Chapter 1

At our engagement party, Alexander Grant stood there with a glass in his hand, smiling as if he had already won.

He thought that day would be the moment my reputation was ruined and I would beg him through tears for mercy.

I curved my red lips and slapped the engagement termination agreement right across his face.

"Alexander," I said, "I gladly accepted all three men you sent my way."

The second the words left my mouth, his three most trusted friends lined up right behind me.

*****

Alexander sat across from me, his long fingers tapping idly on the table, his tone full of his usual arrogance and patronizing attitude. "Evelyn, I know you love me so much that you can't live without me.

"But I think we need a little challenge between us."

I picked up my coffee and lowered my gaze, hiding the mocking look in my eyes.

Here we went again. That smug expression, like he was the only man left on earth and I couldn't possibly live without him.

He didn't notice my expression and simply unveiled his so-called "grand plan."

"To make sure you realize I'm the best choice for you, I've decided to give you a chance to see what the world has to offer," he said.

He leaned in, lowering his voice like he was bestowing a huge gift. "I have three friends: Ryan Pierce, Liam Shaw, and Nathan Sinclair.

"Ryan is an esports champion, Liam is a medical genius, and Nathan is a rising star in business.

"Starting tomorrow, they'll take turns approaching you, using every trick in the book to try and win you over."

My fingers trembled, and the coffee cup made a crisp sound against the saucer.

Alexander was clearly pleased with my reaction, his smile growing wider.

He continued, "Don't be scared. It's just a game. As long as you don't cross any lines, I'll marry you with all the fanfare once it's over.

"But if you end up falling for any of them, that proves your love for me isn't all that deep. When that happens, you'll call off the engagement yourself, and we'll walk away owing nothing to each other."

He stared at me with total confidence, like a king who ruled the whole board.

He was waiting for me to freak out, to cry and promise him I'd never leave, to shower him with praise for his so-called good intentions.

But what he offered sounded like a free lunch. I couldn't believe my luck.

He couldn't handle breaking off the engagement himself, scared to take the blame, so he cooked up this lame plan to make me quit first. And he was even packaging three top-tier hotties for me all at once.

Alexander, you really were a saint.

I slowly lifted my head, suppressing the surge of joy inside, and forced myself to look like I was on the verge of tears.

My eyes quickly grew misty, and my voice carried a barely noticeable tremor. "Alex, do you really have to put me through this?"

He leaned back in his chair, savoring my supposed pain. "Evelyn, this is the only way to make our marriage rock solid."

I took a deep breath, as if I'd made a monumental decision, and nodded hard. "Alright. I'm in."

Alexander was caught off guard, clearly didn't see me agreeing so fast.

But he quickly put on that smug, superior look again, letting out a chuckle. "Good. Hope you won't disappoint me."

I grabbed my bag, stood up, and forced a smile uglier than tears at him. "I'll try."

The moment I walked out of the café, all that sadness disappeared without a trace. Instead, I could barely hide the thrill bubbling up inside me.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from Alexander. [Tomorrow, Ryan goes first. He'll invite you to his esports club.]

I smirked and shot back a single word. [Sure.]

Challenge accepted, Alexander.

But I would be the one making the rules.

*****

The next afternoon, a flashy red Ferrari pulled up outside my building.

The window rolled down, revealing a sunny, handsome face.

Ryan, sporting bold silver hair, gave me a playful whistle.

"Hey, Evelyn, Alex sent me to pick you up." He deliberately emphasized that Alexander was the one who sent him, his eyes full of mischief and disdain.

Here came Alexander's first loyal minion.

He was quite handsome, but he didn't look very smart.

I pulled open the car door and got in, keeping my face blank. "Thank you."

Ryan was clearly surprised by how nonchalant I was. He curled his lip in annoyance, then slammed on the gas, and the Ferrari shot off like a rocket.

"Evelyn, hold on tight," he shouted.

He tried to rattle me with speed and engine noise, but I didn't blink. I simply buckled my seatbelt, slow and steady.

Seriously? This was nothing. I drove faster than this when I was out for fun.