Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Conner came clean about getting his butt kicked, but of course, he couldn't just admit it. "Honestly, I could've won. I was just pulling a stunt, playing the victim on purpose."

Right on cue, Mr. Nettleton's assistant piped up from behind him. "Boss, that was some performance. You sold it so well you landed yourself in the hospital for over two weeks. We almost lost everything while you were out."

Mr. Nettleton shot him a glare. "What, you want a sick day or are you just asking to be fired?"

The assistant just grinned. "Getting fired sounds good to me."

Conner pointed at the door, and the assistant slipped out quick. Mr. Nettleton muttered under his breath, "Can't you see Annie and I are having a moment? Why do you insist on being the third wheel?"

Then he wrapped his arm tighter around Annie, who was still reeling from what she'd just heard. "So, that night at the banquet, when you said you fell for me at first sight-was that just a line?"

Mr. Nettleton hesitated, his voice softening. "Half true, half not. You really did look amazing that night. That white dress-yeah, I couldn't look away."

Annie barely remembered the banquet herself. She'd been too busy sneaking lollipops, only for her mom to snatch them away. "Honey, things have changed. The Martin family can't protect you anymore. We need to find you someone who can."

take care of myself. I'm a cop,

Mr. Nettleton's

changed at all. You looked the same at seventeen as you do

his pride-and the embarrassing story of getting knocked down- he never admitted it to anyone. To

was hard for Annie to believe, but

she lay in

up her mind to

was floored. Her parents couldn't understand why their daughter would want a job like that, but once Maja decided, nobody could change her

of it. "Sis, that place is so

quiet. I just want

head. "What do you expect me to do? Your sister won't even

cemetery where Emmery was buried. The place wasn't much,

a

and Maja's