PHOENIX

17| I NEED A DATE

The next morning, Jackson decided to eat breakfast in the hotel restaurant, hoping that a quiet meal would help clear his thoughts after everything that had happened over the past few days. He settled into a corner table, away from most of the other guests, the warm morning sunlight pouring through the large windows and bathing the restaurant in a soft golden glow. He barely had enough time to glance at the menu before he looked up and saw Melissa walking directly toward him with calm, confident steps, her eyes fixed on him as though she had been looking for him from the moment she entered the restaurant.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, not waiting for an answer before pulling out the chair opposite him and taking a seat as though she already knew he wouldn't stop her. Jackson immediately felt his heart begin to race. Of all the things he had expected that morning, this certainly wasn't one of them. He had spent days trying to follow her without being noticed, yet now she had willingly come to sit with him.

"Uh, sure," he replied, doing everything in his power to hide the surprise threatening to show on his face. He quickly reminded himself that, as far as Melissa knew, he wasn't Jackson. To her, he was still Zachary Stone, the stranger she had bumped into in the hotel lobby.

Leaning back comfortably in her chair, Melissa allowed a faint smile to settle on her lips before speaking again. "So, I know you've been following me," she said casually, as though she were commenting on the weather instead of exposing something that instantly caused Jackson's pulse to spike. "And so does Max."

Jackson's eyebrows drew together in confusion as he stared at her for a brief moment. "And... who's Max?" he asked, genuinely caught off guard by the unfamiliar name.

"Max is my personal bodyguard," she explained with the same relaxed tone she had been using since she sat down, as though none of this was particularly alarming to her. "He's been with me for years. He's been with me since we were kids actually. He's very good at his job." Jackson felt his mind begin working at full speed as he processed what she had just told him. So the scarred giant finally had a name. Max. Somehow, hearing that simple piece of information made the man seem even more dangerous than he already had in Jackson's mind.

"So, you're here to tell me to back off?" Jackson asked after a brief silence, carefully watching her face for the slightest change in expression, trying to determine whether this conversation was nothing more than a warning before things became much worse for him.

Melissa slowly shook her head, and the softness that settled over her features caught him completely off guard. "No," she answered quietly. "I'm not here to confront you. I just didn't want to eat breakfast alone. Thought we could share a meal." Jackson continued studying her without saying anything for several long seconds, trying to understand what game she was playing. Her posture was relaxed, her smile appeared sincere, and there wasn't the slightest hint of hostility in her eyes. The entire situation was strangely disarming, and before he even realised he had made the decision, he found himself nodding slightly. "Alright," he said at last. "Let's eat."

The waiter approached their table a few moments later, giving both of them a temporary escape from the conversation. They placed their orders without much discussion, and once he walked away, an awkward silence settled between them. Neither of them seemed eager to speak first, yet the silence only became heavier with every passing second. Jackson eventually decided to be the one to break it. "So, what brings you to this hotel? I've been seeing you around," he asked, keeping his voice as casual as possible despite the curiosity burning inside him.

Melissa simply shrugged, her gaze drifting toward the large window beside them instead of looking at him. "Just needed a change of scenery. Sometimes, you just need to get away, you know?" she replied quietly. Jackson nodded in understanding, even though he was convinced there was far more to that answer than she was willing to admit.

He could tell she was deliberately keeping things vague, but he wasn't about to make the mistake of pressing her for more information. Whatever she meant by that statement was her business, and he refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing just how curious she had made him. "Yeah," he replied with a small nod. "I get that."

Their breakfast arrived a short while later, giving them something else to focus on besides the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the table. Melissa was the first to speak again as she picked up her cutlery. "I've been working on a charity function," she said, her voice carrying an unusual mixture of excitement and exhaustion, as though the event meant a great deal to her but had also demanded more from her than she had anticipated. "It's scheduled for this evening, and I need a date."

Jackson raised an eyebrow, his attention immediately shifting back to her. Considering she had openly admitted that she knew he had been following her over the past few days, her request caught him completely off guard. Most people would have been alarmed by someone secretly following them, yet Melissa Roy was sitting across from him, calmly asking him to accompany her to a charity event as though there was nothing unusual about the situation. "You could ask a lot of people," he replied, keeping his tone deliberately casual. "Why do you want me to be the one accompanying you?"

Melissa didn't answer immediately. She paused with her fork hovering above her plate, her eyes fixed on the food in front of her rather than on him. "I told you when we first met that you look like someone from my past," she said softly, never once lifting her eyes to meet his.

Jackson felt a chill travel down his spine the moment those words left her mouth, but he refused to let even the slightest hint of his emotions show on his face. He had spent years learning how to control himself, and he wasn't about to lose that control now. "Did that person mean anything to you?" he asked casually, making sure his voice remained steady and betrayed nothing.

Melissa's eyes darkened almost instantly, and after a brief moment, she let out a quiet sigh. "I don't want to talk about it," she replied, her voice carrying a sadness she did not attempt to hide. "Especially since you're basically a stranger to me." Jackson slowly nodded, immediately recognising the finality in her tone. It was obvious she had no intention of discussing the subject any further, and he wasn't foolish enough to push her. "I understand," he said gently after a brief pause. "But why choose me, then?"

She simply shrugged before finally lifting her eyes to meet his. "Maybe because you remind me of a time when things were different. Or maybe because, despite everything, you seem... trustworthy." Jackson felt something tighten painfully inside his chest the moment he heard that last word. Trustworthy. Of all the things she could have called him, she had chosen that. If only she knew who he really was. If only she knew that the man sitting across from her wasn't Zachary Stone but Jackson, the man she believed had died five years ago. He pushed those thoughts aside before they could show on his face and forced himself to smile, even though it didn't come naturally. "Alright," he said at last. "I'll be your date for the evening."

