365 Days with Sexy Maia

Chapter 4

Nathan stared at her, his ears pounding with the rush of blood. No, this couldn’t be happening. His chest tightened as he stepped back into his house, his gaze darting over her, searching for a clue, a reason—anything to make sense of this moment.

She didn’t move, standing in the doorway like a statue. Her face was unreadable, staring at him while he looked at the ring over and over again.

“No,” he declared. “What the hell… what is wrong with you?”

“What is wrong with me?” Rosianna grabbed the box from the girl and held it out to him. “Are you saying no to this, to me?”

“Yes,” Nathan said, and then immediately rephrased his words. “I mean, no. No, I’m not going to marry you. We just met once—it wasn’t even up to five minutes!”

“The both of us have so many things in common. I believe we can reach a sort of…” she paused, then gestured vaguely in the air. “This is all so surprising. I’ve never been rejected before.”

Emma, his blind date turned slowly to look at him. “While you were meeting up with me, you were also planning to get married to someone else?”

Nathan had never experienced a day so lethargic, so surreal and for a second, he wished that this was a dream. But this was no dream. She was still holding out the ring to him, surprised and confused as to why he hadn’t taken it yet. Worse, he could see that there were other gifts accompanying her too. Were the gifts supposed to be his engagement gifts? Oh no, this absolutely cannot be happening.

He reached out and closed the open box of the diamond ring, staring straight into the young woman’s eyes. “You're attractive and stunning and I’m sure you have men falling at your feet and all, but I’m most definitely not that man. Uhh…” he paused, looking for more words to fill the emptiness. “Well, thank you for this opportunity, I guess? Now you really have to leave.”

Without giving her a chance to soak in his words, he pushed her slightly backward, almost tenderly, as though he wanted her to remain in one piece before she left this place. Then he turned to Emma.

“And I never want to see you here either.”

With that, he shut the door, slamming it hard enough to send the message across—he needed them to leave. Now alone, he went to his bathroom and turned on the shower, listening to the soft purr of Rosianna’s car as she drove away. Finally, it was over.

******************************

Whatever hope Nathan had that night was gone the next morning when his phone woke him up. It was a strange number and he grumbled when he picked the call. There was a long, static silence at the other end before a rough voice spoke up.

“Hello, is this Nathan King?”

He sat upright, the sleep gone from his eyes. The first thought in Nathan’s head was that this call was from the hospital and someone desperately needed his help. He hurried to the bathroom just as he answered the call.

“Yes, this is Nathan. What’s the emergency?”

A slight chuckle on the other end told him this person was older, gentler, and less bound by the urgency of time. “There’s no emergency, Mr. King. I simply wish to meet you.”

Nathan stopped in his tracks, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Who is this?”

“My name is Henry. You met my granddaughter yesterday. Rosianna. Rosie, as I prefer to call her.”

He froze. Every fiber in his body literally turned to stone. Nathan tried to think but nothing came to mind. All he could see was Rosianna’s blank expression when he refused the ring she offered him.

“Mr. Hunter, I—”

“Oh no need to stutter, Mr. King. If you’re not so busy today, I would like to meet you. Can you make that happen? I’m convinced this will be in both of our interests.”

Nathan wanted to say no. He didn’t know these people, and he had no intention of entangling himself in whatever they had planned. The refusal sat heavily on the tip of his tongue, ready to spill out. He opened his mouth, prepared to reject them outright—.

“Yes, of course,” he replied. “Send me the address and I’ll be there right away.”

He could feel the old man smiling through the phone. “Thank you, Nathan. I can’t wait to meet you.”

When the call ended, Nathan gave himself a light knock on the head. He couldn’t even remember when the word “Yes” had slipped from his lips, and now he’d made a promise he couldn’t take back. Groaning, he turned on the shower. Hopefully, this meeting with Mr. Hunter wouldn’t spiral into chaos like the one with Rosianna. If luck was on his side, he wouldn’t even see her there.

Half an hour later, Nathan arrived at City Hall. He still had no idea why Mr. Hunter had chosen this location for their meeting, but as the cab pulled up, he spotted a man in a sleek black suit flanked by two imposing bodyguards heading toward him.

Nathan braced himself for the worst. As the man drew closer, his features became clear—a fit older gentleman in his late sixties with sharp white hair and a neatly trimmed beard that lent him an air of authority and refinement. Without question, Nathan knew this was Henry Hunter, Rosianna’s grandfather. The resemblance was undeniable.

Nathan extended his hand for an introduction, instinct taking over.

“Nathan King, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mr. Hunter said warmly as they shook hands. His voice was rich and steady, each word measured. “Rosie didn’t tell me much about you, but she didn’t need to. Her attendant took care of that and filled me in.”

Nathan blinked, confusion tightening his chest. “Huh?”

“Come with me, please,” Henry said, his tone unreadable.

Nathan hesitated but followed as Henry led the way into the hall. The echo of their footsteps filled the vast space, each step making Nathan more uneasy. Henry’s voice broke the silence.

“Rosie’s attendant sent me a video of you rejecting her marriage proposal.”

Nathan’s face flushed with heat, his mind racing for an explanation, but Henry pressed on. “Even after your rejection, I saw how tenderly you treated her. It’s rare to find a man like that. I’ve decided you two are a good match.”

His ears began to ring. His steps faltered. “Mr. Hunter, I’m not sure I want to be involved with her.”

Henry stopped abruptly and turned to face him, his gaze sharp, his smile almost unsettling. “I want you to seriously reconsider, Nathan.” He motioned ahead, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “I was hoping seeing her in that dress would change your mind.”

Nathan’s stomach twisted as he followed Henry’s gesture. At the front of the hall, near the altar, stood Rosianna. Her white, flowing wedding dress shimmered under the light, her bouquet of flowers gripped tightly in her hands.

She turned at the same moment his gaze found her, their eyes locking. Her shoulders straightened, her expression unreadable, and then, with deliberate steps, she began marching toward him.

Henry’s deep laugh echoed through the hall, breaking the tension like a thunderclap. “How does it feel to be marrying an heir?”