Fiona was almost ready when she heard a knock on her door. It was obvious who was on the other side. Life would have been so much better if instead of the High and Mighty Hitler Carter, Chris Evans, or John Krasinski showed up. Now, that would have been a dream come true.

Well, back to reality. It was precisely seven p.m.

‘He is punctual,’ she thought. 

He is a businessman, so nothing less should be expected of him. If he weren’t, he’d be nothing more than a jerk who thinks everyone is beneath him because he’s not a king but rather the CEO of Carter Enterprise.

When she opened the door, she saw Justin standing there, but he had a surprised expression on his face. Well, now that is indeed an unusual sight to see. He usually has the appearance of someone who has been forced to stand at gunpoint or, better yet, someone who has been blackmailed into dealing with her.

Wait a minute! He is actually blackmailed into dealing with her. 

Hurray!

Justin was not oblivious to Fiona’s beauty, but he never expected to be captivated by just looking at her. Who the hell is he kidding? He wanted to know her from the moment he laid eyes on her. But his rage and frustration towards their grandmothers, especially his own, consumed him to such an unfathomable degree. This is the primary reason he could not approach Fiona on the correct terms after they got married.

Fiona wore a simple, light pink sleeveless knee-length dress for the evening. Her chocolate brown hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and her front hair hid her left brow. She wore a watch in one hand and a silver bracelet on the other. Her dress was paired with a simple black belly. She had beautiful emerald green eyes that were innocently looking at him.

Damn it! He was not supposed to be admiring her beauty, especially after how he had treated her. He couldn’t stop himself, though. He was drawn to her by just her simplicity. She had only put a black eyeliner, baby pink lipstick, and perhaps a touch-up on her fair complexion. Her face looked fresh, unlike any other he had seen before.

He could, without a doubt, look at her all day. Long story short, she looked beautiful.

“Just give me a moment. I will get my purse.” Fiona told Justin, bringing him out of his thoughts, but he stopped her before she could even move to get her bag.

“Don’t worry about it. You won’t need it tonight,” Justin told her softly, to which she gave a slight nod.

‘The nerve of this guy!’ Fiona mentally exclaimed. Her thoughts did not stop there. ‘I am more than capable of paying for myself.’

Even so, she wasn’t entirely satisfied with his new soft tone, and she was relieved that he didn’t order her this time.

Whatever the case may be, she had to admit, much to her dismay, that Justin wasn’t a bad-looking guy. He was quite attractive. He was dressed sharply in a black suit with a tie. His brown hair was nicely combed, but it also appeared to be casually messed up as if he had run his hands through it, and his face had a bit of stubble that made him look eye-catching. His eyes were a rich blue color where one could easily get lost in. 

Justin was in good shape. He wasn’t skinny or chubby. A fortunate jerk to have a robust metabolism. Well, he has to for that kind of body.

After an awkward silence, they left towards the rooftop. There was an unsaid tension between both of them. Fiona was anxiously fiddling with her fingers as Justin continued to give her shy glances.

When they finally reached the restaurant, it was a welcome relief. Justin led Fiona to their table, where Oliver was already waiting for them by the terrace rail. As soon as he sensed the presence of two people, he turned around.

Before Justin could introduce both of them, Oliver got up from the table with a surprising look on his face. He was expecting anything but this. “Coffee girl! So, Justin is your husband, and here I was hoping you had this marriage story cooked up to save me from your invisible boyfriend.” He couldn’t help but be a bit goofy, which was not like him. Oliver’s goofiness is a rare sight to see.

“Well, unless you expect my invisible boyfriend to suddenly throw his magical cloak away and appear right at this moment? Then yes, the story was concocted,” Fiona stated with a poker face. Despite this, she had a glint of amusement in her eyes.

She never expected this good guy to be Justin’s friend.

“What about the magical broom?” Oliver asked her, playing around.

“It is safely kept in my bag in the secure corner of my suite. The best thing about it is that the remarkable item is hidden in the shape of a pen. So one click and boom, you have yourself a broomstick to whisk you around the world.”

“Did I miss something here? What the hell are two talking about?” Justin inquired curiously, interrupting their weird conversation. Both of them, knowing each other, did not settle well with him. To put it bluntly, he didn’t like it. Not even one bit.

“The fact that you earned yourself such an amazing wife? Then no, you missed nothing,” Oliver replied. Justin, however, still looked confused.

“She is the girl I was talking about in the morning,” Oliver told him, pressing both his lips together, waiting for Justin’s reaction. Justin’s reaction appeared rather comical to him.