Melissa's entire face brightened almost instantly, and the smile that spread across her lips was so genuine that it caught him off guard. "Thank you," she said warmly. "It means a lot to me." Jackson simply nodded, not trusting himself to say much more. The conversation could have become dangerous if he allowed himself to think too much about the woman sitting across from him.

As they continued eating, the atmosphere between them gradually became lighter, and the conversation drifted away from uncomfortable questions toward less complicated subjects. Melissa began telling him about the charity function she had mentioned earlier, explaining how she had become involved with it, what inspired her to continue supporting it, and some of the people she had met through her work. Jackson found himself listening far more attentively than he intended to. It wasn't only the stories that captured his attention but also the unmistakable passion in her voice whenever she spoke about helping other people. It was difficult not to notice how animated she became, and despite everything he had spent the last five years convincing himself to believe about her, he found himself genuinely interested in every word she said.

"You're really dedicated to this," he commented, unable to keep the admiration out of his voice.

Melissa nodded without hesitation. "It's something I believe in," she replied. "Helping others, making a difference. It keeps me grounded." Jackson quietly watched her as she spoke, seeing flashes of the Melissa he had fallen hopelessly in love with years ago. For brief moments, she seemed exactly the same as the woman he remembered, making it increasingly difficult for him to reconcile that image with the woman he believed had betrayed him. The contradiction continued to torment him, and he couldn't stop himself from wondering how much of the woman sitting across from him was genuine and how much of her was nothing more than a carefully constructed façade.

By the time they finished their breakfast, Melissa pushed her chair back and rose to her feet before offering him another warm smile. "I'll send a car to pick you up at seven," she said. "It's a black-tie event, so make sure you dress appropriately."

Jackson stood as well, giving her a small nod. "I'll be ready."

As Melissa walked away, Jackson remained where he was for a few moments, unable to shake the feeling that the evening ahead would be about far more than a simple charity function. Everything about her invitation felt significant. It wasn't merely an opportunity to accompany her to an event; it felt like another step deeper into a tangled web of mysteries that had been surrounding her ever since he saw her again. Whether that feeling was intuition or paranoia, he couldn't tell, but one thing was certain: he intended to unravel every secret that stood between him and the truth.

When he returned to his room, his thoughts refused to settle. Melissa's invitation lingered at the forefront of his mind, presenting itself as an opportunity he couldn't afford to waste. Spending an entire evening at her side would allow him to observe her more closely than he had been able to while secretly following her around the city. It would give him a chance to learn more about the life she was living now and perhaps gain a better understanding of the people surrounding her. At the same time, however, accepting the invitation also meant willingly stepping into her world, a world he already knew was filled with dangers, unanswered questions, and carefully guarded secrets.

Jackson spent the remainder of the afternoon going through everything in his wardrobe, only to discover that he didn't own a single outfit suitable for a high-class charity function. Time was slipping away faster than he would have liked, and if he intended to blend into Melissa's world without attracting unnecessary attention, he needed to look the part. The decision was easy. He would have to go into town and buy a proper suit. Fortunately, money wasn't something he had worried about for the past three years. He had more than enough to afford whatever he needed, and for perhaps the first time that day, that realisation brought him a measure of relief. If he were still the Jackson Stanford Melissa had known years ago, buying an expensive tuxedo would have been impossible. Worse, his inability to do so might have exposed him, because the Jackson she remembered had never possessed the financial means to indulge in such luxuries.

Driving through the busy city streets, Jackson eventually arrived at one of the high-end boutiques. The store radiated elegance from the moment he laid eyes on it. Mannequins stood proudly behind the large display windows, each dressed in impeccably tailored suits that immediately conveyed sophistication and class. He stepped inside, where the faint scent of expensive cologne lingered in the air, blending with the soft sound of classical music playing quietly throughout the boutique and creating an atmosphere that matched the luxury surrounding him.

A sharply dressed salesman approached him almost immediately, wearing a warm, professional smile. "Good afternoon, sir. How can I assist you today?" Jackson explained that he needed an outfit suitable for a black-tie event, and the salesman nodded with the confidence of someone who had heard the same request countless times before. "You've come to the right place," he replied pleasantly. "Follow me."

The salesman led him to a section dedicated entirely to tuxedos and formal suits made from the finest fabrics. Jackson patiently tried on several different options, studying each one in the mirror before moving on to the next. Eventually, he found exactly what he was looking for, a classic black tuxedo with a sleek satin lapel that fit him perfectly, complementing his tall frame as though it had been tailored specifically for him. Looking at his reflection, he gently smoothed the lapels with both hands before giving a small nod of approval. "This is the one," he said.

"Excellent choice, sir," the salesman replied with an approving smile. "Would you like to accessorise with a bow tie and cufflinks?" Jackson nodded without hesitation. "Yes, please. I want to make sure everything is just right."

While the salesman disappeared to gather the finishing touches, Jackson's thoughts drifted back to Melissa once again. She had known the old Jackson, the young man who constantly struggled financially and lived a modest life because he simply couldn't afford anything more. The man he had become during the past three years was entirely different. Years of relentless hard work, discipline, and determination had transformed nearly every aspect of his life, including his financial situation. For that, he was genuinely grateful. His wealth now allowed him to move comfortably within Melissa's world without attracting suspicion, something that would have been impossible for the man she had once known.

After paying for everything and finalising his purchase, Jackson left the boutique feeling satisfied with his decision. He returned to the hotel, went straight to his room, and took his time getting ready for the evening, making sure every detail of his appearance was exactly the way he wanted it.