My replacement groom is billionaire
/1/127579/coverbig.jpg?v=2ea34f2e2c2f3053a637d5acfe2fbf25)
His Unwanted Wife, The Hidden Genius
I flew back to New York on my twenty-fifth birthday, carrying vintage gold cufflinks I spent weeks finding for my billionaire husband, Declan. But when I walked into our townhouse, I found him throwing a massive victory party with Sloane, a glamorous socialite, standing by his side as the proud hostess. "Don't cause a scene. Go upstairs." Declan coldly dismissed me in front of his guests. Even Poppy, the rookie player whose shattered ankle I had painstakingly rebuilt, rolled her eyes and ignored me to suck up to Sloane. Hiding in the shadows, I heard the maids gossiping that everyone thought Sloane was the future Mrs. Hartford. To make matters worse, I discovered Sloane had stolen my anonymous, groundbreaking medical algorithm and was planning to present it as her own. First my husband, then the girl I mentored like family, and now the scientific foundation I had built with my own hands. Declan even texted me to cancel our birthday breakfast without a single apology, treating me like an annoying afterthought. My tears vanished, replaced by a freezing clarity. I signed the divorce papers, leaving them on his desk with zero demands for his money. Then I packed my bags, booked a one-way ticket to Boston, and prepared to destroy them on the global stage.
Chapter 1
Aurelia Vance POV:
I had been married to Declan Hartford for three years.
Today was my twenty-fifth birthday, and I had flown back from Boston in secret, hoping for one quiet evening with my husband.
I'd spent a week carefully picking out a pair of gold cufflinks as a gift for my husband.
But the laughter spilling from the front door told me I was already too late: the woman who had taken my place at his side was already inside.
The heavy oak door swung open before I reached the porch. Three young players from the New York Titans, Declan's NHL franchise, stumbled out with crystal tumblers of scotch, laughing loudly. They barely glanced at me as they passed.
I stepped into the grand foyer. The heat hit me instantly,expensive champagne, roasted tenderloin, cigar smoke.
Dozens of people filled the double parlor: executives, scouts, wives in designer dresses.
In the center stood Declan, tall and broad in a bespoke charcoal suit. Beside him, laughing into his ear, was Sloane Whitfield, her backless silver dress catching the chandelier light. Her hand rested on his forearm like she belonged there.
Before I could take another breath, a blur of blonde hair darted past my elbow.
"Sloane!" Poppy Delacroix cried, throwing her arms around Sloane's slender waist. "You were completely right about the catering! This is literally the best victory party the team has ever had!"
Poppy is fourteen, a junior elite forward prospect.
I scouted her two years ago from a crumbling youth league, back when she was at her lowest.
Her parents had once shown me great kindness, and I knew they had already passed away, leaving her all alone in the world.
Declan and I adopted her together.
I rebuilt her shattered ankle with a custom rehabilitation plan.
I had always loved and cared for her as both a mother and a sister.
Now, she did not even glance in my direction.
Declan turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd until his eyes locked onto mine. The easy grin on his sharp jaw vanished instantly. His brows drew together in a hard, irritated line.
He excused himself from Sloane, cutting through the throng of players with long, impatient strides.
"Aurelia," Declan said, stopping two feet in front of me. His voice carried zero warmth. "What are you doing here?"
My throat felt like sandpaper.
"I took the four o'clock flight from Boston," I whispered, clutching the strap of my bag until my knuckles turned white. "It is my birthday, Declan. I thought we could—"
"We are celebrating the division win," he cut in, his tone sharp enough to draw blood. "The board is here. The sponsors are here. Sloane spent four consecutive days coordinating this event so the organization could project stability."
He did not look at me. His gaze slid past my shoulder to the bar, like I was a waitress who had wandered into the wrong room.
"Don't cause a scene," he added quietly. "Go upstairs."
A soft, mocking murmur rippled through a cluster of players' wives standing near the grand staircase. Two women with platinum blowouts exchanged knowing glances over their flutes of Dom Pérignon.
"I didn't know," I said, my voice barely audible over the swelling music. "I am sorry."
I turned toward the staircase, my legs trembling beneath my wool trousers.
Near the landing, Poppy was adjusting her designer jacket in the hallway mirror.
"Poppy," I said softly, pausing beside her. "How is your ankle feeling after Thursday's third period? Did you complete the isometric sequence I sent?"
Poppy rolled her eyes, sighing loudly as she pulled out her phone.
"Aurelia, please, not right now," she muttered without looking at me. "Sloane is introducing me to a marketing director from one of our partners. I don't have time for your spreadsheets."
The dismissive edge in her voice hit me harder than Declan's coldness. I had stayed up until three in the morning reviewing her biomechanical scans while she was recovering from surgery, and now I was just an annoyance in the way of her social ascent.
I walked up the rest of the stairs and entered the primary suite—the massive, sterile bedroom allocated to me under our prenuptial agreement.
I sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled out the velvet box. The gold cufflinks gleamed under the bedside lamp, cold and useless.
Downstairs, cheers erupted. The sound vibrated through the floorboards.
I walked to the French doors overlooking the rear garden. Down on the illuminated patio, Sloane was directing two servers by an ice sculpture. Declan stood beside her, his head bent down as he listened to her speak, his hand casually brushing the small of her back.
They looked like the couple the city expected them to be.
My phone buzzed in my coat pocket. I pulled it out, hoping against hope.
It was an email notification.
"Happy Birthday, Aurelia. Remember that true science requires patience and solitude. You are meant for greater arenas than New York boardrooms. -Dr. Edmund Sterling."
My mentor at Harvard was the only person in the world who had remembered.
I typed a brief "Thank you, Professor" and shut off the screen.
Hours passed. The bass eventually quieted, replaced by the occasional clatter of glassware and slamming car doors. My throat burned with thirst.
At two in the morning, I padded downstairs in my stocking feet to fetch a glass of water from the butler's pantry.
As I rounded the corner near the service hallway, the voices of two newly hired catering maids stopped me dead in my tracks.
"Miss Whitfield is stunning," the first girl whispered, scraping dessert plates into a bin. "Mr. Hartford's girlfriend carries herself like royalty."
"A girlfriend?" the other asked, pausing. "But isn't Mr. Hartford rumored to be married? Is it inappropriate to be this close with Whitfield?"
"Married?Where did that come from? Even if there was one, they must have split long ago. I've worked three events here this month, and Miss Whitfield is the only woman hosting by his side. Everyone knows she's the future Mrs. Hartford."
I shrank back into the cold shadow of the archway, my blood turning to ice.
In the home where I held a legal marriage certificate, my presence had already been wiped clean.
/1/124732/coverbig.jpg?v=138fa99ed45b791737078e972f9664f0)
My Fake Groom Is a Billionaire
Hallie Wade sat in her bridal suite, the delicate lace of her veil cascading over her shoulders as she waited to marry Ethan Carlisle. But minutes before she was supposed to walk down the aisle, the best man burst in with a devastating email. Ethan had abandoned her at the altar for his fragile ex-g
/0/55659/coverbig.jpg?v=46938e3431f6395701d3670cdd9eec72)
Unexpectedly Yours: Falling For My Billionaire Groom
Scarlett asked hesitantly, "Mr. Dixon, are you serious about this?" She had expected their marriage to be just a formal agreement, with each of them living their own lives without interference. So, when her newlywed husband mentioned fulfilling their marital duties, it caught her off guard. Just wh
/0/50773/coverbig.jpg?v=48fc6156fc12f795b3e438c6112a651a)
Her Billionaire Substitute Groom
"Your husband fled with another woman. I'm here as his substitute," I didn't imagine the hell that awaited me as Connor's eyes pierced into mine. I knew something was wrong, Carl couldn't have done that as he loved me with everything in him, this man had something to do with his disappearance and I
/0/63204/coverbig.jpg?v=783cc4ccfcea530b3236333a6084fa80)
My Bastard Replacement Husband
On her wedding day, Ciara was supposed to marry Jorge, her boyfriend. But Jorge suddenly disappeared without any news, and in the end, their family decided that Edward should replace Jorge and marry Ciara. They made this decision because they didn't want to cause embarrassment to the invited guests.
/0/49078/coverbig.jpg?v=1f3b22aadf6ce936d44d67e13c729786)
My Savior Is A Billionaire
"If I can't have you, no one can" When Stella Marco moves to Manhattan to escape her psychotic ex boyfriend, she didn't plan on encountering the arrogant casanova and famed billionaire bachelor, Grayson Stone. After an altercation with him at a party, she finds herself in need of his help. But Gra
/0/22959/coverbig.jpg?v=ed8047c3f4f4fa2c82275c547a3b7873)
MY RICH BILLIONAIRE IS DUMB.
Hey mister, can I ask you for a favor? A lady asked with her sweet and intoxicating voice, causing the man who was walking, to turn around and stare at the young lady. Can you be my boyfriend for just one month, and I promise to pay you handsomely. Cecelia said smiling. Her parents had threatened
/1/100018/coverbig.jpg?v=5dde497422a282fe65a7b3d8e23624ad)
My Stepsister Stole My Groom
She stole my wedding. I stole her future. On the morning of my wedding, I caught my fiancé Kellan tangled in the sheets with my stepsister. The betrayal should have shattered me. Instead, it lit a fire in my veins. So I did what any woman scorned would do. I pointed to the most dangerous man in the
/0/94758/coverbig.jpg?v=fd9f3d515f14e16fd5b586d9c8f22108)
My Ex's Billionaire Brother Is My Temptation
"I-I was in the shower then I got horny while thinking of you and started fingering myself until I came," I said. "I think I have become a nymphomaniac because of you, Donovan." "Do you know what that is?" He chuckled, to which I nodded eagerly. "You are cute. Well, if you must know, buttercup,
/1/130652/coverbig.jpg?v=94c95c5ed3bfaf0868b0b8afb9e16ab6)
Marriage Trap: My Penniless Groom Is A Tech King?!
