The Arrangement

16

Joy slowly made her way downstairs. It had been two incredibly boring days of doing absolutely nothing.

Apart from spending hours on the internet, and binge-watching movies until she couldn't remember what day it was, she hadn't done much else.

She had just finished another series when she finally decided to leave her room.

She barely noticed the staff moving around most of the time, they seemed to appear and disappear quietly. The only time she really noticed them was when someone came into her room to clean or bring something she hadn't asked for.

And Liam… She hadn't seen him since he left that morning.

Joy had expected him to at least knock on her door when he came home. It was almost as if he had forgotten she existed. She knew that was impossible, considering their situation. Perhaps he spent most of his time at work and simply stayed away whenever he felt like it.

She reached the bottom of the stairs and glanced around the enormous living area. The house was too beautiful. She still hadn't summoned enough courage to explore it properly. She wasn't comfortable enough to wander around someone's house, especially when that someone was Liam Owen.

What if she accidentally walked into somewhere she wasn't supposed to be? She shuddered at the thought.

There was no one in sight, but she could hear clattering coming from the direction of the kitchen.

As she got closer, she suddenly became conscious of what she was wearing.

Joy looked down at herself.

She was wearing a short, sleeveless black dress covered in small red polka dots. It was cute, but definitely not something she would describe as expensive. She had bought it from a thrift store.

She frowned.

How was a billionaire's fiancée supposed to dress when she was at home? Was she supposed to wear expensive designer clothes all day?

Joy glanced at her reflection on her phone screen and frowned at herself.

"This is why I need Liam around," she muttered. "If anything goes wrong, it's his fault. Not mine."

She wasn't going to take responsibility for accidentally embarrassing him. She stepped into the kitchen, and two young women were standing at the sink, washing pans. The moment they noticed her, they immediately straightened.

"Good afternoon, Miss."

Joy smiled awkwardly. "Good afternoon."

One of the women quickly removed her washing gloves and wiped her hands on her apron.

"Do you need anything, Miss Joy?"

Joy immediately held both hands up. "No, no. I'm fine."

The woman hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Joy nodded quickly. "Please, don't stop. Just continue what you're doing."

Both women exchanged a quick glance before returning to their work.

Joy turned away, feeling slightly uncomfortable. She didn't think she was ever going to get used to this.

For most of her life, she had done things for herself. If she wanted food, she got it. If she needed something, she went to get it. She wasn't used to having several people rush toward her the moment she entered a room, asking what she needed or whether she was comfortable. It was strange.

And, if she was being honest, it was one of the reasons she'd spent so much time hiding in her room. She wasn't sure what to do with all the attention.

Patty had already taken the liberty of showing her some of the important areas she needed to know her way around, including the kitchen.

But Patty had been busy the day she'd shown her around and had only pointed toward the wooden door beside the refrigerator.

"The pantry is in there," she'd said.

She hadn't actually gone inside. Until now. She walked toward the wooden door and placed her hand on the handle.

She hesitated for a second before pushing it inward. The moment she stepped inside, her mouth fell open.

"Oh..."

Floor-to-ceiling shelves covered nearly every wall, their deep chocolate-brown finish matching the cabinets in the kitchen. Warm lights illuminated the shelves, making the entire room look less like a pantry and more like a luxury grocery store.

Joy took one step forward. Then another.

She was so distracted by everything around her that she nearly bumped into someone.

"f**k!" She swore as she stumbled backward. She quickly caught herself and looked up.

Anthony stood in front of her, balancing a bowl of ingredients in his hands.

"Careful, Miss Joy."

"I'm sorry." Joy quickly stepped aside. "I wasn't looking."

Anthony chuckled. "You might want to be careful about that language too."

Joy blinked. "What language?"

"You just cursed. You don't want Mr. Owen hearing you talk like that." His eyes danced with amusement.

Joy immediately cleared her throat.

"Right."

Anthony nodded and walked past her and Joy watched him disappear through the doorway before turning back toward the pantry.

She slowly looked around. This wasn't a pantry. This was a supermarket.

There were shelves everywhere, and every single thing seemed to have its own designated place. Boxes were lined up neatly. Jars were arranged in rows. Bottles stood together in perfect order.

Joy walked farther inside.

"All this food..." she whispered as she looked around in amazement. "Could feed people for a really long time."

