Mason's POV 

Candice's response didn't guarantee whether or not she was coming to New York. I had invited her last night, but her hesitation stung. "It's too soon to plan a wedding when we just got engaged," she said. The frustration gnawed at me.

My father had already invited the Prescotts over for dinner today, and this whole alliance fiasco had thrown me into chaos. One moment, I was planning a romantic dinner for my fiancée, and the next, I was dealing with a wedding my father was arranging for me and some stranger. Yes, I am aware of the relationship my dad has with the Prescott's but I thought it ended when Michael Prescott died years ago.

I sent Candice a text, asking her to come to New York so I could explain things to her properly. I headed to the bathroom to freshen up, awaiting her response with bated breath.

~~~~

On my way to the office, a reply came in. "Fine, but I'll be arriving next week. I still have a ton of photo shoots this week."

I groaned upon reading her text, next week is too far. I need her to come here today. "Can't you just come over today? Please love, It's important." I texted back. I never used "please" unless it was with Candice. She could be stubborn, but she was the one person I loved, flaws and all. 

Her response was swift. "I can't, babe; I need to work. At least one of us has to keep a steady income." 

Her words stung, a reminder of the inequality she saw between us. She didn't mean to hurt me, but even if she did, I don't care. Like I said, flaws and all. I ignored her text and focused on finding another solution.

~~~~

When I arrived at the office, my assistant was waiting for me. 

"Good day, sir," she greeted, "I'm here to inform you that you'll be meeting with Mr Marino at 2 pm." 

I nodded, acknowledging the information. "You can go. Hold on, cancel my schedule for tomorrow. I'll be visiting one of the restaurants tomorrow."

She paused halfway through the door. "Your father also asked me to remind you that this partnership means a lot to this company. He wants you to make sure Mr Marino is pleased with our work."

I chuckled softly, my dad still didn't trust me to do a good job. He should be thanking me for making this company what it is today. "You can go." I dismissed her.

As she left, I focused on the work in front of me, determined not to be late for my meeting with Mr Marino.

~~~~

The meeting with Mr Marino was cordial. 

"It's nice doing business with you, Mason," he said, shaking my hand.

"Likewise, Mr Marino. I hope we continue this successful partnership."

"Please, call me Enzo. We're almost the same age," he replied with a friendly smile. Enzo is just a year older than me. Though I admire his work, I kept my distance. His ties with the Italian mafia made me wary. I've heard so much about his illegal activities and ruthless nature, and he has been living up to his reputation. 

As we concluded our meeting, my assistant informed me that my sister was waiting for me in my office. I don't have time to deal with her right now but I also know sending her home isn't an option. That girl is like a leach.

~~~~

Returning to my office, Julie had already made herself comfortable while waiting for me.

"Finally, I thought you'd be stuck in there all day." She exclaimed as I entered. "Were you planning on sleeping there?"

"I didn't ask you to come here," I replied, my tone sarcastic.

Julie rolled her eyes. "Oh please. You know you can't live without me. Anyway, I just needed to leave the house for a bit. I don't want to spend too much time with Dad before he decides to arrange my wedding as well." She taunted me. I seriously doubt my dad would do that to her, she's his favorite. 

I smirked. "Not funny, Julie. Shouldn't you be preparing for tonight's dinner?" I already knew what her answer would be.

"Are you kidding? I can't stand Blair. She's a walking disaster and so full of herself," Julie said, clearly unimpressed.

Julie kept me up last night, giving me different reasons why I shouldn't marry that girl. She's a model, just like Candice. Honestly, I don't even know why I listened, and I don't have time for drama. But what surprised me was when Julie said my dad wasn't very fond of this girl. So why does he want me to marry her? He must care for his late friend, Michael Prescott.

"I don't know how to get out of this mess," I confessed. 

"Hey, he's your father too." Julie retorted.

"I doubt that," I muttered.

"I thought you called your girlfriend, Candice?" She asked.

