Old Mrs. Ricardo's laughter echoed through the mansion as we prepared to leave.
"Don't forget to bring me great-grandchildren soon!" she called out, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I'm not getting any younger!"
I felt my cheeks burn as Nathaniel placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me toward the door.
"Grandmother, please," he said, but I caught the slight upturn at the corner of his lips.
Once outside, Nathaniel opened the car door for me. The gesture still felt strange—having someone treat me with such consideration. As we settled into the backseat of his Maybach, I couldn't help but smile at how far we'd come from our first awkward meeting.
"What's so amusing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Just thinking about the first time we met. You thought I was some gold-digger trying to scam you."
He winced slightly. "And you thought I was an arrogant jerk."
"Well..." I teased.
"Fair enough," he conceded with a small smile. "I was."
