“Sweetie, time to wake up now,” Amelia softly said as she lightly tapped Phoebe’s shoulder.

Phoebe groaned then covered her face with the blanket which made Amelia chuckle. “Five minutes more, mommy, please?” she asked.

“I apologize I can’t give you more time to sleep since we have so many appointments scheduled for today. We have to meet the wedding organizer at 8 AM for the venue and theme of the wedding. We also have a meeting with the photographer slash videographer team. Another one is we need to check on the gowns and suits of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. We also need to go shopping for your accessories for the wedding day. And the most important thing, today's fitting of your wedding gown!” Amelia exclaimed. “So get up there now and go take a bath! Don’t be late since Adrian promised me that he will accompany us today!” she added.

Her mommy’s last statement was the one that awakened Phoebe’s soul. Her eyes immediately opened widely as she turned to her mommy. “Can you repeat what you just said, mom?” she asked mindlessly.

Amelia’s forehead creased as her eyes narrowed. “Which one?” she curiously asked.

“A-About Adrian?” she hesitatingly answered.

“Oh! He called me last night and he told me that he would come with us today. Don’t you think that’s sweet?” Amelia teased her.

Phoebe almost puked for her mother’s question. “Sweet?” She laughed sarcastically. If only she knew, he just did that thing to annoy the hell out of her. She knew that he would not fulfill his promise just as he told her mommy. “What do you think of him, mommy?” she suddenly asked her.

“Hmm?” Amelia thought for a second before answering her. “I think he’s a great guy. He’s actually a jolly man. And I think it is a great personality of a man, especially a businessman like him. Because if you notice, businessmen tend to be serious all the time. No time for jokes and play around. But Adrian? I think he can manage a business without forgetting to have fun.”

The further her mommy went on with her sentiments, the more her face crumpled in cringiness.

Did her mother really think of him that way?

Or she was just charmed because of his killer looks?

"Oh...kay?"

Amelia laughed once more for her daughter's reaction. "How about you? What do you think of him?" she asked her.

"Mommy... " Phoebe called her with her tone implying that she did not want to answer her question.

"Do you regret being engaged with him?" Amelia asked once more.

Phoebe sighed in defeat. It seemed like she had no way to avoid her mother's question. Well, she was the one who started this. "Well, it's not that I am regretting being engaged to him. Maybe I just didn't like him as a man. Maybe because of our first meeting?" She groaned. "He is so arrogant. Before the announcement of the engagement, I accidentally bumped into him that night. And he thinks that I am like one of those girls who are after him, when it's not." She rolled her eyes after remembering the scene. Then she messed her hair up in frustration. "I-I don't know... But my blood automatically boils whenever I think of him."

Amelia was listening to her intently and was amused by how her daughter described a man that she was going to marry soon. "So you're thinking of him?" she unconsciously blurted out.

Phoebe's eyes widened in shock after her realization. "N-No. I didn't mean it that way, mommy!" she defended herself.

Amelia shook her head as she chuckled. Then she ran her fingers through her daughter's head. "Fine. Fine. I won't ask about him anymore."

Phoebe's cheeks blushed in embarrassment. "Thank you, mommy."

"Get up now and prepare yourself. I'll go downstairs to prepare breakfast."

"Hmm..." Phoebe nodded her head.

Amelia kissed her on the cheek before going out of Phoebe's bedroom.

Phoebe was left there pinching herself and throwing a pillow on the wall because of frustration.

***

After having their breakfast, Amelia and Phoebe bid goodbye to Leah before they went to their appointments.

They start off first by meeting with the event organizers. The day was almost near to its end but Adrian had not still appeared since the morning.

Phoebe could not help but to hiss as she rolled her eyes while staring at herself in the mirror. "I'm really right about him appearing today. He isn't really a trustworthy person," she murmured irritatedly.

Thank God she had a lot to do to forget about that arrogant jerk.

Phoebe tried on different gowns because her mommy told her that she was looking for the best gown that would perfectly fit her.

Actually, she was really tired of wearing them then taking off the gowns. But she could not afford to complain to her mommy because she could see how she enjoyed dressing her. She did not want to spoil the fun. Besides, after this, they could already go home, and she could finally lay on her comfy bed.

She smiled widely when she wore the last gown that she needed to try on. And for her, this was the best among all of the wedding gowns in this boutique. She was sure that her mommy would also love this gown.

She blew out air before pushing the curtains aside to reveal herself. "Mom, I think this is the—"

And she almost tripped when she did not see her mom outside the fitting room. Instead, she saw Adrian intently staring at her.