"She said she'll be coming next week, but I only have until tomorrow," I said, frustration creeping into my voice. 

Julie's expression turned thoughtful. "You know I'm not a fan of Candice but I hate Blair more. Plus, you're crazy in love. So I'll come up with a solution, just let me search through my brain for something." She said, determined. 

Julie never likes anyone, I've never heard her talk about someone she likes except her boyfriend, Kyle. The day she visited me in Paris, she saw Candice yelling at an old lady, and since then, she's never liked the idea of us being together.

I was skeptical. "What idea could you possibly come up with, silly?"

Julie's face lit up. "I've got it," she yelled and jumped like she just solved the world's hardest puzzle. "What if you get a substitute bride? It's temporary. You set clear terms, and once Candice arrives, you divorce her."

I stared at her, stunned. "Have you lost your senses, that's the dumbest thing you've ever said."

"Not if you handle it right. I'll have a lawyer friend draft a contract for you. Just tell me what you want included," she explained. 

I hesitated. "And what if she refuses to get divorced?" I can't believe I considered this idea. I guess I'm the crazy one.

"Don't worry about that, my friend's got it covered. That's why we need a lawyer." 

"I already have a lawyer..."

"You probably don't know this, but your lawyer takes orders from Dad, and if you go to him, I'm one hundred percent sure Dad will find out about it, so this is the safest route." 

I was shocked by what she told me. I should have known my dad had people watching me. I'll have to send someone to keep an eye on Candice. I can't afford to let my dad meet with her before he ruins this for me too. 

"Please don't let Dad know I told you. He'll never trust me again." Julie pleaded. I know she cares about both of us and is just trying to fix things with me and my dad.

"I won't but I don't know if I can find someone that fast."

Julie's idea was surprising, but it made sense. 

"You'll have to do that yourself, I can't help with that. Just go out, you'll find someone. Didn't Dad ask you to go supervise the restaurant? There will be lots of girls there, just let your heart guide you." She said dramatically.

"Shut up, leach. I'm not looking for love, just a temporary solution." I said, shaking my head at her childish behavior. 

Julie laughed. "You never know what the future holds, brother; maybe you might end up falling for your substitute bride. I just read about a similar story but she was a surrogate." I knew it, she always does this. After reading those fictional books, she'll start meddling in my love life. 

"Why don't you experiment on your relationship and leave me alone."

"Kyle isn't around now, he's in London. Why do you think I'm here?"

"Alright, thanks for stopping by, now leave." I faked being upset.

"That was a joke, I'm not leaving without you."

"We should probably get going; it's getting quite late," I said, looking at my watch. I'm glad Julie came, her presence made my day less gloomy.

"Hmm, I hate how the thought of going home takes your smile away." She muttered sadly.

"I have my own house, Julie. You know the only reason I'm still there is because of you. That place stopped being my home the day Dad sent me to France. I'll have to move back to my penthouse once this is settled."

"I'm going to visit you every day once you move out, so you better get ready. No peace for you." She said, making us both laugh. I may hate the fact that my dad remarried so quickly but I never blame Julie or her mom. Her mother was a victim of my dad's carelessness.

"Looking forward to it," I said, smiling. 

"Let's go," I said after keeping all my files in my drawer. I glanced at my watch and it was getting late. Despite my frustrations with my father and the arranged marriage, having Julie around was comforting.

Mason's POV 

The dinner table was filled with different kinds of food. When I first walked in, I thought we were having a feast and not just some casual dinner. Dinner with the Prescott's seemed to be the longest I'd ever had, my first instinct when I saw the face of the girl I was supposed to marry was to find a way to escape this dinner. Yes, she was undeniably beautiful, but she seemed like the kind of girl who would become super clingy once I gave the wrong signals; I already had a woman I loved very much. So no matter how pretty she was, Candice would always be the most beautiful woman in my eyes. 

