Here is a new story for you! I hope you enjoy it!

Mercedes Jones sighed as she sat back, glancing around the moderately decorated living room, trying to remember the last time she was actually there. It had to have been a year ago when she told her father that she was leaving with Habitat for Humanity for Africa.

Mercedes was thrilled when they explained what they would be doing and asked her to join them as they built schools in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Malawi. As she helped to build the schools, leaving a bit of herself in each one, Mercedes took time to learn about their cultures and beliefs. She wished she could stay longer but didn't have the time.

Julien had a fit, but thankfully, Rebecca explained how amazing it would look to all their friends that they didn't have a spoiled rich girl but a giver. And her father reluctantly didn't try to stop her. Even at thirty-five, he seemed to think he could run her life.

She swallowed hard. Coming over today, she hadn't had time to prepare because she had no idea why her father wanted to see her. She had only been back for a month, and he sent his customary gift box, letting her know that he was "glad she was home."

Glancing around the room, she frowned; it still felt cold. There were no family photos, just the most expensive Art pieces, so anyone who showed up knew they were part of the upper echelon.

Mercedes nodded, thanking the family maid and the woman who had practically raised her, Carol Hudson, as her teacup was refilled.

"May I get you anything else, Miss Mercedes?"

Mercedes shook her head. "No, thank you, Carol."

No matter how long she stayed away, things remained the same in this house. She would forever feel like a guest in her father's mansion. He expected her to know and enforce the rules whenever she entered.

Dress for success, and you will always win. That was her father's motto, and that's how she looked every time she saw him.

Today, she wore a beautiful dull peach tweed jacket and matching skirt with a white silk blouse, which she tugged at. Her red hair was in a tight bun, and her makeup was immaculately done. Subtle, natural, beautiful.

She sat on the white sofa, hands gripping the hem of her skirt, and stood as she heard her parents walking into the room.

"Mercedes, you look lovely," Rebecca said, walking over to her and kissing her on both cheeks.

Rebecca Jones took a seat and added sugar to her teacup as Mercedes sat across from her.

Mercedes met Rebecca when she was almost nine years old. The woman was twenty-one at the time, and though she still looked the same way, Mercedes remembered her.

Rebecca had long, flowing brown hair with beautiful blonde highlights. Rebecca was small, about five feet even, which is why Mercedes never saw her without heels on. Her svelte body was the same, save for the breast enhancement her father paid for.

Wearing a beautifully elegant black satin dress with a half sweater to match, her perfectly manicured nails picked up her teacup as she looked at Mercedes. "Your father will be here soon, finishing a phone call."

As if he heard her announce him, Julien Jones walked into the room, unbuttoning his suit jacket and sitting next to Rebecca as he loosened his black tie with a white diamond pattern. His black suit jacket, still elegant, was hanging off his broad shoulder, at 6 feet even.

He smiled at his daughter as he looked at Rebecca. She always had a way of making Mercedes understand what was right, so he would let her speak first.

"Okay, Mercedes, you must wonder why we called you here."

Mercedes nodded, "Yes. Please tell me you aren't trying to get me to move back in; I just can't do that."

Rebecca laughed, shaking her head. "Please don't make me have that conversation with your father. He didn't want any of you to leave. But no, this isn't about that." She sighed heavily, and Mercedes could feel the weight of the conversation. It made sense that her father had Rebecca do all the talking. It seemed that when he was certain Mercedes wouldn't like what he had to say, he sent Rebecca to do his dirty work.

Rebecca took a breath. "Your father and I have spoken to the head of the Evans family and have decided." She stopped for a moment, trying to find the right words. "We have decided it is in your best interest to marry their son Samuel."

Mercedes blinked away her confusion, looking at her Stepmother, her mind racing and jaw-dropping as the words left the woman's mouth. There was no way she heard what she thought she heard. Was her father really trying to force her hand in marriage?

No, there was no way that's what she heard; her father wouldn't be so cruel, and he wouldn't do this. But in her heart of hearts, she knew that this was not above her father. He would do anything to come out on top.

She needed a moment to gather herself. "I'm sorry, please repeat that?" Mercedes said, unsure what to make of what she thought she heard.

"I said your father and I have spoken to the Evans, and you and Samuel Evans are going to get married," Rebecca said, taking a sip of tea and watching Mercedes take in the colossal bomb she dropped onto her lap.

After a few moments, she continued, "We are going to host them here tomorrow for lunch, and then tomorrow night, we are going to have an engagement party. Then, in a few weeks, you will be Mrs. Mercedes Jones-Evans; we expect you to hyphenate."

