Chapter 33 Breakfast with a Stranger

Flashback

Four years ago…

“I heard you helped Axton pick out our engagement ring,” Callie said as she placed several paper bags on the table after arriving at the café where they had planned to meet for lunch.

Sierra had been waiting for ten minutes. When Callie didn’t show up, she pulled out her laptop and started working on unfinished tasks.

“Do you like it?” Sierra asked, glancing up from her laptop, her fingers still typing without pause as she had memorized the keyboard layout by heart.

“This is the most beautiful ring I’ve ever had?” Callie smiled as she admired the ring on her finger.

Sierra quickly shut her laptop after finishing a task. Callie would close it forcefully if she didn't, risking her unsaved work.

“I’m glad you’re happy,” she said with a smile.

“I bought all of these as gifts for you. Don’t argue or protest. I don’t want to hear, ‘This is too expensive, Callie,’ or ‘You shouldn’t have spent your money on this, Callie.’ I mean it!” Callie pushed the paper bags toward her.

Sierra frowned. “Have you lost your mind?” She gawked at one of the paper bags from a famous luxury handbag brand.

Callie was accustomed to luxury, coming from a wealthy family. Dating Axton, who spoiled her with an unlimited credit card, had only enhanced her lifestyle. But this extravagance was unfamiliar to Sierra.

“Your reaction isn’t what I expected,” Callie remarked, shaking her head. “But it’s fine.”

“You’re wasting money on things I could buy at a much lower price.”

Callie narrowed her eyes. “No offense, but I’m sick of your bag. Didn’t you buy that back when we were in college?”

Sierra glanced at the bag sitting on the chair beside her.

“You’ve been working for two years, and I’m sure you’ve saved quite a bit since you’re always so frugal. So why are you still using that bag? You deserve a new one.” Callie shook her head in exasperation. “Stop putting others first all the time, Sierra. Think about yourself for a change. You deserve something nice.”

Sierra didn’t mind using the same items for years as long as they were functional. But Callie’s words made her reflect on her somewhat dreary life.

“You always understand me,” she said finally. “Thank you for the new bag, Callie. I’ll use it for work and cherish it forever. But I’ll be mad if you buy me anything this expensive again, even if you’ll soon be Mrs. Scott with all the money in the world.”

Callie sighed, rolling her eyes. “Once I marry Axton, promise me you won’t change, Sierra. Stay with me and join us on our honeymoon and all our future trips.”

“You’re absolutely insane,” Sierra remarked dryly.

“Listen,” Callie said, her tone serious. “We’ve always shared everything. You give me what you have, and I do the same. So if I’m happy because my husband is taking me on a luxurious trip, of course, you have to come along.”

Sierra snorted. “Do you think this is a family trip? No one brings their friend on their honeymoon, Callie. When will you understand that?”

Unbothered, Callie scrolled through her phone and showed Sierra some photos. “Which country should we visit first?”

Sierra rolled her eyes. “I won’t join you, even if you buy me a plane ticket. Don’t waste your money!”

Callie pulled her phone back and looked at Sierra, annoyed. “Didn’t I say we share everything? If I could, I’d share my husband with you too.” She laughed.

“You’re truly insane!”

***

Sierra closed her eyes, trying to keep count of how many times people showed up at the worst possible moment.

“What are you doing here?” Axton asked after a moment of silence as they exchanged glances.

“This is a restaurant. I’m having breakfast,” Damian replied, stepping closer and pulling out a chair to sit with them.

Great. It was Damian.

Now, Sierra couldn’t stop silently cursing because this was absolutely the wrong time to meet anyone.

“Well, you’ve got your answer, Damian. We’re having breakfast,” Axton said plainly.

Sierra picked up her glass of milk and sipped it slowly as the nausea crept back in.

“I’m full,” she said, pushing her plate away.

“You can finish it, Sierra,” Axton frowned.

Sierra shook her head, holding her breath to suppress the nausea triggered by her food's lingering smell.

For some reason, she couldn’t handle any of this anymore, even though she’d been fine earlier.

“Perfect timing, Axton,” Damian said with a grin. “I forgot to tell you that Dani, Edgar, Max, and I planned to meet here. It’d be great if you joined us. You’re the only one who never shows up when we gather.”

Axton checked his watch. “Are you seriously asking me to stay during work hours?”

“I know you’re busy, but trust me, they’d be thrilled to see you. We haven’t hung out since graduating from London. Take some time off, mate!” Damian urged. “How about you, Sierra? Is your schedule packed today?”

