1.Engagement

Tabitha’s POV

A soccer ball rockets toward me just as I’m halfway through a passage, lounging cross-legged in the middle of the open field with my book resting comfortably on my thighs. I glance up and see it speeding straight at my face.

Oh shit!

My heart skips and slam the book shut. I jerk to the side, pressing my hands into the grass as I twist my body out of the way.

“Look out!”

Before the ball can reach me, Andrew appears in a blur of movement. He charges forward and throws himself in front of me, tilting his head just right to intercept the ball. It bounces off with a dull thud and rolls away across the grassy field.

“You okay?” he asks, catching his breath as he straightens up beside me.

I press a palm to my chest, feeling my pulse racing beneath my fingertips. That was close.

“Yeah. Although that ball almost broke my glasses.” I push the crooked frames back up the bridge of my nose. “I would’ve asked you to replace it, but it’s your lucky day, Kingston.”

Andrew lets out a quiet chuckle.

“Sorry about that. They got Ray all fired up.” He nods at Ray who is running across the field. “You know how he is when he gets into the game.”

Ray, the captain of the university’s soccer team waves at me apologetically and demands Andrew to give them back the ball.

“You might want to tell your buddies to work on their aim next time. Try not to give us poor people in the bleachers a black eye before summer vacation.”

He laughs again and lobs the ball back to his teammates in one sharp kick before walking away from the field to join me. Andrew gestures that he’ll pass in the next game. Ray and the others nod their heads and resume to the practice

“Why are you even practicing today?” I ask, shifting to sit properly again and picking up my book. “Summer vacation’s in three days. Varsity season’s over.”

Andrew shrugs his shoulders.

“It’s not all about competition. Soccer’s just a fun game. But Ray’s been obsessed with practice ever since we lost in the finals… so there’s also that.”

Andrew grabs his tumbler and takes a long swig. Andrew’s eyes drift down, and I catch him staring at my knee. He tilts his head slightly.

“I’ve been meaning to ask about that scar. How’d you get it?” he asks.

I glance down, my fingers brushing over the faint, jagged line just below my kneecap. It’s old, but still obvious against my skin.

"I fell off a cliff five years ago. I was being chased by a bunch of dumb high school bullies. I tripped, rolled, scraped up my knees, and hit my head pretty bad," I say, flipping a page in my book.

Andrew winces. “Damn. I know kids can be jerks, but that’s brutal. I didn’t think high schoolers were that ruthless.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Yeah… you’ve got no idea.”

If only he knew. Especially if you grew up around werewolves who shift just to terrorize the shit out of humans like me. Good thing I’m miles away from that hellhole now. I won’t have to see the smirking faces of my bullies… especially the particular four brothers who used to make my life miserable.

Noticing the shift in my mood, he quickly changes the topic. “Anyway, what’s your summer plans?” he asks while wiping his lips.

I close the book on my thumb and rest it on my knee. Summer plans, huh?

“I’ll probably just pick up some extra shifts at the café. Same as usual,” I say with a shrug.

He nods.

“Damn, you’re always working hard. If you want something different, my dad’s company is hiring. I could put in a word.”

I smile and shake my head slightly

“Thanks, but I like my job at the café. Although the pay isn’t exactly that big, at least I get to soak in the delicious scent of coffee all day. Plus, the boss is kind enough to give me leftover pastries during every shift.”

He’s kind enough to offer that, but I’d rather stick to my part-time job. And it’s not even about pride, it’s just about building something on my own. Maybe, I’ll take on his offer when I’m confident enough to do a good job… once I graduate. Hopefully.

“Well, if you say so…” Andrew tosses the tumbler back to his backpack and settles on the bleachers beside me. “You know what? You’re the most hardworking person I know. I can’t believe you’re spending the whole summer break just… working. Don’t you even have a plan to go on a vacation? Catch some rays? Hiking? Sightseeing? Beach?”

Beach. A sudden memory tickles at the back of my mind. The scent of salty air, the feel of grainy white sands against my skin… and the crystal blue water that greets my eyes every morning. Yeah, I used to live on a beach, alright. And I’ve had enough fill of that to last a lifetime. Now, I’m not excited to go back.

“Nah. I’m good. Working at the café is an exciting getaway too.” I take a deep breath and slide the bookmark onto the page before tucking the book back into my bag. I don’t really have the concentration to read anything right now.

“That’s not what you said last month when that guy asked you to remake his latte because the foam heart looked off.”

I snort, recalling the incident. “Yeah. Turns out he was ordering it for his girlfriend but she broke up with him the same day. They made quite a scene at the café that day. Poor guy had to order another drink. Had to give it to him though. He ordered a chamomile tea just to take the edge off.”

Andrew chuckles. “Yeah, and—” he trails off, his eyes flicking past me, narrowing slightly.

“What?”

I follow his gaze and see a man in a polished black suit walking toward us. He looks completely out of place in a university filled with students cramming their last projects and soccer jocks messing around on the field. He doesn’t look like faculty or anyone remotely connected to the school, and what unsettles me is the way his eyes stay fixed on me, like he’s not just passing through but heading here for something specific.

He’s probably just a parent or something… or maybe an investor at the school. He can’t possibly coming for me. Right?

Nope. The man is definitely walking in our direction, and still very much looking at me.

“Do you know that guy?” Andrew whispers, creasing his forehead.

“No.”

The man finally stops right in front of us. He briefly eyes Andrew before fixing his eyes back at me.

“Are you Tabitha Huxley?” the man in suit asks.

“Uh… ye—”

“Who are you?” Andrew stands up, blocking the man’s line of vision of me.

The man ignores Andrew completely and shifts to the side, tilting his head just enough to look past his towering frame and meet my eyes again.