***

"Dad, can't you just move this meeting to another day? I promised Aunt Amelia that I will accompany them for the wedding preparations today!" Adrian exclaimed in frustration.

It was just 8 in the morning, but he was already stressed out.

He had a very nice sleep, and even woke up early in the morning just to prepare himself for this day.

He was so excited to see his fiancee again.

But his dad stopped him and told him that he needed to meet with an important potential investor today.

"Just call them and tell them that you have a more important thing to attend to," Alfred responded.

Adrian hissed and did not bother to answer his dad. He just dismissed himself and stormed outside his office.

He was briskly walking back to his office. He angrily loosened his tie so he could breathe air.

Now, he was so sure that Phoebe had been thinking of him as an unreliable person.

He was left with no choice but to meet with their client. He was there with the client, but his mind was flying to where Phoebe was. He could not even listen well to what his client was saying. Luckily, he still managed to answer his questions and successfully convinced him to sign with them.

"Finally!" he exclaimed. He checked his wrist watch and flinched when he saw that it was already 5 in the afternoon. "Are they still there?" he asked himself.

Well, he should go and check for it himself. He was already shy to call and ask Amelia since he did not appear earlier. He also forgot to text her a while ago which made it worse.

As soon as he got out of the restaurant, he immediately went to his car and maneuvered it to the boutique.

"I'm really sorry, Aunt Amelia. Dad ordered me to talk with an investor so I wasn't able to come with you earlier," he immediately apologized as soon as he saw the old lady.

Amelia smiled at him, then tapped his shoulder. "That's fine with me." She suddenly glanced at the curtained fitting room. "But I think you need to apologize to my baby. She's been expecting you to come."

Adrian could not help but to scratch his head as he nodded at her. He suddenly heard his heart thumping for her statement. "Yes, Aunt Amelia. Thank you so much."

Amelia bobbed her head, too before gesturing that she would go and roam around the boutique.

Adrian was left there, standing straight, parallel to the fitting room where his fiancee was, waiting for her to come out.

"Mom, I think this is the—"

Adrian was automatically stunned after seeing Phoebe in her wedding gown. He almost did not blink as he gaped at her. It was as if his throat went dry.

"What are you doing here?"

Phoebe's sassy voice was the reason why he came back to his senses.

He blinked his eyes a few times before shaking his head to recollect himself. "O-Oh!"

Phoebe, who was trying to hide her shock, crossed her arms, then raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"A-Ahm.. I'm sorry if I wasn't able to come with you earlier. I just needed to attend an important meeting–"

"Who cares?" Phoebe cut him off and went back to the fitting room to remove the gown.

She wanted to rip off the gown. She kept on mocking him inside the fitting room.

'Needed to attend an important meeting? Then he shouldn't have promised to accompany us if that's so!' she exclaimed in her mind.

"Look, Phoebe, I really don't mean it. It was an abrupt meeting. And I couldn't postpone it!" Adrian tried to explain.

'Then you could have informed me!' Phoebe answered in her mind.

But instead of saying that, she turned her back to him, then picked up her purse on the chair before she faced him with her piercing gaze. "You don't need to explain, Mr. Evans. Besides, this is just an arranged marriage, right? No need to accompany me for the wedding preparations. I already have my mommy with me," she voiced before she turned her back on him.

While walking away from him, she could not help but to ask herself.

'Why did I seem to spit that out bitterly?'

“Oh, c’mon, Phoebe. I’ve already explained myself. And I’m really sorry about it, okay?” Adrian continued to chase Phoebe around the boutique. “Look, I’m already here. What are you still angry about? If I were you, I couldn’t get angry with my fiance if he’s this handsome!” he arrogantly explained which made Phoebe stop from briskly walking, then sharply turned to him.

They almost bumped into each other because of the lady’s sudden action.

Phoebe looked at him with raging eyes. “Can you stop being so full of yourse–”

“Phoebe, Adrian.”

Phoebe stopped from yelling at Adrian when she heard her mommy’s voice behind her.

“Aunt Amelia,” Adrian called her with a wide smile on her face.

Phoebe, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and glared at him. And when she turned to her mommy, her expression was changed from a grumpy one to a bright one. “M-Mommy…” She faked a smile to her.

“Have you already explained to my baby, Adrian?” Amelia asked. She was hanging a few pieces of dresses in her arm. She was looking at Adrian.

Adrian instantly cleared his throat as he nodded to his future mother-in-law. “Yes, Aunt Amelia. And Phoebe forgave me immediately because she told me that it is so hard not to forgive a fiance that is just as handsome as I!” he cheerfully exclaimed. Then he wrapped his arm around Phoebe’s shoulders then pulled her closer to him. “Right, my future wife?” He even asked her which made Amelia chuckle in amusement, and made Phoebe simply step on his foot. “Aww!” he groaned in pain.

