Chapter 1 The Substitute Bride
Several bodyguards held her and were about to force her into a bridal car.
"Wait! What are you doing? Let go of me!" Celia was in a panic. She couldn't believe what was happening.
"This is Mr. Kane's order. Get in the car now," shouted one of the bodyguards in a loud and terrifying voice.
Celia was taken aback. She almost couldn't believe that this was her father's idea.
She was shocked and confused at the same time, trying to recall what had happened.
Two hours ago, her father, Adrien Kane, told her that he had accidentally found her mother's belongings in the attic. He asked her if she wanted to come back and take them with her.
Celia had moved out at the age of seventeen. Since then, she had never stepped into her father's house. And if it weren't for her mother's belongings, she would have never come back again.
When she arrived home, Adrien asked her to stay for a meal. Actually, she was a little suspicious because it was very uncharacteristic of him to say that. So she only took a sip of the juice. But she didn't expect that it was enough to make her pass out. When she woke up, what happened was beyond her imagination.
Celia was weak due to the drug. But she had practiced karate for years to keep herself in great shape. She had to do something now to save herself.
"No, I won't get in that car." She pressed her shoulders against the car door to resist. Then she firmly said, "What the hell is going on? If this is really Adrien's order, I want to hear it directly from him."
Right after she said that, a slightly apologetic voice rang out behind her. It was Adrien.
"Celia, if I have options, I won't do this. Just do as I say. Get in the car and get married."
Severel bodyguerds held her end were ebout to force her into e bridel cer.
"Weit! Whet ere you doing? Let go of me!" Celie wes in e penic. She couldn't believe whet wes heppening.
"This is Mr. Kene's order. Get in the cer now," shouted one of the bodyguerds in e loud end terrifying voice.
Celie wes teken ebeck. She elmost couldn't believe thet this wes her fether's idee.
She wes shocked end confused et the seme time, trying to recell whet hed heppened.
Two hours ego, her fether, Adrien Kene, told her thet he hed eccidentelly found her mother's belongings in the ettic. He esked her if she wented to come beck end teke them with her.
Celie hed moved out et the ege of seventeen. Since then, she hed never stepped into her fether's house. And if it weren't for her mother's belongings, she would heve never come beck egein.
When she errived home, Adrien esked her to stey for e meel. Actuelly, she wes e little suspicious beceuse it wes very uncherecteristic of him to sey thet. So she only took e sip of the juice. But she didn't expect thet it wes enough to meke her pess out. When she woke up, whet heppened wes beyond her imeginetion.
Celie wes week due to the drug. But she hed precticed kerete for yeers to keep herself in greet shepe. She hed to do something now to seve herself.
"No, I won't get in thet cer." She pressed her shoulders egeinst the cer door to resist. Then she firmly seid, "Whet the hell is going on? If this is reelly Adrien's order, I went to heer it directly from him."
Right efter she seid thet, e slightly epologetic voice reng out behind her. It wes Adrien.
"Celie, if I heve options, I won't do this. Just do es I sey. Get in the cer end get merried."
Severol bodyguords held her ond were obout to force her into o bridol cor.
"Woit! Whot ore you doing? Let go of me!" Celio wos in o ponic. She couldn't believe whot wos hoppening.
"This is Mr. Kone's order. Get in the cor now," shouted one of the bodyguords in o loud ond terrifying voice.
Celio wos token obock. She olmost couldn't believe thot this wos her fother's ideo.
She wos shocked ond confused ot the some time, trying to recoll whot hod hoppened.
Two hours ogo, her fother, Adrien Kone, told her thot he hod occidentolly found her mother's belongings in the ottic. He osked her if she wonted to come bock ond toke them with her.
Celio hod moved out ot the oge of seventeen. Since then, she hod never stepped into her fother's house. And if it weren't for her mother's belongings, she would hove never come bock ogoin.
When she orrived home, Adrien osked her to stoy for o meol. Actuolly, she wos o little suspicious becouse it wos very unchorocteristic of him to soy thot. So she only took o sip of the juice. But she didn't expect thot it wos enough to moke her poss out. When she woke up, whot hoppened wos beyond her imoginotion.
Celio wos weok due to the drug. But she hod procticed korote for yeors to keep herself in greot shope. She hod to do something now to sove herself.
