At first I don't say anything. My heart is beating so fast I'm afraid if I open my mouth, it will fly out. So I just sit there, for what seems like a really long time, unable to say anything.

When I finally snap out of it, the word comes rushing out of my mouth. I stand up abruptly, screaming from the top of my lungs. "WHAT?"

I admit, that isn't exactly the best immediate response I can muster.

I can't even fathom what Mr. Kerrington just said. An engagement? Between Daniel and I?

The world has finally gone bonkers.

I don't think I'm the only one that feels that way. Just almost after my outburst, Daniel gets up, a look of pure shock glued to his face.

He reaches for his dad so fast I almost missed it. "What the hell, dad? You can't do this!" He pleads. "You can't drag me into your stupid business deals! You told me I was not going to get involved in any of this!"

"Sit down, Daniel." His father commanded.

"No fucking way." A dry laugh comes out of Daniel. "This is crazy! Have you completely lost your mind?" He faces his dad.

Irritation picks along my skin as I face my dad, "You want me to be engaged? TO HIM?" I sneer, pointing a finger at Daniel.

He steps up, facing me this time. His eyes flash red, jaw set in a hard line. "You think that I want to be engaged to you? You're a fucking child!"

I clench my fists so hard, my nails are digging into my palms. "EXCUSE ME? You dare call me a CHILD?"

He points to his eye. "You freaking punched me in the face!"

"You totally deserved it!" I scoff. "You were acting like such a dick!"

Mr. Kerrington finally decides to speak up. "So you were the one who gave my son a black eye?" One of the veins in his neck pops as he looks at me, teeth gritted.

He's furious at me.

Well

Boo

Freaking

Hoo.

"Yeah, and I'm not ashamed of it!" I spit at Mr. Kerrington.

"Jesus Christ!" My dad finally decides to speak up, pushing his chair back. "All of you are acting like children!"

"Don't you dare tell me that," I say to my dad, exasperated, "this is completely unacceptable. You want me to be engaged... to a manwhore?"

"It's not called a manwhore,"Daniel snaps back, "It's called being ridiculously handsome."

Oh. My. God.

Does he hear the words that come out of his mouth?

"Please, Alexandria," My dad lays a hand on my shoulder. I immediately pull away, feeling his betrayal creep up on me. "Just listen to me for one moment-"

"I can't believe you agreed to this!" I say, my hands flying everywhere. I don't care if it makes me look like a crazy person. "My own father!"

"Alexandria..." His voice trails off. "We had no choice."

He's actually serious about going through with this. Without even asking me if I'm the least bit okay with it.

"You had no choice? How about me?" His response is almost comical. "What am I to you, Dad? I don't even feel like I'm your daughter anymore. I'm just another commodity to you, huh? To barter and trade off at your own convenience? You barely call to check up on me, and even when you do, it's because you decide to pull this shit." Despair wrangles my voice as I jab a finger at him. "The thing that hurts the most is that you didn't even ask me if I wanted to do this or consulted me first about how I would feel about it all. You robbed me of that choice."

I scoff. I am way past angry right now. Actually, I don't even feel the anger anymore.

I just feel hurt.

I can't believe my dad would do this to me. As if I am some indentured servant, and he is going to sell me off. Just like that.

My mind spins with every possible reason my parents would force me into a plot with Harry and his son. Woods and Co. must be in a desperate situation if my dad was pushed into dealing with Harry again. Deep down, I know he wouldn't have done it if he had any other choice.

But I always thought there had to be a limit. I always thought I was the limit.

I guess I was wrong.

"Is that all you have to say to me?" Tears start to swim in my eyes. I can't do this. The pain. My dad had just torn all heart out and smashed it into bits and pieces.

"Alexandria, please sit down." He murmurs. I shake my head.

"The hell I am!"

My mother's voice somehow fills my mind again. Don't act irrationally.

Am I being irrational right now? I guess I am. But don't I have a good reason to be like this? I'm going to be engaged the guy I actually hate.

A guy who had humiliated me before.

A guy I spilled champagne on.

A guy that is a total nightmare.

"Okay, enough is enough," Mr. Kerrington presses his hands against the meeting table in frustration. "Daniel and Alexandria. John and I knew the both of you would be mad about this whole arrangement-"

"You think?" Daniel booms with anger. "This is the fucking 21st century. Don't you think it's rather archaic to be construing a fake engagement? What - are we going to get fake married too?"

"Marriage?" My mouth gapes wide open. "You have got to be kidding me!"

Of course. Marriage usually occurs after engagement. Why the hell didn't I think about this before? This just makes the whole situation even more fucked up than ever.

My heart feels like it's flatlining.

I'm only eighteen! I can't get married, let alone get engaged!

Before I can voice out, Mr. Kerrington slams his hand unto the table, causing a mini earthquake through the room. "Sit down, the both of you! AND LET ME EXPLAIN!"

His thunderous voice vibrates through the entire room.

Daniel and I both exchange brief glances at each other.

We sit down.

Mr. Kerrington looks at us, a bit pleased now that he has managed to silence the whole room. He adjusts his tie, and starts to talk. "Good." He walks over to my dad.

