Chapter 7

The blind date was slated for the cozy corner of Vanilla Waves Café.

Gabriela stepped inside and lingered by the entrance for a few minutes before her date finally appeared.He wore a sharply tailored suit that only emphasized his middle-aged gut, but not even expensive clothes could disguise the bland, lackluster aura he carried.

His lips curled into a smug grin. "Apologies for the delay."

Gabriela offered a polite smile, her tone even. "No trouble at all."

The man raked his gaze over her, lingering just a beat too long before saying, "Rhys Fox. I assume Phyllis has already filled you in. She told me you're...a bit materialistic." He gave a thin, pointed smile, then added coolly, "Just so you know-I don't hand over my paychecks for anyone else to control. You'll quit your job once we're married and focus on running the household.I expect you to take care of my parents as well. In exchange, I'll give you an eight-thousand monthly allowance."

Rhys, who was in his early thirties, already sported a receding hairline and an air of smug superiority.

Gabriela had never cared much about looks, but his arrogance made her skin crawl.

Honestly,she had anticipated this. Phyllis had set her up with this man out of spite, not concern.

But Josh's earlier phone call-his anxious reminder to give the blind date a real chance-echoed in her mind.Swallowing her pride, Gabriela forced herself to stay civil, biting back every insult she wanted to unleash.

Rhys pressed on. "Phyllis mentioned you lost your parents, and her family took you in. They've done their part. Now that you're an adult, you should be independent and start living on your own. If you really can't find a place to stay, you could move in with me.We'll treat it as a test run-see if you can handle married life. But let's be clear: if I decide you're not suitable, I'll have you move out, no questions asked."

Gabriela's fingers itched to fling her coffee right in Rhys's face and snap him out of his delusions.

She forced herself to remain calm instead of causing a scene. For Josh's sake, she had to swallow her frustration.

Ten minutes dragged by before she finally snapped.She excused herself to the restroom, pulled out her phone,and begged Aubrey for a rescue.

When Gabriela returned, Rhys's face soured. With an air of reluctance, he finally said, "You're far from perfect, but at least you're easy on the eyes. My parents should be satisfied. After we get married, I'll make sure you learn how to behave. Are you at least decent at cooking? I expect my wife to handle those basics, you know..."

Rhys rambled on, barely pausing for breath. Gabriela stared at him, forcing a polite smile as her patience wore dangerously thin. Just then, her phone vibrated.Relief washed over her when she saw Aubrey's name flash on the screen.

She answered, voice pitched in theatrical annoyance."What? Overtime again? You're telling me the project's a disaster and needs revision right now?"

The act was flawless. Hanging up, she flashed Rhys an apologetic look. "Sorry, but I've got a work emergency. I need to head back to the office right away."

Rhys's brow furrowed, his irritation impossible to hide."You're really going to bail for work in the middle of our date?"

Gabriela lifted her hands in mock surrender. "I don't have a choice. My boss squeezes every drop out of us -nothing but ruthless capitalism these days." Rhys refused to be brushed off. His lips curled into a sneer. "If you walk out now, don't expect to see me again."

With a sweet, wide-eyed look, Gabriela countered,"Mr. Fox, this project is worth billions. If I nail it, I'll have enough for a mansion. If it tanks, I'm out of a job.Are you offering to buy me a mansion if things go sideways?"

Her sharp sarcasm cut straight through his ego Flushed with indignation, Rhys spun on his heel and stalked off, muttering under his breath, "Phyllis had you sized up from the start. All you care about is money."

Gabriela felt no irritation at all. She finished her coffee with a cheerful flourish, waiting until Rhys had completely disappeared before rising from her seat.

As she made her way toward the exit, a familiar figure caught her eye.

There,half-hidden in a shadowy corner, sat Wesley.Even seated, his sharp suit and commanding presence made him impossible to miss.

Caught off guard, she called out, "Mr. Moss?"

Wesley glanced up,returning her greeting with a curt nod and an unmistakably sour look. Gabriela's gaze flicked to the lovely woman seated across from him, then back to Wesley's unreadable face. The situation clicked in an instant. Leaning closer, she lowered her voice. "Wait-are you here for a blind date too?"

She couldn't help but wonder why someone as formidable and accomplished as Wesley would choose such an unremarkable place.

Wesley offered a barely perceptible nod before rising from his seat. "Heading back to the office?" he asked,his tone unreadable.

Gabriela suspected he'd caught her entire exchange from earlier. She mustered a respectful nod. "Yes, Mr.Moss."

Wesley's lips quirked in a faint smirk. "Billy just called.I'll head back with you and sort it out."

Gabriela's mind stalled for a beat.

Her supposed work emergency was nothing but a convenient excuse-was he playing along with her charade?

Still,if Wesley wasn't interested in this matchmaking setup,who could force his hand?

Though a whirlwind of questions churned in her mind, she kept her doubts to herself and trailed after Wesley in silence.