Mercedes frowned, shaking her head as if it would give her more clarity. It did not. "That's what I thought you said. With all due respect, you two are crazy if you think I am going to marry some random man because you think this is in my best interest. I will not, just to be clear. And who the hell even is this, Samuel? What made you think I would even go along with this?"

Julien pinched the bridge of his nose before he looked at his daughter, sighing. The man knew his daughter was willful, but she would break for the right price or cause, just like her mother. "Mercedes, I have let you be, living your life the way you want, and you know I have let you slide by without living up to your responsibilities for too long. You are thirty-five years old and unmarried, nor have you taken your place in the family business. Your younger sister and brother have been married for over two years and are thriving in the company. You have gotten to travel, you have gotten to enjoy your life, all on my dime. It's time you repay the debt."

Mercedes stood. "Repay my- you are my father! I never asked for any of this."

Julien stood. "Which is the only reason you are standing in front of me. I wanted to threaten to take everything from you, but as your Stepmother said, that wouldn't do a thing." He sighed. "You are so much like your mother, Mercedes…and I have let you get away with too much. So we have decided to make you a deal."

"Dad, there is no amount of money you could offer me to make this happen!" Mercedes said.

Julien smiled. "I am sure there isn't, but the money I am offering you isn't for you. You have money, don't think I don't know about your personal account." He nodded to Rebecca, who stood up and walked over to Mercedes, taking her hand in hers.

"We know this is a shock, and it seems like it has come out of nowhere, but the Evans and the Jones have been discussing this collaboration for years. And to do this, we will not only give you the money to fix up your mom's old community center but also give you money to maintain it," Rebecca said with a reassuring smile.

"You can accept that, or we can tear it down and build condos since the lease is in my name," Julien said.

Rebecca shot him a disapproving look; threats never worked with Mercedes.

Mercedes frowned; her mother started Shelter of Angels a year after Mercedes was born. It was a safe harbor for anyone who needed a safe space to go for domestic violence. When her mother got sick, her dad did his best to keep it up, but the moment she passed, he couldn't look at the Shelter, and it fell to the wayside.

Mercedes looked over to Rebecca and knew this was her doing. She knew how much the Shelter meant to her. She thought about how her father introduced her to Rebecca six months after her mother's death. He reasoned that she needed a mother figure and that he couldn't raise a little girl alone, but Mercedes knew it was also because he was lonely. He didn't do well alone.

Once Mercedes got older, she dedicated her time to making sure the place was up and running. She even lied to her father, stating she was taking lavish vacations when, in fact, she was helping to rebuild the Shelter. It was Rebecca who helped sell her lies.

Standing tall, Mercedes folded her arms across her chest. "That gets me listening. But what you have to say will determine if I take it or leave it."

Julien smirked. "I swear. It's like looking at Amelia…"

Rebecca looked at Julien. "I told you, she's stronger and smarter than you give her credit for."

Julien heaved a sigh and cleared his throat deeply. "So here's the deal. Dwight Evans came to me personally. His son Samuel is due to take over Evans Empire in the next few weeks, but Dwight isn't sure he can handle it. He's thirty-four and no closer to settling down than you are."

Mercedes laughed. "And I know you aren't doing this out of the goodness of your heart. So, let's get to the brass tax here, shall we? What are you getting out of this?"

Julien raised his hands. "Evans Empire and Jones Media will merge for your hand in marriage. I will have access to new markets, and they will have access to all our media assets."

"And there it is."

Julien smirked. "Mercedes, we need this merger. We are at a standstill, and we need to move forward. This is my grandfather's legacy."

"Oh, don't you use Poppy against me!" Mercedes warned.

"He started Jones Media with a home radio show and a dream. And now we are a multimedia, international company."

Mercedes sighed because she knew how hard her great-grandfather worked.

Julien saw her waiver, so he continued. "Tomorrow, you and Samuel will meet for lunch here, with his parents and us, to discuss the wedding and set the date. Then tomorrow night will be the engagement party."

Mercedes shook her head. "No…I can't just marry some man I don't even know because it helps you!"

Julien was growing frustrated. "It will help you, too! I will be making you CEO of Jones Media."

"No! I am not leaving my kids! This can not interfere with my work! I love teaching." Mercedes said.

"You can teach on the weekends and in the evenings to avoid your new husband. I really don't care, but you will be doing this."

Mercedes shook her head. "It's not worth it. I can't do that."

Rebecca nudged him, and Julien groaned. "Fine! You know that run-down apartment complex on Main St., The one that the Evans want to tear down to turn into a Luxury Club? I knew you would be difficult, so I had them throw that in. You marry Samuel Evans; you get the land. It's fifteen acres, which means you can build both your community center and a secured home for those people."