"Blair here has always had a huge crush on Mason ever since she was in high school." Lenora, Blair's mother announced. I hadn't been following the conversation closely, so I had no idea what they were discussing for her to say that. A crush from high school? It was irrelevant and, quite frankly, annoying. I could care less about some stupid crush.

"Mom! Why would you say that?" Blair's face turned crimson like I gave a fuck about that. I just wanted this torture to end.

"Did you hear that Mason? Look how much she's blushing." Margaret's voice cut through my thoughts, attempting to draw me into the conversation. 

I respect Margaret a lot, and I see her as a mother even though I never address her as such, but I won't give in to this. So I remained silent and kept my opinion to myself.

"Margaret just spoke to you, Mason. Stop being a snob." My father interjected, breaking his silence. 

"If I married just because of a stupid crush, I'd probably have to marry every woman in New York," I retorted, my irritation clear. Julie chuckled, earning herself a disapproving glance from her mom. Just as my dad opened his mouth to respond, my phone rang. It was Candice.

"Excuse me," I said, rising from my seat. 

"Work?" Julie asked, her curiosity evident.

"No, it's Candice," I replied before stepping away from the dining area. I wondered why she was calling now, maybe she changed her mind.

"Who's Candice?" Blair's voice reached me as I walked away. 

"Oh, just his fiance," Julie answered, her tone dismissive. I smirked, hoping Blair would take the hint and retreat gracefully. 

"Hello gorgeous," I greeted as I answered the phone.

"Sorry sir, this is Mia, Miss Candice's assistant. She asked me to inform you about a change of plans. She'll be arriving in New York by the end of the month." Mia's voice crackled through the line. 

"What, why? Where is she and why didn't she inform me herself?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Miss Candice is currently occupied, so she asked me to let you know sir," Mia replied. I hung up, frustrated. 

She always does this whenever she is trying to avoid explaining. She just asks her assistant to pass the message across. I knew I was always the one making efforts in our relationship but now it felt like she was drifting away from me. Maybe I'm just overthinking, she just has a lot of work to do. I just hope Julie's plan doesn't fail and also doesn't backfire.

Deciding to escape the suffocating dinner, I chose to go visit my mom's grave. I don't mind if it's late or not, I just feel at peace whenever I go there.

~~~~

As I drove through the dimly lit streets, my mind wandered to Candice. Call me lovesick or whatever, I don't care. When I met her for the first time, I thought she was like everyone else who was always after my wealth, but I discovered she had no idea who I was, and that was when I decided to test her. We went on our first date and when she asked what I did for a living, I told her I was a journalist.

She didn't seem to care about status, she was already successful on her own. We dated for a few months and then I proposed. I plan on telling her the truth once she comes here.

I was still driving when I got a text from my dad, he was furious but I didn't care. When I looked back at the road, I saw a girl walking right in the middle. By the time I noticed her, I had already hit her, I think so. Panic surged through me as I pulled over and rushed out of the car. 

"Miss, are you okay?" I asked, my voice trembling with concern. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." She muttered, brushing herself off as I helped her up. Thank goodness. Relief washed over me. 

"Why would you walk in the middle of the street like that?" I scolded, my frustration seeping through.

"Well, cars don't usually come by here at night. But I'm sorry, I wasn't paying much attention." She admitted, her apology making me feel guilty for being too harsh. 

"Where are you going? Let me give you a ride." I offered, feeling a twinge of guilt. I'll just visit Mom some other time.

"No need sir, we're going opposite directions anyway." She declined politely. This place was lonely for a girl to walk by herself. She looked like she was around Julie's age.

"I insist, it's not safe for you to be out here by yourself." I urged. After a moment of hesitation, she agreed. I didn't ask her name, it felt unnecessary. I just concluded she already knows who I am.

~~~~

The drive back was quiet. When we reached a busier area, she asked me to stop.

"Thanks for the ride," she said, but her voice was cautious.

I decided to be polite and ask her what her name was. "You didn't tell me your name."  

