Chapter 4 The First Meeting

• To ensure that her mother actually ate and took her medicine, Rhea stayed at her parents’ house overnight. After all, she had been living in the house she bought for herself for quite some time.
• Stepping out of the bedroom she had used as a teenager, Rhea descended the stairs and made her way to the dining room for breakfast.
• Upon arriving, she saw her mother already seated at the dining table, where their breakfast had been neatly laid out.
• “Good morning, sweetheart,” Aliza greeted cheerfully.
• “Good morning, Mom.”
• Rhea sat down, facing her mother across the table.
• “I’ve already informed your fiancé that you want to meet him today.”
• The glass of water Rhea had just sipped almost came spraying out of her mouth. “What? What did you say?”
• “Yesterday, you said you wanted to meet him. So, I contacted him and let him know. He said he’s available today. He’ll be waiting for you at Time Square Mall at 10 a.m.”
• Rhea was stunned, unable to believe how quickly her mother had acted on this. “Mom, you should’ve asked me first instead of just calling him like that.”
• “Well, you were the one who said you wanted to meet him.”
• “Yes, but that doesn’t mean I wanted to meet him today. Besides, I have an important meeting at the office. I can’t meet him.”
• Aliza clicked her tongue. “This is exactly why you’re still single. You’re too focused on running the company. Blaire Industries is already the largest food corporation in California, sweetheart. Our restaurants are everywhere, even expanding overseas. Our boutiques are in shopping centers all over the country. There isn’t a single person who doesn’t know Blaire Industries. The company is already hugely successful, so stop chasing your career, Rhea. It’s time for you to get married and have a family. Remember, you’re already in your thirties.”
• Rhea completely lost her appetite. The chopsticks she had been holding were now set back down on the table.
• “I know, but I don’t want to rush into this, Mom.”
• “That’s exactly why I’m letting you meet him first before getting married. Just go see him. I don’t want to hear any more excuses.”
• Aliza turned her head away, crossing her arms in a clear show of her serious discontent. If Rhea dared to come up with another excuse to avoid meeting her so-called fiancé, her mother would undoubtedly get even more upset.
• "But I just found out that you've been in frequent contact with him?"
• Hearing her daughter’s question, the middle-aged woman finally looked straight ahead again. “Yes, I’ve contacted him several times, which is why I know he’s a good man who will make you happy. He’s a pleasant person, and I’m sure you’ll like him. Oh, by the way, his name is Dion Damares. He’s very handsome—you’re lucky to be marrying him.”
• Rhea frowned. “Have you met him in person?”
• “No. But I’ve seen his photo. Do you want to see it too? I can send it to your phone.”
• Rhea shook her head. “No need. I’ll be meeting him, so I’ll just see him in person later.”
• Aliza’s face immediately lit up. “So, you’re going to meet him today?”
• “As if I have a choice? I know you’d just pout again like yesterday if I refused to meet him, right?”
• Aliza grinned widely, nodding her head as if she felt no guilt over her childish behavior yesterday, which had sent everyone into a panic.
• “I’ll send you Dion’s number so you can contact him later.”
• Rhea simply shrugged, choosing not to comment further and letting her mother do whatever she wanted.
• ***
• At exactly 10 a.m., as promised, Rhea arrived at Time Square Mall, one of California’s largest shopping centers, to meet the man who was supposed to be her husband.
• The mall was already starting to get crowded as it had just recently opened to the public. Rhea sighed, realizing she had no idea where to find the man. He hadn’t mentioned a specific meeting spot, even though the mall was vast. She regretted declining her mother’s offer to send his photo. Feeling tired from standing around, she decided to enter a café just outside the mall.
• After choosing a table and ordering a cup of coffee, Rhea finally decided to call the number of her mother’s chosen candidate.
• She sent him a message first, but after ten minutes without a response, she opted to call instead. On the second ring, the call connected, and a deep baritone voice came from the other end.
• “Hello.”
• “Hi, my name is Rhea Addilyn Blaire. Are you Dion Damares?”
• “Oh, yes, yes. I’m Dion. Are you already at Time Square Mall?”
• Rhea rolled her eyes. Clearly, this man hadn’t checked his phone. “I’ve been here for almost thirty minutes. You should have checked your phone—I sent you a message earlier.”
• “Oh, really? Sorry, sorry, I was busy earlier. Since you’re already there, can you come upstairs? I’m at Time Zone.”
• Rhea frowned. Time Zone. She knew exactly what that place was—a gaming arcade usually crowded with kids and teenagers. To her, it seemed completely inappropriate for an adult man to be hanging out there while talking to her on the phone.
• “You’re at Time Zone?” she asked, making sure she hadn’t misheard.
• “Yes, that’s why I didn’t see your message earlier. Sorry about that. Can you come here instead?”
• Rhea let out an audible scoff. “No. I don’t like crowded places. You come to me instead. Do you know the café in front of the mall?”
• “Yes, I know it,” Dion replied.
• “I’ll be waiting for you there.”
• “Oh, okay, okay. I’ll head over now.”
• The call abruptly ended—Dion had hung up without warning.
• Rhea couldn’t believe it. The man she was supposed to marry still enjoyed playing games at a mall arcade? She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of husband he would turn out to be.
• Still, she decided not to dwell on it. She sipped her coffee and turned her attention to a report that Monica had just sent to her phone.
• Just as she was deeply focused on the screen, she was startled when a man suddenly sat down across from her without permission.
• Rhea shot him a blank stare. He looked young—probably a college student, judging by his appearance. She had to admit he was incredibly handsome, and with that smile he was flashing, his charm seemed to increase tenfold.
• “Sorry, but that seat is already taken,” she said, politely trying to dismiss the young man.
• But instead of leaving, he extended his right hand toward her.
• “Hi, my name is Dion Damares. And I won’t be leaving this seat—because I’m the one it’s reserved for. Isn’t that right?” He playfully winked at her.
• Rhea blinked, utterly shocked by his introduction. “W-wait... What did you say your name was?”
• “Dion Damares. I’m your fiancé. And you must be Rhea Addilyn Blaire—I’ve seen your face on TV and in magazines plenty of times.”
• Rhea was too stunned to hide her reaction. She instinctively stood up, leaving Dion’s outstretched hand hanging in the air, unanswered.
• “W-wait here for a moment,” she stammered before hastily walking away, leaving Dion sitting there, looking confused.
• She stepped outside the café, finding a quiet spot before quickly dialing the one person who owed her an explanation for all of this.
• “Hello?” A familiar voice answered. The very person she wanted to scold to no end—if only that person wasn’t her own mother.
• “Mom, explain this to me. Why is there a young man claiming to be the fiancé you chose for me?”
• “Oh, so you’ve met Dion?”
• Rhea scoffed. “I just told you there’s a young man claiming to be—”
• “That is Dion. He’s still a college student. So? What do you think? He’s handsome, just like I told you this morning, right?”
• Rhea was at a complete loss for words, too shocked by her mother’s response. “So that young man is really my fiancé?”
• “Yes,” Aliza answered without hesitation.
• “How old is he, Mom?”
• “Twenty. And remember, you already promised me you’d marry him, so don’t say anything that might hurt his feelings, okay?”
• Rhea was officially speechless. How could her mother have arranged for her to marry someone ten years younger than her?