“Madam Isla is waiting in the campus parking lot. She asked me to come find you, Tabitha,” he says with a calm, practiced tone.

My mom did what now? Waiting at the campus parking lot? We don’t even have a car!

I take one good look at the man again. He’s got a perpetually serious expression on his face. He seems to be in his late-forties, definitely a few years older than my mom. And no matter how hard I look at him, I know this is my first time meeting him. So, he can’t possibly be one of my mom’s friends.

Andrew scoots over me and whispers, not taking his sharp eyes at the man. “You think this is some new type of scamming scheme?”

Well, if it is. They definitely chose the worst person possible because we are broke as hell. The only thing that they can scam out of us is the second-hand frying pan I bought at a flea market two weeks ago. Me and my mom are barely getting by, especially with her uncontrollable spending habits that occasionally forced us to dip into what little savings we’ve managed to build over the past five years.

“I believe your mother sent you a message about this earlier,” the man says, side-eyeing Andrew as if the boy is already getting on his last nerve.

I hesitate, slowly reaching for my phone like it might bite. My screen lights up with a single unread text from fifteen minutes ago.

Mom:

Hey sweetheart. Don’t freak out, but can you come to the parking lot? I need you for something. It’s... kind of a surprise. Just trust me, okay? :))

What the… Is this serious?

My brows knit as I stare at the screen, trying to make sense of the message. I look up at the man again, still standing there like this is all completely normal, like I’m supposed to just follow him without asking questions.

I don’t know what’s going on. But my intuition tells me to just go along and get this over with. I’ve got pepper spray in my bag if this goes south—not that it’s gonna help to take down this giant of a man. But well, my mom did text me, and as unhinged as she can be sometimes, she wouldn’t send a stranger to snatch me off a field if it wasn’t something serious. Probably. Hopefully. Either way, I square my shoulders, sling my bag over one arm, and start walking toward him, pretending like I do this sort of thing all the time.

Andrew’s hand gently catches my elbow. “Wait. Are you sure about this?”

“Yeah, I’ll just text you later.” I gave him a curt smile.

His hand slips away and I start walking toward the man in the suit.

As we stride toward the campus parking lot, my eyes drift to the man's wrist and catch on something familiar. His cufflinks are oval-shaped with a silver minimalist mountain range etched into them. That looks… familiar.

It has been five years since I last saw that symbol. And there is only one family I know whose staff wears it.

No. That’s impossible. It must be just the same design.

I am still staring at the cufflinks when I realize we have already arrived. The man steps forward and opens the door of a sleek black car. Inside, I spot my mother sitting comfortably in the backseat, looking completely at ease as she waves and gestures for me to come in. Good. I wasn’t being scammed, after all. She’s really here.

“Thanks for bringing my daughter in one piece, Gerald.” She offers a charming smile at the man.

Gerald bows his head slightly. “You’re welcome, Madam.”

Then, he walks around the car and heads to the driver’s seat. Gerald starts the engine and before I know it, we are driving out of the university grounds. Okay, I’m still confused.

“Please tell me what’s happening, Mom. Where did this car come from? And who even is he?”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you,” she beams and takes my hand. “Now I finally can.”

“You’re making me nervous…”

“Oh, don’t be, sweetheart. This is great news!”

She lifts her other hand and proudly flashes a massive diamond ring sitting on a gem-studded platinum band.

“Sweetie, I’m getting married,” she squeals.

My jaw drops. She’s what?

My mom’s face is flushed like a giddy teenager. She looks so excited, and I have to close my mouth to stop any words that may come out and ruin her mood. My mom is getting married? I mean, sure, she’s still stunning even in her mid-forties. Many men still admire her, pine for her. But I never really thought that she would actually settle down with someone else after Dad died.

“What do you think? It’s a gorgeous ring, isn’t it?” She strokes the enormous gem of her engagement ring and I absentmindedly nod my head.

It looks freaking expensive. Whoever is her fiance must be loaded.

“Yeah, that’s uh… awesome. But mom, you never told me that you’re seeing anyone.”

“Oh, sweetie. I was trying to keep it a secret for a while. You’ve had so much on your plate lately with school and work, and I didn’t want to distract you. Plus, well… it all happened kind of fast. We weren’t sure how serious it was at first, and I didn’t want to jinx it by saying too much.” She gives a soft laugh and glances at her ring. “But now it’s official. He proposed last night, and I couldn’t wait any longer. I just had to tell you.”

“So, who’s the guy?”

“You’ll see,” Mom says with a grin, tapping my knee. “We’re going to meet him today. He insisted on having a proper lunch with both of us. Said it’s time things were official.”

“I still can’t wrap my head around this whole thing…”

“He’s a great man, Tabitha. The kind you don’t come across twice. I really think you and I… we’re going to have a good life from now on.”

As if on cue, the car rolls to a stop. Gerald steps out and opens the door for us. I climb out, and my lips part in surprise.

We’re standing in front of one of the most expensive restaurants in the city. The kind of place with valet parking, private elevators, and gold-lettered menus. The kind of place Andrew Kingston might casually drop in for a steak dinner. Not the kind of place someone like me even dreams of stepping into.

Just… who is my mom’s fiancé?

I have a thousand questions, but I say nothing as I follow Mom through the grand entrance. We’re immediately ushered to a private VIP table near the back of the restaurant. There, seated with a regal posture and an unreadable expression, is a man already waiting for us. Mom doesn’t hesitate. She strides straight to him and presses a kiss to his cheek like they’ve done this a hundred times before.

The man turns to me and offers a kind smile. But my lips freeze in shock before I can even reciprocate his hospitality.

“Sweetie, I’d like you to meet my fiancé, Emery Aldair,” my mom announces, smiling.

No way.

My mom’s fiance is Emery Aldair… the father of my high school bullies?!