"I don't remember you telling me yours either." She replied.

"I didn't realize you had no idea who I was," I replied, intrigued by her response. 

"Sorry, but I don't know who you are, so I can't just tell you my name. Thanks for the ride though, stranger." She said before leaving. I guess not everyone here knows me.

~~~~

The next morning, I prepared to go to the restaurant. Julie offered to accompany me, which I'm grateful for by the way.

"Good morning, Mr. Grumpy; ready to go wife hunting?" She teased, whispering the last part before chuckling. I hate when her jokes are about me. 

Twenty minutes later, we arrived at the bustling restaurant. The whole place was packed, it's good to see this place is still running. It's been a while since I last visited.

I asked Julie to wait for me in the VIP section while I spoke with the manager.

~~~~

After I met with Mr Stephen, the restaurant manager, Julie and I decided to check out the food and the menu.

"Bro I think it's time to make a few changes to the menu," Julie suggested as we inspected it. "I mean, these dishes have been the same for 6 years now." She was right about that.

"You're right, I was also thinking about remodeling this place," I said, noting the lack of younger people. "We aimed to attract college students and professors, but it's mostly people having business meetings."

"Yeah, the purpose of building this place close to a university was with hopes of getting this place filled with college students, professors, and so on but I've not seen one person who's not dressed like the president just died. No offense bro." Typical Julie always finds a way to make fun of me.

"Where's the waiter, I'm starving." We didn't eat breakfast and it's already noon.

"Oh shoot, I don't think I can wait for lunch. I have to meet up with a friend." She said, glancing at her phone.

"In that case, I'll be on my way---"

"What no, this could be a sign. You can find yourself a wife while I'm gone. Trust the universe bro." She smiled.

"Fine, but I'm staying 'cause I'm starving, not because you said so. The universe doesn't determine who I pick, I do." I said, more for the food than any notion of finding a potential bride. 

