Chapter 2 THE MAN BEHIND THE SMILE

"Amelia! You're finally here!" Isabella practically jumped out of her seat when she saw me approaching the table. I barely had time to put my handbag down before she wrapped her arms around me. "Easy, Bella. I haven't disappeared for five years," I said, laughing. "You're late!" I pulled away and looked at her. "Good evening to you too." "Don't mind her," Mum said, adjusting the napkin on her lap. "I've been listening to her complain about your lateness since we arrived." I turned towards Mum and kissed her cheek. "Good evening, Mum." "Good evening, darling. You look beautiful." "Thank you." I pulled out the empty chair beside Isabella and sat down. "I'm sorry. The traffic was terrible." Isabella folded her arms. "You always have an excuse." "Would you have preferred I left my car in the middle of the road and walked here?" She tried to maintain a serious expression, but it didn't last. "Just order something and stop talking." I laughed, picking up the menu. "See? This is why I don't tell you people anything. Nobody appreciates my efforts." "Your efforts?" Mum repeated, laughing. "You should have seen her face when I told her you were already on your way." "What did I do?" "Nothing. You just kept checking the entrance every two minutes." Isabella turned towards Mum. "Mummy, why are you exposing me?" "Because you won't allow me to enjoy my food in peace."

I laughed again. It felt good being around them. Work had been keeping me busy lately, and even though I spoke to Isabella almost every day, there was a difference between hearing her voice over the phone and actually sitting across from her. I looked at her again. "So, Mrs Future Bride, where is this lucky man?" She immediately smiled. "He stepped out to take a call. He'll be back soon." I raised an eyebrow. "Already taking business calls on his engagement dinner?" "It's not an engagement dinner," she corrected. "It's just a family dinner." "Whatever you want to call it." "He has a busy schedule," Mum added. "But he's been very respectful to us." I glanced at her. "Have you met him before today?" Mum gave me a look. "Of course I have, Amelia. Do you think your sister would get engaged without introducing him to her mother?" I laughed. "I'm only asking." "Your sister has been talking about him for weeks," Mum continued. "Sometimes I wonder if she remembers she has other people in her life." "Mummy!" "What? Am I lying?" Isabella reached for her glass of water. "Please, both of you. Can we talk about something else?" I leaned closer to her. "Not until you tell me how you met him." She sighed dramatically. "Fine. We met at a charity event last year. I went with Grace, and he was there with some business associates. We got talking, exchanged numbers and started seeing each other." "And you kept all this from me?" "I didn't keep it from you. I just didn't want to tell you until I knew where things were going." I nodded. "That's understandable." "Besides, I wanted to surprise you." "Well, you certainly succeeded." She smiled proudly. I studied her face for a moment. Isabella had always been the more expressive one between us. She could talk for hours about something that made her happy, and when she liked someone, it was usually written all over her face. Right now, she looked genuinely happy. I hoped nothing would change that. "So, what's he like?" I asked. Her smile widened. "He's caring. He's hardworking. He listens to me, even when I'm being annoying." I laughed. "That's a very brave man." "Amelia!" "What? I'm just being honest." Mum chuckled. Isabella ignored me and continued. "He's also very thoughtful. He remembers little things I tell him. Sometimes, I don't even realise he has been paying attention until he does something that shows he remembers." I watched her speak. It wasn't just excitement. There was something deeper in her expression. "And you're sure about him?" I asked. She looked straight at me. "I'm sure." I reached for her hand. "Then I'm happy for you." Her expression softened. "Thank you. I really wanted you to be here tonight." I squeezed her hand. "You know I wouldn't miss it." A waiter approached our table, asking if we were ready to order. We placed our orders, and Isabella immediately returned to talking about her fiancé. Apparently, he liked travelling, preferred quiet evenings to crowded parties and wasn't particularly fond of people who asked too many questions. I looked at her. "So, basically, you've found yourself a man who doesn't like questions, and you've decided to marry him?" She burst out laughing. "Stop it!" "I'm only trying to understand the situation." "He's not like that. He just likes his privacy." Mum shook her head. "Amelia, leave your sister alone. You've been questioning this poor man without even meeting him." "I'm preparing him for the family." "Please, don't scare