PROLOGUE

"WHAT? ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Aza's voice cracked, a mixture of disbelief and outrage lacing her words. The air in the office seemed to crackle with her fury. Her friends, huddled around her, looked like deer caught in headlights. They had just dropped a bombshell on her, a prospect so ludicrous it made her head spin. She had just arrived at Oz Advertising, her heart heavy with the weight of their struggling company, a venture they'd built together from the ground up. She never expected to be greeted with such devastating news.

"Aza, calm down, okay? Hear us out before you go ballistic," C.C. said, her voice soothing but firm. She gently guided Aza towards the office couch, her eyes filled with concern. They could see the shock etched on Aza's face, a stark contrast to her usual vibrant energy.

"Yeah, relax," Mia chimed in, her voice laced with a nervous laugh. She sat beside Aza, her hand reaching out to squeeze her friend's arm.

"Listen first before you start whining! You're always so dramatic, Aza," Lena chided, her voice a bit sharp. She continued to munch on a bag of chips, her nonchalant demeanor a stark contrast to the tension filling the room. Aza took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. Her gaze swept over her friends, each one looking back at her with a mix of apprehension and guilt.

"Can you blame me for reacting this way? I feel betrayed!" Aza exclaimed, her voice laced with hurt. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

"For OZ!" she added, her voice a choked whisper. The words hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the weight of their shared dream.

Frustration welled up inside Aza, a hot wave of anger washing over her. She ran a hand through her hair, her eyes narrowing at Mia, the friend who always seemed to find humor in even the most dire situations. Of all the crazy things they'd done for OZ, this was the one she couldn't fathom.

"Why me? Are you selling me off? You think I'd agree to marry that creep, Wilton?" Aza's voice trembled with indignation. Her words were a mix of disbelief and fury, a raw expression of her hurt and anger.

Even though marriage was a dream of hers, she couldn't imagine marrying a man she didn't love. Wilton, with his sleazy demeanor and predatory eyes, was the last person she'd ever consider.

"Oh! Have some of this to calm down!" Mia said, offering Aza a bag of chips, her voice a little too bright, a little too cheery. Her gesture was met with a withering glare from Aza.

"Seriously, Miandelyn Foster? You think snacks will comfort me after this?" Aza retorted, her brow furrowed, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What? I'm offering you something, at least!" Mia defended herself, her voice a little less confident now.

Aza rolled her eyes. Mia was just teasing her, trying to lighten the mood. They'd been friends since high school, a tight-knit group of four who dreamt of starting a business together. When they finally launched Oz Advertising, they were overjoyed, their laughter echoing through the office. But their happiness was short-lived. Their company was struggling, their dreams teetering on the brink of collapse. They were desperate for a solution.

"C.C, why do I have to marry Wilton?" Aza asked, turning to her friend, her voice a soft plea. She sought solace in C.C.'s comforting presence, her hand resting on Aza's shoulder.

"Because he wants you, Aza. You know out of all of us, he's completely smitten with you," C.C. replied, her voice gentle but laced with a hint of sadness. Her words only deepened the frown on Aza's face, a stark reminder of the reality of their situation.

"Aza, OZ is going under if we don't sacrifice something. We poured our blood, sweat, and tears into building this company. We have to fight for it, and Wilton is the only one who can help us," Lena explained, her voice laced with desperation. But Aza just stared at her, her expression blank, her mind struggling to process the impossible situation.

"By marrying him? I'm the one who has to sacrifice? You guys are crazy! I'm not marrying that rat-faced creep. Sell me to a syndicate, I don't care, but don't make me marry that Doding Daga!" Aza shouted, her voice laced with anger. She was at her wit's end, her frustration reaching a boiling point.

"That's harsh, Aza. Doding Daga, really?" Mia mumbled, chewing on her chips, her voice a little too casual, a little too dismissive.

"It's not that I'm being judgemental, but besides my gut feeling about Wilton's intentions, I don't even love him. Do you think a marriage can work without love? I know OZ is in trouble, and we don't want to lose it, but I won't marry that man! Do you have any other ideas?" Aza said, her gaze fixed on her friends, who sat speechless, their shoulders slumped, their faces a mix of guilt and helplessness.