My dad appears stoic.

Part of me wishes that I had never said what I said to him just now. I have never talked to my dad in that manner... like ever. I never had a problem with him. We always got along alright.

And then now, we don't.

"Now that the both of you have finally shut up," Mr. Kerrington speaks, "I can explain everything to you."

I look away as I do not want to meet his gaze.

I'm just so exhausted. Physically and emotionally.

Daniel sits beside me, his hands over his head out of frustration.

"I know that the thought of engagement... is a bit odd, especially with the both of you being so young." Daniel's dad says, "But John assured that it was fine."

My eyes shoot daggers at my father. He shifts uneasily.

"The reason why I have come up with this condition is because of Daniel." Mr. Kerrington continues. "Everyone knows my son has a reputation for being the... err, ladies man."

I snort at this, briefly remembering what happened two months ago. From the way Daniel squirms in his seat, I can tell he's thinking about it too.

"My son is the heir of Kerrington Enterprises, and he needs to start acting like one too. His reputation has been tarnished by his escapades with different women all over the years. The company shares have been in the red for weeks now and I don't want to give the investors a reason to lose faith in the future of our company. There's too much at stake here. So I can't think of a better solution to fix the shit show that he started by finally reforming this playboy image of his with an engagement ploy."

Daniel starts to get up from his seat. "You can't do this to me, dad. I have every right to object-"

Mr. Kerrington clenches his jaw. "No you don't. You are going through with this engagement, whether you like it or not. You will do as I say."

Daniel says nothing.

"What about me?" I question. "Why can't you get some other girl to do this instead of me? Trust me. I'm not that special. You could head over to Craigslist and get him a fiancé anytime."

Mr. Kerrington sighs. "Other candidates have been proven... hard to handle."

Oh.

He needs someone that he can control to be engaged to Daniel. He can't control any other girl as he doesn't have any leverage. Which makes me the perfect candidate. He can control me with leverage.

If I step out of line then the entire deal falls apart. I'm certain that Harry can easily drop Woods and Co. and find another contractor to finish the project. Which means Woods and Co. loses its only source of revenue and has no choice but to file for bankruptcy.

"Oh." I whisper as I let everything sink in. "Oh."

Mr. Kerrington merely grins. "It's a chance for you to help your parents and their company, Alexandria."

I cast a glance at my dad. He gives me a small reassuring smile.

I look away, frowning.

"So what do you say?" Mr. Kerrington asks, his hands knotted together.

I don't know.

God, I don't know.

On the one hand, my parents have completely betrayed my agency and trust. But on the other, my parents' entire business and their employees will have to face the terrible consequences if I don't agree to this engagement. So many jobs lost—all because of me. I don't want that on my conscience. Perhaps that's what my dad is counting on; for all the guilt to fall onto my shoulders rather than his. If that is his plan all along . . .

It's working.

Gulping, I ask, "What are the terms of the engagement?"

Daniel stares at me, baffled at my concession.

"You can't be serious. You can't be entertaining this ridiculous offer," he rasps at me.

I ignore him. Harry turns to me, a pleased smile crossing his face. "The engagement will last for three years. That will be plenty of time to clean up his womanizing reputation and situate him as an ideal candidate worth inheriting Kerrington Enterprises once he graduates from college. And it will allow me to regain the trust of my investors."

My eyelids flutter closed and I exhale in relief at the prospect of the deal ending without marriage. But the downside is that I'll have to keep up this façade up for the next three years of my life. I'll graduate college as an engaged woman.

So now the big question is: Do I really want to do this?

I take a peek at Daniel. He looks absolutely wrecked by his father's decision for him. I know he doesn't want to do this as much as me.

If I agree to this fake engagement, I will be selling three years of my life away. And for what? For my parents company to survive under Harry's intense scrutiny? Is it really worth it?

But... I guess it is worth it, to my parents.

I know them. They wouldn't have come to Harry for help if they didn't have any other choice.

I swallow hard. I can't even begin to fathom that this entire agreement is all down to me. My choice.

Or my lack thereof since my dad has already pushed for me to be included in all of this in the first place.

God, I can't even look at him without a deep ache passing through my heart.

Instead, my attention falls upon the agreement sitting in front of me. If I agree to this false engagement, I will be giving three years of my life away. Is it really worth it?

I glance around at my surroundings. All of this—the very building I'm in—is decades of dedication and mountainous hard work from my parents. Their entire life's work—their legacy—built into the very foundation of these walls. When I was young, I vowed I was going to do whatever it took to make my parents proud and hopefully one day, take over as the heir of their company.

This deal is what is expected of me as their successor. I should be able to agree to this without any hesitation.

What the shit am I going to do?

Mr. Kerrington has already laid the contract in front of me. He tells me that everything he has said to me is written in here. My eyes dance over the unfamiliar words, trying to take everything in. I still don't know if I want to sign it.

Should I?

Yes.

No.

Yes.

No.

Yes.

No.

My throat feels tight as the answer becomes all too palpable.

Yes.

With tears forming in my eyes, I ask, "Where do I sign?"