‘Serves you right, jerk!’

“Oh. I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!” Phoebe acted concerned.

Adrian simply glared at the lady. While Phoebe stuck out her tongue to him without letting Amelia see it.

In her mind, ‘May God give me lots of patience for this man.’

After a long ceremony of secretly teasing each other, finally, today’s appointments have already ended.

“Finally! I can go home and lay on my bed!” Phoebe exclaimed as she stretched out her arms after they reached in front of their car.

“Hmm… Why don’t we go eat for an early dinner first?” Adrian suddenly appeared beside her.

The heiress immediately frowned for his thick-facedness. “Go have dinner yours–”

“That would be a great idea, right, Aunt Amelia?” Adrian cut her off and asked for his fiancee’s mother’s opinion.

Amelia nodded in response. “I think that’s great. But can you take up somewhere new? I think I have already brought Phoebe to all of the restaurants in this city.”

Adrian snapped in excitement. “Yes, Aunt Amelia. I know somewhere nice.”

Phoebe looked at her mother with an unexplainable expression. “Mom…” Her voice was implying that must not have agreed with him in the first place. Bet Amelia just tapped her shoulders.

After a while, the old lady’s phone suddenly rang. “Wait for me. I just need to take this call,” she said before walking away to distance herself.

Phoebe pouted her lips.

This day was the worst day ever!

Adrian curved his lips when he saw how irritated his fiancee was again. He then walked towards her and leaned to their car. “Don’t you know how to smile?” he asked her.

Phoebe hissed. “Why do you care?”

“Of course, you’re my future wife. I don’t want a grumpy one. Don’t you know the saying, ‘If you don’t know how to smile, blessing won’t come in your way?’”

Phoebe flinched at his words. “Did you really say those words?”

“Yup. Why?”

“You don’t seem to be the person who would say such a thing,” Phoebe responded as a matter of fact.

Adrian chuckled at her response. “Why? Don’t I seem like a jolly person?”

That question made Phoebe stare at him from toe to head. And she wanted to punch herself when she stared a little longer when her eyes reached his face. And when she realized what she did, she looked away fast then cleared her throat. “Well, you look like someone who doesn't know how to be serious in life. You know, just the happy go lucky in life.” She simply pinched her hand after saying that line.

Adrian could not help but to smirk at her perception towards him.

“Uhm… Phoebe? Adrian?” Amelia walked towards them. She just finished the call.

“Mom?”

"I'm really sorry, but I cannot go with you tonight. I have an urgent matter to attend to," Amelia apologetically said. Then she glanced at Adrian. "Adrian, please take care of my daughter, okay? You'll be doomed to me if something bad happens to her," she seriously asked.

"But, mom! I'll just go with you--"

"I assure you that Phoebe's going to be fine with me, Aunt Amelia," Adrian interrupted.

"But--"

"That's okay, sweetie. You also need to go out with your future husband so you can get to know each other, " Amelia advised Phoebe.

And before the young lady could protest once more, her mother immediately kissed her goodbye and entered their car.

"Mommy!" Phoebe tried to follow Amelia inside. But the car already drove away which made her stomp her feet and groan in frustration. "Aishh! This is all your fault!" she yelled at Adrian.

"Chill, babe! I won't do anything to you. We'll just have dinner," Adrian said in defense. " If I were you, I would stop wasting my energy complaining. We'll just eat. And after that, I'll send you home."

Phoebe sighed in defeat.

Well, nothing's really wrong with the dinner. She was just really overacting, letting her emotions drive her.

"Fine. Let's go."

"As you said, milady," Adrian replied, giving her a curt nod.

***

Phoebe remained silent while they were on their way to somewhere she did not know.

"Are you sure there's still a restaurant in this part?" She could not help but ask when she noticed that they were already going away from the center of the city.

"Yup. Just wait there and relax," Adrian assured her, his eyes focused on the road.

That was why Phoebe was silent again and was patiently waiting for them to arrive.

And she was really shocked when they arrived at the place.

"We'll have dinner here?!" she exclaimed in awe.

Adrian smiled as he nodded his head. "Uh-huh!"

"Wow," Phoebe unconsciously blurted out. This would be the first time that she would have dinner on a yacht.

Adrian made a soundful smirk. "Well, this is just one of the benefits that you could get when you marry me."

'Oh, here comes the boastful jerk again,' Phoebe thought.

Instead of wasting her saliva on him again, Phoebe just faked a smile before she turned her back at him and walked first to the yacht.

