Reunion
Rhaiszah Veenhtura wanted to disappear. She sat in a fancy restaurant, staring at the man across the table. His name was Xerxes, and he was the third blind date her family had forced her to go on this month.
Xerxes had been talking about his expensive car for twenty minutes straight. Rhaiszah groaned inwardly. She couldn’t take it anymore. She needed an escape plan, and she needed it now.
“Excuse me, Xerxes. I need to use the restroom,” Rhaiszah said, giving a fake smile. She grabbed her purse and practically ran away from the table.
Instead of going to the restroom, she slipped out of the restaurant’s side door. She took a deep breath of fresh air. She was so tired of her family trying to find her a boyfriend.
As she walked down the street, an old memory popped into her head. It was a silly promise she made when she was seven years old. She had signed a paper written in crayon with her childhood best friend, Caspian Kaelvath. The promise was simple: If we are both still single at twenty-five, we will marry each other.
Rhaiszah laughed to herself. Today was her twenty-fifth birthday.
She knew Caspian worked nearby. He was now a very famous and serious businessman, completely different from the playful boy she used to know. On a total whim, Rhaiszah decided to visit his office building just to play a joke on him and distract herself from her terrible date.
Minutes later, she walked into the grand lobby of Kaelvath Enterprises. She managed to slip past the front desk and took the elevator straight to the top floor.
When the elevator doors opened, she saw a large, sleek office. Sitting behind a massive desk was a tall man in a sharp black suit. It was Caspian. He looked incredibly handsome, but his face was cold and serious as he read some business papers.
Rhaiszah knocked on the open door. “Knock, knock. Are you too busy to fulfill a contract, Mr. Kaelvath?”
Caspian looked up. The moment his eyes landed on Rhaiszah, his serious expression froze.
“Rhaiszah?” his deep voice echoed in the quiet room.
“The one and only,” she smiled, walking inside. “I’m twenty-five today, Caspian. My family is driving me crazy with blind dates. So, I’m here to collect. Remember our childhood marriage pact?”
She expected him to laugh or tell her to leave. Instead, Caspian stared at her for a long moment. Then, he quietly unlocked the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a leather briefcase.
He opened it, reached inside, and pulled out a faded, folded piece of paper.
Rhaiszah’s eyes widened. On the paper, written in bright blue crayon, were the words: MARRIAGE PACT.
“I remember,” Caspian said, his voice completely serious. “And honestly, Rhaiszah? Your timing is perfect. I need a fake fiancée to stop my board of directors from bothering me. Let’s do it.”
