"I'm Ben by the way."The young man smiled smugly, his fingers drumming against the white tablecloth before he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded document. He unfolded it slowly, laying it flat on the table like he’d just won a game he never gave her a chance to play.
“I’ve already sent the wedding gifts to your mother,” he said, smiling with satisfaction. “This lunch is just to seal the deal. You know, so we can get to know each other a little more before setting the date.”
Alina’s grip tightened around the cold water glass. Her eyes flicked to Susan, who offered her a forced tight-lipped smile. A laugh bubbled up in Alina’s throat...was this a joke? Had she stepped into some twisted alternate reality?
"I told you before, didn’t I?" Susan said sweetly, her tone drip
