Chapter Eleven

After the meeting and the brief chat with Ethan, Madisyn knew that working with him wouldn't be easy. But she was determined; she knew all her hard work and patience would pay off when she finally saw her ex-boyfriend fail. She was intent on taking back everything her father had given him—and not just that, but also all the pride and confidence he had for himself.

When she got home, she noticed a message from her sister.

"I HAVE A DATE FOR YOU!!"

Madisyn rolled her eyes. She doesn't give up easily, does she?

She opened the message and saw a photo of a man who looked to be in his late twenties. With his sculpted abs and basketball shorts, he definitely looked like a player.

"This one texted you: 'I am looking forward to spending a week with you. I hope you pick me ;) I can help you forget your ex.'"

Madisyn's eyes widened.

'No way! He seems like he's hitting on me!' she quickly replied.

'That's what the app is for,' her sister responded.

'But I don't want an app for that!'

'Too late, babe. You have a date with Alex in three hours. He'll pick you up! Love you too, bye!'

"No! No! No!" Madisyn shouted, frantically tapping the call button to reach her sister. As expected, her sister ignored the calls until Madisyn gave up.

"I hate you," she texted back, shaking her head in frustration.

A date with a stranger is the last thing She needed today. I can't handle another man after dealing with Ethan.

"I can't even log in to the app to cancel the date!" Madisyn complained to herself. "She's evil. E-v-i-l!"

Madisyn had wanted to relax after her long day, but instead, she found herself stuck with an unwanted date. She and her sister had an agreement: if Madisyn didn't like any of the men her sister set her up with, she'd finally be left alone. But at this point, she knew her sister wasn't going to give up easily.

Belle was the type who couldn't stand being single. As soon as she broke up with one boyfriend, she'd start dating someone new within weeks. Madisyn, on the other hand, loved her solitude and enjoyed being alone. Unlike her sister, she didn't let men get close easily. She had only dated twice before Ethan and had never fallen in love until him. The fact that the only man she ever loved turned out to be a disappointment only reinforced her belief that men weren't worth the trouble.

Now, she had the perfect excuse to avoid dating altogether.

While Belle couldn't stop dating, Madisyn wanted nothing to do with it.

A few hours later, Madisyn was secretly hoping that Alex, the basketball player, wouldn't show up. But just in case, she put on a casual outfit—gray jeans, a white blouse, and heeled shoes—so she wouldn't appear too disinterested. Right on time, at 6 PM, Alex knocked on her door.

"Why???" Madisyn whispered to herself, stomping her foot in frustration. She opened the door and forced a smile.

A young man, around 26, with blonde hair and a basketball jersey, stood there. He puffed out his chest to show off his abs and flexed his arms as he crossed them, clearly thinking he was the most muscular man around. But to Madisyn, he came off as a narcissist probably spoiled, too.

"Hello, chica, you look even more gorgeous in person!" he said with a wink.

Chica? She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"Thank you," she replied, keeping her tone polite.

"So, what would you like to do?"

Nothing!

"I'm not sure. It's up to you," she said.

"I'm a very sporty guy, as you can tell from my physique. I'd avoid fast food and stuff like that. Maybe we could go to a nice restaurant."

He's really full of himself, she thought.

"That's fine with me," she agreed. He led her to his car and started it up.

"You've got a huge villa," he commented, glancing at the mansion.

Great, another gold digger, Madisyn thought. She was all too familiar with the type.

"It's just family property," she lied, not wanting him to know who her father was.

"I see. Well, you're lucky! I'm a self-made man."

Self-made man? she thought sarcastically. What a career, playing college basketball. She turned toward the window to roll her eyes in peace.

The conversation was dull until they arrived at the restaurant. It wasn't the most luxurious place in the city, but it was elegant enough for a first date with a college basketball player she'd met on a dating app. As they approached the hostess, they noticed she was already speaking with a couple: a tall, elegant blonde with curly hair, carrying a Chanel bag and wearing a red dress, and a tall, familiar man.

When Alex caught the hostess's attention, the couple turned around.

"Madisyn! What are you doing here?"

Oh no, not him again!