"There's no other way?" Aza whispered, her voice filled with despair. A single tear rolled down her cheek, a silent testament to the weight of her situation.

"Sorry, Aza. We have to do this for our company. We know marriage needs love, but if we don't accept Wilton's offer, OZ is gone for good," Lena said sadly. Even though they didn't want Aza to be the one to sacrifice for their company, they had no choice. Wilton was adamant about marrying Aza, his intentions clear and unwavering.

"Why not you, Lena?" Aza pointed at Lena, her voice a mix of desperation and a glimmer of hope.

"That's not possible, Aza. You forget I'm about to get married!" Lena replied, her voice laced with a hint of amusement. She couldn't imagine sacrificing her own happiness for their company, a decision that she knew would be met with fierce opposition from her fiancé.

Aza immediately turned to Mia, her eyes pleading.

"You, Mia! We're both beautiful, and Wilton wouldn't be losing anything with you—"

"You know I hate weddings. I might commit a crime before the wedding even happens. I might bury that man in the ground. And besides, you're the one he wants, right?" Mia interrupted, her voice a mix of humor and defiance. She couldn't imagine enduring the torture of a wedding, let alone marrying a man she despised. And besides, she knew Wilton was smitten with Aza, a fact that she found both amusing and slightly unnerving. Aza scowled, her frustration mounting. She turned to C.C., who stood beside her, a silent observer to the unfolding drama.

"Mia was right. You know Wilton only wants you. Even if I offered myself to him, I'm sure he'd refuse," C.C. said with a smile, her words laced with a hint of resignation. Aza stomped her foot on the floor, overwhelmed by the frustration of the situation. She had to do this for her company, for her friends, for their shared dream.

"Ahhh! I don't want to marry that man! Sell my organs, I don't care, but please, don't let me marry that man!" Aza begged, her voice cracking, her eyes pleading. Mia stood up, walked over to Aza, and placed a comforting hand on her back.

"Just bear with it, Aza. Have beautiful children, and then you can get your revenge. Or maybe just smother him with a pillow after the wedding," Mia joked, her voice a mix of humor and concern. Her words, though intended to lighten the mood, only added to Aza's misery.

"Mia, come on! That's not funny. You're scaring me."

“Why don't you try to date him? Get to know him, maybe Wilton's not so bad after all,” Lena suggested, her voice laced with a hesitant hopefulness. The suggestion hung in the air, fragile and unconvincing, even to Lena herself. Mia, however, couldn't contain herself, clapping a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle that threatened to erupt. The absurdity of the idea was too much for her.

“Beauty and the beast, maybe he'll change his looks after you kiss him—” Mia began, her words muffled by her hand, but the implication was clear enough to make Aza's eyes widen.

“You guys are being ridiculous!” Aza snapped, her voice sharp with irritation. She glared at Mia, who was still struggling to suppress her laughter, her shoulders shaking with barely contained mirth. The tension in the room was palpable, a mixture of Aza's distress and her friends' awkward attempts at levity.

“Just try it, go on a date with him,” C.C. said, her voice calm and steady, a counterpoint to the chaos unfolding around her. She offered a small, reassuring smile, placing a comforting arm around Aza's shoulders. Mia, still giggling softly, mirrored the gesture, her arm encircling Aza's other side.

“Don't worry, I'll pray for you,” Mia added, her voice laced with a mixture of humor and genuine concern. Her words, though lighthearted, held a hint of understanding, a silent acknowledgment of the difficult decision Aza faced.

“Sorry, Aza,” Lena mumbled, her voice filled with genuine remorse. The weight of their shared predicament seemed to crush her. She sank to the floor, a picture of dejection. The carefree attitude she usually maintained had vanished, replaced by a deep sense of sadness and guilt. She began to softly sob, the dam of her pent-up emotions finally breaking. The sound of her quiet weeping filled the room, a stark counterpoint to the earlier attempts at humor.

“This is infuriating! Are you really my friends?! I don't want to get married!” Aza cried out, her voice a raw mixture of anger, frustration, and despair. The words hung in the air, a testament to the impossible situation she found herself in, a situation where even her closest friends seemed to be pushing her towards a fate she dreaded.