand settled gently against my waist. My breath caught when he lowered his face. Our lips met, soft and brief, and applause exploded around us. Someone cheered. Cameras flashed. For a few seconds, the entire church seemed to disappear. There was only the warmth of his hand against my waist and the strange realization that I had just married a man I barely knew. Then Adrian pulled away. The warmth vanished from his expression so quickly that I felt it before I understood it. His eyes moved over my face again, but this time there was no tenderness in them. His fingers tightened around my waist, and his breathing changed. He stared at me as though something impossible had just appeared in front of him. “Sophia?” My smile disappeared.