Chapter 12: The Man from Last Night

I kept a polite smile on my lips as I thought that it didn't matter what his son turned out to be like as long as my mother was happy with Bennett. I didn't expect that my life would change much even after my mother got married to Bennett; it wasn't like we were going to become a real and tight family or anything like that.

"I apologize for being late…"

I spluttered on the water that I had been drinking, making a lot of embarrassing sounds as my body froze in place at the voice that sounded too familiar for my liking.

I better to be wrong about this!

"Raphael! Finally, you're here. Sit down and join us for dinner," Bennett called out to his son enthusiastically.

Raphael. Is that his name?

I felt a tremor run down my spine as I started breaking out in a cold sweat. This can't be what I'm thinking, can it?

It just couldn't be…

The world can't possibly be this small. I hesitated to turn around to face the man who had just walked into the dining room. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut before quickly opening them and turning to see the owner of the voice before I would lose my courage completely. Dark hair. Intense gray eyes. A long straight nose. A very tall frame and an outstandingly attractive face that seemed too good to be true and that I could never forget. Although I wished that I was wrong, he was definitely the man that I slept with just last night.

I see, so his name is Raphael and he also happens to be the only son of the man that my mother is about to marry.

What?!

"Let me introduce you very quickly. This is my only son, Raphael. Raphael, this is my fiancée Carla, and over here is her only daughter, the very beautiful Abigail," Bennett introduced us to each other smoothly before smiling widely.

The moment his gray eyes landed on my face, I felt my core tighten inside from a mix of nervousness and strange excitement. I prayed desperately that he would not recognize me from last night, but at the same time, I wondered how I would feel if he didn't recognize me. Regardless of what I thought, I was certain that it would be a disaster if my mother and his father found out that we spent a very passionate night together.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm sorry for turning up late, something came up at work that I couldn't get out of," Raphael greeted us politely before approaching the table.

I kept on staring at my plate as I prayed desperately that he would not sit down next to me. My prayer went unanswered when I heard the sound of the chair next to me being pulled out before Raphael took his seat next to me at the dining table. When everyone started talking again, Raphael responded smoothly and so naturally to the conversation. He seemed so well composed and at ease, while I was the opposite of everything that he felt.

Maybe he doesn't remember me…

I found his lack of reaction both relieving but also disappointing at the very same time. I took in a deep breath as I let relief fill my chest while thinking that this was the best outcome. However, I couldn't quite ignore the sinking feeling that developed in the pit of my stomach, and I realized that I must have been disappointed nonetheless.

Why am I so disappointed that he doesn't remember me?

I reminded myself that I was nothing more than a random girl he happened to have a one-night stand with, and given his confidence and superior skills in bed, I was sure I wasn't his first one-night stand either. The sex we had and the night we spent together probably meant nothing to him, and I wouldn't be surprised if he had completely forgotten about me or any memories we shared. After all, that's how one-night stands were supposed to work. I tried to smile and nod my head along with our conversation, but my mind was going crazy inside as I struggled to wrap my head around what was happening.

"Raphael has just recently taken over the business. I'm so happy and relieved at the same time because that means I can retire and enjoy my time with Carla," he said before laughing quite loudly.

"It must be hard on you," my mother said sympathetically.

"It is quite challenging, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. There's nothing for you to worry about, and I'm so thankful to you for making my father so happy," Raphael replied like the perfect gentleman.

"Abby, are you feeling okay?" My mother suddenly asked with a slightly worried look on her face.

I must have gone silent for a while, and I hated the fact that I made my mother worry about me while she was supposed to be enjoying herself.

"Oh, I'm fine, don't mind me. I was just curious to learn more about your family business..." I replied with the first thing that came to my mind.

"That's a perfect question. I didn’t tell you the details so I'm sure that Rafael can walk you through everything about our business. I'm honestly so glad that he has taken over," Bennett replied happily.

"There are many details to go into, but I don't mind walking you through everything after this," Raphael replied before flashing me a smile. I found my heart skipped dangerously in my chest when our eyes met coincidentally. I turned and looked away immediately because I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze.

"You're right. There's no need to rush to learn about our family business. There's plenty of time; you can start learning about it even after the wedding," Bennett replied with a few nods of his head.

"I guess Abbey can get serious sometimes," my mother chimed in perfectly before letting out a giggle.

"Please don't worry about the business; I would rather you focus on preparing for the wedding. It is coming up very soon," Raphael said with an encouraging smile.

–To be continued…

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