Page 1 of The Rogue and His Flower

PROLOGUE

DALTON

The aftermath of last night's events weighs heavily on the four of us as we sit in the lavish bar of my father's five-star hotel. My friends, Sterling, Drix, and Benedict all wear troubled expressions, mirroring my own inner turmoil.

Dropping my gaze to the empty glass in my hand, the weight of my situation presses down on me more heavily than the whiskey I just swallowed. Empty glasses stand as evidence of our desperate need to numb ourselves, to escape from the tangled mess our lives have become.

We attempted to drown out our problems with alcohol, but it only brought them to the surface, each of us spilling our secrets, and none of us lighter for it.

Drix, my best friend, glances at me with a mix of pity, frustration and barely veiled anger, our friendship at risk from a decision neither of us are happy about.

"What a fucking night." Sterling's voice cuts through the quiet as he catches my gaze and swipes a hand through his glossy brown hair.

Drix shifts his attention to Ben, who is lost in his own unsettling thoughts. "I'm assuming you've had just as little sleep as the rest of us," he remarks knowingly.

Ben’s silence speaks volumes as he looks up at Drix, his startling green eyes filled with turmoil.

"Yeah, that would be none then," Sterling says with a sharp exhale, his voice filled with bitterness and regret.

This morning feels like a cruel joke. We were supposed to be celebrating new beginnings after his father's extravagant wedding, but instead we've each been left with the repercussions of four women who have tangled our lives up in ways we never saw coming.

To make matters infinitely worse, lurking beyond the luxurious confines of this hotel, lies a world of outrageous headlines. The tabloids would have an absolute field day if they ever found out how the heirs of the four founding families of this town were embroiled in a web of forbidden love and deception.

On the outside, it may seem like we have everything we could ever want, but behind our polished exteriors lies a tangled web of scandal and vulnerability that threatens to undo us all.

Four sons. Four friends. Four men weighed down by our father’s expectations, carrying secrets that could shatter the carefully crafted images we’ve maintained for years as the Princetown Heirs.

There’s Sterling, an extraordinary but troubled artist who is expected to carry on the Blade family legacy, disregarding his own dreams.

Benedict, a man with genius level IQ who is set to inherit the Pike family’s wealth that can buy a lot of things, but not a future with the woman he loves.

Drix Hammer, who carries the burden of a past mistake, and has been forced into a role he never wanted, sacrificing his own happiness in the process.

And then there's me, Dalton Gunn, born into a life of privilege and trained to excel in high society, who’s about toenter an arranged marriage with my best friend’s younger sister, to clear his debt so he can be with the woman he loves.

But where does that leave me?

Am I really willing to go through with this sham of a wedding to appease my father and secure my inheritance? Can I bring myself to marry the sweetest, most frustrating person I know, knowing I will hurt her deeply and ruin my friendship with my best friend of almost twenty years?

The truth is yes, yes I will. I am my father’s son unfortunately, and love is a luxury I simply cannot afford…

CHAPTER ONE

DAISY

A few days later

Staringat the thirty page contract before me, my trembling fingers grip the Montblanc fountain pen as Carl Gunn eyes me from the opposite side of his walnut desk. His silver hair is perfectly styled, his expensive suit tailored to fit his lean physique. He’s an austere man, who has no qualms marrying off his son, Dalton, in an arranged marriage for the sole purpose of ensuring the continuation of the Gunn family fortune and, more importantly, their family line.

A small part of me regrets not choosing a more intimidating outfit instead of my bright blue dungarees and long-sleeved top with tiny silver stars stitched onto the fabric, but I wanted to be comfortable given I’ve just started my blasted period. Nothing like a heavy flow to brighten up an already shitty day. Besides, I doubt my quirky fashion choices have any impact on whether or not I am suitable for his son, who also happens to be my older brother's best friend and someone I have disliked since our first encounter as children.

Despite my late father and Carl being friends, he still managed to manipulate me into signing this contract. I had my own reasons for agreeing to this arranged marriage, of course, but deep down, we all know that Carl could have forgiven my brother's debt–a mere eight point five million pounds is nothing to a billionaire like him.

“Is there an issue, Daisy?” Carl asks, his silver brow raised expectantly as I glance up from the contract to meet his waiting gaze.

“No issues, everything looks to be in order,” I reply, flicking my gaze to Dalton, who stands with his back to us both, staring out at the snow-covered manicured gardens of their magnificent Highwood Manor estate.

Truth be known, I’ve barely taken in a word. All I care about is releasing my brother from his debt so that he’s free to be with the woman he loves, and no longer forced to act as an enforcer to the families that run this town. After everything Drix has done for me, it’s the least I could do, and whilst I have my own complicated reasons for signing this contract, I’m willing to marry a man I hate so my brother’s future happiness is secured.

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