Sierra hesitated. “Actually, yes. We have a meeting to attend before lunch.”

“Perfect!” Damian clapped his hands. “That means you can stay here until lunch, right?”

Damn. Axton's reaction made it clear Sierra had given the wrong answer.

***

“How’s your business going, Axton? I heard you’re building a new hotel,” Dani, a man with dark hair and skin, asked.

Damian had introduced the three men to Sierra, but she wisely refrained from joining their conversation. It was evident she wasn’t part of their circle.

“You’ve always been the most successful among us, and I’ll always envy you for that,” Edgar, the blonde with tattoos on his hands, chimed in.

“That’s because he’s the smartest of us. He’s taken his family business to new heights instead of running it into the ground like you did, Edgar,” Max, the calmest among them, remarked while glancing up from his phone.

“Damn it. Don’t bring that up when I’ve already turned things around!” Edgar groaned.

“Yeah, but I still remember how you cried and begged us to take you in if your parents kicked you out!” Dani teased, pointing at Edgar and laughing uproariously. “I also remember Damian organizing a donation drive to help you start a new business.” His laughter grew louder as he pointed at both Edgar and Damian alternately.

“That was the darkest chapter of my life,” Edgar admitted with a deep sigh. “But at least my parents didn’t kick me out, and none of you had to shelter me, right?”

“But Damian’s idea was the most amusing!” Dani clutched his stomach as his laughter showed no signs of stopping.

“It proves I cared about Edgar the most,” Damian defended himself.

“Yeah, but in the end, it was Axton who helped him the most,” Max noted.

“That’s because he has the most money,” Damian said, rolling his eyes.

“If you were in my position, I am sure you’d have helped him too, right, Damian?” Axton finally spoke, breaking his silence.

“I’m not sure. I’m a bit stingy when it comes to money,” Damian shrugged.

“But you used to treat me to meals all the time when we were in college,” Axton said, turning his head to meet Sierra’s. Axton sat to her right while Damian was on her left.

“That’s because you looked so broke back then. You always skipped lunch, spent your time in the library, and only ordered cheap meals at night. Did you think I could bear to watch you like that?”

“And in the end, we found out he was the richest among us,” Max added with a nod. “You were duped, Damian.”

“No problem. At least now he’s helping my business the most.”

“Oh, you’ve played your cards well. No wonder you’re closest to Axton,” Dani said, clicking his tongue and shaking his head.

“Believe me, I’m working on something big by sticking close to Axton these past few years.”

Sierra listened to their banter, occasionally stifling laughter at their unexpected humor. Now she understood why Damian had such a surprising sense of humor.

“Sierra, have you contacted Bella about the meeting with the finance division this afternoon?” Axton asked, turning to her and ignoring his friends' debate.

Sierra retrieved her phone to check Bella’s reply. Bella was in charge of the finance division. “She’s prepared all the documents you requested. She also sent me new files and asked for my help so you could review them immediately.”

“I’ll do that after lunch.”

Sierra nodded, setting her phone on the table.

“Are you turning your wife into your secretary, Axton?” Dani asked, frowning.

“Oh, I know where this is going,” Edgar said, narrowing his eyes with an amused smile.

Sierra’s eyes widened. “You’ve got it all wrong. I’m not his wife,” she said, shaking her head.

“What?” Edgar and Dani turned to her simultaneously.

Sierra shook her head again, firmly denying it.

“Guys, she’s not his wife. Axton’s wife is named Callie. How could you forget?”

“His wife has black hair, not blonde,” Max chimed in.

It seemed Max wasn’t just calm; he also had a sharp memory. Thank goodness.

“Oh, right! The one with black hair!” Dani exclaimed. “Wait, how do you remember that when the last time you saw her was two years ago?” Dani squinted suspiciously.

“Instead of questioning why I remember, you should ask yourself why you forgot such a small detail,” Max retorted.

Damian and Edgar burst into laughter, and Sierra had to hold back her smile. Despite being almost 30, their friendship dynamics still resembled that of teenagers.

“The point is, Sierra isn’t Axton’s wife. His wife’s name is Callie, and unfortunately, you can’t meet her now. Sierra is Axton’s secretary, and she’s unmarried,” Damian clarified. “If she were to marry, it’d be me, right, Sierra?” Damian added with a grin.

Sierra still had traces of a smile on her lips from Max and Dani’s humor, but now she felt it fading.

Oh, God, what kind of question is that?