CHAPTER SIX
865 Words
"The Worst Surprise"
Silence.
For the first time in a long while, Emerald found herself at a complete loss for words.
This couldn’t be real.
But standing right in front of her, wearing that same irritatingly smug expression, was Adrian Montenegro.
Her fiancé.
No way. No freaking way!
"Hijo, buti naman at dumating ka na," her mom’s warm voice snapped her out of her trance. "Halika, umupo ka na para makapagsimula na tayo."
Emerald was still too stunned to move as Adrian casually walked toward the empty seat across from her—like he owned the place, like this wasn’t the worst possible situation that could’ve happened to her.
And then, as if the universe really wanted to mess with her, he looked directly at her.
And smirked.
"We meet again, Miss Baliw."
Her eye twitched.
This bastard.
Emerald clenched her fists under the table, forcing herself to stay calm. Not here. Not now. Don’t cause a scene in front of your parents.
"Wait, kilala mo na si Emerald?" Mr. Suarez asked, surprised.
Adrian leaned back, arms crossed, his smugness only growing. "Oh, we’ve had… a rather interesting encounter."
Emerald gritted her teeth. "Interesting? You almost ran me over, tinawag akong baliw, and then demanded money like some entitled jerk!"
"Correction," he said smoothly. "Ikaw ang sumugod sa kotse ko, sinipa mo pa nga."
"Because you were being an a—!"
"Emerald," her mom warned, giving her a look.
Emerald inhaled sharply and forced herself to shut up, even though she was this close to flipping the entire table.
Meanwhile, their parents continued chatting like this was the most normal thing in the world. "Mukhang swak na swak naman pala kayong dalawa, ah," Tita Celine chuckled. "At least hindi kayo strangers sa isa't isa."
Strangers? Oh, how she wished they were still strangers.
As dinner went on, Emerald tried her best to ignore Adrian, but it was impossible.
Every time she looked up, his eyes were already on her. Every time she reached for something, he did too—whether it was the water pitcher or the side dishes. Worse, he’d smirk every damn time, like he was teasing her without even saying a word.
She wanted to throw her fork at his face.
"So, Adrian, hijo, what are your plans after the wedding?" her dad asked.
Adrian wiped his mouth with a napkin before answering. "I’ll continue managing the business, of course. But I also have a few expansions in mind."
"That’s great," Mr. Suarez nodded approvingly. "And Emerald, hija, ikaw? May balak ka bang ituloy ang culinary mo after the wedding?"
Emerald froze, caught off guard.
The wedding.
The words felt like a slap to the face. She’d been so busy being pissed at Adrian that she’d almost forgotten—this wasn’t just a casual dinner. This was her life being decided for her.
Emerald forced a smile. "Of course, Dad. My dream hasn’t changed just because of… this."
"This?" Adrian raised a brow.
"This arranged marriage," she clarified coldly.
Silence fell over the table for a moment.
"Well," her mom finally spoke, trying to lighten the mood. "I’m sure you two will figure things out together."
Emerald wanted to laugh. Yeah, right.
Dinner dragged on painfully after that, with their parents talking about wedding preparations while she and Adrian continued their silent war of glares and smirks.
When it was finally over, Emerald felt like she could breathe again.
"Thank you for the lovely dinner," Tita Celine said, smiling warmly at her.
"It was our pleasure," her mom replied.
"Emerald, hija, samahan mo muna si Adrian palabas," her dad suddenly instructed.
Emerald almost choked on air. "What?!"
"Come on, hija. Kahit hanggang sa labas lang," her mom added.
Emerald sighed. Fine. Just a few steps and then I’m free.
She grabbed her phone and stomped ahead, not even bothering to check if Adrian was following.
The moment they were outside, she turned around sharply.
"Listen here, Mr. Reckless Driver—"
"I have a name, you know," he interrupted lazily.
"I don’t care," she snapped. "Let’s get one thing straight—I don’t want this marriage any more than you do."
Adrian tilted his head. "Oh? And who said I didn’t want it?"
She narrowed her eyes. "You… don’t want it, right?"
He took a slow step closer, and for some reason, Emerald’s heartbeat spiked.
"What if I do?" he mused.
Emerald’s brain short-circuited.
"You—what—why?!"
"I find you interesting," he admitted, eyes gleaming with amusement. "You’re different from the women I usually meet."
Her mouth opened and closed. "Are you serious?"
"Very," he replied smoothly.
Emerald took a step back, suddenly feeling like a deer trapped by a predator. "Well, that’s too bad, because I’m not interested in you. At all."
He chuckled, his voice deep and maddeningly smooth. "We’ll see about that."
Before she could even process that infuriating statement, he reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
Emerald went rigid.
What. The. Hell.
"See you soon, Miss Baliw," he murmured before walking away, leaving her standing there—stunned, speechless, and boiling with rage.
She was going to kill him.
- Writer
