6
Logan strode over with long, confident steps, holding an enormous bouquet of roses in his arms.
He placed the flowers gently into my hands and said with a soft smile, “Sorry for leaving you alone for a bit. I didn’t realize you’d get chased
around by a couple of stray dogs.”
Lola’s face twisted with fury. “Who are you calling a dog?!”
Logan raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “Well, whoever barked first, I guess.”
Watching him calmly provoke her until her face turned beet red, I nearly burst out laughing.
“Logan? You’re back in the States?” Isaac asked. It was clear he recognized him.
“I don’t know how you two know each other, Isaac added, his voice dripping with disdain, “but let me give you a friendly warning–this woman will do anything for money. Don’t let her fool you.”
Lola, now realizing who Logan was, gasped in recognition. “Wait… you’re the Logan Reid? The sole heir to the Reid Group?”
Logan didn’t even spare her a glance.
Instead, he leaned casually against the wall, his expression bored as he raised an eyebrow at Isaac. “You’ve got terrible taste, buddy. You’re out here guarding trash while throwing away a diamond. Maybe focus on that instead of being bitter.”
“And for the record,” he added lazily, “I’d be thrilled if she did want my money. It’s not like I’d ever run out. My only problem would be finding ways for her to spend it all.”
Isaac’s face darkened to the point of near insanity, but Logan didn’t give him a chance to respond. He slung an arm around my shoulders and steered me toward the private dining room.
Over his shoulder, he called out to the server, “Get these two out of here.”
“And whatever compensation they’re owed, pay it. I don’t care how much it costs. Just make sure our restaurant never has to deal with them
again.”
Once we were back in the private room, Logan dropped his playful demeanor and looked at me with a warm smile.
“Feel better?” he asked.
I nodded sincerely.
<
“Thanks for stepping in back there,” I said gratefully. “But I’m sorry about dragging you into all of this.”
I was, of course, referring to how he’d pretended to have a deeper connection with me just to shut them down.
To my surprise, Logan shook his head, his expression suddenly serious.
“Mia, I wasn’t pretending,” he said, his tone steady.
“In fact, I honestly wish you were the kind of woman who’d go after me for my money. At least then, I’d have a chance with you.”
He leaned back in his chair, a teasing grin spreading across his face. “I mean, let’s face it–there aren’t many people richer than me, and even fewer who are as young and good–looking.”
The intensity in his gaze caught me off guard. For a moment, I didn’t know how to respond.
I shook my head, laughing nervously. “Come on, Logan. I’m not a teenager anymore. Love at first sight? That’s a little too far–fetched for me.”
pare an autis smaile fakered, replaced by a look of genuine disappointment–almost
heak.
“Mia,” he said softly, “you really don’t remember me, do you?”
I blinked, startled.
“What do you mean?” I asked, wracking my brain for any memory of him. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t recall someone like Logan Reid before.
Logan suddenly slapped his forehead, like he’d just remembered something important.
“Oh, that’s right! I’ve changed a lot since then. No wonder you don’t recognize me.”
He pulled out his phone, tapped on the screen a few times, and then handed it to me.
On the display was an old high school graduation photo.
He pointed to the far corner of the image, where a chubby boy with glasses and an awkward smile stood.
“That’s me,” he said, grinning.
I stared at the photo, completely stunned.
For a solid thirty seconds, I couldn’t reconcile that shy, overweight kid with the confident, attractive man sitting in front of me.
Seeing my disbelief, Logan chuckled and began explaining what had happened after high school.
“After graduation, my dad brought me back to live with him. I changed my last name to match his, and, well, the rest is history.”
meeting
“Crazy, huh? Bet you never thought that chubby kid would turn into this,” he said, flashing a cocky smile as he gestured to himself.
For the first time since meeting him, I found myself lowering my guard.
“No kidding,” I said, laughing lightly. “I mean, who would’ve guessed that the kid who couldn’t even afford lunch back then would end up as the heir to the Reid Group?”
Logan’s smile faltered for a moment. Then, after a brief hesitation, he confessed, “Mia, about that… I wasn’t actually broke in high school.”
I raised an eyebrow, confused.
He looked sheepish as he continued, “I was trying to lose weight. I skipped lunch on purpose. But then this sweet, stubborn girl saw me not eating and assumed I couldn’t afford food. Every day after school, she’d drag me to the cafeteria and practically force me to eat.”
He smiled softly, his eyes locking with mine.
“That girl was you, Mia. And honestly, if it weren’t for you, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”
3.08 PM J
<
Logan stood up and walked over to me, his playful expression replaced by something far more sincere.
“So, Mia…” he said, his voice steady but full of emotion, “are you going to take responsibility for me?”
