Chapter One
"Diane!!!" Elsa Jefferson's voice echoed down the hallway, sharp and insistent.
"Mom!!!" Diane shot back, frustration lacing her tone.
"I told you to go on a date with Jeffery Black! You said you would, but you were nowhere to be found! Do you know how angry the Blacks are now?!" Elsa's words cut through Diane's morning haze like a whip.
"I had something to do, Mom," Diane said, trying to keep her voice calm.
"Something more important than the Blacks?!?" Elsa demanded, her brows knitting in exasperation.
"Me, Mom!" Diane snapped, the volume rising. "Me! My happiness! My life!"
Her mother's expression softened slightly, the steel giving way to concern. "Honey… you know I love you. Nothing is more important than you."
"But Mom," Diane began, her voice trembling.
"No buts, Diane," Elsa interrupted, her tone a mixture of warning and pleading. "Think about the benefits. Think about what this could do for you, your siblings… even for your father and me."
Diane's laughter was bitter. "Mom, I have my own money, my own mansion, and the largest fashion empire in the country. What else is there to gain from this? Why doesn't anyone ever ask what I want?" She felt a swell of tears press behind her eyes.
Elsa sighed, a faint tremor in her hands as she left the room. The door clicked softly behind her. Diane leaned against it, laughing and sobbing at the same time. Her mother loved her, yes… but what about her happiness? Why did it always have to be about others?
Defeated, Diane slipped to the floor, resting her forehead against the cool wood. After a few minutes, she forced herself upright and reached for her phone, scrolling until she found the one contact that always understood her: Chelsea.
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"Hey D, what's up?" Chelsea's voice was calm, warm, grounding. She closed her laptop and leaned back against her pillows.
"Hey Chels… you busy?" Diane asked, her voice breaking slightly.
"Not for you, my baby," Chelsea laughed softly.
Diane exhaled sharply. "Chels… they're forcing me again."
Chelsea's tone shifted instantly to concern. "D, what's going on?! Is it the Black thing? Calm down and tell me!"
Diane bit her lip, trying to steady her voice. "I was supposed to have lunch with Jeffery Black today… but I didn't go. I think I know what my parents are trying to do. They want us to click, to form some connection… to get married. So we can be connected to the Blacks and… get richer."
Chelsea snorted, half in disbelief. "Oh come on, D. You know they can't actually sell you off, right?"
"They can!" Diane hissed. "You don't know my mom. She's… convincing. She can make anyone do anything. Anything at all."
Chelsea's voice suddenly broke as a male shout erupted in the background. "Sorry, D… gotta go! Dad's calling!" And just like that, the line went dead.
Diane slammed her phone down on the bed. Ugh. My life sucks.
She curled up under her duvet, her thoughts spinning. Love had already hurt her once… why risk it again, especially with a man she had never met, a man whose name carried both prestige and expectation?
---
Meanwhile, across town, Jeffery Black's morning was descending into frustration. The idea of giving up his playboy lifestyle for a girl he didn't even know made his blood boil. He tried to invent excuses — a fake girlfriend, a sudden work commitment — but his parents were unwavering. Grandpa and the family board had given him a strict deadline: marry or risk losing the inheritance, including the CEO position he had been groomed for since childhood.
"Baby, come back to bed…" The familiar sultry voice of the woman from last night cut through his thoughts.
"No, thank you. Get out!" he snapped, rising from the bed. Normally, he avoided repeating liaisons. Twice in a row was unacceptable.
She stepped closer, attempting to grab his arm. "Come on, you know you want me…"
His patience snapped. He grabbed the discarded clothes at the foot of the bed and threw them at her, voice rising. "Get out. NOW!"
She paused, realizing the seriousness in his eyes, then gathered her things and left, shooting a final, venomous glare.
Jeffery exhaled, rubbing his temples. This wasn't how he wanted to spend his day. Why him? Why not one of his younger brothers? But he was the eldest, the heir. The responsibility, the lifestyle change… it all weighed heavily on him.
His phone buzzed. It was Jason, the lawyer brother, probably calling to tease him.
"Hey man, where are you at?" Jason's voice floated through the speaker.
"I'm at our hotel in the capital," Jeffery replied tersely. "On my way back."
Behind Jason, Damon's laughter carried over the line, mocking as always. Jeffery closed his eyes, letting out a long, frustrating sigh.
The stage was set. Two people pulled into a world neither wanted, buh about to collide explosively.