Chapter 64

NADIA'S POV

“Nadia? Are you okay?” Stanley’s voice broke through my thoughts.

I blinked, forcing a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said quickly, turning my attention back to my brother.

But curiosity got the better of me, and I glanced back toward where Mr. Jacob had been standing.

He was gone.

My stomach churned uneasily as I scanned the area. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. Had I imagined it? Or was he really here, watching us?

I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thought, but a gnawing feeling of unease rests in my chest.

Something wasn’t right, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that Mr. Jacob’s presence…or absence…was no coincidence.

Finally when we were at the dining table eating and drinking till the sudden question came up.

'' Kid sister, I can see a ring on your engagement finger. '' My elder brother asked with a smiling face as he waited eagerly to hear my response.

As usual I know my mother very well as she waited for me to explain to my father and elder brother that I'm being taken. Instead I was quite as it already irritated me to imagine that

"Mom, can we please not talk about this?" I pleaded, but Mrs. Morales had no intention of stopping. She smiled triumphantly, clearly enjoying the attention from Dad and Stanley.

“Nadia is engaged to Max,” she announced proudly, folding her arms. “He’s the senior manager of the Johnsons’ company. Very responsible. A perfect match.”

I could feel the blood draining from my face as the words hit me like a slap. My father and Stanley turned to look at me with identical expressions of surprise.

“Engaged?” Stanley exclaimed, arching an eyebrow. “Wow, kid sister, I guess you’re officially a woman now.” He grinned, leaning back in his seat.

I forced a tight-lipped smile, hoping the conversation would shift to something else. But no. My mother wasn’t done yet. She went on about Max…his accomplishments, his so-called charm, and how lucky I was to have him.

Inside, I wanted to scream. Max. The name echoed in my mind like a bad song stuck on repeat. The idea of marrying him filled me with an unbearable sense of dread. He was nice enough, sure. But every time I thought of him as my fiancé, I felt trapped.

I lowered my gaze, silently wishing that Richard Garrison was the man my mother was talking about. Richard. Just the thought of his name sent a small thrill through me. If it were him, I’d feel excited, even happy.

But Max? He was just a senior manager…decent-looking, yes, but nothing compared to Richard. Richard was effortlessly handsome, with a charm that Max could never match.

"Max has the looks, but Richard... he has the entire package," I thought bitterly, clutching the edge of my chair.

My father finally spoke up, interrupting my thoughts. “Why weren’t we informed of this engagement earlier?”

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” Mom said, brushing off his irritation with a wave of her hand. “But now you know.”

Stanley, still sitting across from me, stayed unusually quiet. His brow furrowed as if he were deep in thought. I glanced at him, narrowing my eyes. “What’s on your mind?” I asked, unable to hide my curiosity.

He blinked, breaking out of his trance, and to my surprise, he blushed slightly. “Hey, kid sister,” he said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “Do you still hear about the Johnsons’ daughter, Tammie?”

The name hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt my stomach churn as my mind flooded with memories of her.

Rolling my eyes, I muttered, “Why would I want to hear about Tammie?” My tone was sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t help it.

“Still bitter, huh?” Stanley teased, leaning closer. “C’mon, she wasn’t that bad.”

“She was unbearable,” I snapped. “And you know it.”

Tammie Johnson. The very mention of her name brought back a wave of annoyance. Immediately I remembered we were all just kids. Stanley, Tammie, and I had attended the same school, back when life was simpler. But as we grew older, everything changed.

Her parents, the ever-so-wealthy Johnsons, decided to send her overseas for her education. And just like that, she vanished from our lives. No calls, no letters, nothing.

For years, it was like she’d been erased from existence. Then, out of nowhere, she’d reappeared, and everyone acted like she was some kind of celebrity.

“She’s probably still the spoiled brat she always was,” I added, crossing my arms.

Stanley chuckled but didn’t argue. “You’ve always had strong opinions about her.”

“Someone had to see through her façade,” I shot back. “And besides, why are you even bringing her up? What does she have to do with anything?”

He hesitated for a moment, his smile faltering. It was subtle, but I caught it. He shrugged, trying to play it cool. “Just curious, that’s all.”

“Right,” I said skeptically, narrowing my eyes at him.

The room fell into a strange silence after that. My thoughts wandered back to the earlier moment outside. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d seen Mr. Jacob was staring at us from afar.

It wasn’t just my imagination…I was sure of it. But the moment I’d looked back, he was gone, like a ghost.

What does Mr. Jacob want, and what was he doing there? Why did he disappear so quickly? I shivered at the thought, my unease growing.

That man is evil, I wondered what he was staring at me…no at us when we were outside. Did I do anything bad to him? Or does he have any interest in Richard marrying his daughter? All these questions kept coming through in my head.

And now, with Stanley bringing up Tammie out of the blue, the whole evening felt even more annoying.

The worst of it is that…I know that my brother Stanley is still in love with Tammie and it makes me wonder what he was doing with

I forced myself to focus on the present, but the questions refused to leave my mind. Something wasn’t right. And somehow, I knew this was just the beginning.