Chapter 1: Across the table

“Maybe I should’ve stayed home tonight.”

I stared down at the restaurant menu as if it could somehow erase the fact that I was sitting here, on a Friday night, alone, wearing heels that pinched the life out of my toes about to meet a man I didn’t even know. A blind date?, yes. The kind my mother insisted was “perfect for my post-heartbreak recovery.”

Perfect. Yeah, because what I needed after three years of betrayal was to sit across from some stranger and pretend I wasn’t still crying into my pillow two nights ago.

I didn’t hear the footsteps at first. My nerves had plugged every other sense. But then there was a little shift in the chair opposite me, a man slid into the seat, calm, confident, with the kind of posture that screamed, I own this room even if you don’t know it yet.

I lifted my gaze, half-expecting some generic, awkward-looking guy with nervous eyes and a sweat-stained collar.

And then I saw him.

A tall figure, sharp suit, dark hair that caught the soft glow of the restaurant lights, and eyes, God, those eyes that seemed to pierce straight through me.

I choked on my tongue. Literally.

“Hi,” I croaked, my voice thinner than I intended.

“Hello,” he replied, calm, even, like he’d been expecting me. There was a faint, almost teasing curl at the corner of his mouth.

I felt my heart do that stupid stuttering thing it did whenever I was on the edge of panicking. Breathe, Elena.

“Uh… you must be…?” I waved my hand vaguely, trying to cover my embarrassment.

He raised an eyebrow. “I suppose you must be the one my… date is?” His tone was smooth, measured, and just a little amused.

I blinked. Was he teasing me? Or was I imagining that?

“Well, yeah,” I said, leaning back a little too far in my chair. “Elena. Elena Hart. And you are…?”

“Adrian,” he said, almost casually, like that single word was enough. Adrian; Strong, simple, commanding.

I couldn’t help the sharp little intake of breath. I mean, it was a name, just a name—but somehow it felt… significant. Too significant for my nerves.

I shoved the menu aside. “Look, I don’t usually do this. Blind dates. Or dinner with strangers. But, uh… here I am.”

Adrian tilted his head slightly, considering me. “And you came prepared?

I blinked. “Prepared? Prepared for what?”

“For this.” He gestured vaguely at the table, the restaurant, me. The air between us. His gaze was unwavering, almost challenging, and for a split second, my mind went blank.

He’s ridiculous. He’s just some guy. Get a grip, Elena.

But my body didn’t follow my mind.

I laughed, too high, too nervous. “Right… well. I didn’t really think this through. I just… I just came.”

He leaned back slightly, studying me . “Good. That’s… honest.”

I blinked again. Honest? I didn’t even know what that meant.

We ordered dinner, his choice, of course, though I pretended to suggest something. He didn’t argue, just smiled faintly whenever I tried to insist. That smile did something to the pit of my stomach. Something I wasn’t ready for.

Halfway through appetizers, I realized I had no idea what to say. Normally, I was witty, sarcastic, full of words that could fill a page. But tonight… I had nothing

I swallowed. “So… why are you here?” I asked, trying to sound casual. “Family pressure? Personal boredom? A bet?”

Adrian’s lips twitched, barely a smile. “Let’s just say… fate has a funny way of working.”

I laughed nervously. “Fate? Really? My mom says that too. She… she kind of set this whole thing up.”

His eyes flickered, and I could swear I saw… amusement? behind that calm exterior.

“Family involvement,” he said lightly. “Interesting.”

I nodded, unsure of what else to say. My mind was racing, memories of my ex flashing behind my eyes like a bad slideshow. The betrayal, the lies, the cheating, the humiliating texts I’d found—oh God, I couldn’t even think about that right now.

And then, almost without thinking, I said it.

“I… you know what? Forget it. I don’t want to waste any more time. Let’s… let’s just get this over with. Let’s get married ”

I froze.

I had said it out loud. The words hung in the air, I could practically hear my mother’s voice cheering somewhere in the background, see, this is why I arranged this! and my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.

Adrian’s fork paused midair. He looked at me, eyes wide for the first time. Wide… and still calm.

“You… want to marry me?” His voice was low, even, almost amused.

“Yes!” I said before I could stop myself. “I mean… not really like, forever… I don’t know. But… I just… I don’t want to think about… everything else. I want… stability. I want…” My words trailed off, and I flushed, hating myself but unable to take them back.

Adrian leaned back in his chair. He didn’t speak for a long moment. His gaze bored into me,calmly , assessing, as if weighing the truth of my desperation against the absurdity of my proposal.

Then he smiled though not fully, enough to make my stomach flutter.

“Interesting proposal,” he said finally. “And impulsive. I like that.”

My stomach dropped. Did he… like it? Or was he mocking me?

“I’m serious,” I said, a little louder than intended. “I don’t care about… whatever. I just… I don’t want to go back to being… hurt.”

Adrian’s gaze softened—just a fraction. “So, this is… an escape?”

“Yes!” I admitted, my voice cracking. “An escape from… everything. From heartbreak. From… him.” I swallowed hard. “I just… I can’t do this alone right now. And… I think maybe I shouldn’t have to.

He regarded me silently. The air between us shifted. I could feel it, that quiet intensity that made me forget to breathe.

And then, slowly, deliberately, he said, “Alright. Let’s… do it.”

My heart stopped.

“Do what?” I asked, panicked.

He leaned closer, his voice low, smooth. “Marry. You said it first.

I blinked. Did he just…?

“Yes… yes!” I exclaimed, and immediately wished I could take it back. But too late. The words were out, and now… now we were officially insane.

The waiter arrived, oblivious to the shift in our little corner of the restaurant, carrying a dessert I didn’t even want. Adrian paid the bill without a word, then looked at me with those impossible eyes, and I realized… this wasn’t a normal blind date. Not even close.

Something about him made me feel like the world had tilted slightly. Like a storm was coming. And maybe, just maybe… I was already trapped in it.

As we walked out of the restaurant, side by side, I caught a glimpse of his profile in the city lights, the sharp line of his jaw, the calm confidence that somehow felt dangerous, irresistible, and terrifying all at once.

And I had no idea what I’d just done.

Because I had just proposed marriage to a stranger.

And he had said yes.