"Whatever old man. Bye," she said, leaving before I could respond. 

~~~~

As I waited for my food, I was engrossed in my phone, not bothering to look away from it as the waitress placed my order on the table. I finally looked up when I felt a liquid being spilled on my suit.

"What the hell?" I snapped, glaring at her.

"Oh my..." She stammered, knocking over a plate of steak. "Shit, I'm so sorry sir. I didn't mean to."

I was beyond pissed right now, how could she be so clumsy. As I opened my mouth to lash out, I suddenly recognized her. She's the same girl I almost knocked down last night. Her shocked expression mirrored my surprise. Was I crazy, or was this a sign like Julie said?

My phone rang, and Julie's name appeared on the screen; she just left, so why was she calling now? 

"Whatever you have to do, be fast about it." Julie's voice crackled through the line. 

"What's going on?"

"Dad already informed the press about your wedding and the date's been fixed." Panic surged through me. I hung up and turned to the waitress. 

"Don't just stand there. Show me the washroom."

Raven's POV

It's been two months since I caught my sister, Blair, in bed with my boyfriend. Scratch that, ex-boyfriend, Jamie. The shock of the betrayal still stings, and my life has been on repeat since the incident. I just sleep, eat, read, attend lectures, and repeat the whole process. 

Telling my mom about Blair's infidelity was a disastrous mistake. Not only did she dismiss my accusations as baseless, but she also decided to punish me by cutting off my allowance. According to her, I was disrupting the harmony of our "perfect" family with my groundless claims. 

Sometimes, I just want to run far away, but I have nowhere to go, so I'll just wait till I graduate from college, and then, I'm out of here.

To the outside world, I have the perfect family. I mean, when you have a mom who's successful like mine and my sister who's one of the best models, you'll get what I mean.

My mother runs a modeling agency, while Blair also works at the agency as a model. She's the face of the company, the crown jewel in my mother's empire. My mom takes pride in Blair's success, and I'm pretty sure she'll be taking over ABES (A Beacon Of Elegance And Success) when my mom retires. Oh, and by the way, that's the name of my mom's agency. 

I've always dreamt of working with them, I had so many ideas for the company. I didn't want to work as a model but as a fashion designer, I planned on transforming ABES from a modeling agency into a full-fledged fashion house. But my mom never listened to any of my suggestions, she said I'm not fit to be a model and I'm not pretty. So I stopped trying to explain to her since she didn't want to give me a chance to speak.

I have always wondered what I did wrong, and how my mom and Blair developed this hatred for me. 

One time I thought of showing her my designs so she'd know I was good at making designs for clothes and shoes, but then I heard her telling some of her partners that I was as good as not having a daughter because I was good for nothing.

She was on a business call and I guess the person asked why I wasn't working in the agency yet. It was at that moment I decided not to tell anyone about all the drawings I had. Knowing my mom, she would probably take them from me and launch them, claiming she made them and I couldn't do a thing if she did. No one would believe me. Not many people knew I even existed.

Sitting at my desk, I buried myself in my textbooks. My final exams were just around the corner. My concentration was shattered when my mother stormed into my room, she looked at me as if I was the ugliest thing she'd ever seen. 

"Hi, Mom," I said, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. 

She scrutinized me with a disdainful glare. "I see you've become rude, is that how you greet your elders now?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. 

"No Mom, I'm sorry. I was just surprised to see you here. I mean, you haven't been here for a very long time. It's just..." I stammered, my anxiety making my words tumble out in a disorganized rush. I always got nervous whenever she was around, you could say I was terrified of her.

"Might I remind you who the owner of this house is?" She snapped. Her glare was like a physical weight, making it hard to breathe. "Did you think this was a holiday home?" I flinched. Her words were harsh, but they were nothing new. 

"Besides you should be happy I even graced this dumpster with my presence." Yeah, narcissist much? No wonder she and Blair get along so well. They only love themselves. 

"I'm talking to you." She snapped her fingers in my face. Shit, I zoned out again. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." I tried my best not to upset her. 

"I see you've managed to get yourself into a comfortable routine," she continued, "but let's be clear, you're an adult now. It's time you start thinking about your future so you won't have to keep munching off of me."

Her words were like a knife twisting in my gut. "Mom, I... I don't understand what you mean." I asked though I had a sinking feeling about where this was headed.

"What are you, 5?" She scoffed. "At twenty years old, you should be prepared to support yourself. Blair managed to buy her place at eighteen." She said, her voice rising with every word. "You're twenty, and you're still living off me. You're good for nothing."

I felt a surge of anger and frustration. "You can't compare me with Blair, Mom. I don't get the same support as Blair does. I barely get my allowance, and it's only enough to cover my tuition fees. How am I supposed to afford an apartment?"

Her response was a chilling smile. 

"Need I remind you that ABES isn't the only place in the world where you could get a job? Blair deserves her position because she's earned it. You, on the other hand, don't even deserve the things you get." Her words were like ice-cold water, numbing my senses. "You've been cut off. As soon as you graduate, don't expect any support from me. You'll be out of here, and to make things clearer, Mr Clinton will be considering you as his new wife." She declared with finality. 

The room spun as her words echoed in my mind. How could she do this to me? I barely had time to process her departure before the door slammed shut, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The weight of her words pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe. I was so weak right now, was that my mom or someone else? How could she even say that to her daughter? What did she mean by I don't deserve any of this? 

All these questions kept haunting me through the night. I need to find a way to escape whatever plans she made with that old man.

~~~~

The next day, I decided to visit my dad's grave. I may not have met him, but I always felt like my life would have turned out differently if he were here.

