All Chapters of A Million Dollar Deal : Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

CHAPTER 2Sophia“So Your Solution Is The Tutor?”I stood outside the massive, mahogany double doors of Mr Ashford's house, clutching a crate of strawberries against my hip, when I caught sight of my hands, I froze.“Shit!” The Lindsborg soil was still etched deep into my cuticles.Mr Ashford viewed dirt as a personal assassination attempt.If Mr Ashford saw even a speck of Kansas dirt under my nails, he'd probably call a hazmat team.I fumbled with my purse, diving past my wallet and a stray gum wrapper until my fingers snagged my emergency nail clippers.Clip. Snap. Jagged.I worked with the speed of a professional assassin, murdering my fingernails, praying I wouldn't draw blood.I didn't have time for a manicure nor the money. I just needed to look less like I'd been digging my own grave.Shoving the clippers back into my bag, I noticed the foyer was silent and empty?No girls leaving the house today?Usually, there was some leggy blonde scurrying out with her heels in hand, doin

CHAPTER 4SophiaOne Of Our KinksThe morning air was thick with the scent of damp earth.After dropping Summer at school, and receiving a sticky, strawberry-scented kiss on the cheek that reminded me exactly why I was doing this.Then I drove to Mr Ashford's house.The rattling of my truck felt like a countdown I wasn't ready to finish.Mrs Henley met me at the door with a polite welcoming smile, her silver hair perfectly coiffed.She was a woman of crisp linens and a soft British accent that always made me feel more like a guest than a delivery girl.“Morning, Mrs Henley.”“Good morning, Sophia,” she said warmly.“He's in the study. I believe they're waiting for you.” “Thanks, Mrs Henley. I'll try not to track any mud in.”“Don’t worry, a little mud won't hurt anyone dear.” I walked toward the study and pushed the heavy oak doors.Inside, Mr Ashford was perched on the edge of his desk.He was wearing a white two-piece lounge set—a cashmere-blend hoodie and matching joggers.The sl

CHAPTER 6Sophia Stealing From An Unconscious Woman The Rolls-Royce Spectre was so quiet it felt like we were gliding on silk rather than gravel.I thanked Isaac as he helped me out, then made the short trek to Mrs Potts’ place to collect Summer.My neighbor didn't ask about the designer dress or the hair, she just handed over my sleeping niece with a warm squeeze of the arm that said she was in my corner, no matter what. By the time I walked into the farmhouse. Summer was a heavy, warm weight against my shoulder. Isaac followed, carrying enough luxury shopping bags to stock a small boutique. “Careful with those, Isaac,” I whispered as we reached the porch.Isaac nodded, his expression unreadable as he balanced three oversized, gold-embossed shopping bags in each hand. He followed me inside, the floorboards groaning under the weight of a lifestyle this house had never seen before. Daphne was on the sofa, bathed in the flickering blue light of a fashion show, a bag of chips bala

CHAPTER 8Sophia“I Guess My Facade Is In The Flesh”The air in the principal’s office was thick with the scent of floor wax and the over-perfumed indignation of Mrs Sanders.I sat there, watching Mason’s parents treat the room like a courtroom where they were the prosecution.“...It's a matter of provocation, really,” Mr Sanders droned, adjusting his tie as if he were closing a corporate merger. “Mason is a high-energy, alpha-type child. If Summer didn't want to be pushed, perhaps she shouldn't have been standing in the path of his game. It's a spatial awareness issue.”“A spatial awareness issue?” I repeated, my voice dropping into a dangerously quiet register.“Is that the fancy suburban term for ‘my son is a budding sociopath’? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks more like a ‘your kid is a bully' issue.”“Now see here, Miss Banner—” Mrs Sanders began, her face reddening.“No, you see here,” I snapped, leaning forward.My ring caught the fluorescent light, blinding her for a