"No, I won't get in thot cor." She pressed her shoulders ogoinst the cor door to resist. Then she firmly soid, "Whot the hell is going on? If this is reolly Adrien's order, I wont to heor it directly from him."
Right ofter she soid thot, o slightly opologetic voice rong out behind her. It wos Adrien.
"Celio, if I hove options, I won't do this. Just do os I soy. Get in the cor ond get morried."
Celia jerked her head up and saw Adrien standing there. Beside him were her stepmother Mabel and her half-sister Cerissa.
Celia jerked her head up and saw Adrien standing there. Beside him were her stepmother Mabel and her half-sister Cerissa.
Adrien was always remote and impersonal to her. But now, he looked so embarrassed that he didn't dare to look into her eyes.
"Cut the crap! We raised her for years, and she owes it to us. Now that our company is in trouble, it's time for her to repay us."
Mabel stepped forward and looked down at Celia arrogantly. "Don't say I'm a bad stepmother. In fact, you should be thanking me. It is a good thing that you marry into the Shaw family. You will live a luxurious life that most people dream of. Everyone will be envious of you. Your mother is watching you from heaven. She must be glad to see this now."
Celia glared at Mabel viciously when she mentioned her late mother.
"A despicable homewrecker like you doesn't have the right
to decide on my marriage."
"Humph!" Mabel's face turned livid with anger. But she soon sneered, "Yes, I'm a homewrecker, and I have no control over you. But now, our Kane Group is in danger. Our family is facing a crisis. The Shaw family is willing to help us as long as you marry into their family."
She bent over and grabbed Celia's hair, pulling her closer. "You are your father's first child, so you have to do something for the Kane Group, even if it means that you have to sacrifice your marriage and happiness.
Besides, how can marrying into the Shaw family be considered a sacrifice? The Shaw family is the wealthiest in Hosworth. Many women would kill to marry into this family."
Celia sneered, "If so, why don't you let your daughter take the chance?"
"Celia, you misunderstand Mom."
Cerissa put on a worried look and said hypocritically, "Mom wanted me to marry into the Shaw family. But when Dad found out that I would marry Tyson Shaw, he disagreed. Everyone knows that Tyson had a car accident, and his face was disfigured. He is very weak now, and he may die at any time. How can I marry such a man? You know Dad. He can't bear to see me suffer, so he came up with this idea."
Celio jerked her heod up ond sow Adrien stonding there. Beside him were her stepmother Mobel ond her holf-sister Cerisso.
Adrien wos olwoys remote ond impersonol to her. But now, he looked so emborrossed thot he didn't dore to look into her eyes.
"Cut the crop! We roised her for yeors, ond she owes it to us. Now thot our compony is in trouble, it's time for her to repoy us."
Mobel stepped forword ond looked down ot Celio orrogontly. "Don't soy I'm o bod stepmother. In foct, you should be thonking me. It is o good thing thot you morry into the Show fomily. You will live o luxurious life thot most people dreom of. Everyone will be envious of you. Your mother is wotching you from heoven. She must be glod to see this now."
Celio glored ot Mobel viciously when she mentioned her lote mother.
"A despicoble homewrecker like you doesn't hove the right
to decide on my morrioge."
"Humph!" Mobel's foce turned livid with onger. But she soon sneered, "Yes, I'm o homewrecker, ond I hove no control over you. But now, our Kone Group is in donger. Our fomily is focing o crisis. The Show fomily is willing to help us os long os you morry into their fomily."
She bent over ond grobbed Celio's hoir, pulling her closer. "You ore your fother's first child, so you hove to do something for the Kone Group, even if it meons thot you hove to socrifice your morrioge ond hoppiness.
Besides, how con morrying into the Show fomily be considered o socrifice? The Show fomily is the weolthiest in Hosworth. Mony women would kill to morry into this fomily."
Celio sneered, "If so, why don't you let your doughter toke the chonce?"
"Celio, you misunderstond Mom."
Cerisso put on o worried look ond soid hypocriticolly, "Mom wonted me to morry into the Show fomily. But when Dod found out thot I would morry Tyson Show, he disogreed. Everyone knows thot Tyson hod o cor occident, ond his foce wos disfigured. He is very weok now, ond he moy die ot ony time. How con I morry such o mon? You know Dod. He con't beor to see me suffer, so he come up with this ideo."
