PRESENT DAY

Anna turned the key to her apartment door and stepped in. The modest apartment she lived in now did not have the frosty view of Odin's Fjord to welcome her. But at least it was hers.

She grimaced as she slipped off her coat to hang in the closet by the entrance. Her dwelling was temporary until Hans sent through the documents for their divorce. It still made her laugh that she'd been the one to move out. But he'd insisted he 'needed' to remain at the house for the duration of a few projects. She had not had the heart to argue, considering he'd broken hers.

"Stop it," she muttered. "It'll all be over soon."

As she learned from her sister's passing, time gradually lessened all wounds.

She shoved aside all thoughts of her husband and went to her bedroom. It was as messy as she'd left it, with a few boxes left unpacked in one corner these past few months. She had stubbornly hoped Hans would be out of her house by now.

"Damn it, Anna."

She did it again. Annoyed with herself now, she stomped over to her small desk to snatch up her laptop and carry it off to the kitchen. There was, after all, writing to do. It was silly to spend so much time wallowing over an idiot who didn't know what he wanted.

"A pretty idiot," she scoffed as she cleared her breakfast table of a newspaper and crumb-littered dish to make room for her computer.

You're not here today. Where's your head at?

Anna fumbled with her laptop as she opened it. She pulled out her chair and sat down with the gravity of a two-ton boulder as guilt settled in. How could she have just left Kristoff in the café like that?

But just as quickly, anger coursed through the redhead as she remembered the first speed bump at their lunch date.

I bumped into Rapunzel this morning. I know you're still not on speaking terms, but she asked about how you are…

She pulled up her documents folder to open the latest draft of her work in progress. She'd left off on the final chapter last night before bed. After this last section of revisions, she would do one last read through before submitting it someplace. She just needed to decide whether to submit to an agent or publisher. There was plenty of research to be done.

But first, she had to finish her novel.

Anna frowned as an image abruptly filled her head: Rapunzel, her belly fat with her baby due soon. This time it was for real. She grinned wryly as she recalled the last time she'd seen Rapunzel and Eugene. She had told them she never wanted to see them again.

Yet now…in the solitude of her own apartment, she thought back to that explosive conversation they'd had about the house, about the fake pregnancy, all of it. It struck her that she wasn't angry. What they had done to her was wrong, and perhaps she didn't want to see them, but…

She had let go of that anger. She didn't have room for it anymore.

Abruptly, those hurt feelings Anna kept trying to evade came crashing down upon her. She smashed her fingers against the keyboard and slid back in her seat with a sigh.

Yes, at this point her anger toward Rapunzel was mainly a distraction. She hugged herself and stared at the incoherent string of letters on her document. Her eyes began to sting. How she wanted to see Mormor and the others again!

Anna pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. Now was not the time. Time was both a friend and the enemy. Right now, she had a manuscript to finish. She could cry later.

Looking more resolute, she scooted up closer to the table and stared at the final draft before her. She began to work from note to note, deleting sentences and sometimes whole paragraphs. She removed one scene that didn't fit the tone of the ending, although it pained her to do so.

Her novel was about letters between two sisters, the main theme being one of forgiveness. The anger packed into the removed scene had bled through from her own recent turmoil, not that of her characters.

At the end of Anna's novel, one of the sisters has passed away. The other has dementia, and never got to truly apologize for her wrongs to the older sister.

"That's depressing," Anna agreed with the note she had left for herself on her previous read-through. True though that may be, that wasn't entirely helpful. Perhaps, she considered, her own input was not enough. What she really needed was some honest feedback. Kristoff had read several excerpts but seemed only to know how to praise her.

Sometimes it felt as though to him, Anna could do no wrong. It was…unnerving.

And while her writers group gave their support and encouragement, their opinions were not dear to her. She needed critique that mattered.

"Oh…"

Yes, that was it. She needed him. But immediately after the idea occurred to her, every atom of her being had to fight her own reluctance in reaching out to the man who rejected her. After all, they had lived together for several months. Even if none of it had been real on his end, he still meant something to her.

Anna chuckled. Boy, was unrequited love in marriage pathetic.

"It was never real anyway," she reminded herself in a low voice. Then, her face hardened. It was the least he could do for her.

With newfound courage, Anna printed a clean copy of her manuscript, complete with her own notes in the final chapter. She carefully eased it into a large manila envelope and began to compose a note. It took several drafts before she was content with her letter to Hans; short, sweet, not overly sentimental, but honest. He would respond well to that, she hoped.