"Be careful," Adrian reminded her as she walked to the ladder.

Phoebe really thought that she could successfully reach the yacht without stumbling herself. But she was wrong. Her heart almost dropped when she slid because of her heels. She thought that she would fall in the water for it.

However, Adrian was on the rescue. He caught her and wrapped his one arm around her waist, and the other one held her on the railings. “I told you to be careful,” he told her in a low voice.

Phoebe’s eyes widened not because of fear, but because of the shiver that she felt when their skin touched, plus his soothing voice with his breath that smelled like mint. It was as if her breathing stopped for a second. And she just came back to her senses when her body floated in the air. “Hey! Put me down!” she shouted at him, panicking.

But instead of listening to her, he carried her and dropped her when they finally stepped on the yacht.

The blushing lady instantly moved away from him. “I told you to put me down there,” she almost whispered after she looked away from him.

Adrian chuckled. ‘So, she knows how to be shy, huh?’ he mentally told himself. Then he put his hands inside his pocket. “I just did you a favor. I don’t have spare clothes here in case you fall in the water.”

Phoebe just frowned.

Adrian took a step forward to her. And before his fiancee could move away from him, he already leaned forward, their faces just an inch away from each other.

Phoebe gulped hard. Her eyes almost crossed because of that distance. In addition, she could feel his hot breath fanning her face. She wanted to faint right now. “W-What are you doing, A-Adrian?”

Adrian smirked at her. But inside of him was his rumbling heart. She looked more beautiful when she was this close. His eyes wandered from her eyes, to her nose… and to her lips.

‘Those lips are so luscious. Fuck!’ he exclaimed in his mind. And God knew how much he tried to stop himself from tasting those. He took a deep breath before voicing out the words that were different from what he really wanted to tell her. “Won’t you thank me for catching you?”

Phoebe blinked a few times. She wanted to poke her head for thinking that he would actually kiss her.

“Hmm? I’m waiting, future wife.”

‘Fucking hormones!’ Phoebe screamed in her mind.

“I–I… T-Thank—”

Phoebe could not finish what she was about to say because of what happened next.

The yacht just moved causing Phoebe to be out of balance. She was about to reach for the yacht's railings but Adrian held onto her first. The two were pushed at the side of the yacht, too close, face to face, and eye to eye.

And when the yacht calmed down, both of them realized that their lips were pressing onto each other.

“Mr. Evans— Oh, shoot! I’m sorry, Mr. Evans, Ms. Thompson!” The waiter came and was just about to call them and would lead them to the spot where they would eat dinner, but ended up witnessing such an intimate scene between the engaged couple.

“Shit!” Adrian hissed then he distanced himself away from Phoebe.

Phoebe, on the other hand, was still stunned, completely lost because of what happened.

Seeing that, Adrian just smirked. He was trying so bad not to laugh. That time, Adrian was still holding her hand.

Phoebe pulled away from the hold right away, then pretended as if nothing had happened. She could not look at him nor the waiter as she felt blood rush in her cheeks. That was her freaking first kiss! And she just lost it like that, most especially, to a man she did not even like!

She had already experienced too much embarrassment for this day, she could not afford to experience another again.

“Shall we go?” Adrian asked after a few seconds.

Phoebe did not bother answering him. Instead, she glanced at the waiter, gesturing to him to lead the way, which he willingly obliged.

When they reached the table, Phoebe temporarily forgot about her embarrassing moments today because of the breathtaking view. She was awed by the night view of the ocean.

It was not her first time to witness the beauty of the ocean at night. But it was her first time to see it in this view.

She could see from where she was standing the night lights of the city.

Who would have thought that she would get the chance to experience this in this lifetime?

"Do you like it?" Adrian asked when he reached her side. He held onto the railings and stared at the city, too.

Phoebe nodded in response, completely forgetting what happened between them a while ago. "Yes. It's so beautiful. I never experienced this before. Nor have I thought I would get to experience this," she replied.

A moment of silence passed between them.

Until Phoebe realized something. Upon that realization, she faced her fiance. " Uhm… Adrian?"

Adrian turned to her, then he raised his eyebrows. "Hmm?"

"Thank you," Phoebe sincerely said.

Adrian was dumbfounded by her sudden words of gratitude. "A-Ahm–"

"I know I've been rude to you even before we got engaged. But I want you to know that I'm glad that you're the person I got engaged to," Phoebe cut him off, then smiled at him genuinely.

Adrian gulped hard after seeing that smile. It was as if the heavens brightened because of it.

Phoebe thought that she was creating such a dramatic atmosphere. So, in order to lighten it up, she poke Adrian's arms and said, "Don't take it in so much. I still hate your arrogance," she joked.

