CHAPTER 3 First Date

Isabella POV

I could barely believe I heard myself say the word. "Yes… I'm free tonight."

The moment the words left my mouth, I was already regretting them. But it was too late. He smiled, a little gleam of something in his eye that I couldn't quite place, and leaned back, looking way too satisfied with himself.

"Great," he said smoothly. "Then let's have dinner together."

My mouth went dry. Just… just me and him? Like… alone? I wasn't sure whether to feel flattered, horrified, or outright panicked. "Just… just me and you?" I asked, hoping he would tell me I was overthinking it.

"Yes, just you and me," he replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. He was already moving papers aside on his desk as if it was a completely normal Monday activity for him to take employees on dinner dates.

"Uh, but why?" The question slipped out before I could even stop myself.

His brow arched, and he gave me a small, confident smile. "Because it's our first date."

My brain stopped functioning for a solid five seconds. Our first date? This had to be a nightmare. Somewhere between the proposal fiasco last night and him saying "yes," the whole universe must have shifted off its axis.

"I…" Words were failing me. A date? We had barely exchanged five sentences that weren't strictly about work. I didn't even know anything about him, not even the fact that he drinks coffee for heaven's sake, and now we were apparently dating? How on earth were we supposed to sit across from each other like it was the most normal thing ever?

Before I could manage another word, he had already sealed the deal. "Let's go after work," he said, his tone final, like he wasn't really giving me a choice.

No way, absolutely not- I wasn't letting this spiral any further out of control. If I didn't set things straight now, this was only going to get worse. I cleared my throat, straightening up and summoning every ounce of bravery I had.

"Sir," I said, feeling like I was on the verge of a heart attack. "I… I have something to tell you."

A brief silence fell over the room, and the way he looked at me made my stomach flip. His dark eyes stayed locked on mine, his gaze just intense enough to send a jolt of adrenaline through me. Okay, focus. Get it out in one go. Deep breath.

"Last night…" I said, pausing. "Last night was an accident."

His expression didn't change, but I sensed a subtle shift. There was a tension now, almost like he was bracing himself for something, though I couldn't quite tell what. "An accident?" he repeated slowly.

"Yes." I swallowed, feeling my cheeks heat up. "I… I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding. It was all just… it was meant for someone else."

There was a brief silence, and he stared at me, completely unreadable. I watched as his jaw clenched, and when he spoke, his tone was so quiet it almost felt like a warning. "Someone else?"

I nodded, nervously, unable to look him in the eyes. "Yes… someone else. My boyfriend, actually…" I trailed off, then quickly added, "Well, soon-to-be finance, technically. I mean, we were um… like ready for it, but anyway, it's him I was planning to propose to, not you."

I could almost swear I heard him gritting his teeth. His stare was piercing, and his tone, though calm, had an edge to it that sent a chill down my spine. "Are you playing games with me right now?"

I blinked, completely thrown. What kind of response was that? Games? Was he serious? What on earth did he even mean by that?

"N-no," I stammered, shaking my head, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Of course not. How could I joke about something like that?"

His gaze stayed fixed on me, and I couldn't read a single thing from his expression. It was like he was a stone wall- unbreakable, unmoving, and somehow impossibly intimidating.

I took a shaky breath, realizing I was rambling way too much, but I was too nervous to stop. "I… I had a few drinks, and it was Valentine's Day, and I just thought… I thought it was a good idea to propose, and honestly, I don't even know how I got things so mixed up. I never have meant to propose to you, sir. You're my boss, and, I mean… this has all just been a huge mistake."

I stopped myself, horrified at how much I had blurted out, and scolded myself internally. What was I even saying? It was like I had zero control over my mouth right now. He was just sitting there, quietly listening, his eyes following every word.

Finally, I took a deep breath, feeling desperate, and pressed on, practically pleading. "Please, can we just… pretend it never happened? Just… erase it from memory and move on, like nothing happened at all."

I stopped, breathing heavily, and watched him, praying he would accept my request. All I wanted was to be released from this nightmare of a situation and go back to the normal, boring life I had before this disaster.

For a long moment, he didn't move. His eyes stayed locked on mine, his expression unreadable, and the silence stretched on until I felt like I was going to melt into the floor.

Then, finally, he spoke, his voice low and calm, yet carrying a weight that sent a shiver down my spine.

"And what if I don't want to pretend it never happened?"