Love Arrangements

ANGELA

I was living the dream. You might call me a modern bohemian artist, but I wasn’t struggling. I was rolling in money.

I was fresh out of college with an arts degree, spending my days painting and my nights partying with my artsy friends. Sometimes, I’d accompany my grandmother to fancy events.

Did I enjoy those events? Not really, but I couldn’t say no to Nana. She understood me and my passion for art. She was always there for me, through the good times and the bad.

You might think these fancy events were just a way to find me a husband. But that wasn’t the case, even though my grandmother was under pressure to find a successor for her multimillion-dollar empire. Someone young and sharp-minded who could take over as CEO when she retired.

That wasn’t me. But she never gave up on me.

Was I the heir my grandmother wanted for her empire? Definitely not. I didn’t have a head for business. Neither did my mother.

That’s probably why she left me at my grandparents’ door when I was a baby and disappeared. The shock worsened my grandfather’s mental health and he eventually passed away. But Nana loved me and spoiled me. Everyone knew how much we adored each other.

And that’s part of the reason I ended up here. Where’s here? A mental institution. And it wasn’t because of my lifestyle.

Well, not exactly. But let me give you some backstory.

It all started when my grandmother died. I lost it. I spiraled out of control and lost touch with reality. Or so I thought.

So here I am, at the mercy of Dr. Xavier Knights. Despite his angelic looks and perfect body, his gaze burns my skin.

He hates me, that much is clear. But I won’t give up. I need him as much as he needs me. This isn’t a real marriage. It’s not forever.

It’s a business deal—nothing more, nothing less. Time is something I don’t have, and he’s proving to be a tough nut to crack.

But he’s going to sign that contract. He’s my only hope of getting my life back and getting my revenge.

After all, I’m Alitta Carson’s granddaughter. And she was no quitter. Neither am I.

XAVIER

I wasn’t supposed to be here. This wasn’t my plan.

I dreamed of taking over my dad’s company. But when the day came, everything fell apart.

It started with a newspaper article accusing my father of embezzlement. Then the IRS came knocking. Everything pointed to my father being guilty.

He swore he was innocent, but innocent men don’t run away in the middle of the night without saying goodbye to their son.

A month later, an angel-in-disguise made the board an offer they couldn’t refuse. I lost everything, and Knights Industries was gone.

Did I mention I became a pariah overnight?

Of course, I did. No one believed my dad could have done everything on his own, including disappearing. But they couldn’t tie me to anything. Still, the Manhattan elite shunned me.

So, I used the few connections I had left and my charm—because let’s face it, I’m a good-looking guy—to get this job.

Do I love working in a mental institution? Hell no. But I don’t have the money to open my own practice.

I should have listened to my dad’s sixth wife and gone into plastic surgery. I would have been rich.

But no, I had to be the good son and follow the plan. And look how well that worked out!

The only good thing was finding out my dad had set aside some money for me in an escrow account. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

But something didn’t feel right. I had a feeling there was foul play involved, so I did some digging.

Was I surprised to find out our biggest rival took over our company and probably had a hand in the whole scandal? Not really.

But finding her granddaughter in my office for a psychiatric evaluation on my day off? That left me speechless.

And everything that followed took my breath away. A one-year partnership. Getting my CEO position back. Revenge. My life and status restored. And Angela Carson is quite the looker, to sweeten the deal.

She’s offering me everything I ever wanted. All I have to do is sign on the dotted line. It’s that simple.

So why does it feel like I’m selling my soul? Probably because I hate her and I’d rather rot in this hellhole than help her.