Hate to Heart - An Arranged Marriage

A Rocky Beginning

The next day!

Kai Sterling was already having a rough day. It wasn’t just the endless meetings or the stack of reports waiting on his desk;
it was the constant reminder from his parents about the impending arranged marriage. The very thought of it made him sigh in frustration.
He checked his watch; he was late for his lunch meeting. Pushing the thoughts aside, he hurried out of his office.

Nova had reluctantly agreed to meet her potential future husband at the 'Étoile d'Amour' restaurant. As she waited, she couldn't help but mutter to herself, "I can't believe I skipped work for this. How did he even agree to marry me? Me, of all people?"

She thought about Kai Sterling, her boss, who seemed to find fault in everything she did. "Mrs. Nova Ember, how did you even get accepted here? You can't even do your job properly," she mimicked him, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe this is why he made me his assistant," she wondered aloud, her eyes widening at the thought. "Could this be some kind of elaborate scheme?"

She sighed deeply, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She needed to focus and give this meeting a chance, no matter how bizarre the circumstances seemed. Adjusting her posture, she resolved to wait patiently and see how this encounter would unfold.

Kai's pov

Kai called his mom, a slight hint of exasperation in his voice.

“Hello, my dear son! Are you ready to meet your beloved future wife?” Mrs. Luna’s voice was cheerful on the other end.

“Well, I don’t know, Mom. How am I supposed to recognize her when I haven’t even seen her?” Kai responded with a sigh.

“Should I send you her picture now?”

“Yeah, send it,” Kai said, his face showing no emotion.

“I just sent it. Make sure this works out, okay? She’s the daughter of your father’s best friend. You remember Mr. Andrew, right? The one who helped your dad grow his business when they were young?” His mom’s tone turned serious.

“Yeah, yeah, I remember. I’m going to leave now. I’m sure you don’t want your son to be late for his first meeting with his future wife,” Kai said with a smirk.

Mrs. Luna laughed warmly. “Good luck, dear,” she said before hanging up.

Nova Pov:

Nova fidgeted with her napkin, her nerves fraying by the second. When the restaurant door opened, and Kai Sterling walked in, her heart sank. "No way," she whispered, feeling her cheeks flush with a mix of embarrassment and frustration.

Kai spotted Nova almost immediately and approached her table, his expression unreadable. "Nova," he greeted her coolly, taking a seat opposite her.

"Kai," she responded, trying to keep her voice steady. The irony of the situation was almost too much to bear. Here she was, about to marry the man who was not only her boss but also her harshest critic.

"Did you know?" Kai asked, leaning back in his chair, his eyes scrutinizing her.

"Know what?" Nova shot back, her irritation flaring. "That my parents decided I should marry my boss? No, I had no clue." She pretended not to know

Kai sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This is just...ridiculous," he muttered. "I mean, we can’t stand each other at work. How are we supposed to make a marriage work?"

Nova crossed her arms, glaring at him. "It's not like I had a choice in this, Kai. Believe me, I wouldn't have picked you either."

Kai's eyes narrowed. "Great. So we're on the same page. This isn't going to work."

"Exactly," Nova agreed, though she felt a pang of disappointment at his quick dismissal.

An awkward silence settled between them, filled with unspoken tensions and mutual resentment. They both knew this was going to be a challenge, but for the sake of their families, they would have to try and make it work.

"Let's just get through this lunch," Kai suggested, his tone softening slightly. "We'll figure out the rest later."

Nova nodded, though she couldn't shake the feeling that this arranged marriage was going to be a disaster from the start. Little did they know, this rocky beginning was just the first step in a journey that would challenge everything they thought they knew about each other and themselves.