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“We already have, haven’t we?” Ryan smirked at me, all fake smiles, shing his ring finger. “Hey, I’m married now. I’m not gonna stand in your way. Love’s all about feelings anyway. Uncle Ryan’s into you? Not surprised.”

Edward said in a serious tone, “Sorry, Ryan, I…”

“Uncle Ryan, you don’t have to exin. I know exactly how it feels,” Ryan said, locking eyes with Victoria. “I used to be so sure no woman would ever be good enough for me. It was all just for fun, nothing serious.”

‘Just for fun?‘ That hit me right where it hurts.

I let out augh and nodded. “Just for fun, huh? If you take it seriously, it’s boring anyway.”

Edward, sensing the silent war between Ryan and me, jumped in, “Okay, food’s here. Let’s just eat.”

‘Ryan must’ve gone off the deep end, or maybe he’s just acting like he’s got two personalities,‘ I thought.

I wasn’t really hungry, so I just nibbled on some of the lighter stuff.

Noticing I wasn’t eating much, Edward asked in a low voice, “Is the food not to your taste?”

I shook my head. “No, I grabbed some snacks at lunch.”

Ryan ate slowly, ncing over at me from time to time before dropping his gaze again. I had no clue what was going on in his head.

I kept feeling like he was ying some kind of high–stakes game—and somehow, I was a yer too.

“Ryan, do you really approve of me and Victoria?” Edward finally asked, clearly sensing the tension as well.

Ryan didn’t nod right away. He just set his fork down and put on the fakest smile ever. “Yeah, you two go ahead and date. Vic’s a gentle and interesting person. Uncle Ryan, I’m sure you’ll see her good side.”

I clenched my jaw. ‘Ryan’s words feltpletely unnecessary!

Edward’s expression stiffened for a moment. ‘Gentle and interesting? That sounded pretty loaded,‘ he thought.

“Yeah, she’s definitely an interesting one,” Edward admitted, ncing my way.

I acted like I didn’t hear a thing, just kept my head down and focused on my food.

Ryan chimed in, “Uncle Ryan, you two aren’t actually nning to get married, are you?”

Edward hesitated for a second, then looked at me. “That’s her call.”

As expected, Ryan fixed me with that sharp, piercing stare.

I looked up at Edward and gave him a smile. “I’ve only been divorced for less than a year. Getting married isn’t something I’m thinking about right now.”

A cold, mocking smile shed in Ryan’s eyes.

Edward didn’t look surprised–he seemed to have expected my answer.

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We finished the meal with all that tension hanging in the air. I set my fork down and said, “I need to get back to the hotel and pack up. I’ll head out first.”

“I’m done too. I’ll walk you back,” Edward said, getting up.

Ryan headed for the door, arms folded across his chest, just standing there watching us leave.

As soon as I got in the car, it felt like I could finally breathe again. I sucked in a lungful of air, feeling the tension start to fade.

Edward looked just as thrown off by Ryan’s little dinner stunt as I was.

He ran his fingers through my hair. “Sorry, are you feeling down today?”

I blinked, surprised at how tuned in Edward was to my mood. I nodded, following his lead. “Of course I’m not happy. Felt like we were just pawns in some rich guy’s game.”

Suddenly, Edward leaned over, grabbed a box from the front seat, and handed it to me. “Here, a little gift to chase away those blues.”

“Are you trying to cheer me up?” Iughed.

“Yes!” Edward locked eyes with me. “I finally talked things through with Ryan today. Feels like a weight’s been lifted off my chest.”

I opened the box and found a unique ne inside. “So, is this your go–to move whenever I get upset?”

Edward chuckled. “If it works, why not?”

I rolled the ne around in my palm, thinking how it’s only been a little over three months with Edward, and he’s already showered me with gifts. People always say you can tell where a man’s heart is by where he spends his time and money.

But with Edward, both his time and his wealth seem endless–like some kind of deep–sea monster. Who knows if he’s pulling the same moves on someone else when I’m not looking?

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?” Edward sounded a little anxious when I didn’t answer right away.

I snapped out of it, looking down at the ne. “No, I really do like it. But do you actually think Ryan meant it when he said he’s fine with us being together?”

Edward shook his head. “No way. He’s not the kind of guy who gives up that easily.”

My heart skipped a beat. ‘Wait, so Edward really noticed it too?‘ I wondered.