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Chapter 5 - chapter 5 (First Impression , first date)

Meadow's POV

I honestly shocked myself with how calm I handled the whole thing. Of course I expected Debbie to start scratching and screaming like a typical spoiled brat, but I wasn't about to let her humiliate me. So, I simply twisted her wrist behind her back and whispered, "This guy's taken."

I hadn't planned to say that—but when I saw Kieran standing there, watching the whole thing unfold, something in me shifted. His face was unreadable at first, but then I saw it—the way his lips almost curled into a smile. I tried not to think too much of it.

I cleared my throat and walked toward him.

"Mr. Sullivan," I said, acting like I hadn't just lowkey marked him like property.

"So you remember me?" he asked, the corner of his lips already lifted.

"I never forgot you, sir."

"Kieran," he corrected, still smiling.

"Kieran," I repeated. His name rolled off my tongue a bit too easily.

"So, what brings you here?"

"Does a fiancée need a reason to see her husband?" I said playfully.

"Whoa, someone's possessive," he teased, guiding me toward his office. I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him.

"Forget what you just saw," I said, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes.

He bit his lip like he was pretending to think. "Mmm… we'll see."

I laughed and walked into his office as he opened the door. Chivalry still exists, I guess.

"I wasn't expecting our first meeting to be this… lively," I said, taking my seat. "Well, not our first-first meeting."

He didn't say anything immediately. I felt his eyes slowly scan my outfit, and I tried not to squirm.

I'd let my hair loose halfway through the day, and now it was a mess. The only makeup I had on was lip gloss, and the baby powder I put on this morning. But he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he looked… interested.

I saw the way his expression softened, and even though I wanted to look away, I held his gaze for a bit—until he sat down.

"I guess we have to try our best to get along if we're going ahead with this marriage," he said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, we do," I replied, as my eyes drop to his arms.

I couldn't help it. His arms looked strong, and for a moment, I admired the definition.

"Enjoying the view?" he asked, grinning.

I immediately cleared my throat, embarrassed at being caught. I turned away and stared at the back of the office like it was the most interesting thing I'd ever seen.

"Yeah… its beautiful" I muttered, standing up and walking to the glass wall.

"You do this to clear your head?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"I guess so," he said, walking over to join me.

"It's mesmerizing," I whispered as I stared at the busy roads below. There was something calming about watching people go about their lives.

"The sunset is a sight to behold, trust me," he added.

"Really?" I asked, not fully convinced.

"You're welcome to stay till then."

"I don't think it'll be nice to interrupt your work."

"Come onnn… you think I can't make time for my fiancée?" he said, nudging my shoulder.

I laughed. His teasing was surprisingly… natural. I hadn't expected him to be this playful.

"You're beautiful," he suddenly blurted out.

My eyes widened in shock. Did he just…?

"Did I just say that out loud?" he asked, trying to play it off.

"You have a nice physique," I replied quickly, not daring to meet his gaze.

"And?" he asked, stepping a bit closer.

"We'll leave the comments for another day, Kieran," I said, playfully pushing him away.

Truthfully, I was holding myself together—for my parents, for my pride. But inside, I was still raw from everything. Yet, being here with him didn't feel like an obligation. It felt like a break from all the pretending.

I tried to wrap things up. "Well, I've finally made time to see my fiancé, so I'll be on my way now. Sorry for taking up your time." I reached for my bag.

"Let's have dinner," he said, stopping me.

I turned to look at him. Was he serious?

"Did you think I'd let our first date end in my office? No way," he added, grabbing his car keys.

Before I could say anything else, he gently placed his hands on my shoulders and guided me toward the door.

"You're sure it's alright?" I asked, hesitating a bit as I followed him.

"As long as you're okay with it," he said, pausing like he was giving me the choice.

"It's alright, but—"

"Then it's settled," he cut me off, opening the car door like a true gentleman.

"So where are we going?" I asked as I settled into the seat.

"To the rest of our lives," he replied.

I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me.

"You really make me laugh, Kieran."

"Anything for that smile on your face, Mead," he replied.

We pulled up in front of a building that looked like a combo of a bar and a restaurant.

"So, you're the party type, huh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Seems like my lady and I have similar tastes," he said with a smug grin, reminding me of the disaster at my house when he saw me with bed hair and a hangover.

I blushed at the memory. Ugh.

"I've never been a fan of 'classy,'" he added.

"Then that's a relief," I replied, linking my arm through his. It was a bold move, even for me, but somehow, it felt right. He didn't pull away.

We walked into the chic restaurant and headed straight to our reserved private diner.

Kieran and I ate in silence, though I was occasionally stealing glances at him. While he cut his steak, he unconsciously flexed his biceps—and that was when I noticed how ripped he was. I guess that's a plus for me. Who wouldn't want a built husband… even if his heart didn't belong to me?

I sighed softly as I curled more pasta around my fork.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I heard him say, jolting me out of my reverie. I smiled faintly.

"Just here and there," I replied.

"I'm sorry," he said all of a sudden.

I frowned slightly, still smiling. "For what?"

"You broke up with your boyfriend just for this marriage," he said. "It must've been hard."

"It's what I had to do," I said, kicking the thoughts of Caleb out of my mind.

"Don't you think it's best if we just get the wedding over with?" he suggested.

"What?" I asked, not quite following.

"So it won't get harder as time passes. It'll be better for both of us," he said, but his voice trailed off toward the end of the sentence, like he was thinking about something else.

No matter how much I dreaded this marriage, it was the only one I'd have in my lifetime—so I wasn't going to rush it like it was some impromptu trip to the Caribbean.

"Seems like we're both done with our food. Can we head out now?" I asked, looking up at him.

"But you hardly touched your meal."

"It was amazing," I said, picking up my bag.

"Well, okay. I'll go settle the bill," he said, walking off toward the counter.

We walked in awkward silence to the parking lot, and finally—after what felt like an eternity—we reached his car. But just as I reached for the handle to open the door, I felt his hand firmly grab my waist and pin me to the car.

"Kieran, what are you—"

He cut off my words with his lips brushing against mine…

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