Chapter 2

“Yes,” Alessa meekly added now. “You can’t do this to two people who love each other.”

“I can do whatever I want.” Kyle roughly said as the two brothers moved towards the two best friends.

“It wouldn’t be fair. They actually love each other. You're getting married for what? To save face? To distract the world from how cruel you can be?” Alessa was now facing those hazel eyes having a second wind of confidence run through her. However, she couldn’t help but notice how deep, dark, and mesmerizing his eyes were.

“Who is this person John? Why is she in my house, criticizing my life?” 

“She was the person I was telling you about? The other girl. She will also need to move into the mansion. My assistant, Alessa McClaire.” Madison answered for John. 

“I’ll need to do what?” Alessa exclaimed. 

Kyle’s face turned into a grin. “Oh, she is the help.”

“She is my assistant and roommate. If I move out of the apartment, she won’t have enough money to pay the rent by herself anywhere in the city. If we can both move in here, she can keep working for me and have a place to stay.” Madison begged on Alessa’s behalf, making Alessa even angrier.

“I am not moving anywhere!” Alessa argued. 

“Good. I don’t want you in my house. I have actual important matters to take care of John. Please get rid of this trespasser!” Kyle bellowed. Then with a turn of his heel, he disappeared, leaving his strong, possibly addictive cologne lingering in the air.

“Why are we moving in here?” Alessa turned to question John. She had enough of Madison answering for her very quiet fiancé.

“Hey, Alessa. Sorry, I did not expect my day to go like this. Kyle needs to fix whatever is happening in the press and Madison and I need to keep our relationship under wraps for now. Kyle was the one who suggested Madison move in here actually so we can still see each other.” John defends his brother. He really was the kinder brother. 

John, unlike Kyle, had softer features. Rounder face. Blue eyes. Blond hair. If Alessa wasn’t informed that they were brothers, she would have never known. 

“John, this is ridiculous. You can’t not get married because your brother needs—“

“I’ve made up my mind Alessa and Madison has as well,” he pointed at his secret fiancee.

“We need this Al!” Madison begged. “Please! Kyle will find someone in no time and he’ll get married even faster. Trust me! By then, no doubt, we’ll be out of this mess at PHAT News too.”

Alessa had no choice. She had to go along with this. She had to move into Kyle Danny's mansion. If not for PHAT, if not for Madison, for herself, because as it stands she was also skint broke and without a penny to her name. Just like Madison, she had given all her money to the success of their failing magazine. 

“Fine!” She begrudgingly accepted her fate.

****

It was the next night. After John had taken Madison and Alessa out to celebrate this new turn of events, they all were in the process of moving their possessions into the mansion. 

Alessa struggled as she carried not one, but two relatively heavy cardboard boxes that were also obstructing her view. Not seeing the high mansion thresholds, she tripped inside. Great start to my new life, she thought. Thankfully, something stopped her and her boxes from slamming into the beautifully shiny black marble floor. 

“A girl who can’t even move two things without almost killing herself has the gall to judge me?” Kyle Danny’s voice boomed through the boxes.

Alessa lowered the boxes to face her enemy. “What, you’ve never tripped before in your life?” She smirked. “You're so perfect, you never make any mistakes?”

“That’s right! Never!” He snarled.

Kyle began to walk away, and Alessa stuck one of her feet out to the side. Kyle took the bait and tripped right over it, stumbling just like Alessa had. He was right, however, he didn’t fall. Instead, he took hold of Alessa, causing her to finally drop the boxes. Kyle, meanwhile, regained his composure. “Never!” He repeated.

“Al, why did you carry the boxes!” Madison’s voice entered the mansion.

“I didn’t want John to carry everything alone!” Alessa voiced.

“He was going to ask the servants to do it,” Madison said matter-of-factly.

Alessa's slightly round face went pink. Of course, they were going to have the servants finish the dirty work. “Oh,” she quietly added.

“The servants—or rather a servant—is moving the boxes.” Kyle loudly added, causing the pink on her cheeks to turn fully red. “Though if you were a servant of mine, you’d be fired.”

“Kyle, come on man. You agreed to let them move in. Let’s be good hosts.” John, who had entered with Madison, encouraged.

“Madison is more than welcome. Riff-raff here will have to work off her rent!” He added this final comment like it was a word from god. There was no room for arguments with him.

“Kyle!” John urged.

“What? And where will she be staying? I think the servant's quarters in the basement are all full. We should talk to Mrs.Rafferty.” Kyle egged-on.

“He is joking. I’ve asked the maids to prepare two bedrooms in the guest halls of the mansion.” John added to Alessa.

“I’ve not agreed to this!” Kyle’s voice boomed.

“I don’t care where I sleep, Mr.Danny.” Alessa calmly said. “I am thankful for your brother's kindness. He must have learned that from someone else, and I am not afraid of hard work. If there is something that needs to be done in my new temporary home, I am happy to help.” She added extra emphasis on the word temporary. 

Kyle huffed at her snarky reply but didn’t admit defeat. “Our dishwasher is broken. My servants have never washed them by hand, but you're new. Maybe you can help out since you don’t mind. I like to wake up to a clean kitchen so make sure all the dishes are washed before tomorrow morning. If you don’t want to be kicked out of the house that is.”