"Marry my son, Nathaniel Hargrave and after three years divorce him and leave. You can't have children with him." Nathaniel's mother Jessica said to Ava. Jessica manipulated Ava Collins into a contract marriage with her son who is a Playboy. Blogger and YouTuber Ava Collins is forced into a three-year contract marriage with billionaire playboy Nathaniel Hargrave after her family secretly accepts billions from his cold, manipulative mother to save their failing business. What's worse? Ava must marry Nathaniel despite their mutual hatred. Thrown into a world of power, wealth, and deception, Ava faces more than just a fake marriage. A green flag longtime crush, a stalker, exes, the media and the twisted dynamics of the rich world which threaten to unravel everything. As sparks fly and unexpected feelings grow, Ava must confront the one question she never thought she’d ask: When the three years are up... will she still divorce Nathaniel Hargrave?
View MoreMy jaw dropped. “Reckless? Are you serious? you are the one who stopped out of nowhere!”
He stepped closer, his broad shoulders and towering frame casting a shadow over me. “Stopped out of nowhere? If you’d been paying attention, you would’ve noticed.” He said sarcastically.
I crossed my arms, not backing down. “Oh, I noticed. I noticed your oversized ego taking up the whole damn road!”
He arched an eyebrow, and then his lips curved to the side slightly. “Oversized ego? That’s funny coming from someone who can’t even manage to hit the brakes in time. Maybe driving isn’t your thing, sweetheart.”
I reacted at the way he said sweetheart, like he was mocking me. “Don’t you dare call me sweetheart. And don’t try to turn this around on me. You’re the one who stopped out of nowhere!”His smirk faded. “You clearly have no idea how to take responsibility for your actions, do you?”
I stepped closer, pointing a finger at his chest. “Oh, I take responsibility when I should. But this? This is on you, Mr. Fancy Car and Expensive Suit. What, were you too busy looking at your own reflection to drive properly?”
"Oh at least I have a face that the mirror can appreciate unlike yours" He snapped back.
I gave a small laugh.
"Ohh.....ohh...you did not just!.....Well! There is nothing even special about your face. What? is it made of gold?
Without a word, he took two slow steps toward me, closing the distance between us. I instinctively stepped back until my back hit the side of my car. Now he was in my personal space, he was too close.
For a moment, I was stunned into silence, caught off guard by the intensity of his gaze. He put one hand on the roof of my car, his other slipping off his sunglasses.
That was the moment I saw him fully—sky blue eyes, a chiseled jawline, and dark, perfectly styled hair. He was handsome in the most infuriating way, like he knew exactly how good he looked and used it to his advantage. The kind of handsome that was unfair because it came with an attitude too.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. But then his smirk returned, tilting his head slightly.
“You’re awfully quiet for someone who was just shouting that there was nothing special about my face” he whispered into my ears. “Maybe next time, think before you speak.”
His words snapped me out of my daze. “Think before I—?” My voice shook with anger. “You arrogant—”
Before I could finish, I shoved at his chest, but it was like pushing against a brick wall. He didn’t budge. Instead, he laughed softly, clearly amused by how mad I was.
I glared at him, anger bubbling from within, my cheeks turning red. “You’re unbearable.”
“And you’re annoying,” he shot back before finally stepping away. “But I’ll let you off...for now.”
I clenched my fists as he walked back to his car without another word.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll remember this!” I shouted. “And your license plate too!”
He stopped and looked back at me, then had all the audacity to wink at me with a stupid smile. “I’m sure you will. I’m hard to forget.”
I was fuming as I walked to the front of his car, pulled out my phone to take a picture of his license plate. But just as I aimed the camera, the unthinkable happened.
His car reversed back straight into mine. A loud thud echoed as metal hit metal.
We both froze.
For a split second, there was silence.
Then I snapped. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!”
He let out a long sigh, and came down from his car. He brushed his hair with his hand before slowly turning to face me again.
His expression? Completely unfazed.
His response?
"Your car was too close to mine...what did you expect?"
I stood there, gripping my phone so hard my fingers started to hurt. It felt like I was going to lose my mind and pluck out someone's hair strands to the last one.
