Chapter 4

The restaurant looked more like a surprise proposal than anything else. Colorful balloons and roses were laid out from the entrance all the way to the stage—super romantic vibes going on. Sweet and dreamy background music filled the place, and a big screen kept looping pictures from Maria’s daily life. At the bottom corner? A huge caption: "Blind Date Gala." Looking around the room, it was packed wall-to-wall with men in suits, all seemingly eligible bachelors. The whole vibe was buzzing. Right up front on a stage sprinkled with rose petals stood two adorable kids, each holding a mic. They’d just wrapped up a heart-eyes introduction of their mom. The moment things quieted down, a man in the crowd raised his voice, “Didn’t you say she’d be here in five? It’s been what—twenty now? Your mom’s still a no-show!” Someone nearby chuckled, joking with a sly smile, “Yeah, kids, your mom didn’t ditch you two at the altar or something, did she?” A few folks found the kids cute and couldn't resist teasing. Ella looked worried right away, but Ethan? Totally calm, ice cool. “Sigh, I’m out. Got other stuff to do.” “Same here, got a meeting with a client later!” Some actually started heading out, and as time ticked by, more followed. Ella looked more and more anxious. Ethan held her arm gently, signaling her to keep it together. He raised his mic again and said, “Mom probably had a last-minute thing come up, but she’ll be here soon—no doubt. If you’ve got to go, it’s chill. Still plenty of quality guys left here—missing one or two won’t hurt.” That got some laughs from the crowd. “Well said!” “Kid’s got some game…” Most of the people who were about to leave now decided to hang around and see what would happen next. Seeing the crowd settle, Ethan turned to Ella, “Ella, try calling Mom again.” Ella beamed and pulled out her phone. But just as she was about to dial, she caught a familiar figure at the door out of the corner of her eye. “Mommy!” She waved excitedly toward the entrance, her whole face lighting up. “It’s Mommy! Mommy’s here!” As soon as she spoke, every single head turned to look toward Maria. All kinds of stares swept over her—curious, impressed, admiring… plenty of approving glances too. Maria felt the intensity right away. She tugged awkwardly at the corner of her lips… this was beyond embarrassing. Those two little troublemakers really went all-out with a surprise dating event?! Everyone’s staring made her want to disappear. She was two steps away from spinning on her heel and bolting— But before she could move, someone caught her by the shoulder. And then came a familiar voice. “Oh wow, is this what a matchmaking party looks like…” It was Isabella. She laid a hand on Maria’s shoulder, giving her a sly grin. Taking her sweet time scanning the room, she teased, “The kids went all out planning this for you. You’re the star of today, girl. Where you think you’re going?” Maria rolled her eyes hard and muttered under her breath, “It's bad enough those two stirred up a circus. Did you really have to block me too?” Isabella grinned, eyes twinkling. "You’re scared to go ’cause you’re still hung up on James, aren’t you?" Maria’s expression stiffened. “Of course not!” Isabella arched a brow, teasing, “Then what’s holding you back?” Rolling her eyes, Maria snapped back, "It's just a blind date. Fine, I’ll go." With that, she strutted down the red carpet scattered with flower petals, high heels clicking, heading straight toward the heart-shaped area where Ella and Ethan stood waiting. Seeing her trap had worked, Isabella exchanged a quick victorious glance with Ethan on stage—mission accomplished. Meanwhile, outside the restaurant, a sleek Maybach was parked a few cars away from Maria’s. Inside sat James, his sharp jawline catching the light as he lifted his head. Did she really think ditching him was as easy as walking a lap? James pulled out his phone, ready to call her out. Then paused—only to realize he didn’t have her number. Or even her on WhatsApp. Inside, the blind date event was in full swing. Everyone seemed entertained—everyone except Maria, who was beyond bored but had to pretend otherwise. No way was she giving Isabella more ammo to laugh at. She hadn’t expected much from the event, but what she got still caught her off guard. One guy brought up her education and suggested she should go for a PhD to keep up with him. The guy really mapped out her whole future, no joke. Another felt she was “too tough to handle” and said, weirdly, Isabella seemed more his type. Maria shot Isabella a mock-serious look, “Yeah, you two vibe. Go for it.” Isabella just shrugged like a victim caught in chaos. Then came the one who asked if she had siblings. Explained he didn’t like people with brothers or sisters—too annoying, he said. Maria shot back with a smirk, “Cool. I hate mother-in-laws. Got a mom?” The room broke into laughter. Someone whistled. A few folks cheered. “Damn, that was savage!” “She’s got fire, I’m into it!” Another tried digging into her past. She rolled her eyes, deadpan: “How’s that your business?” Then finally, one guy who actually seemed decent said at the end, “So, do I just wait to hear back?” She barely had time to recover before it got weirder. A short, round man stood up and declared loudly, “I’ve watched your pics, your videos, and now you in real life. Honestly, you totally meet my standards.” Maria’s face turned stormy. Dude… have you seen yourself in a mirror lately? And if that wasn’t enough, the next guy was completely out there—not even on the same wavelength. His vibe was almost… surreal. Maria screamed internally, “These people are unreal!” She felt her patience—and possibly her soul—starting to crack. She was barely hanging on. Then the door slammed open. James stepped in, immediately taking in the chaos around him. He froze mid-step, face darkening like a brewing storm. "What the hell is going on?" That deep, commanding voice and icy presence instantly froze the room. Silence. Not a single sound.