Blair and my mom were out at the Barretts for dinner, which meant I had the house to myself. I headed to the cemetery, the quiet graveyard was like a balm to my frayed nerves. I spent a few moments by the grave, speaking to the man I never knew, sharing my frustrations and dreams with him. 

~~~~

My mom cut me off just like she said she would, and she still hasn't bothered to know how I was surviving without any allowance. I knew a day like this would come, which was why I got a job as a waitress, but I couldn't help but think she would be worried about me. I guess a part of me wanted her to care, a part of me craved her affection. I know working as a waitress wasn't the glamorous start to a career I had hoped for, but it was a start.  I did my best to remain positive despite the grueling hours.

Now I have to balance school and work; it's tough, but I don't have a choice. I read on my breaks, then continue at night. I have some money saved up but I still need to work if I ever want to live on my own. I wasn't going to sit and wait for my mom to kick me out or, worse, marry me off to some old man. 

"Dahlia, take this order to the VIP section, table 6." Mariah, the head chef, ordered. "Hurry up, we still have to attend to the other customers."

I grabbed the order and headed to table 6. As I was serving the customer, my hands trembled slightly, causing me to spill wine on his suit. 

"Oh my..." Before I could even apologize, I accidentally knocked over the plate of food, splattering it all over him. "Shit. I'm so sorry, sir; I didn't mean to." I blurted out, my face flushing with embarrassment. I recognized him immediately, he was the same man that almost knocked me down on the street last night.

His face darkened with anger, and I braced myself for the inevitable tirade. I think he also remembered who I was but his phone rang before he could speak. As he spoke to the person on the phone, irritation was evident on his face.

"What's going on?" He demanded, his voice laced with frustration as he spoke into the phone. 

I hung around nervously, waiting for him to finish his call. When he hung up, he looked at me with a mixture of irritation and exasperation. He groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. I wonder who that was, better still if he's going to take his anger out on me. I just started working here.

"Don't just stand there, show me the washroom." He ordered. And I did a silent prayer so I don't lose my job today. Oh God please save me today.

I led him to the restroom, trying to remain calm. He began removing his shirt, and I felt a surge of panic. I was on the verge of leaving when he spoke. 

"And where do you think you're going, little girl?"

"Back to work, sir," I replied, trying to sound as composed as possible. 

"Did I say you could leave?" His tone was icy. 

I swallowed hard. "Is there anything else you'd like me to do for you, sir?" I couldn't afford to annoy him further. 

"Here, clean this up and be fast about it." He handed me his stained shirt, and I set to work with a heavy heart. 

The restroom was quiet except for the occasional rustle of clothing and the sound of him speaking on the phone. "Did you get my text?" His anger was palpable, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. This was my second week on the job, and I had already made a terrible impression. 

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. A man in a suit entered, carrying a bag. 

"What took you so long, Fredrick?" The customer asked, his voice strained. 

"I'm sorry boss, there was..." Fredrick tried to explain but was cut off by Mr. Grumpy over here.

"Save it, I don't have time for excuses." He snapped, taking the bag and pulling out a fresh shirt. He had another shirt and still asked me to clean up the first one.

The silence was heavy, he looked at me with a mixture of frustration and something else. For a second I thought I saw a glimmer of desperation in his eyes.

"You can leave that." He told me. He was on his phone and it seems he was trying to reach someone but couldn't. "Come here." He called for me.

"I'm sorry about your shirt sir." I apologized, not knowing what else to say.

"Listen," he began. "I need a favor. I want you to marry me."

I blinked, unsure if I had heard him correctly. "Excuse me!"

"It's just temporary," he continued, clearly sensing my confusion. "I need to sort some things out, and once that's done, you're free to leave."

I stared at him, disbelief etched on my face. "With all due respect sir, I can't marry you." Was this guy mentally unstable? How did that sound in his head?

He sighed, running his hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "I understand your hesitation. But it's a complicated situation. I'm under pressure to resolve certain issues quickly, and this is a way to buy some time."

I shook my head, feeling overwhelmed. "I don't know what kind of problems you're dealing with, but this isn't something I can just agree to without understanding more. Besides,  temporary or not, marriage is a big commitment. I'm not sure this is something I can handle."