“Did you just—” I pointed at my car, then at him, my brain struggling to form words. “You—your car—”
He barely glanced at the dent before turning back to me, his expression still completely uninterested. “Relax. It’s not that bad.”
Not that bad?!
I took a deep breath, trying—really trying—not to scream. “Not that bad? Are you blind? You just made it worse!”
He sighed like I was the one being dramatic. “It’s just a small accident. Nothing a little repair can’t fix.”
Oh, he did not just say that.
I let out a sarcastic laugh, more out of disbelief than amusement. “Wow. Unbelievable. First, you nearly get us into an accident, and now this? You are officially the most careless driver I have ever met!”
He raised an eyebrow. “You mean the worst one after you?”
I gaped at him. “Are you serious right now?”
He just shrugged. “Look, if it bothers you that much, send me the bill.”
I blinked. “The bill?”
“Yeah.” He pulled out his wallet, flipping it open like this was the most normal conversation ever. He looked at it, then at me before closing the wallet, and shoving it back where it came from.
“Give me your number, and I’ll take care of it.” He stretched out his phone to me.
I crossed my arms, my jaw tightening. “Oh, so now you want to be responsible? What happened to ‘it’s not that bad’?”
His lips twitched like he was holding back his emotions. “I’m just trying to save us both some time.”
“Oh, now you care about my time? Because I clearly remember you wasting it just a few minutes ago.”
He slipped his phone into his pocket and tilted his head. “So what do you want then? You want to stand here all day arguing? Or do you want to fix your car and move on?”
I wanted to throw something at him. Preferably something heavy.
I took another deep breath, my patience hanging by a single thread. “Fine. Give me YOUR number, Mr. In a Hurry.”
He smirked. “Finally..thought you’d never ask.”
I rolled my eyes as he rattled off his number, and I quickly typed it into my phone, labeling him as The Worst Driver Alive. Then I flashed his number.
I didn't care to ask of his name, of what use was it to me.
As soon as his phone rang he stepped back, slipping on his sunglasses again. “There! you have my number and I have yours. Now if you’ll excuse me, I actually have places to be.”
“Oh, don’t let me stop you,” I said sweetly, stepping aside. “Drive safe, or at least try.”
He gave me a mock salute before getting into his car. Within seconds, the engine came on, and he sped off, leaving me standing there with my heart still racing from sheer frustration.
I let out a deep breath and turned back to my car, running a hand over the damaged part of my car. This was not how my day was supposed to go.
As I climbed back into the driver’s seat, I received a notification on my phone.
I frowned, opening it.
The Worst Driver Alive: Try not to crash into anyone else today, alright?
My jaw dropped.
He didn’t.
He did. How petty was he?
I glared at my phone before furiously typing back.
Me: Try not to ruin anyone else’s car today, alright?
I hit send, shoving my phone into the cupholder.
I started the car and drove off. I was never going to see that jerk again.At least, that’s what I thought.
