Chapter 1

About a year ago...

“You can’t do one thing right!” The man on the video screamed. “I asked you to do one thing. Book a reservation for 11:30, how can you not get that one task completed?” He bellowed even louder. 

“I am sorry sir!” The lady in the video begged. 

“Sorry isn’t going to fix the fact that the investor I was supposed to meet left because I was half an hour late.” His voice got louder. 

“This video was leaked to the press a few days ago and it has already begun to negatively affect the Camelot stock. Kyle Danny has yet to make a statement on this matter. Though the press is expecting him to make an apology soon.” The man and woman were now in a smaller box on top of the phone screen and a news reporter appeared in the center. 

“This! This is the guy who is supposed to help PHAT News. I don’t want his bailout.” Alessa said to her best friend Madison as they sipped their coffee at a coffee shop near their New York office. Alessa clicked off her phone, turning off the yelling man, the crying girl, and the news reporter. 

Kyle Danny and Alessa had never met before. She had briefly seen him one day as she left the Danny mansion for a party John—Kyle’s equally rich but 1000% nicer, brother—had invited her to. Kyle, of course, ignored all the guests and rudely walked away even though John invited him to join the party. He was in short, an ass. 

“Well, if we don’t, we will be homeless by the end of the month. I can either pay rent for our apartment or for the PHAT office.” Madison shrugged. 

“Geeze, things are that bad?” Alessa sighed. 

“Advertisers are pulling out, Al. We have very little foot traffic now. It was fine when I was still modeling and being interviewed so I could drum up some business for our new online magazine. Now, there is just too much competition.” 

Alessa took a long drawn-out breath. “Fine. I guess we have to do what we have to.”

“Look, John said his brother never says no to him. He may yell at unsuspecting and naive young assistants, but he is a softie for his brother.” 

“You are making Kyle Danny sound worse! How can two brothers be so different? John is so kind, while Kyle–he is a yelling misogynist!” Alessa yelled, slamming her coffee cup on the table, and having some of the hot contents spill onto her arm. “Ouch.”

“I know! John–he is just–”

“The best boyfriend ever?” Alessa teases Madison, wiping her hands. 

“Well yes! It's been the perfect year with him! Al, he is the best! So Kyle really can’t be that bad, right?” Madison hopefully said. “Speaking of which—“ she looked at the time on her phone. “He’s asked me to meet today morning. You think you can take care of the morning meeting for me?”

“Of course!” 

Madison and Alessa parted ways as Alessa headed to the office, ready to face the music of the PHAT News staff who had not been paid last week.

As Alessa briefed the small staff at PHAT News about the monetary struggle of their company, she ignored the billion messages and calls from Madison. Once Alessa was able to answer all the questions of the nervous staff members, she took a look at her phone to read the string of Madison’s messages.

Pick up!

Pick up!

Fine! don’t, but you won't hear the news in person. I can’t hold it in. 

Al, he proposed!

The ring is huge. I just sent you the picture!

He also said Kyle is free today. So I am going to talk to him!

Those messages came within minutes of each other. The next one was a few hours later. 

Hey, call me when you can. We need to talk, ASAP.

Alessa beamed at her phone. She couldn’t wait to celebrate with her best friend. The person who bailed Alessa out when she quit college after she lost her dad. The person whom Alessa has been beside since they were kids. This was her moment. Madison was finally going to marry the man of her dreams. 

She rang Madison as soon as the last person from PHAT left.

“Ahhh!! You're engaged!” She screamed into her phone. 

“Yeah, you haven’t told anyone yet, have you?” Madison seriously said.

“No, no one.” Alessa brought her tone down to normal.

“Good, because Kyle has asked us not to.” 

Madison said, her sniffling coming through the phone loud and clear. 

“Madison! What’s going on?” Alessa asked.

“Turns out we are going to have money to pay for everything, except we are not going to be able to live in our apartment anymore. And John and I are not going to be able to get married.” Madison was now full-on crying. 

“Where are you?” Alessa quickly asked.

“At the Danny mansion, but don’t come. John and Kyle are talking in Kyle’s office. I am just waiting outside.”

“Alone?” Alessa verified.

“Yes.” 

“That’s it, I am coming! How can this entitled, spoiled asshole ask you this?” Alessa was back to screaming for another reason. “Let me talk to him.” She bravely said, sticking out her chest. “I am going to give him a piece of my mind!”

****

Alessa knocked on the tall wooden door only to be let in by one of the maids of the house. She ran through the long, open living room to find her friend on their grand couch shaped like a U, crying.

“Madison!” She yelled out for her.

“Alessa. I told you not to come!” She howled but got up to receive the hug Alessa offered. They both sat back down.

“What did they say?”

“He told me he would bail us out but right now, he was asked by the board members of Camelot to fix his video leak situation, and since he refused to apologize they have told him to fix his image with the female population. They want him to get married first. He is the CEO, and John and I's wedding can’t overshadow his.” She cried into Alessa’s chest.

“He is getting married? To who?” Alessa thought what unlucky girl will have to put up with his tantrums?

“He doesn’t know.”

“Then how does it overshadow his wedding? He doesn’t have anyone! You two have a relationship and are engaged.”

“He needs to find a bride ASAP, and marry her!”

“He is going to force some poor girl to marry him? Isn’t he.”

“Not someone poor. Knowing Kyle—which I barely do—but I know one thing. He is going to kill two birds with one stone. He is going to marry someone rich who helps Camelot’s image and his bank numbers. He won’t marry for love.”

“What is wrong with that man? Does he not have a heart? He already runs his office like a dictatorship. He has no sense of how to treat people. Forget his brother's new fiancee but I’ve never even seen him say something nice to his own brother!” Alessa berated out.

“Is that right?” She heard a gruff voice behind her. She turned around to find a pair of hazel green eyes, filled with the fire of hate, a sharp face, and slick back black hair beside a piece that had escaped to dance in front of his left eye. It was Kyle Danny, dressed in a fancy three-piece navy blue suit, and he did not seem happy.