Her phone rang just as she sealed the envelope. She didn't recognize the number, and so she quickly rejected the call. She'd been getting a lot of unwanted calls ever since her engagement to Hans.

Ding.

She was thankful for the sudden voicemail notification's distraction before weariness could strike again. Amused, she quickly dialed into her voicemail inbox and listened in, expecting some automated nonsense.

"Hello Miss Frost. My name's Jacqueline Arnold. I'm with Reese Publishing House in Glowerhaven and I'm calling to discuss your novel, Reposed Grace. You can reach me at this number before five today or tomorrow, I'm hoping we can talk about—"

Anna stopped the message and quickly pressed the call back button. They wanted to publish her book? But she never submitted Reposed Grace. She chewed her lip and stared at the manila envelope. For heaven's sake, she was still revising it!

"Hello? Hello! Miss Arnold? Jacqueline? Yes, hi! This is Anna Frost. I just got your voicemail."

"Oh, Miss Frost! Thank you for calling me back so quickly. Yes, I wanted to—"

"I appreciate your interest, but I'm a little confused. I never submitted Reposed Grace to Reese Publishing. Not…not to say that I wouldn't…"

Jacqueline let out a pleasant laugh. "Oh, no. I'm so sorry for the confusion, Miss Frost. It was Kristoff Bjorgman who submitted it on your behalf. A bit unconventional and… honestly, the legality is a bit questionable, but he won me over telling me all about how much heart you've put into your story. Kristoff and I go way back. We dated in high school, in fact! Ha, ha. That's a joke, Miss. Frost. That lasted for all of two weeks. Nervous kids, you see. Oh, I'm so sorry, I sometimes ramble. Anyway, your novel… it is JUST so powerful! You've written a bestseller; I can promise you. Family drama is a huge niche lately. What are your thoughts?"

Anna clutched her phone and simply stared at her computer. Anger ebbed and flowed through her as a very tiny part of herself tried to feel grateful for Kristoff's good intentions.

"I'm sorry, Miss Arnold. I'm not planning to publish it currently. Thank you."

She ended the call and threw her phone across the table. The waterworks she held back earlier were finally unleashed.

Why was it that people were constantly taking control of her life? It hit her all at once, much harder than she expected: the vacation, the house, the engagement, the marriage, the divorce…and now her heart's work. Her writing. Someone else had submitted her novel… had gotten her a publishing deal without her even knowing or asking.

She finally let herself weep. It didn't matter that Kristoff thought he'd done her a favor; this was her passion and her life. He was meddling in things he didn't fully understand. She rested her head in her arms on the table and sat there until her face was sore from all the salt of her tears.

No more, she thought. Not anymore.

LAST NEW YEAR'S EVE

Everything from the deafening fireworks to the cheers of party guests became a blur once Anna was shepherded back into the mansion. She looked up once to observe that it was Kristoff who led the way. Perhaps she was dreaming? But Hans's hand holding fast to hers felt too warm to be of her subconscious. She doubted if she would dream anything this crazy, anyway.

They crossed the kitchen and entered the long hallway which took them through the center of the house. There was commotion behind them, but Anna didn't dare turn back. She stumbled into Hans as Kristoff came to a halt and opened a door to their right.

He had led them to a study, one of those wood-paneled libraries with built in cabinetry and bookshelves. Hans thankfully released her hand to turn toward his friend as Kristoff shut the door behind them; Anna took her chance to sink into the nearest chair, a circular fabric lounge chair that was far too stiff to be comfortable.

"Congratulations," Kristoff said. Anna glanced up to find the large blond man glancing with uncertainty between herself and Hans. She put on a smile for him and then inevitably glanced down at the three stone engagement ring around her finger. The ring had to be for Ariel.

"Thank you!" Hans stepped in to grasp Kristoff in an appreciative hug. Kristoff awkwardly brought his hands up to clap Hans on the back, a reciprocated if bewildered gesture of fondness.

"Were you surprised?"

Anna glanced up again. Kristoff had directed the question at her. She caught the warning glint in Hans's eyes, her lips turning up into a panicked smile.

"Y-yes. Very," she answered. The only reason she wasn't going off at him right now was because she was shocked…and because she was his live-in employee.

Of course, this changes everything, doesn't it?

"I never would have guessed from that dinner that you two were dating," Kristoff admitted. He walked up to one of the curtained windows and peered outside. "Hans, you rascal."

Hans chuckled so naturally that Anna was impressed. But then she remembered he was an actor as well as a singer.

"Well, with Anna not used to being in the public eye, I had to protect her."