"For the twentieth time within three days, my answer still remains no. In capital letters 'NO!'" I said."You can try to say it in spanish." Priscillia teased. I threw my slippers at her. She needed to know when to be serious. In my point of view, my parents were so guilty they couldn't find it in their heart to scold me. To be real, asides feeling guilty, they knew that scolding me or pulling up the ultimate parent power move would only make things worse. So now, the only card up their sleeve is the 'guilt trip card'. We had fought twice today and they were not even gonna let me go to sleep. It was freaking nine o'clock in the night. We were all gathered in the sitting room, the tension was suffocating.I sat on the couch, my arms crossed as my parents stared at me with those looks—the kind that made me feel like I was some rebellious child who just refused to see reason.Dad was the first to speak. His voice was calm, but the weight behind it was heavy.“Ava, do you think we’re pr
"Tell me why you like her. What’s it about her that has you so drawn in? Is it the way she looks, or something more?" My father’s gaze pinned me in place—expectant, patient, but dead serious."Uhm....Ava is...beau...beautiful."I clenched my jaw, forcing my expression to remain neutral. The way I said it, so casually, made my stomach turn. I couldn’t tell him the truth—that I had no feelings for Ava, that my mother orchestrated the entire thing like a business deal. That would only make things worse. I could even loose the chance to take over the company all together, and then become a laughing stock to the world.So I did what I’d learned to do best. I lied.“She’s… different.” I kept my tone even, though the words felt foreign coming out of my mouth. But I wasn't lying, Ava isn't a lady, she was built different, she was like an unfriendly bulldog.“She’s not like the others.”His brow lifted, amused. “Not like the others? That’s vague, Nathaniel. Explain.”Damn it.I forced myself t
Nathaniel’s POV" Yes sir, your mother gave the instructions" "Okay. Thanks." I responded to my assistant through the phone as I was about to enter the house. I was angry at what I had just heard. I walked into the house, straight to the most likely place to find my mother.I slammed the door behind me as I entered the study. My mother was already sitting at her desk, her posture rigid, as if she had been expecting this confrontation.“Sit down, Nathaniel,” she said coolly, not even looking up from the papers in front of her. Her voice was calm, but I could hear the tension beneath it.I stood by the door, my hands balled into fists. “I just found out you were behind the article about me and Ava. How could you do this?” I practically growled.Her eyes met mine, not a hint of guilt on her face. “I did what needed to be done.”“You didn’t think about the consequences, did you? You didn’t think about how it would affect Ava or her family?” My voice rose in frustration.She finally sigh
I stood up suddenly from my chair, Nathaniel looked at me in confusion. “Ava?”“I’m leaving,” I said firmly, straightening my back.I didn’t wait for a response; I just turned and started walking toward the exit.I could hear the sound of my heels clicking on the floor as I walked out. But I could feel Nathaniel’s presence behind me, heavy and intense, following every step I took.The door opened just as I was about to step out, and suddenly, cameras flashed in my face.“Miss Collins, is it true you’re dating Nathaniel Hargrave?”“What do you think of the rumors about you two?”“Is this relationship for love or business?”I froze, blinded by the blinding lights.A surge of panic rose in my chest, and I instinctively pulled my scarf tighter around my neck, shielding my face as best as I could. Nathaniel was quick, stepping in front of me, trying to block the view from the cameras.“Get back!” he barked at the paparazzi. “Give her some space!”But they didn’t listen, pressing forward, c
"Ava, I think..." Nathaniel tried to talk to me while we ate. "You think nothing...please just eat and lets get out of here." I cut him off. "You are really stubborn and that's what I don't like about you." He said. "Then I think I should level up my stubbornness to make sure you dislike me even more." I shot back. He suddenly leaned forward, his hand coming towards the side of my face like he wanted to caress me. I stared at him confused and disgusted. What was he trying to do?I shoved his hand away. "stop it! what are you trying to do?""Your hair was in your plate and I just wanted to help you pull it out" He said."oh please! all you had to do was tell me. Don't come near me" I said disgusted.He leaned back, smiled and muttered to himself in a low voice, "No wonder her parents need to marry her off by force." I dropped my spoon on my plate. "What? What did you just say?""I said, this kind of character you have is the reason why you are still single and now your parents hav
"Good evening," his deep voice greeted casually. "Are you Ava Collins?"I wanted to melt into the floor.Slowly, painfully, I lifted my head.And there he was.The Worst Driver Alive.Mr. Cocky and Shirtless.Standing right in front of me.I didn't answer his question. I was putting one and one together. How on earth did he know my real name?"Uhm, I could assume, but I don't want to. So I need to be sure—are you Ava Collins?" he added."Yes, yes, I am," I answered, still in shock."Oh, great! Nice to meet you." He shook my hand. "You look absolutely beautiful… gorgeous, in fact," he added as he sat down.Wait! Why was he acting nice to me? Complimenting me… calling me beautiful?! Is it that he doesn't know I’m the one? Or is this a prank? I started wondering."It seems you aren't happy with me because I'm late." He tried to get feedback from me. I just sat there, speechless."Okay… I'm Nathaniel Hargrave. Sorry I'm late. I got caught up in an unexpected meeting," he said."Huh? Natha
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