"Those people are in need, and the fact that you can't see that," Mercedes fumed.

"She's right, Julien; you know they mean more to Mercedes than that," Rebecca said.

Mercedes looked at her in appreciation. Mercedes had heard stories about stepmothers from her friends, but Rebecca wasn't like the others. Yes, she wasn't too happy to be the mother of a girl thirteen years younger than her, but she became like Mercedes's older sister. Eventually, she and Mercedes started going on spa days to get their hair done together and shopping.

Once her siblings were born, Mercedes was worried she would be an outcast, but she wasn't. They were happy kids; Mercedes loved and protected them as her siblings.

Because of their relationship, Rebecca was the reason Mercedes had as much freedom as she did. When Mercedes felt homesick at her all-girl prep school, Rebecca was the one who took her out for the day or a weekend and let her spend time with her siblings.

"It's a great deal," Rebecca said, taking Mercedes out of her thoughts as she watched her Stepmother sit back in her chair. "You marry Samuel, you get a great job, you get money, and that way, you can have enough to build a safe haven. It's a win-win for everyone. And I wouldn't worry about Samuel Evans. From what I hear, not only is he easy on the eyes, but he's hardly ever in town. Besides, you two were in love once… or that's what your dad said."

Mercedes scoffed. "We were in puppy love when I was four, and he was three. After that, I was sent to an all-girls prep school, so we didn't grow up together; I wouldn't even know the man if we ran into each other on the street."

"I really don't care," Julien said. "Look, do we have a deal or not?"

"No." She said boldly.

Julien looked at her like she had grown two heads; she rarely went against him. "No?"

"If you want me to do this, then you need to give me more. I don't want to wait six months; I want the lease transferred to me immediately."

"Mercedes!" Her father said. "Six months is standard for contracts."

"It's not standard for me! I am not just another employee that you can bully. I am your daughter. You have given me the best education, and there is a reason you want me as CEO. I have my Master's in business and in finance. I was at the top of my class from Prep School all the way to Stanford."

"Still can't believe you turned down Harvard!" Julien mumbled.

"Mom went to Standford, and I…"

"You wanted to feel closer to her; we do get it, Mercedes. And it's still a top-ranking school." Rebecca said. "But we are getting off-topic, Julien. We can transfer it to Mercedes as a wedding gift."

Julien grumbled. "Fine!"

Mercedes nodded. "I also don't want to have to deal with Biff. I don't want to deal with him at all."

"Now Mercedes, Biff is COO; you will need to talk with him."

"Biff is a snake who is still pissed. I turned down his marriage proposal three times. All he wanted was sex, and I-"

"Don't be crude, Mercedes," Julien warned. "Your sexual exploits are not needed in this conversation."

"Sexual—I can't believe you actually said…you still believe him after all these years, and there is no proof?"

Mercedes rolled her eyes, annoyed that the rumor was still out there that she lost her virginity to Biff McIntosh. She met the jackass when she interned for her father in her senior year. Biff immediately gravitated to her, but there was something about him that she didn't like. One night, he cornered her in the office, and her father walked in. Biff stated she seduced him, and her father was livid. But not as much as Mercedes was; she didn't even let him kiss her.

Julien was about to speak, but Rebecca cleared her throat. "No, we don't." She looked over to Julien. "You need to actually listen to what your daughter is saying, and we know she is still a virgin. It's one of the reasons Dwight and Mary agreed to this."

Julien grumbled as Rebecca looked at Mercedes. "I know this isn't an ideal situation, but from what I heard, Samuel Evans is a good guy with a great head on his shoulder. The contract states that you need to be married for at least three years. After that point, you may divorce if you see fit."

"Three years is a long time. Make it a year, and you will have a deal. In which I will reevaluate my career at Jones Media as well."

"It had to be at least two years," Julien said. "But I'll take a year and a half. And if you want to end it you can start the process and drag it out to two years. Win/win."

"Fine! But I want a raise every six months while I am married to him."

Fine!" Julien threw his hands up in defeat. "If I weren't so frustrated at your demands, I'd be proud of your negotiation skills. They will come in handy."

Mercedes offered him a small smile. That was as good of a compliment as she would get from him. "So marry the man, reevaluate in a year and a half. Anything else?"

Rebecca squeezed Mercedes's hand. "Mercedes, there is one final thing we need to discuss. While the professional reason for this meeting is to join Evans Empire and Jones Media, the personal reason, which your father and Dwight Evans agree on, is that you will need to get pregnant. It's the only proof we will have that you consummate the marriage and that both legacies will continue on in future generations."

