THE WRONG HEIR'S BRIDE

ed with one purpose in mind. One day, she would stand beside the future head of the Kingston dynasty. Tonight was supposed to be the beginning of that future. The ballroom of the Kingston Gran

he Kingston family has valued loyalty, legacy, and strength above all else." Amelia exchanged a glance with Sebastian. Everything was proceeding as expected. "Tonight," Harrison said, "I wish to announce the future of the Kingston dynasty." More cameras flashed. Victoria Hart sat straighter. Amelia's heartbeat accelerated. Harrison paused. Then he spoke words that shattered the room. "The arranged marriage between Amelia Hart and Sebastian Kingston has been dissolved." Complete silence. For several seconds, Amelia genuinely believed she had misheard him. Beside her, Sebastian's expression remained unreadable. Whispers erupted across the ballroom. Victoria Hart had gone pale. "What is happening?" she whispered. Harrison raised a hand for silence. "Effective immediately, Amelia Hart will marry my grandson, Adrian Kingston." The world stopped. Amelia stared at the patriarch. No one moved. No one breathed. Then chaos exploded. Journalists began shouting questions. Guests exchanged shocked looks. Several Kingston family members openly protested. "What nonsense is this?" "Father, you cannot be serious." "This is outrageous." Amelia turned sharply toward Sebastian. "You knew." It was not a question. He held her gaze. "Since this morning." A cold sensation spread through her chest. "You knew and said nothing." "There was nothing I could do." Amelia stepped backward. Every carefully constructed plan for her future had collapsed in less than a minute. More importantly, she had never even met Adrian Kingston. Not properly. Everyone knew the stories. The illegitimate grandson. The family disgrace. The son was born to Harrison Kingston's affair decades earlier. After his mother's death, Adrian had been raised within the family but never truly accepted. At twenty-one, he had left. Few people had seen him since. Rumors described him as ruthless, cold, and dangerously ambitious. Some claimed he had built a billion-dollar empire entirely on his own. Others claimed he hated the Kingstons so much that he would destroy them. Amelia had no idea which version was true. "Where is Adrian?" someone demanded. As though summoned by the question, the grand ballroom doors opened. Conversation ceased instantly. A tall man entered. He wore a perfectly tailored dark suit with no tie. His expression was calm, almost detached. Everything about him radiated power. Amelia recognized him immediately from old photographs. Adrian Kingston. He had changed. The awkward young man she vaguely remembered had disappeared. This man looked dangerous. His dark eyes swept across the ballroom before finally settling on Harrison. No emotion crossed his face. He approached the stage slowly. The crowd instinctively moved aside. Even members of the Kingston family seemed uncomfortable in his presence. Harrison regarded him coolly. "You are late." "I did not intend to come," Adrian repl