Chapter 1

Hi, I’m Sabrina. I just turned eighteen, and I’m already on my way to meet my mystery husband.

Yes, you heard me right. I am married.

Years before I was born, my late Father took a loan from Mr. Scott, a business tycoon, to save his struggling business, but it ultimately failed, leaving my dad with a debt of twenty million dollars, minus interest. Unable to pay the money and face Mr. Scott, my father died, leaving my mother, who was already pregnant with me at that time.

Mr. Scott remained adamant and refused to let the money go. So, the day my mother gave birth to me, he came to her and said, “If you can’t raise twenty million dollars before your daughter’s eighteenth birthday, I will come and take her as my bride.”

My mother agreed, hoping to pay back before I turned eighteen. But life unfortunately doesn’t work that way.

Now, here I am on my way to my husband’s house.

I didn’t know about this arrangement for years until my birthday, and even though it breaks my heart for me to go be with a man I have not seen or met in person, I understand completely why I had to. Because for my mom, I would do anything in this world to ease her pain. Even if it meant trading my happiness.

Arriving at Mr. Scott’s luxurious estate in Beverly Hills, I was welcomed by a few staffs who seemed to have been waiting outside for me to come.

“Welcome, Ms. Wendell,” they greeted.

Warren is my husband’s last name. Scott Wendell, the CEO of Wendell Capital Holdings. And I’m his wife.

I was escorted into my room by someone who claimed she had been assigned to be my personal attendant. Mary looked like she was in her early twenties, but when I asked her age, she said she was thirty-two. Mary so far, has been the sweetest and kindest person to me ever since I arrived. She had spoken to me, not as a child, but as someone who’s married to her boss. Even though I didn’t care, I appreciated how she treated me like a younger sister. A relationship I never had.

Later, in the evening, Mr. Scott came back from work. He was accompanied by some people whom Mary recognized as his trusted legal team. They came in with some documents that had already been signed by Scott, my husband, and my mother. So, I was asked to sign in order to finalize our marriage, and I did.

Mr. Scott hosted a small gathering that same evening, celebrating his marriage with a few of his closest friends. But I couldn’t stay with them, I ran back into my room as Mary followed behind.

“What’s wrong, ma’am? It’s your party, you shouldn’t run away,” she said calmly.

“I know, Mary,” I said, flopping on the bed. “I just don’t like it there. I don’t know these people.”

She chuckled, sitting at the edge of the bed. “You will, ma’am. At least, now you’ve met your husband.” She leaned towards me. “He looks good, doesn’t he?”

I didn’t say anything as Mary just smiled. Of course, Mr. Scott looked good. He looks really good. Better than I imagined, better than an average forty-five-year-old. He was tall, really handsome, and had an athletic build. He has the prettiest eyes, and his voice... wow, his deep voice was my favorite of all. The way he said my name right at the table when he introduced me to his friends made my heart melt.

“So?” Mary asked, interrupting my thoughts. “Doesn’t he look good?”

I buried my face in a pillow while she laughed. “He looks okay.” I sat straighter. “But since he looks this good and is extremely wealthy, why is he still a bachelor and with no children?”

Mary sighed. “Mr. Scott was actually married a long time ago.”

“That’s great. Where is she?”

“She’s dead.”

“What?”

“Yes,” she sighed again. “She died giving birth to his child.”

“He has a child?”

“Yes, he does.”

“Okay,” I smiled. “And where is this child? Is it a boy or a girl?”

“It’s a boy,” she answered. “And he’s the same age as you. Maybe a little bit older.” She paused. “Oh yes, he is. He’s actually a year older.”

“Wow,” I nodded slowly. “It’s so sad... the story about his wife. I almost feel bad for the boy. I lost my father before I was even born, so I understand the pain of not getting to know who your other parent was as a person.”

Mary smiled. “I’m so sorry about that, ma’am. But just as you’ve grown into a beautiful lady, Ace did as well.”

“Ace?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “That’s his name. Ace. And he looks just as good as his father.”

I nodded slowly. My lips parted, but I was unable to speak as it just occurred to me that back at school, there’s a senior I have the most obsessive crush on, and even though he’s never noticed me, I know just about everything there was to know about him.

His name is Ace Wendell. The hottest and most sexy guy in school. He’s just as mysterious, too. Oh, God, he’s so perfect, and most times at night, I touch myself thinking about all the bad and nasty things he would do to me if I had just the perfect opportunity to spend a night with him.

Ace Wendell. So, you’re now my stepson... I just hope I’m right, because I can’t think of anything else that’ll make this marriage bearable than being close to the guy I’ve always dreamed about.

Ace Wendell. You may not know it yet, but I love you, and I want nothing more in this world than to be with you. I want you badly, Ace Wendell.

I quickly snapped out of my head, my attention falling back on Mary. “But where is Ace? I didn’t see him when I arrived. Or is he angry that his dad remarried?” I asked.

But Mary laughed.

“What’s funny?” I asked.

“Ace barely cared about anything his father did. They have the strangest relationship, cause despite their obvious distance from each other’s lives, you can tell they love each other very much. They just have a hard time showing it.”

I smiled. “So, why haven’t I been introduced to Ace?”

“He left a few minutes before you arrived. Probably went to hang out with his friends. I don’t know.”

“But it’s late already. When is he coming back?”

“Ace tends to spend a lot of time at his friend’s place. They’re like brothers. He might come back late in the night, or not today at all. But hopefully, you’ll see him tomorrow.”

I smiled, but mostly to myself. My heart was filled with mixed feelings of joy and anxiety. How was being his stepmother going to affect the real relationship I want to pursue with him?