All Chapters of Accidental OBSESSION: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

ARABELLA’S POVAn Invitation to HumiliationThe invitation was beautiful.Cream-colored paper. Gold lettering. A delicate floral border. A small wax seal bearing the initials of two people I would happily watch get struck by lightning.I stared at it for a full thirty seconds before laughing.Not because anything was funny.Sometimes, when life becomes sufficiently ridiculous, laughter is the only dignified response left.My younger sister was getting married.To my ex-boyfriend.And apparently, they wanted me there to celebrate.“You’re laughing,” Olivia observed from the other side of my kitchen island.I glanced up.My best friend was holding a half-eaten croissant in one hand and the wedding invitation in the other. Her expression suggested she was considering committing a crime.“I’m trying to decide whether this is an invitation or a declaration of war.”“Definitely war.”She dropped the invitation onto the counter.“Actually, no. It’s worse. It’s psychological terrorism.”I lau

ARABELLA’S POVThere were several ways I had imagined meeting my fake fiancé.I had imagined a charming gentleman arriving with flowers.Perhaps he would have a confident smile, a warm handshake, and the kind of personality that made strangers feel comfortable.I had even prepared a few questions to help us establish our fake relationship.Where had we met?How long had we been dating?Who had proposed?And, most importantly, what was his favourite food?Because apparently, people who were engaged were expected to know these things.I had not, however, imagined opening my apartment door to find Alexander Sterling standing in front of me.The Alexander Sterling.The billionaire.The man whose face occasionally appeared in business magazines beside headlines about billion-dollar acquisitions.The man whose company owned buildings, hotels, financial institutions, and probably half the things I had ever purchased.And, apparently, the man whose photograph I had selected from an escort age

Arabella’s POV“If you keep moving like that, I’m going to assume you’re preparing for a prison escape.”I stopped pacing and glared at Olivia.“I am not moving like that.”“You’ve walked past the same mirror eleven times.”“I’m checking my appearance.”“You’re checking your appearance because you’re nervous.”I looked at the mirror again.Unfortunately, she was right.It was Friday evening, and in less than two hours, I would be attending the Sterling Foundation’s charity gala with Alexander Sterling.The same Alexander Sterling who had appeared at my apartment three days earlier to explain that I had accidentally hired his photograph.The same Alexander Sterling whose name appeared on the cover of financial magazines.And the same Alexander Sterling whose grey eyes had been occupying an unreasonable amount of space in my thoughts.I sighed.“This is a mistake.”Olivia looked up from the makeup brushes scattered across my dressing table.“What is?”“Going to this gala.”“It’s too lat

Arabella’s POVThe moment the wedding coordinator announced that the ceremony was about to begin, the entire ballroom seemed to shift into motion.Guests began finding their seats. Waiters disappeared behind discreet doors, photographers adjusted their cameras, and the soft piano music changed into something more romantic.I stood beside Alexander, trying very hard not to look at Christopher.Unfortunately, Christopher seemed determined to make that impossible.He was standing near the entrance with his groomsmen, looking exceptionally uncomfortable. His gaze kept drifting towards me, then towards Alexander, as though he was still trying to convince himself that the man beside me couldn’t possibly be real.I almost smiled.Almost.“Are you all right?” Alexander asked quietly.I glanced up at him. “Define all right.”“The kind where you don’t look like you’re planning to murder the groom before he says his vows.”I pressed my lips together to stop myself from laughing.I looked towards

Arabella’s POVI read the email for the seventh time.You should ask Alexander Sterling why someone wanted the two of you together.The words remained exactly the same, no matter how many times I read them.I hated anonymous messages.I hated mysterious warnings.Most importantly, I hated the feeling that someone knew something about my life that I didn’t.Olivia sat opposite me, watching as I paced around the living room.“Okay, you’re making me nervous.”I stopped.“Someone deliberately arranged for Alexander and me to meet.”“That’s what the email says.”“And someone took photographs of us at the wedding.”“Yes.”“And now someone is telling me to question him.”Olivia folded her arms.“Have you considered that this could be someone trying to create problems between you two?”I looked at her.“Why would anyone bother?”“Because he’s rich, powerful, and apparently very handsome. People do strange things when money and influence are involved.”I sighed and dropped onto the sofa.“I do