All Chapters of The Replaced Bride’s Fortune: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Dawn hadn’t fully broken yet, but I was already awake. I couldn’t sleep a wink through out the night. My eye-bags would require editing in the photos.Today was the day. The very day I get married to a near stranger, binding my life to someone I’d known for less than twenty four hours.A slightly all consuming dread washes over me as I stare at my dress on the rail. I haven’t slept eight consecutive hours since the very day back at the Stewart house where father had announced that I would be taking my sister’s place.This morning, before the whole wedding ceremony started, I realized that I had to tell him. He had to know who he was getting married to. I wasn’t Emily Stewart, I was Brianna Stewart. A part of me also hoped that Emily would return, realize that she had to do this and take her rightful place but with every click of the clock, the possibility dips, painfully. And so, I just knew I had to tell him. If we went on to start the wedding and when the vows were spoken, my n

After the whole conversation ended, I retreated to my room with a new found confidence and settled heart. I had nothing to be afraid of. It was strange but I had a bit of closure. It wasn’t a mistake that I was here even though my father hadn’t planned it. Adrian had wanted me, not Emily and the realization settled sweetly in my mind. The way he assured me, made sure that I knew without a hint of doubt, that I wasn’t a mistake, was the best part.With a small satisfied smile, I move on to prepare for the day. The D-day where I got married to a stranger who had suddenly become closer than even my own family.Within a few minutes, I was ready. I’d taken a nice shower, humming along as the water cooled down my pent up nerves. I’d never felt this much peace and inner calm.I was staring at the wedding dress that hung in the rail, thinking about how this was now my reality. I came here thinking it’s be yet another gilded cage. Another place where my silence would be all I had to give. B

Adrian’s POVMy wife stands with confusion at my words. I couldn’t be bothered to talk about it except it’s taking from the precious time I have with her. Her pesky little sister whom I had no idea of up until yesterday, came today. That one… she tried—unsuccessfully— to crash our wedding.What she didn’t know was that I would sooner die before I let that happen. And so It didn’t, but my angel here is still bothered by it. I guess she didn’t expect to see her sister object at her wedding, our wedding.When she came to ‘confess’ earlier today that she wasn’t the one I was supposed to wed, and was sent as a replacement bride, I was just as confused. I’d only ever known her or seen her. Hearing the name Emily was like unlocking a new character. I’d looked into their family before—dug up some seriously messed-up things. Things my wife would need time to process. But Emily? I’d never really noticed her. Never cared to.So now that my wife asks what I meant by ‘she isn’t here anymore,’ I

Emily’s POV“Wait, what?” he yelled. “Are you crazy?”I froze. Uh? He had never spoken to me like this before. I was caught completely off guard.“No… wait… baby, I’m sorry, I just—I can’t lose you, babe.” His voice softened again, desperation bleeding through. “What about me? Your father would kill me if he found out you ran away with me.”“But I’m set to wed in the coming week,” I shot back. “Is that okay with you, or don’t you understand? I can’t change his mind, but what I can do is change my situation.”He sighed heavily. “Okay… if we were to do this. Big If.”“Where do we go? How do we survive? I don’t…I can’t support you, baby. You know that. You’ve always been the one supporting me. You know my situation… I can’t even get a job. I don’t have the money.”“That won’t be a problem,” I said quickly. “I have my cards. I can get some cash for us—enough so they don’t trace it for a while. They won’t suspect a thing. They’ll be none the wiser until I leave. And I leave in two days. Ar

Adrian’s POV It pains me to have to leave my wife back at home. It felt like I was being detached from my other half, like Velcro strips. A part of me wants to return back, hug her, kiss her and make sure she doesn’t feel as distressed as she was about her family. I couldn’t do that though, I had to handle business, settle scores, that is her family and their transgressions. Tonight being the most important night for us. Our wedding night. I should have her held against me with a long embrace, inhaling her scent with my hands in her beautiful and soft hair. But someone decided to cause trouble and with my wife being bothered and restless, there was no way she would relax enough for us to have a beautiful night rest. And so, I had to drag myself out the house. Barrett appears from the corner of the house as I stepped into the cool of the evening. The guests were now long gone. I’d told the staffs to clear everyone out once my wife and I left. “Sir, she is now at the back