Adrian finally recollected himself. He chuckled when he processed the last statement that his fiancee told him. Because of it, he held his chin up. "If I know, you just find me handsome, that's why," he kidded back.

Phoebe laughed at what he said while she shook her head. 'Well, it's not really that bad to have someone airy beside you sometimes," she thought.

***

"So, why don't you tell me about yourself?" Adrian asked after she swallowed the food that he took.

They were already having dinner after some minutes of sight seeing the ocean and the city.

"What about me?" Phoebe asked, then took a bite of the steak.

"Anything."

"Hmm… " Phoebe's mind was blank as of the moment. It was so hard to think of what to say about yourself if a person suddenly asked you to. It was as if all the adjectives, verbs, even words would fly in the air. "Why don't you just ask me? I really don't know where to start. Just ask me what you want to know. I'll answer as long as I can," she told him instead.

"Okay." Adrian took another bite. And as he munched his food, he also thought of an interesting question that he could throw at her.

What did he want to know about her?

Well, if he was to be asked, he wanted to know everything about her. But since he knew that the time was not enough, then he needed to think of the more important ones.

"Right!" he exclaimed.

Phoebe flinched in shock. She looked at him like he was a weird person. "What?"

Adrian dropped his knife and fork, then he stared at her. "Where were you in the past years that you've been missing?"

Phoebe was silent for seconds.

"Mom and dad always told me since I was young that I'm going to marry the heiress of the Thompsons. However, they could not guarantee me when that would happen since you've been lost before you were born. And your parents are still finding you. I really thought that it would take a long time for me to get married because of it. But then, you suddenly appeared." Adrian paused for a moment to see her reaction. "I hope you won't mind me asking," he politely continued.

Phoebe shook her head. "I don't really mind since there's nothing for me to hide about that." She carefully placed her fork and knife down before she started to speak. "Well, to be honest, I am a product of surrogacy. Gestational surrogacy to be exact. My biological mother was having a hard time getting pregnant that time because she had PCOS. And that's when they offered one of their loyal maids, my mom, Leah, to be the gestational carrier. Right at that time, Mom Leah had a daughter who had cancer. And she needed to undergo operations. So in exchange for being a carrier, my biological parents told her that they would pay everything for her daughter which made her agree."

Phoebe did not go detail by detail about the reason why Leah took her away from her biological parents. She just told him that something unfortunate happened that made her run away while she was pregnant with her.

"I grew up living a simple life. I didn't have any fancy accessories and clothes back then. But I am content with it. Because my Mom Leah never failed to show me the love and care that I needed," she proudly said with a wide smile on her face.

Adrian automatically imitated the lady's smile. "That's great to know," he remarked.

Phoebe happily nodded. "Uh-hmm… "

"But may I ask where is your Mom Leah now that you're already back in the Thompsons' care?"

"She's still with me. She's in the mansion. She just could not attend the engagement party because her body's already weak."

Adrian's forehead creased. "And why is that?"

Phoebe's bright aura disappeared instantly. Her shoulders also dropped. "She has lung cancer. Same with the cancer that killed her daughter eighteen years ago," she answered in a low voice.

Adrian suddenly regretted asking for that. Now, he just completely ruined the atmosphere.

And just as when he was about to speak again and ask for an apology, his phone suddenly rang. "Excuse me."

"Take your time." Phoebe nodded her head.

Adrian stood up and went from a distance before he answered the call.

It was Amelia.

He mentally laughed in his mind, thinking that maybe his future mother-in-law was going to ask for him to take Phoebe home already.

But instead of hearing a soft voice from the other line, he heard a siren.

[Adrian, is Phoebe still with you?]

Worry was evident in her voice.

Adrian glanced at Phoebe, who was silently eating her food. "Yes, Aunt Amelia. We're still having dinner. Why?"

He heard sobs from her. "Is there a problem there, Aunt Amelia?" He worriedly asked.

[P-Please tell her that Leah will be taken to the hospital. She's–she's bleeding! Please tell her right now!]

Adrian was dumbfounded for her words. But he managed to come back to his senses because of Amelia's cry. "Y-Yes, Aunt Amelia."

"What did mommy say?" Phoebe asked innocently.

Adrian did not know how to say what he learned to her. "P-Phoebe… "

"Why?" Phoebe did not know why her heart thumped fast after hearing his voice. There was something wrong with it. She was sure. "What happened?" she asked once more.

"Your mom, Aunt Leah… "

Phoebe's eyes widened. "What about my mom?"

"She's being rushed to the hospital right now."