Episode eight
609 Words
Chapter 8: The Dinner
Rose woke up the next morning to the sound of her phone ringing.
She reached for it sleepily.
“Hello?”
“Rose?”
She immediately recognized Alexander's voice.
“What do you want?”
“We have dinner tonight.”
Rose sat up.
“Dinner?”
“My parents are coming.”
She stopped.
“Your parents?”
“Yes.”
“You didn't tell me they were coming!”
“I just did.”
Rose stared at the phone.
“You expect me to meet your parents looking like this?”
“You have the whole day to prepare.”
“Alexander!”
The call ended.
Rose dropped the phone onto her bed.
“This man is impossible.”
That evening, Rose walked downstairs wearing a simple, elegant dress.
Alexander was waiting in the living room.
He looked at her for a moment.
“You're ready.”
Rose frowned.
“That sounded almost like a compliment.”
“Don't get used to it.”
She rolled her eyes.
Before she could answer, the doorbell rang.
Alexander's expression changed.
“They're here.”
Rose suddenly felt nervous.
“What if they don't like me?”
“They will.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I chose you.”
Rose looked at him.
For some reason, those words made her heart beat faster.
She quickly looked away.
“Remember the rules,” she whispered.
Alexander's eyes stayed on her.
“I remember.”
The door opened.
An elegant woman walked in first, followed by a tall man with a serious expression.
Alexander's mother smiled.
“Alexander.”
“Mother.”
She hugged him before turning toward Rose.
“And this must be Rose.”
Rose smiled politely.
“Yes, ma'am.”
Alexander's mother took her hand warmly.
“It's lovely to finally meet you.”
Rose glanced at Alexander.
“Finally?”
His mother laughed.
“My son has never brought anyone home before.”
Alexander sighed.
“Mother.”
His father stepped forward.
“So you're the woman who convinced my son to get married.”
Rose nearly choked.
Alexander looked at his father.
“Dad.”
Everyone laughed except Alexander.
Dinner started peacefully.
Then Alexander's father placed his glass down.
“So, Rose, how did you two meet?”
Rose looked at Alexander.
He looked back at her.
They had prepared an entire story.
But suddenly, Rose couldn't remember a single word.
Alexander calmly answered.
“We met through a business connection.”
His father nodded.
“And you fell in love?”
Rose almost dropped her fork.
Alexander looked at her.
There was a tiny pause.
Then he said,
“Yes.”
Rose's eyes widened.
His mother smiled.
“I knew it.”
Rose forced a smile.
“Of course.”
Under the table, Alexander quietly whispered,
“Relax.”
Rose whispered back,
“You didn't tell me you were going to say that.”
“I had to.”
His mother watched them closely.
“You two seem very close.”
Rose smiled nervously.
Alexander simply reached for her hand.
Rose looked down at their joined hands.
For a moment, she forgot they were pretending.
Then Alexander's father spoke again.
“I hope this marriage is more than just a business arrangement.”
Rose's heart skipped.
Alexander's expression became unreadable.
“It is.”
His father studied him.
“Good.”
Rose looked at Alexander.
Something about his answer bothered her.
Because for the first time, she wasn't sure whether he
had been pretending.
And that frightened her more than anything.
The contract had rules.
But feelings didn't.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD