[Wattys 2023 Grand Prize Winner] After an eight-hour flight sitting next to her high school nemesis Jackson Carter, fashion designer and barista Isabelle Curtis thought that would finally be the last she would see of him. But as the saying goes, famous last words. * * * Isabelle Curtis and Jackson Carter were fierce academic rivals in high school, up until Jackson moved to the UK in junior year for boarding school. Eight years later, Jackson has returned from abroad to take on the role of CEO at his late father's company. When Isabelle and Jackson meet again, there's a war of words, banter and a passionate dislike towards each other. Throw in a high school reunion, some more chaos, and a 'deal' in the mix-one that might just involve a little faking and pretending. It's all fun and games and tit for tat, almost just like in high school, until real feelings become involved...

𝑯𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒑𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒕. 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗈 𝖪𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝗇𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖻𝖾𝗅𝗂𝖾𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝗌𝖺𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗉𝖾𝗈𝗉𝗅𝖾. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽 𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗋𝗎𝗍𝖺𝗅, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗌𝗎𝗋𝗏𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖽𝗈 𝗌𝗈 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗅 𝗂𝗍. 𝖧𝖾 𝖽𝗈𝖾𝗌𝗇'𝗍 𝗌𝗈𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗇. 𝖧𝖾 𝖽𝗈𝖾𝗌𝗇'𝗍 𝖻𝖾𝗇𝖽. 𝖧𝖾 𝖽𝗈𝖾𝗌𝗇'𝗍 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗍𝖾𝖼𝗍 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗈𝗐𝗇. 𝖴𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗅 𝖫𝗒𝖽𝗂𝖺 𝖧𝖺𝗋𝗉𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝖺𝗅𝗄𝗌 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝖻𝗒 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾. 𝖶𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝖺 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝖾𝗇𝗀𝖺𝗀𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗈𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗂𝗇 𝗉𝗎𝖻𝗅𝗂𝖼, 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗍𝗁 𝖿𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖺𝗍𝖾, 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗈 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗏𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝗁𝗂𝗆𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗌𝗁𝗂𝖾𝗅𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖫𝗒𝖽𝗂𝖺 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗋𝗎𝖾𝗅𝗍𝗒 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽 𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗇 𝖺𝖼𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗆𝖾𝗋𝖼𝗒. He doesn't stop believing the world is cruel. He just decides she shouldn't have to face it. But selective mercy has consequences. And even the well-intentioned don't escape them.

When Hailey Evans, an aspirant employee of the marketing department in one of the most wealthiest companies in the states finds herself in trouble with the arrogant, cold hearted CEO Ian Kingston, she pulls a trick no one has ever done. And in return he gives her a disastrous kiss that turn her world upside down. One party. One kiss. And the next thing she knows, she's a billionaire's fiancé.