Familiar Strangers

Proposal

Sitting beside Grandpa Johnson, Marissa finally steadied herself. He reached out, taking her hand in his with a warmth that contrasted sharply with Antonio’s icy stillness. “You’re perfect for my son,” he said, eyes twinkling with mischief. “I want someone who can pull him out of the office, take him to parties… and it seems like you enjoy that sort of thing. So, what do you say? Are you two a perfect match?”

Marissa blinked, a mix of surprise and amusement crossing her face as she considered his bold words. Antonio, meanwhile, remained silent, his expression unreadable, observing her every reaction with that same detached, calculating gaze.

Marissa blinked, clearly caught off guard, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “Well…that's surprising ,” she said, voice laced with amusement and a hint of challenge.

Her parents exchanged tight-lipped glances, disbelief and frustration written plainly across their faces. Mr. Joel’s jaw tightened, while Mrs. Joel’s grip on her own hand betrayed her simmering embarrassment.

Antonio said nothing, as always. His gaze stayed fixed on Marissa, cool and unreadable, weighing her words and movements with the calm precision of a man who rarely allowed anything or anyone to rattle him. The room’s tension seemed to hinge entirely on his silence, each heartbeat stretching the awkward, charged air between them.

Grandpa Johnson chuckled softly, clearly delighted by the dynamic he had sparked, and leaned back, hands steepled, enjoying the slow burn of the moment.

Marissa shifted slightly in her seat, feeling Antonio’s gaze like a quiet weight pressing against her. It was nothing overt,no scowl, no judgment but the cold precision in his eyes made her pulse quicken in a way she hadn’t expected.

She cleared her throat, trying to mask a flicker of nervousness with a teasing smile. “So… you really don’t say anything? Not even a word for your… future fiancée?”

Antonio’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly, but he said nothing. The faint lift of his brow, the calm, steady way he continued observing her, was more unnerving than any verbal response could have been.

Grandpa Johnson laughed softly, clapping his hands together. “Ah, this is going to be interesting!” he said, leaning back with obvious delight. The parents groaned quietly, exchanging worried glances, while Marissa swallowed, feeling both challenged and intrigued by the silent, icy man before her.

Marissa glanced back at Grandpa Johnson, a sly smile tugging at her lips. “Well, I’m sorry, but I already have someone,” she said, voice teasing. “And it seems your grandson isn’t exactly interested either.”

Antonio’s eyes flicked toward her for a heartbeat, calm and unreadable, before returning to the quiet observation of the room. His silence was deliberate, unnerving—an invisible challenge hanging between them.

Marissa’s parents stiffened, exchanging tense glances, while Marissa herself felt a thrill of defiance ripple through her—testing Antonio, knowing he wouldn’t easily react.

Antonio suddenly rises with smoothness and composure, expression unreadable. His eyes flicked briefly toward Marissa, silently commanding, "Follow me". Without a word, he turned and walked out of the living room, heading outside.

Marissa blinked, frowning deeply, irritation creeping across her face. She turned to Grandpa Johnson, voice sharp with disbelief. “Was… he talking to me?”

Grandpa Johnson chuckled softly, clearly amused. “Oh, yes, my dear. That’s exactly what that was.”

Marissa huffed, muttering under her breath, annoyed at the blunt rudeness of the man’s tone. She crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed, but knew she had little choice but to follow.

Outside, Antonio waited, his posture rigid and commanding. Marissa opened her mouth, ready to speak, but he cut her off sharply, voice calm but edged with authority.

“Drop the act. I know you’re not drunk… I bet everyone can tell.”

Marissa froze, caught off guard. Her frown deepened, annoyance flashing across her face. “Excuse me?” she said, tone sharp and indignant.

Antonio’s gaze didn’t waver, cool and unflinching. “I said drop it,” he repeated, almost coldly. “The pretense, the stumbles… it’s unnecessary.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, clearly irritated at his bluntness, but she held her ground, meeting his stare with a mixture of defiance and disbelief.

“Well… that is that. I’d be very happy if you tell me that this rudeness you’re displaying is also an act,” Marissa said, disbelief lacing her voice.

Antonio’s eyes stayed locked on her, cold and unreadable. “If that’s what you think,” he replied flatly, “then I have nothing to say… besides, you’ve done nothing for me to be nice to you.”

Marissa blinked, taken aback by his bluntness. Her frown deepened, annoyance flaring. The silence that followed was thick, tense, and electric—neither willing to yield an inch.

Marissa stared at him, utterly stunned, mouth parting as she finally found the words to fire back—

but Antonio beat her to it again, his voice slicing through the air like ice.

“I’m a busy man,” he said, tone flat, clipped, almost bored. “And I’ve been dragged into enough bothersome, unnecessary setups to last a lifetime.”

He didn’t even blink. “It’s obvious you don’t want this. And I don’t either. So let’s just get this over with…”

He paused—just long enough for her breath to catch.

“…and get married. That way, all of this stops.”

Marissa just… stared.

Utter disbelief.

Borderline offended.

And completely thrown off by the audacity of this man.