Mercedes let out a laugh until she realized she was serious. "You want me to have a baby with a total stranger."

"It's not unheard of, Mercedes. How do you think you got here? I didn't know your mother from Adam, but our parents had a similar contract, and your mother, like you, was willful, stubborn, and beautiful. So she decided. She told me the night we married that she planned on leaving as soon as the contract was up. Pregnant or not." Julien looked at Rebecca and then at Mercedes. "But in the midst of it all, we fell in love."

Mercedes could feel tears burning in the back of her eyes. "You never told me that."

Julien shrugged. "Well, now you know. You can leave in a year if you wish. I will add that addendum to the contract, but you need to either have already had a child or be pregnant."

"If you are worried about the whole sex thing, don't worry. I will take you shopping and help you." Rebecca encouraged her.

"I really have no choice in this matter, do I?" Mercedes asked angrily.

"You have a choice; we all have choices, my dear. You can walk away, and the Evans will go with the Pearsons,' and Jones Media will miss a Golden opportunity. And you won't get to finish your mother's life work, or you can agree to this and get to build something that will help a lot of women."

Mercedes sat back, fuming but debating whether all this was worth it. "I want an event thrown by both families to support Shelter of Angels. All the proceeds will go toward building up the community I will be creating. Rich people love to throw their money away, so let it go to people who matter."

As Rebecca squeezed Mercedes's hand, Julien looked like he was about to blow. "That sounds like a lovely idea. After the honeymoon, we can throw a celebration Gala to raise money."

"Honeymoon?"

Rebecca nodded. "Real marriage, Mercedes."

"Do we have a deal or not?" Julien asked, checking his watch."

Mercedes sighed, standing. "I will do what is expected of me as long as you make those changes. Once I see the contract, we are good to go."

"Fine," Julien growled.

Mercedes grabbed her things as Juilien stood.

"You need to be here tomorrow at ten." With that, he walked away.

Rebecca took Mercedes's hand. "Unique will be here to do our hair and makeup for lunch and the engagement party. I will have some dresses for you to look through. It's going to be okay, Mercedes."

"Rebecca, were you and my father arranged as well?" Mercedes asked.

Rebecca sighed. "I was just supposed to sign on as your nanny, though I had no skills in that area. But I needed a job. My father saw it as an opportunity. And your father is a gorgeous rich man, so I went along with the arrangement. Though I wish I had your brains, I would have negotiated. Julien may seem angry, but the man is damn proud of you."

Mercedes offered her a smile before hugging her. "Thank you for having my back."

"I know I am not your mom. I never tried to be, but I am your friend, Mercedes; I will always help you when possible."

"Like, with, having sex with this Samuel guy."

Rebecca nodded. "Men like the Evans and your father; they like their prizes, and a virgin is a great prize. I was one, though I was younger than you."

"Yeah…thirty-five and a virgin. I gotta be a unicorn," she said, smiling slightly.

"If you mean you gotta be special, then yes, I agree. Mercedes, when Dwight asked us how many men you've been with and if we knew that you had a safe past for marriage, your father, proudly, I might add, said you were a virgin, and he could prove it. Dwight and Mary smiled so wide I could see all their back teeth. You are special as you proved that you were raised right." She sighed. "And I know it's a double standard; men have sex with whoever they want, but women need to be a virgin or close to one."

Mercedes laughed. "I know I am one; how would he prove it? And why would he even say it if he accused me of being with Biff?"

"Oh honey, it's not about you sleeping or not sleeping with Biff. Your father saw the video, saw you slap him, telling him you were a virgin and were waiting til marriage. He was disappointed you were in that situation."

Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Wow. Yeah, sorry, some pervert came after me."

"Never said it makes sense, hon…but let's get back on topic," Rebecca said smiling. "Look, I couldn't say this in front of your father, but girl talk, Samuel Evans is skilled in many ways from what I hear, and he will take care of you. And like I said, I will show you a few outfit choices, and we will prepare you. I know all this sucks, but you get your mom's Shelter."

"I know that was your idea. My dad wouldn't use that as a bargaining chip because he can't imagine understanding what it means to me."

Rebecca nodded. "I would love to help in any way I can; I can decorate and, oh, and help get them ready for Interviews and stuff."

"I'd really like that," Mercedes said, hugging her. "I need to go, but I will be here tomorrow—for you, not for any of them because I know you advocated for me."

"I do love you, Mercedes. You are the little sister I never had."

"Same for me, big sister."