The Don’s Ruin

The First Date

(FLASHBACK)

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POV: Seraphina

Timeline: 2.5 Years Before Present

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The restaurant was exactly the kind of place I'd only ever seen in movies.

White tablecloths. Candles flickering in crystal holders. A pianist playing something soft and romantic in the corner. The kind of place where the waiters knew your name before you sat down.

Xander had reserved the private room at the back. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city skyline, the lights twinkling like scattered diamonds. A bottle of champagne was already chilling in a silver bucket.

"This is..." I trailed off, not sure what to say. "This is too much."

He pulled out my chair. "Nothing is too much for you."

I sat down, my heart pounding. I'd been on dates before. Marcus. A few others in the years since. But none of them had ever made me feel like this. Like I was something precious. Something worth the effort.

"I hope you like it," Xander said, sitting across from me. "I asked the chef to prepare something special."

"You didn't have to do all this."

"I wanted to." He smiled. "I've been thinking about this night for weeks."

Weeks. He'd been thinking about me for weeks.

I took a sip of champagne to hide my blush. The bubbles tickled my throat, warm and pleasant. "So... what made you want to do this? I mean, you could have anyone."

He leaned forward, his hazel eyes fixed on mine. "But I want you."

The words hit me like a physical blow. Simple. Direct. Completely unguarded.

"You don't even know me," I said softly.

"I know enough." He reached across the table, his fingers brushing mine. "I know you're talented. I know you're beautiful. I know you've been hurt before. And I know you deserve someone who sees you."

My throat tightened. Someone who sees you. Those words. They were the ones I'd been craving my whole life.

"I don't know what to say," I admitted.

"Say you'll give me a chance."

I looked at him. At his soft eyes and easy smile. He was everything Marcus wasn't. Everything I'd ever wanted.

"Okay," I whispered. "Okay."

He grinned. And for a moment, everything felt perfect.

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The food was incredible. Course after course of dishes I couldn't pronounce, each one more delicious than the last. Xander kept my glass full, made me laugh with stories from his early acting days, and looked at me like I was the only person in the world.

By the time dessert came, I was relaxed in a way I hadn't been in years.

"Tell me something," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Something no one else knows."

I hesitated. "Like what?"

"Like... what's the one thing you've always wanted to do but never had the courage to try?"

I thought about it. There were so many things. So many things I'd been too scared to do because I thought I didn't deserve them.

"Travel," I said finally. "I've always wanted to travel. See the world. Go somewhere no one knows my name."

"Where would you go first?"

"Paris, maybe. Or Rome. Somewhere old and romantic and full of history."

"Then we'll go." He said it like it was the simplest thing in the world. "After the movie wraps, I'll take you to Paris. Just the two of us."

"Xander—"

"I mean it." He reached across the table, taking my hand properly this time. "I don't make promises I can't keep. When this is over, I'm taking you to Paris. I'll show you the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the best croissants in the world."

I laughed. "You really know how to sell a girl."

"I'm serious." He squeezed my hand. "I want to give you everything, Seraphina. Everything you've never had."

I felt tears prick my eyes. I blinked them back. I wasn't going to cry on a first date.

"You barely know me," I said again.

"I know enough," he repeated. "I know you're worth it."

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The night ended too soon.

Xander walked me to my car, his hand warm on the small of my back. The valet brought the car around, and for a moment, we just stood there. The streetlights cast golden shadows across his face.

"Thank you," I said. "For tonight. For everything."

He stepped closer, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. "Thank you for letting me."

His lips brushed mine. Soft. Gentle. A promise.

When he pulled back, he was smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I climbed into my car and drove away, my heart racing, my skin tingling where he'd touched me.

This is it, I thought. This is what it feels like to be wanted.

I smiled all the way home.

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