She wasn't even sure how long. She ran her fingers along the edge of one shelf as she walked past, studying the different foods and packages.

Some of the ingredients were familiar.

Joy picked up one of the packages and stared at it.

"What even is this?"

She turned it around, searching for something that might explain it. After a few seconds, she put it back. She wasn't exactly skilled in the kitchen, and she wasn't about to pretend she was suddenly becoming a chef because she'd discovered an expensive pantry.

She continued walking around for another few minutes before finally realizing she hadn't actually come into the pantry for anything.

Joy sighed. "Great."

She turned around and made her way back toward the door. She had barely closed it behind her when her phone vibrated in her hand.

It was a message from Liam. Be ready at 7.

Joy stared at the screen. "Ready at seven?"

Her eyebrows pulled together. Ready for what?

She read the message again. That was it. No explanation.

"What does this even mean?"

She was about to press the call button when a familiar female voice suddenly called her name from somewhere inside the house.

"Joy!"

Joy frowned. She lowered the phone slightly and looked around. The voice came again.

"Joy!"

She followed it toward the living room and stopped when she saw Sophia standing there with a huge grin on her face.

Joy blinked. "Sophia?"

Sophia's face lit up even more. "There you are!"

She rushed toward Joy and pulled her into a hug, giggling excitedly. Joy stood there stiffly, completely confused.

"What is happening?"

Sophia pulled back but kept both hands on Joy's shoulders.

"I'm here to help you pick a dress."

Joy stared at her. "A dress?"

"For your date."

Joy's confusion only deepened. "What date?"

Sophia rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh, please. Stop acting clueless."

Joy's mouth opened. "I'm not…"

"Liam sent me." Sophia cut in.

Joy froze. "He did?"

"Well, technically, he asked Cameron to tell me to come."

Joy stared at her. "And you agreed?"

Sophia laughed.

"Of course I agreed. I'm a sucker for new and shiny things."

Joy couldn't help staring at her. Sophia was clearly enjoying herself.

"I don't even have anything suitable to wear." Joy said.

Sophia waved her hand dismissively.

"That's not a problem."

Joy gaped at her like she was crazy. "It is a problem."

"No, it isn't."

"Sophia…" Joy groaned, already frustrated.

"You are not wearing something you've already worn."

Joy paused and looked at her "But?"

Sophia smiled. "But we're going shopping."

Joy frowned. "Shopping?"

"Yes."

Joy pulled out her phone and checked the time.

It was a few minutes past three. She looked at Sophia.

"How are we supposed to do all of that in four hours?"

Sophia's smile widened. "Who said we're going anywhere?"

Joy stared at her. "What do you mean?"

Sophia didn't answer. Instead, she turned toward the hallway and Joy followed her gaze.

A moment later, several people appeared, pushing multiple clothing racks into the living room. Joy couldn't stop her mouth from falling open.

One rack. Two. Three. There were several rows of dresses. Expensive-looking beautiful dresses. Dresses that looked like they belonged in the windows of high-end boutiques rather than someone's living room.

Joy stood completely frozen and Sophia clapped her hands excitedly as she giggled, unable to contain her excitement.

"See?"

Joy slowly turned toward her. "What is all this?"

"Your options."

"My options?"

Sophia nodded enthusiastically. Joy walked toward the nearest rack and carefully touched one of the dresses. The material felt soft beneath her fingers.

She checked the price tag, then her eyes widened.

She immediately dropped it.

"These are really expensive.” She hissed at Sophia. Had she forgotten her family had gone bankrupt?

Sophia laughed. "Don't worry about that."

"How can I not worry about that? Who is going to pay? Because I know I'm not paying.” Joy said with alarm.

Sophia gave her an incredulous look. "Liam."

Joy's mouth fell open. "What?"

"Everything has already been paid for."

Joy looked back at the dresses. She wasn't sure whether she should be shocked or excited. Maybe both.

There were so many beautiful dresses that she didn't even know where to begin. Three beautiful women that looked like they belonged in a magazine stood beside the racks, waiting patiently.

Joy swallowed. She suddenly felt very small standing in the middle of the room. Sophia walked over and gave her a playful clap on her back, laughing.

"Welcome to the billionaire lifestyle."

Joy licked her dry lips as she looked at the dresses again. She wasn't sure whether she was ready for it, but judging by the number of dresses Liam had just sent to the house, she had a feeling she didn't have much of a choice.