Absolutely Free Reading:📖 《My Accidental Billionaire Husband》！ 👉🏻
Chapter 1 The Arrangement Katia “Happy birthday to you...” I woke up to the sound of people singing badly. The voices were getting louder, and for a second, I thought I was dreaming. My bedroom door flung open. My vision adjusted just in time to see a small parade entering my room, my sister Delia leading the way with a cupcake on a tray, Dad trailing behind her holding a phone like he was filming a hostage video, and then, my mother, smiling. I nearly choked because my mom has never smiled at me. “Happy birthday, sweetheart,” mother said; her voice was smooth and artificial, like she’d sprayed it with perfume before letting it out of her mouth. I stared at her like she’d grown a second head. Because here’s the thing: Mother didn’t do birthdays. Not mine, anyway. Delia got birthdays. Princess themes, balloons, new dresses, and a chorus of relatives pretending they liked each other. I got awkward silences and last-minute gas station cards. So this? This felt like a setup. I narrowed my eyes. “Okay, seriously. What’s going on?” My mom gave a soft laugh, as if I was being silly for having the correct instincts. She sat down on the edge of the bed, smoothing the comforter like she’d ever touched it before. “You’re twenty now, and your father and I have something very exciting and important to tell you.” There it was. The sting in the frosting. The trap under the ribbon. I sat up straighter. “Okay…” She looked at me like she was about to hand me a tiara. “You’ve been chosen to marry Julian Windsor.” The room didn’t go quiet; it went hollow. For a second, I couldn’t even process the words. I stared at her, waiting for a punchline, a camera crew, or something. “Who?” I asked, even though I’d heard her perfectly. “Julian Windsor,” she repeated. “The Windsor heir. Their family has been interested in an alliance for years. You were betrothed.” I blinked. “What?!” Mom’s smile never wavered. “His family is very private. Very powerful. This is a good thin
