Chapter 1
1.
I’ve always had a hard time saying no. Whatever people asked, I usually just caved.
When I was desperate for cash to cover Grandma's surgery, my roommate tossed out a sneering suggestion:
"Just find a rich guy to pay your way. Be his secret girlfriend. You're good at doing what you're told, aren't you?"
That was how I ended up in a secret arrangement with Ethan Reed, the most notorious trust-fund heir at our private university.
He tossed a bank card onto the table without even looking up from his phone.
"Seven grand a month. Don't catch feelings, and don't cause trouble."
I nodded. For seven years, I stayed quietly in my lane.
Until year seven, when he dropped a bomb on me.
"I'm getting engaged. I'm setting you up with someone reliable. Go meet him this weekend."
Curled up under my blanket, I thought about what Grandma had said a few days ago, squeezing my hand.
"Sweetheart, I'm fading a little more every day."
"When are you going to find a good man and settle down? I won't rest easy until you do."
I couldn't say no to her.
If Grandma needed me married, I'd get married.
And since Ethan was setting me up, didn't that solve the problem?
So, I agreed without a fight. I even leaned in and asked earnestly,
"Okay. What's his name? How old is he? What does he do?"
Ethan’s fingers froze on the buttons of his dress shirt.
He turned his head, his expression darkening inch by inch.
"That's all you have to say?"
He gritted out the words, his jaw tight with a sudden, inexplicable surge of anger.
I blinked, racking my brain to see if I'd missed some basic courtesy.
After seven years on his payroll, I figured we should end things on a decent note.
I sat up straight and offered my best polite smile.
"Thank you for the financial support these past seven years."
"Don't worry, I won't be a problem for you or your fiancée."
Ethan's face turned thunderous.
His chest heaved as he glared at me.
"You really are an idiot."
He sneered, then grabbed his jacket and walked out without looking back.
A minute later, my phone lit up with a string of iMessages.
The first was an address for the blind date: an upscale coffee shop in River North, Chicago.
"I'm taking Claire abroad for a couple of weeks to bond."
"If you don't like the guy, don't force it. We'll talk when I get back."
"Who knows, maybe I'll even have a surprise for you."
I stared at the word 'surprise' and typed a single letter:
"K."
I couldn't care less about his surprises.
But I was dead set on taking this blind date seriously.
I might be a pushover, but Grandma's words had stuck with me. If this guy was decent, I was ready to settle down.
The next day was Saturday.
I put on a soft, clean dress, did some light makeup, and arrived at the coffee shop right on time.
Pushing open the glass door, I scanned the room.
At a prime window seat sat a strikingly handsome man.
He wore a perfectly tailored casual suit, his attention focused on a tablet. The sunlight caught the sharp line of his jaw, making it impossible to look away.
I checked the table number on my phone, took a deep breath, and walked straight over.
Pulling out the chair across from him, I sat down.
"Hi. I believe we were set up."
The man's finger paused on his screen.
He slowly looked up. His deep, dark eyes locked onto my face.
A flicker of something unreadable crossed his gaze.
My pulse spiked. Was he not interested? Did I get the wrong table?
But a second later, he smiled.
His eyes crinkled at the corners, and his voice was a low, magnetic rumble.
"Hello. I'm Adrian Sterling."