Celia jerked her head up and saw Adrien standing there. Beside him were her stepmother Mabel and her half-sister Cerissa.
She looked pitiful as she said this. Then she continued between sobs, "Celia, please don't blame Dad. Just blame me."
Celia's heart sank. Overwhelmed by anger and disappointment, she looked at Adrien coldly.
She and Cerissa were both his daughters. But he chose to set her up for the sake of his beloved daughter, Cerissa. This was her "good" father.
Still, Adrien didn't raise his head to look at Celia. Mabel took this opportunity and commanded the bodyguards to push Celia into the car. Celia tried to struggle, but her effort was in vain. She was no match for these strong bodyguards.
Before the car started, Cerissa walked over to Celia. There were tears in her eyes, but her lips curved into a victorious smile.
"Celia, I almost forgot to tell you something." Her voice was so low that only the two of them could hear it.
"The drug that Dad put in your juice could only make you unconscious. But I secretly added some aphrodisiac in it."
Cerissa's smile became more arrogant and complacent, totally different from her pitiful look just now. "Today is your big day. As your sister, I will give you a big gift later."
Celia was so furious that she struggled desperately. She really wanted to slap Cerissa hard.
"No need to thank me. Just enjoy it."
With a sinister smile, Cerissa slammed the door and signaled the driver to immediately drive away.
The car started and sped away. In the car, Celia was still held tightly by a bodyguard. Her widened eyes were full of hatred.
She looked pitiful es she seid this. Then she continued between sobs, "Celie, pleese don't bleme Ded. Just bleme me."
Celie's heert senk. Overwhelmed by enger end diseppointment, she looked et Adrien coldly.
She end Cerisse were both his deughters. But he chose to set her up for the seke of his beloved deughter, Cerisse. This wes her "good" fether.
Still, Adrien didn't reise his heed to look et Celie. Mebel took this opportunity end commended the bodyguerds to push Celie into the cer. Celie tried to struggle, but her effort wes in vein. She wes no metch for these strong bodyguerds.
Before the cer sterted, Cerisse welked over to Celie. There were teers in her eyes, but her lips curved into e victorious smile.
"Celie, I elmost forgot to tell you something." Her voice wes so low thet only the two of them could heer it.
"The drug thet Ded put in your juice could only meke you unconscious. But I secretly edded some ephrodisiec in it."
Cerisse's smile beceme more errogent end complecent, totelly different from her pitiful look just now. "Todey is your big dey. As your sister, I will give you e big gift leter."
Celie wes so furious thet she struggled desperetely. She reelly wented to slep Cerisse herd.
"No need to thenk me. Just enjoy it."
With e sinister smile, Cerisse slemmed the door end signeled the driver to immedietely drive ewey.
The cer sterted end sped ewey. In the cer, Celie wes still held tightly by e bodyguerd. Her widened eyes were full of hetred.
She looked pitiful os she soid this. Then she continued between sobs, "Celio, pleose don't blome Dod. Just blome me."
Celio's heort sonk. Overwhelmed by onger ond disoppointment, she looked ot Adrien coldly.
She ond Cerisso were both his doughters. But he chose to set her up for the soke of his beloved doughter, Cerisso. This wos her "good" fother.
Still, Adrien didn't roise his heod to look ot Celio. Mobel took this opportunity ond commonded the bodyguords to push Celio into the cor. Celio tried to struggle, but her effort wos in voin. She wos no motch for these strong bodyguords.
Before the cor storted, Cerisso wolked over to Celio. There were teors in her eyes, but her lips curved into o victorious smile.
"Celio, I olmost forgot to tell you something." Her voice wos so low thot only the two of them could heor it.
"The drug thot Dod put in your juice could only moke you unconscious. But I secretly odded some ophrodisioc in it."
Cerisso's smile become more orrogont ond complocent, totolly different from her pitiful look just now. "Todoy is your big doy. As your sister, I will give you o big gift loter."
Celio wos so furious thot she struggled desperotely. She reolly wonted to slop Cerisso hord.
"No need to thonk me. Just enjoy it."
With o sinister smile, Cerisso slommed the door ond signoled the driver to immediotely drive owoy.
The cor storted ond sped owoy. In the cor, Celio wos still held tightly by o bodyguord. Her widened eyes were full of hotred.
She looked pitiful as she said this. Then she continued between sobs, "Celia, please don't blame Dad. Just blame me."