a's

ugh, my brain still trying to process what had just ha

the thirty-two-year-old heir to the Carter empire and my ex-fiancé's biggest business rival. A marriage that would solve both our pro

n Lillian burst into the hospita

t your room?" she asked, her voice

ll feeling so

Forbes listed as one of the thirty most influent

rmed, adjusting my posit

ere? Wait... is this

ng out the marriage proposal I'd just made. "He came to disc

lping me gather my things, she drove me home so I could ch

nal breakdown, nothing serious, but th

ink too much about what I had just initiated. Was I really going to marry Aide

n he had in one day. I felt a weight lift off m

k while he slept, the door to the hospital room open

od in the doorway,holdi

d to love me forever. The man who had left me standing alone at the alta

pologetic. "I heard about your father. I

ped to her feet from where she'd be

t her at the altar, you self-centered jerk! And now you have t

the commotion. When he saw

said, his voice

d. "Mr. Jones, please,

g the heart rate monitor to beep faster. "

m. This was the man I'd loved for twelve years. The man I'd planned to spend my life with

looking at me with those eyes

finally spoke, my v

oorway. I could hear her furious voice in th

and leave Aria alone before I call

was flushed with anger. Sh

you o

actually was. Seeing Liam hadn't

phone or tablet. Lillian had secretly disconnected them from the internet, try

they're saying, Li

y. "Why would you want to t

rs to wake up. If I don't pour some salt on th

elled with tears, but she relu

hing me scroll through comments on a gossip s

I wasn't good enough for him. Others claimed I must have done something terrible to drive him away. A few even c

olve harden. I had been naive, believing in a fairy tale romance that

is things when my phone buzzed with a text message. I checked it

t the civil affairs office at 10

agreement in the hospital, part of me hadn't fully believed

eart?" Dad asked, notici

thly, tucking my phone a

lian immediately dragg

said, bouncing onto my bed wit

er. It was Aiden Carter, wa

g to sound casual. "But

She raised an eyebrow

city doesn't just text people out o

ws suggestively. "Come

just. compensation stu

"What kind of compensation are we talking abou

the most powerful businessman in the city, to pretend to be

Carter practically bathes in it. Problems that can be solved with cash aren't problems for hi

I admitted. "I made a di

qued even furthe

, about to confess m

d Martha, one of the ho