Chapter 64: You Bought Me a Vineyard?!
Anna watched the waiter pour William a glass of wine, but her attention was divided. His dark brown eyes hadn’t left her for a second—intense, unblinking, drilling into her like he was trying to read her mind.
As soon as the waiter finished arranging their table and stepped away with a polite nod, William leaned forward slightly, ready to speak. But Anna beat him to it.
"What are you doing here?" she asked in a quiet yet firm voice.
William arched a brow, surprised by her tone. "I should be asking you the same thing."
"I came... to have lunch," Anna replied, her mind scrambling for a convincing excuse. "I got tired of eating at the mansion, and it’s been a while since I last dined here... I missed the atmosphere."
It sounded weak—even to her. And judging by the skeptical look on William’s face, he wasn’t buying it either. He let out a long breath and pulled his wine glass closer, never once taking his eyes off her. Those eyes of his—sharp, intelligent, and unyielding—left her feeling like she was under a microscope.
"This is a great place," he said slowly, lifting the glass to his lips and taking a measured sip. "So great, in fact, that when a certain pretty woman in a headscarf asked the host whether I was still coming for lunch, he panicked and called me—worried that I’d forgotten to inform her of my change in plans."
Damn it.Anna’s jaw tightened, silently cursing the overly helpful host and his excellent memory. But instead of dwelling on her slip, she tried to steer the conversation in a new direction—any direction that didn’t involve her being interrogated.
"Then, since you did change your plans... why are you here?" she asked, tilting her head as if the tables had turned.