The Reluctant Agreement

Chapter 7: The Uninvited Guest

**Chapter 7: The Uninvited Guest**

The near-kiss at the construction site hung in the air between Adrian and me like an unspoken promise, a dangerous secret that both thrilled and unsettled me. We retreated further into our professional roles, the forced intimacy of our public appearances now tinged with a palpable awkwardness. I found myself analyzing every glance, every word, searching for any sign that Adrian was as affected by that moment as I was.

To my dismay, my grandmother, ever the enthusiastic supporter of our “budding romance,” decided to host a small, intimate dinner party to celebrate our engagement with close family and friends. The thought of an entire evening spent under the scrutiny of my relatives, all eager to witness our supposed affection, filled me with a sense of impending doom.

“Grandma, I really don’t think this is necessary,” I pleaded during one of her planning sessions, trying to sound reasonable. “Adrian and I are both very busy.”

“Nonsense, my dear,” she chirped, her voice brimming with excitement. “Family is everything! And they are simply dying to meet the man who has finally captured my Seraphina’s heart.”

Captured my heart? The irony was almost comical. He was hired to pretend, not to conquer. Yet, the unsettling truth was that he was doing a rather effective job of the latter, albeit unintentionally.

The evening of the dinner party arrived, and I found myself feeling more like an actress preparing for a difficult role than a bride-to-be celebrating her engagement. As I waited for Adrian to arrive, a knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach.

He arrived looking effortlessly charming, a bouquet of my favorite white lilies in hand. He greeted my grandmother with a warmth and sincerity that instantly won her over, and even my usually reserved Uncle Rafael offered him a genuine smile.

The dinner itself was a carefully orchestrated performance. We exchanged polite smiles, made small talk about the construction project, and endured my cousin Isabella’s relentless teasing about our “whirlwind romance.” Adrian played his part flawlessly, his hand occasionally resting on mine, his gaze meeting mine with a warmth that felt almost too real.

Just as I was starting to relax into the charade, a sudden knock on the door echoed through the elegant dining room. My grandmother’s housekeeper, Manang Letty, opened it to reveal a woman standing on the threshold.

She was undeniably beautiful, with long, flowing dark hair and striking green eyes. She wore a figure-hugging red dress that screamed attention, and her confident stance suggested she was no stranger to getting what she wanted.

“I believe you must be mistaken,” Manang Letty said politely, clearly unsure of who this uninvited guest was.

“Nonsense,” the woman replied, her voice smooth and confident. “I’m here for Adrian.”

A hush fell over the dining room. All eyes turned to Adrian, who visibly stiffened beside me.

“Sofia?” he said, his voice betraying a hint of surprise and something else… a flicker of unease.

Sofia stepped into the room, her gaze locking onto Adrian. “Hello, *Adi*,” she purred, the use of the familiar nickname sending a jolt of icy suspicion through me. “Fancy seeing you here.”

My grandmother, ever the gracious hostess, stepped forward. “And you are…?”

“Sofia Reyes,” the woman replied, her smile sharp and predatory. “Adrian and I go way back.” She then turned her attention back to Adrian, her green eyes narrowed slightly as she finally acknowledged my presence. “And who is this, Adi? A new… acquaintance?”

Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Sofia, this is Seraphina. My fiancée.”

Sofia’s perfectly sculpted eyebrows rose in mock surprise. “Your *fiancée*? Well, well, well. You certainly move fast, darling.” Her gaze flicked over me, a hint of disdain in her eyes.

The air in the dining room crackled with tension. My family looked from Adrian to Sofia with a mixture of curiosity and concern. I felt a cold wave of anger wash over me. Who was this woman, and why did she seem to have such a claim on Adrian?

Adrian stood up, his hand instinctively reaching for mine. “Sofia, this is neither the time nor the place.”

“Oh, I think it’s the perfect time, *Adi*,” she countered, her smile unwavering. “I just wanted to congratulate you on your… engagement.” Her eyes flicked back to me, the sweetness in her tone utterly unconvincing. “You must be a very special woman to have tamed my Adrian.”

Tamed? The word stung. I was no one’s keeper. And Adrian was certainly not mine to tame. Our relationship was a contract, a pretense. But seeing this woman, this Sofia, and the way she looked at him, ignited a spark of something unfamiliar within me – something that felt suspiciously like jealousy.

“Sofia,” Adrian said firmly, his grip on my hand tightening slightly. “Please leave.”

Sofia laughed, a short, brittle sound. “Alright, alright. I just wanted to say hello. But don’t think this is the last you’ll see of me, *Adi*.” She gave him a knowing look before turning and sweeping out of the dining room, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.

As the door closed behind her, my grandmother turned to Adrian, her expression a mixture of concern and curiosity. “Adrian, who was that woman?”

The question hung in the air, and I waited, my heart pounding, for his explanation. The carefully constructed facade of our perfect engagement had just been shattered by the unexpected arrival of a ghost from his past. And I had a feeling that Sofia Reyes was going to be a complication neither Adrian nor I had anticipated.