After her fiancé spent millions on her late mother's heirloom only to give it to his pregnant lover, Kaylee ended their engagement on the spot. She turned to a dating app and quickly married a seemingly penniless programmer, believing it was only a contract arrangement. But when her regretful
/0/25061/coverbig.jpg?v=f7fa83c6cbad764101f27050a0a13c33)
Will You Marry My Groom
For a few years now, Hazel Evan had been in love with her best friend's hot and irresistible fiancé, Tristan Hendrix, but to her, her feelings was only a fantasy, she thought she could never have Tristan as hers. Never did she expect to receive the proposal from his supposed bride, to get married t
/0/30807/coverbig.jpg?v=34e23331910bd706cd8440debe5c0738)
My Substitute Husband Is A Billionaire
Lies, betrayal, sweet sweet revenge... Laura was betrayed by her best friend after she was being set up with an anonymous bar attendant. A day to her wedding, her fiance broke all ties with her after knowing the truth. She looked for the anonymous bar attendant within twenty four hours and forced h
/0/33370/coverbig.jpg?v=0956343289e165974f455a9dedc054f7)
My Sex Slave Is A Billionaire
THIS STORY IS VERY HOT!!!! ITS NOT FOR READERS UNDER THE AGE OF 18+ I despised this man in a singularly sharp way, but my body was betraying me; I craved more of what he was doing. Damn if he wasn’t good at this. Here was a man who I wanted to carry my revenge on, and it turned out that right no
/0/44883/coverbig.jpg?v=6923b15330bdc1d4b0a42f9487cee4b0)
Oh! My Rental Boyfriend Is A Billionaire
Lisa, a devoted employee, has no time for romance. Her job engulfs her, leaving no space for love. However, when her younger sister, Hina, announces her upcoming wedding, Lisa is faced with a dilemma: should she attend the wedding alone or employ the services of a rental boyfriend? This is where A
/0/73207/coverbig.jpg?v=9317db5fd140321d5429fda9fb854bab)
Billionaire Daddy: Where Is My Heir?
The air froze as his hazel looking eyes and the perfect curve of his brows which looked full yet curvy seemed to penetrate everywhere. His golden hair was short but bangs were dangling on both sides of his face. His lips, more beautiful and luscious than that of a woman, seem to make him the perfect
/0/82170/coverbig.jpg?v=9ed7ffa5f5927b72947dd122f15d8468)
My Ex Wife Is A Billionaire
She had known what loneliness is right from when she was young. Growing up as an orphan, Sophia had no one, she struggled on her own to become who is and she was contented. However, her pain began when she fell in love with Lucas Sullivan, the multi-billionaire and the owner of Revved Automotive; on
/0/54027/coverbig.jpg?v=daad0eab43c96298f654924dfce044ef)
My Disabled Husband Is A Secret Billionaire
To save the family business from bankruptcy, Carmen was forced to marry a paralyzed and blind man in exchange for an investment in her father's business. Her early marriage to Felix was terrible but she held on. He had not stopped telling her that he already had someone in his heart because he too h
/0/34420/coverbig.jpg?v=b7e108e7291e1c240f7a42ab3631faf5)
Mommy, My Daddy Is A Billionaire CEO
Debby Alessandro received a sudden text from her fiancee that he had anulled their engagement. Terribly heartbroken, she ran to her bestfriend's house to cry out her sorrow but she unexpectedly saw her fiancee and her bestfriend having s*x. She felt like her heart was being butchured by an heartless
/1/133867/coverbig.jpg?v=6e779fa0d0ac5cf5fe65614bc397c712)
My Online Lover is A Ruthless Billionaire
Dayla Stanford thought she had everything a woman could wish for: a wealthy family, a fiancé she loved, and a future she believed was secure. She was wrong. After her father's death, Dayla inherited most of his properties and wealth. But her fortune became a curse when her fiancé and stepsister co
/1/116007/coverbig.jpg?v=35fdfcd362ddb0bd4a94bba9f8e8cb0c)
My Fake Husband Is A Secret Billionaire
Clara supported her boyfriend Leo for four years, paying his rent and buying his headshots while working dead-end extra gigs. On his twenty-sixth birthday, she caught him in their bed with Veronica, a wealthy producer's daughter who constantly stole Clara's roles. Leo mocked Clara as a "pathetic,
/0/68925/coverbig.jpg?v=a45783c4de9f1908f87f6b2aa65153bc)
My billionaire husband is a CHEAT
My husband is the love of my life-gorgeous, powerful, and full of secrets. We had one perfect year of marriage before everything fell apart. Now, he reeks of cheap perfume and beautiful lies. But giving up on us, after all we've been through, is unthinkable. So, when I hear about a mechanic who fixe
