LOGINPhillip povI got home after dropping Erica off at her house.When I entered the living room, I met my father sitting on the sofa. He looked up at me as I walked in."How did the date go?" he asked."Fine," I replied.He nodded before asking, "Are you still doing as we agreed?"I knew exactly what he meant.My father had always wanted to take control of the Williams family's chemical company. He had been planning it for a long time, and now he believed Erica was the key to achieving his goal.He had told me to make her fall in love with me, but under no circumstances was I allowed to fall in love with her.He was afraid that if I developed feelings for her, I might change my mind about the plan."Don't worry, Dad," I said. "Everything is going according to plan.""Good. Make sure you don't forget what we're trying to achieve.""I won't."I didn't want to continue the conversation, so I went upstairs to my room.After entering, I lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling.I couldn't beli
Erica's POV "Yes." The word escaped my lips before I could change my mind. I looked around at the people watching us, then my eyes found James. He stood a short distance away, staring at me with disbelief. I wanted him to see it. I wanted him to know that I wasn't going to spend the rest of my life crying over him. If accepting Phillip's proposal would prove that I could move on, then so be it. Phillip smiled and slipped the ring onto my finger. The restaurant erupted into applause, but I barely noticed. My attention was still on James. His eyes were filled with anger, and for some reason, seeing his reaction gave me a little satisfaction. He finally walked towards us. "Congratulations, Erica." I forced a smile. "Thank you." His gaze shifted to Phillip. "She's a lot of work, but good luck." I almost gasped at his audacity. Was he seriously trying to embarrass me again? Phillip scoffed. "Yes, she's a lot of work, but don't worry. I'll treat her right." I tu
Erica's POV I walked inside the orphanage and sat on a small bench near the children. I watched them play, but my mind was somewhere else. I kept thinking about what Phillip had done earlier. The way he had carefully cleaned my wound and applied the bandage. I glanced at my ankle. He had been so gentle. It was strange because I had been rude to him all day, yet he still took the time to help me. James would never have done that. Whenever I complained about something, he would tell me I was being dramatic. He always had something to say about how I behaved. And the truth was, I had always pushed him to do things for me. I wanted him to buy me gifts, take me to expensive restaurants, and make me feel special. I thought that was what love was supposed to be. But Phillip had done something as simple as cleaning a wound, and somehow, it meant more to me than all the expensive gifts James had ever bought. I sighed. Maybe I had been wrong about Phillip. Maybe h
Phillip's POV Erica settled into the passenger seat, folded her arms, and turned toward the window. I started the engine and drove away from the restaurant. For a few minutes, neither of us spoke. I could feel her staring at me, though. I glanced at her. “Why are you looking at me?” “I'm not.” I raised an eyebrow. “Really?” She quickly looked down at her phone. “Just drive.” I scoffed and turned my attention back to the road. If it wasn't because of the deal I strike with my father, I wouldn't be here with this arrogant princess. The first time I met her at the restaurant, I was attracted to her beautiful but when she emptied my glass of juice in me, I was convinced she was more than just beautiful. But then again, she's interesting to watch. I had never met anyone who could be so irritating and yet so interesting at the same time. I looked out the window, humming my favorite song. When we arrived at the orphanage, Erica looked around in confusion. “W
Erica's POV My phone rang, disturbing my peaceful sleep. I groaned and reached for it on my bedside table without opening my eyes. Who could be calling me this early? I glanced at the screen and frowned when I saw an unknown number. I almost ignored it, but something made me answer. “Hello, who is this?” “Cinderella, are you still sleeping?” I frowned. “Who is this?” I asked again. “It's me, Phillip. Your worst nightmare.” My eyes flew open. “What?” “Good morning to you princess arrogant.” I sat up immediately. “How did you get my number?” “Your father gave it to me.” I stared at my phone. My father gave him my number? Without asking me? “What do you want to call me for at this time?” “It's ten in the morning, Erica. You're still sleeping?” I rolled my eyes. “Yes, because I'm tired. Is that a crime?” “Of course not. But it tells me you're just a spoiled princess who has nothing better to do than sleep.” I gasped. “Excuse me?” “I'll tex
Erica's POV I quickly opened the door, and both my father and the stranger turned to look at me. “Sorry, Daddy. I didn't know you had a visitor.” My father smiled. “Oh, princess, come in. Sit down. Let me introduce you to Phillip.” Phillip. He looked so familiar. Omg, he's the man I had an episode with at the cafe. The same man whose drink I had poured over his head. My eyes widened. He looked equally surprised to see me, but his expression quickly changed into a scoff. " Sir, is she the gentle sweet daughter you were talking about?" Phillip asked my dad. my dad looked at him and nodded. "Yes, she's beautiful right?" my dad said laughing. Oh, no. Why was he here? And why was my father introducing him to me? “Have you two met before?” my father asked, looking between us. Phillip opened his mouth to answer, but I quickly interrupted him. “No.” He turned his head and looked at me. I avoided his eyes and walked over to sit beside my father. What was I







