Chapter 2

"Victoria's car malfunctioned. I gave her a ride because we were going the same way," Travis explained.

I rubbed my nose and said, "I see. Her perfume smells quite nice."

We spent the rest of the car ride in silence.

When we made it to the restaurant, Travis showed no signs of getting out of the car. Instead, he turned to look at me with a frown. "Why didn't you criticize Victoria this time? I thought you hated her."

I arched my brow.

Travis wasn't wrong. If I behaved like how I did in the past, I would have sought Victoria out and berated her until she was in tears. I would have then demanded that Travis fire her.

However, I had no desire to do such things this time. I also didn't feel the need to trouble myself.

"Let's eat. I want to turn in early tonight after dinner. I'm exhausted."

I got out of the car and strode into the restaurant.

Travis trailed behind me. His lips curled up into a smile again after we took our seats. He told me in a mysterious tone that he had a surprise for me before he stood up and walked off.

I suddenly thought that he was incredibly childish as I watched his retreating back.

Travis had left his phone on the table. It started ringing a few seconds after he left.

Victoria was calling him.

Travis had yet to return even after she called him twice.

I decided to pick up the call when she called a third time.

"Save me, Mr. Somerson!" Victoria wailed the moment the call connected. "I'm trapped in a basement!"

Just then, Travis returned while balancing a cake decorated with fresh flowers in his hands. The ecstatic expression on his face stiffened in an instant when he noticed that I was holding his phone.

He stormed over to our table and carelessly dropped the cake in front of me. The fresh flowers that had been arranged in a flawless design scattered on impact. A cream-stained rose rolled off the table and fell onto the floor.

Travis snatched his phone out of my hand. He became even more furious when he glanced at the screen.

"Who told you that you could accept my calls without my permission, Harper? Don't forget that we're not married yet. You're not my wife!"

Travis had a grim expression on his face when he hung up.

"Something happened to Victoria. I have to go to her right now. I'll be back soon. Wait for me here."

He then hurried away after he was done speaking.

The ghost of a smile tugged at my lips as I stared at the distorted cake in front of me.

It was a little hard to believe that Travis didn't see right through Victoria's flimsy ploy.

Why didn't she call the police and ask them for help if she was stuck in a basement? Why did she keep calling Travis even though she needed help as soon as possible?

It was preposterous.

I waited until the restaurant's closing time, but Travis still hadn't returned. Fortunately, I had asked the waiter to serve the dishes that Travis had ordered beforehand. At the very least, I didn't have to wait for him on an empty stomach.

I was about to get up and leave the restaurant when Travis suddenly burst through the doors.

When he noticed the leftovers on the table, he asked in a disgruntled tone, "Why didn't you wait for me, Harper? Why did you eat by yourself?"

It was the first time I hadn't waited for Travis before starting to eat even though we had been in a relationship for a decade.

In the past, I wouldn't even order any dishes before he showed up. After we moved in together, I would prepare the dishes and only start eating after he had taken his seat at the dining table.

"My bad. I thought you weren't coming back anymore since you left to meet Victoria. That's why I started eating by myself," I said unapologetically.

Travis' expression darkened. He slammed whatever he was holding onto the table, causing a loud bang to resound through the restaurant.

"I left to pick up the new wedding invitation sample!"

I lowered my gaze and glanced at the invitation.

The cover did look different now.

Travis continued staring at me, his eyes shining with glee and anticipation. It seemed that he was waiting for me to flip open the wedding invitation.

I knew that he must have checked the invitation beforehand, ensuring that the bride's name was mine this time.