Chapter 1

The sound of heels against the marble floor made Dylan turn around. He knew who it was, but he still looked to see her. The door opened, and in walked Vivienne, bounding towards him. Finishing styling his hair back, he turned to greet her with a smile.

"Are you ready to go?" he took in her appearance, which answered his question. Her long blond hair was tied back. She wore a black maxi dress and some black heels, accompanied by a black shoulder bag.

She rested her hand on her hip, a pout forming on her face. "I really don't see why we have to go. Our relationship is perfect. And this diamond ring is proof of that."

Vivienne held up her hand and looked at the ring lovingly. It was a twenty-carat diamond ring and gleamed even in the dimmest rooms. Dylan took her hand and rubbed his finger just below the ring.

"We are not perfect. Far from it. But we will be better if we do this. Don't you want to marry me?" he pulled her into a hug.

Her sweet fruity scent wafted into his nose, and he inhaled, relaxing into her embrace. There were things about their relationship that made him question it at times, and that was why he suggested that they go to a marriage counselor before they got married in a couple of months. Dylan didn't want to say that most of the problems were with Vivienne, but she had a tendency to get overly possessive and jealous at the slightest things.

She would try to forbid him from talking to any of his female friends, and if any female glanced at him—or if he looked at one—it would be the catalyst for a fight. At times he wondered what he was putting all this effort in for, but he reminded himself that he loved her and wanted to make this relationship work. Yes, Vivienne had some toxic traits, but he hoped that with some therapy, they would be fine.

Vivienne stamped her foot and huffed. "But do we have to see her? Can't we have another person do it? Preferably a man."

Dylan sighed. "She is the best in the business and will be completely professional, so you have nothing to worry about. And even if she isn't, you know I only have eyes for you, right?"

They pulled away, and Vivienne gave him a small smile before breaking out into a wide grin. "Yes, you do. Only me."

"Only you."

Because they were both celebrities, a lot of eyes were on them all the time. So when they both got to the office of Dr. Marianne Blake, the famous relationship consultant, he was sure it would be news. Marianne had been able to heal some of the most broken relationships and help the most famous people. Sometimes she would even call the shots on whether couples stayed together or not.

She had traveled all over the world for her job, so of course, she was the first pick in his eyes. Her services were always in high demand, and they had to pay a lot of money to get her to see them, but he was sure it would be worth it.

Her office was located a couple of streets away from Hollywood Boulevard. It was a five-story white, classy-looking building. There was underground parking that helped them get away from the paparazzi, but as soon as they came out of the car, they could see and hear the flashing of cameras from the entrance.

Dylan took a nervous breath. He was not ready for all the comments that would come when people knew about this. It would probably all fall on Vivienne, because she was known for being very… problematic. She was known for having terrible relationships and being a crazy girlfriend and ex-girlfriend. All of her past lovers would say that she was controlling and obsessively jealous. He knew that was true—he experienced it—but he truly cared about her, and doing this was for her betterment.

They passed through glass doors with two security guards on either side and were blasted with cool air as they did. It was a relief to escape the grueling humidity of Los Angeles.

White tile made up the interior of the building. Everything looked clean, and the building smelled like the laundry aisle in a supermarket. He loved it. Every new breath made him feel relaxed. The right vibe for a place like this.

Down the corridor was the receptionist area, and there was a pop of color with the plants situated in the corners of the room and the magazines on the waiting tables. There were two women behind the desk—one a redhead and one a brunette—dressed in black and looking ready. Once they saw them, their eyes widened.

"Oh, yes, it's three," said the brunette, looking at the clock on the opposite wall.

"Hello, Ms. Cross and Mr. Carter," the redhead greeted them.

"That's Mrs. Carter to you," Vivienne spoke up, pride in her voice.

Dylan sighed inwardly, and the receptionist's smile twitched.

"My apologies, Mrs. Carter."

Vivienne smiled at her.

"Dr. Marianne Blake should be ready for you. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to her," the redhead said.

She walked from behind the desk, and Dylan looped his arm around Vivienne's as they followed her. They walked down the hallway on the other side of the desk, where an elevator awaited. Once they entered it, the receptionist pushed the button for the fourth floor. The ride was quick, and they came out on a floor identical to the first—except it was lined with doors.

The redhead led them to a room a little way down the hallway. Dylan was mostly distracted by the smell of the place to focus on much else. At times, he would cringe whenever Vivienne's perfume wafted in his face because of how close she was.

He assumed the scent was like an extra measure to make sure that the clients Marianne received were calm.

"Alright, here we are."

They stopped in front of a door labeled 'Room #10.' It made him wonder how many more rooms she had—and what the need was for so many.

The redhead knocked on the door. "Ms. Blake, your three o'clock is here."

There was a moment of silence before a muffled voice told them to come in. The redhead opened the door, and when he looked inside, he was almost blown away—not by the room, but by the person in it. He had seen many photos of Marianne online and on magazine covers, so he knew she was attractive, but seeing her in real life was something else. Next to him, Vivienne curled her lip and gave him a side glance, which made him sure she thought so too.

Marianne sat cross-legged on a white sofa across the room. Behind her was a desk, and two more white couches surrounded a centered wooden coffee table. A water dispenser, coffee bar, and mini-fridge were in the far right corner.

There was a tablet in her hand, and when she turned her head, her long wavy hair fell over her shoulders. A gentle smile graced her lips as she got up. Her hair flowed down below her waist, and she wore a white pencil skirt with a beige blouse. She had a beautiful, slightly tan complexion, and he could tell even from a distance that she wore no makeup. Her eyelashes fluttered when she blinked, and her pink lips were even more noticeable when she smiled.

She was simply gorgeous.

Marianne set down the tablet and walked up to them. "Hi, I'm Dr. Marianne Blake, your marriage consultant. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"No, it's a pleasure to meet you," Dylan said, detaching himself from Vivienne and shaking her hand.

"You must be Dylan Carter, and you must be his lovely wife-to-be, Vivienne Cross. Congratulations, by the way," she said coolly, shaking Vivienne's hand.

"Nice to meet you, too," Vivienne said, but there was something in her tone that made Dylan want to hang his head.

But Marianne kept smiling. "May, thank you for leading them here."

The redhead nodded and closed the door behind them.

"Ok, so sit where you want. I have water, juice, tea, and coffee—you can have those anytime you want."

"Can I have a glass of water?" Vivienne asked.

"Me too, please," Dylan chimed in.

"Certainly."

They found seats on the couch next to Marianne, who went over to the bar, pulled out two cups, and filled them with water from the mini-fridge.

"Is that water filtered?" Vivienne asked, a challenging gleam in her eyes.

Marianne looked back at them. "Oh yeah. Who drinks tap water? I boil all my water and then put it through a Brita before serving anyone."

Vivienne nodded. After a moment, Marianne brought the glasses to them. They both took them with thanks, and then she sat down in her original position. She tapped on her tablet for a moment before resting it and taking up a pad and paper on the coffee table.

"Ok, so Mr. Carter and Ms. Cross have come in today to get counseling so they can have a stronger relationship by their wedding, correct?"

Dylan nodded, and she wrote something on her pad.

"Alright, let's get started with some simple questions then."

"Wait," Vivienne suddenly spoke, surprising the other two. "Before that, I would like to ask you some questions