him away before he gets here," Isabella said. I laughed and returned my attention to the menu. A few minutes later, Mum asked about my work. "How is that hotel project coming along?" I brightened slightly. "It's going well. I'm almost done with the design proposal. The client wants something elegant, but they don't want the place to feel too formal." "That's good. You've always enjoyed doing this." "I do. It's challenging, but I like seeing the difference between what a place looks like before and after the work is done." Isabella looked at me. "You should show me some of your designs. I still want you to help me with the house after the wedding." I laughed. "Are you hiring me or just planning to get free work from your sister?" "Both." "Unbelievable." Mum smiled. "At least you girls still find ways to argue." "She's the one who started it," Isabella said. "Of course," I replied. "It's never your fault." Our food arrived shortly afterwards, and the conversation moved to wedding preparations. Isabella was already thinking about colours, flowers, the guest list and the kind of dress she wanted. "I'm thinking of something simple but elegant," she explained. I looked at her. "Simple? You?" She threw a piece of tissue at me. "I'm serious!" "So am I. The last time you said you wanted something simple, you sent me twenty-seven pictures." Mum laughed so hard she had to put down her glass. "That's true. I remember." "Those were different styles," Isabella defended. "Twenty-seven different styles?" I asked. "Amelia, please eat your food." I smiled and took another bite. It was easy to forget how much I missed moments like this. The three of us laughing, arguing over little things and talking about the future. Then Mum's expression changed slightly. "Your father would have been very happy to see this day." The smile on Isabella's face softened. "I know, Mum." I looked down at my plate for a moment. Dad had been gone for years, but there were still certain occasions when his absence felt particularly noticeable. He had always been protective of us, especially Isabella. "He would probably have interrogated the poor man before allowing him to propose," I said. Mum laughed quietly. "Interrogated? Your father would have wanted to know his entire family history." "Exactly," Isabella said. "And he would have followed him around for the next six months." We laughed, but I noticed Mum's eyes had become a little distant. I reached across the table and touched her hand. "He would be proud of us, Mum." She nodded. "I hope so, darling." For a few moments, none of us said anything. Then Isabella suddenly clapped her hands. "Okay! Enough emotional moments. I want to enjoy my engagement dinner." I laughed. "Look at you. You brought us here and now you're giving us instructions." "Because somebody has to keep this family organised." "Since when?" "Since today." Mum shook her head, smiling. I was about to respond when Isabella glanced towards the entrance. "Oh, he's back!" She quickly checked her hair and adjusted the sleeve of her dress. I looked at her and laughed. "Why are you suddenly nervous?" "I'm not nervous." "You just checked your hair three times." "Amelia!" I raised both hands. "Alright. I'll behave." A moment later, I heard footsteps approaching our table. "Sorry I'm late," a man's voice said. "No problem," Mum replied politely. Isabella stood up, her face lighting up as he approached. "You took forever," she complained playfully. "I told you I had an important call." "You always have an important call." He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'm here now, aren't I?" She smiled and took his hand. I watched them for a moment. They looked comfortable together. I watched them for a moment. I smiled politely as I watched Isabella lean closer to him, laughing at something he had whispered. "Amelia, this is the person I've been telling you about," she said excitedly. I straightened in my seat. "It's nice to finally meet-" My words stopped. The man turned towards me. And suddenly, the restaurant seemed much quieter. I stared at his face, unable to understand why my mind was refusing to accept what my eyes were seeing. The familiar eyes. The sharp jawline. The expression I had spent years trying to forget. No. It couldn't be him. My fingers tightened around my glass. He looked just as shocked, although he recovered faster than I did. For a brief moment, neither of us spoke. Then Isabella laughed. Isabella looked from him to me, her smile slowly fading. "Wait, what's going on? Why are you two staring at each other like that?" I quickly looked away, reaching for my glass of water. "Nothing," I said, forcing a small smile. But nothing was further from the truth. Because the man sitting beside my sister was someone I had spent five years trying to forget. And now, he was going to become part of my family.