She twitched, looking up as Hans had quite suddenly moved next to her and slid his hand across her shoulder. He rested it there and smiled down at her when Kristoff turned away from the window.

"How long have you been together?"

Anna clamped her lips together. Let Hans handle the questions, she decided.

"A little over a year," the singer answered without missing a beat.

"I thought you were new friends?"

"Ah," Hans said. "Anna wasn't quite comfortable revealing that we were a couple yet."

A troubled look came over Kristoff. Anna kept her gaze down as soon as she noticed it.

"But tonight was different?"

"I intend to take care of her. She knows that."

She struggled not to shift around in her seat as the room seemed to drop several degrees from the way Kristoff and Hans gazed at each other. Then, in answer to Anna's prayer for the moment to pass, someone's cellphone started ringing. Hans and Kristoff both reflexively reached for their phones. It turned out to be Hans receiving a call. He moved aside to answer.

"Gene! Yeah, well, the reporters are being reporters… you what? Oh, thank God…"

Anna tuned him out as she began to reconcile with the abrupt announcement. Kristoff moved toward her, slowly sinking down to one knee when she wouldn't look up at him. She could not avert her eyes this time. But the concern in his eyes was a comfort.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked. She hesitated as he reached out to touch her hand, for she hadn't noticed how tightly she'd been clutching the armrest of the chair. There was no need for words, so she laughed. She knew her shock was written all over her face.

For a moment, Anna thought Kristoff would call them both out. Instead, he gave her some encouraging words. "Hans has been dealing with reporters for a long time… I don't know if you'll ever get used to it. But I know he'll take good care of you. He's a good guy."

Don't laugh again, don't laugh again, don't do it. Do not laugh, Anna.

Luckily, she was able to pull off a smile. Her mind was miles away, of course. Her lips tingled at the memory of Hans's kiss. What was the singer trying to pull?

Suddenly, Hans strode over to slide a protective arm around Anna, having seen the exchange between her and Kristoff.

"Gene is on his way," he said. His hand brushed down to take her by the arm and gently assist her up from the chair. "Let's wait outside."

Kristoff and Anna both blinked in confusion. "Are you sure?"

The businessman was forced to step aside as Hans began to lead Anna toward the door. "Yeah," the singer said, speaking over his shoulder with sudden determination. "I'll take it from here."

Rapunzel grinned as she raked her fingers through her sleeping boyfriend's soft brown hair. They'd planned to stay up till midnight together. Although they no longer went out for New Year's Eve, it was still tradition for them to ring in the new year. She could hear distant fireworks now, recalling parties from the past. But where she was now was preferable.

They were all cozied up on the couch, the late-night television news droning on in front of them; a platter with remnants of cheese, crackers and nuts sat on their coffee table. Eugene had consumed most of the snacks and promptly dozed off before midnight while Rapunzel had helped herself to celebratory aquavit. She frowned at her now empty glass, a reminder of the lie they'd told her cousin.

Pregnancy was hardly something they were ready for; the lie had come to her when she panicked. Both she and Eugene felt terrible about it afterward. After everything, they'd only brought Eugene's debt down by half. But Rapunzel had resolved not to take or ask for any more from Anna, especially not now that they'd lied to her again.

There was a time in her life when lying had come frighteningly easy to her. Meeting Eugene had helped her turn things around. She didn't want to go back to that.

"…here in St. Andrew's, a most exciting announcement at the acclaimed Pedersen estate, where Wintra, LTD. hosted a New Year's celebration in honor of their president, Kristoff Bjorgman who recently returned from abroad…"

Rapunzel reached forward to grab the last remaining cracker, tuning out the television. She hugged Eugene with one arm as she popped the cracker into her mouth, stifling a giggle. It was adorable how easily he fell asleep even with background noise. Rapunzel was a lighter sleeper. The only voice she could fall asleep to was, of course, Eugene's. Even his snoring put her at ease. She twisted around on the couch in search for the remote as she thought it was just about time to go to sleep. She was just debating whether to reposition and sleep on the couch with her boyfriend or to wake him to head to their bedroom.

"…unidentified woman, but we have some footage of the celebrity's proposal to follow."

Rapunzel glanced up in amusement. But what she saw on screen had her jaw drop.

"Eugene…" She nudged him, but he didn't stir. She gaped at the crowd surrounding her cousin on screen, but what was more shocking was that Hans Westergaard had his lips pressed to Anna. The camera zoomed in slightly to show the engagement ring as fireworks went off in the sky above. "Eugene!"

"Huh?!" He snorted as he came to and sat up, startled.