“The girl who swept you off your feet and made you wish she was single?” Justin blurted out without thinking. He wasn’t expecting this. Now, he hated that Oliver and Fiona met by accident. 

Fiona’s face was red with embarrassment. She was blushing profusely. They were both talking as if she wasn’t present with them. 

Oliver shook his head in amusement and sat down, followed by the other two.

“So Fiona, how was the gallery? I assume you went there.” Oliver asked her, completely ignoring his friend, who was scowling at him. He was playing the role of a jealous husband perfectly, but the fact was, it wasn’t a façade. He honestly disliked the idea of Fiona and Oliver already knowing each other.

Did he mention that before? Maybe. 

“As a matter of fact, I did visit. I have to agree that it was fantastic. Nothing compares to being in a place that is filled with so much talent. It is inspiring.”

“Please tell me you saw the graffiti wall?” Oliver asked her with zeal.

“It was my favorite part. I completely loved it.” She answered with complete honesty and had a gleaming smile on her face, which did not go unnoticed by Justin. In the last few days, he had hardly seen Fiona smile. And here she is, dazzling Oliver with her best smile.

Justin still could not digest that his friend had feelings for his wife. It might be small, but Oliver does find her attractive. And on top of that, she actually did wander around in this town all alone. God! What the hell was she thinking of doing a stunt like this? Anything could have happened to her. It was terrifying to imagine what could have happened to her. He did not want to think about it. It was his goddamn fault.

Justin was so engrossed in thought that he didn’t even realize his wife's and friends puzzled expression. They were looking at him worriedly.

“Dude, are you alright?” Oliver asked him in concern.

“Yes, I am just surprised that you guys are already acquainted,” Justin said, choosing his words rather carefully. He didn’t want to offend any of them.

“Don’t worry about it. I am not going to steal her from you. But if you continue making so many business trips and keep on leaving her alone, then someone else will.” Oliver joked, trying to put his friend at ease. He very well understands that Justin’s reaction was justified. No guy likes to have a friend who is crushing on their girlfriend or wife. It is a big no. And to be honest, now he only saw Fiona as a friend. Nothing more.

Justin gave him an uneasy smile. He was well aware that Oliver’s every single word could be true, and he could never hold Fiona responsible for that. She didn’t manipulate him to get married to her. Their grandmothers did. So, why the hell is he directing his anger towards her? That is not fair. It is wrong of him to do that.

The rest of the night, all three of them enjoyed a decent dinner throughout. It wasn’t uncomfortable, as both Fiona and Justin had predicted. Oliver seemed oblivious to Justin and Fiona’s interactions with each other. With the exception of a bit of eye contact every now and then, and the exchange of a few words here and there, their reactions were limited.

Overall, the evening was pleasant. Justin couldn’t help but agree with Oliver. Fiona was unquestionably a nice person with whom you couldn’t help be a friend. And yes, she was one hell of a girl who is too good to be true.

Although he was not comfortable with Oliver and Fiona sharing an inside joke yet, he knew that Fiona was smart and mature. Even though Justin didn’t deserve his wife’s attention, it shouldn’t be his friend who is part of this kind of crazy, bizarre talk with her. It should be him. After all, he is her husband.

Despite their deranged situation, he needs to give it to his wife. Fiona could have easily baited their situation out to his friend at any point, but she didn’t. Throughout the evening, he couldn’t find any hint of venom in her. She didn’t lie to Oliver; neither did she speak the complete truth. Despite how he had been treating her, she maintained a polite and friendly attitude during the meal. She seemed genuine and not fake or someone who was trying too hard.

Justin felt nothing except guilt after he was in bed. He should have spent more time with Fiona. His wife didn’t deserve to be mistreated. He, too, must make an effort, just like she did. 

She may not have come forward and talked to him, but she did come on this trip, nonetheless, with a complete stranger whom she didn’t know on a personal level. That speaks volumes in and of itself. And he also recognizes the amount of energy, effort, and strength it must have taken for Fiona to accompany him and deal with his not-so-appealing behavior. It is applaudable. That’s because, in all honesty, if he had been in her shoes, he would have been agitated.

Justin knew that his grandmother loved him dearly, and she would never make him marry someone he would dislike. He can vouch for that. In fact, this is the primary reason why she chose Fiona for him. He simply hates that their Grams colluded and manipulated them into marrying each other instead of him approaching her conventionally.

Nevertheless, he knows that he needs to give both his grandmother and his wife a chance. But, before his Grams, it must be Fiona whom that he should break the ice with. She is as much of a victim as he is.