“Shit,” I murmured, running back to my car.
Without another word, I slammed the door shut and drove away, leaving the mysterious stranger on the lonely road.
When I reached my destination, I parked outside the restaurant and killed the engine. I drew a deep, long breath, then adjusted the rearview mirror so I could catch my reflection in it.
“You got this, Emi,” I said to myself. “You got this.”
I stepped out of the vehicle and walked confidently into the restaurant. Once inside, my eyes adjusted to the soft light as the sweet aroma of grilled chicken and chips wafted through the air.
I located the table where I was supposed to meet this man, and to my surprise, it was empty. For someone who was keen on not having his time wasted, he was late. Relieved, I sat at the table for two, waiting.
Then a thought crossed my mind. What if he were here five minutes ago and had left because I hadn’t yet shown up? Shit. Was that possible?
To confirm, I flagged down a waitress and politely asked her if anyone had been at this reserved table. Her response was negative. It was then that I let out a sigh of relief.
Less than a minute later, the front doors swung open, and a familiar face waltzed in. It was the same man from the road, the arrogant one who thought he could intimidate me with his power and wealth.
I frowned when he locked eyes with me and began approaching my table. He moved silently, his polished shoes catching the soft light above.
“What, are you stalking me now?” I asked.
He halted before me. “I should be asking you the same thing. What’s someone like you doing in a place like this?”
His words fueled my rage. “Someone like me?”
“Yes,” he answered bluntly. “Uncultured, unmannered, arrogant—”
“You mean ‘poor,’” I cut him off.
He paused. “Your words. Not mine.”
I watched him unbutton his suit and take a seat across from me.
“Look, I’m not even gonna indulge you anymore,” I said, my voice laced with disdain. “You should leave now before my date arrives.”
“Your date?” He let out a dismissive chuckle. “I almost feel sorry for the guy.”
“Oh, yeah?” I shot back. “Whoever you’re meeting up with here must be unlucky.”
“She’ll be the judge of that,” he answered.
Just then, a waiter walked over to us and greeted the man with a polite smile. “Good afternoon, Mr. Tarasov.”
“Tarasov?” I asked, shifting my gaze between the strange man and the waiter.
They ignored me and spoke to each other in Russian. That’s when it hit me. The name sounded familiar because it was the surname of the man I was supposed to meet here today. According to my grandfather, my mysterious fiancé was a high-profile member of an important Russian family.
Fuck.
Judging by the way he was looking at me, it was obvious that he’d now figured out who I was. “Well, well, would you look at that? What a twist of fate.” A small, knowing smirk lined the corners of his mouth.
You have got to be kidding me.
Chapter 4 – Adrik
The arrogant woman who had shouted at me on the street a while ago happened to be my mysterious date. How ironic!
I sat across from her, a small smug smirk tugging at the corners of my lips. I should be pissed at her, considering the way she spoke to me earlier on. However, I couldn’t help being amused by the absurdity of fate.