"Look."

He turned toward her, glancing from her pointed finger to the scene on their television. Then, he rubbed his eyes and looked again.

"Is that…?"

"That's Anna. Engaged. To the Hans Westergaard."

Eugene slowly brought his legs down from the couch to plant his feet on the floor. "But…how? No offense to Anna…" She felt him gaze at her profile.

Rapunzel shook her head, battling with her emotions. Minutes ago, she was weighed down by guilt as she replayed Anna's angry confrontation out in her head.

"It looks like we're not the only ones who lied," she grumbled as she embraced her own anger.

Hans's manager was quite the character. He greeted Anna with the most charming smile when he picked them up from the estate. He was a head taller than his singer, with a bald head and expertly groomed facial hair. He was as impeccably dressed as Hans and had animated eyebrows that rose and fell as he introduced himself, ushiering them into his car. But as soon as Gene pulled out of the cobblestone driveway, he exploded at the singer for his 'recklessness'.

"What about your fans? What about the Ariel story? What about your family?!"

Anna glanced up. Gene's livid gaze in the rear view mirror was dimly lit by the orange glow of his dashboard lights. She glanced from him to Hans calm and stoic beside her in the backseat. Hans did not reply, seeming to wait to let Gene let off some steam first.

"Has she even met your family!? You JUST broke into the movie industry. This could take away news about that."

Gene pulled onto the freeway, cursing under his breath as a car cut him off.

"Even if that's the case, I'll still be in the news. And I'll be back in headlines after the film premieres."

Anna found herself nodding along with this. For as crazy as his random proposal was, Hans had a point. She just couldn't wait for them to get home so she could give him the third degree.

"Miss Frost…or Anna? What should I call you?" Gene hesitated, turning his mirror gaze over to Anna suddenly. His expression had significantly softened.

"Oh. Anna is fine?"

"Good. How are you doing? You looked quite shocked on the news. Do you need a drink?"

"I-I'm fine. Just tired..."

"Good. As for you!" Gene turned up his exasperation again as he addressed Hans. "Has she or hasn't she met your family?"

Now, Hans groaned. He turned away to look out the window, refusing to respond. His sudden silence made Anna a little nervous. She could even see Gene fidgeting, as though the manager had asked something out of bounds.

"Okay, okay, buddy, fine. You had your fun. But you're a figure of the public. There's a way to go about things. From now on, we're gonna do this the right way. Hans? Buddy?"

Gene glanced back nervously as he signaled to take the next exit.

"I hear you, Gene. Whatever you need, let me know. At least there will be no rumors."

No one added any more to the conversation as Gene navigated the neighborhood and eventually pulled up to Anna's house.

As soon as Gene had the car in park, Hans jumped out to open the door for Anna. She met his gaze and narrowed her eyes as she climbed out.

"I'll call in the morning. Later, buddy! Lovely meeting you, Anna!"

Anna waved briefly and turned to find Hans already on his way up to the house.

"What the hell?!" she called after him. "What?! What's going on? Are you crazy?"

He ignored her even as she gained on him, passing through the fence gate. This infuriated her. How could he pull something like this and pretend it was nothing? On impulse, Anna removed one shoe and threw it at him, surprised by her excellent aim as it struck the back of Hans's head.

Hans stopped short and whirled around, his eyes wide with anger. "I know it came out of nowhere, okay?! I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Well, tough cookies!"

That caught him off guard. "What?"

"What does this mean for my…situation? Did you mean it? Are you actually proposing?"

He ran a hand through his red hair, looking like a lost little boy as he avoided her gaze. It was then that Anna realized it.

Hans was improvising.

Her phone began to buzz in her purse, but she ignored it. The biggest shock of the night was not the proposal, but the fact that she felt pity for Hans Westergaard.

"I apologize for the chaos I've caused you. Can we please discuss this first thing in the morning?" he asked. He did look sorry. Anna wondered if the weariness in his eyes was from acting the part of the happy fiancé or from something else.

But she was not going to push him now. She was too exhausted.

"Yes, Hans. Tomorrow morning is fine…"

He surprised her one last time that evening with a grateful smile. Then, he pulled out his keys and turned to lead the way to their front door. Anna's breath caught as she watched his back.

It was finally sinking in. As far as she knew, she was Hans Westergaard's fiancée.

A/N: Thank you for reading! This chapter marks the half-way point to this story. I appreciate your patience, reviews, etc. 😊

Hoping the time jump is not too confusing. The opening section is meant to pick up from the first scene in chapter one.