Chapter 1: The End of the Chase Part 4 - The Blind Date

(Serena and Theo meet for their arranged blind date, both expecting a waste of time—until Serena proposes an idea that changes everything.)

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The restaurant was the kind of place where reservations had to be made six months in advance, where every table had a private section, and where the cheapest bottle of wine cost more than most people’s monthly rent.

Serena sat at a secluded booth near the back, tapping her nails lightly against the polished mahogany table. Across from her, Theo Bennett leaned back in his chair, watching her with an amused expression.

"Let me guess," he said, his deep voice smooth and easy. "Your father decided you need a man to secure your future?"

Serena smirked. "And let me guess—yours did the same?"

Theo exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Billionaire parents are exhausting."

"They really are."

For a moment, they simply stared at each other, taking in the absurdity of their situation. Two heirs, forced into a blind date like they were pieces on a chessboard.

Serena sipped her wine. "You don’t seem particularly thrilled to be here."

"Neither do you."

"That’s because I already have a solution to both our problems."

Theo raised a brow, intrigued. "I’m listening."

Serena set her glass down and leaned forward slightly. "We both know why we’re here. Our parents want us to find ‘suitable partners’ before we graduate. If we don’t, they’ll arrange something for us. I assume you’d rather avoid that?"

"Absolutely."

"Good," she said. "Because so would I. Which is why I have a proposal for you."

Theo smirked. "You want to marry me? Serena, I’m flattered."

She rolled her eyes. "Not quite. I’m suggesting something much simpler—we fake date."

The smirk vanished. Theo tilted his head slightly, studying her with new interest. "Fake date?"

"Think about it," she said. "If we’re ‘together,’ our families will back off. No more arranged dates, no more forced introductions. We get to control the narrative instead of letting them do it for us."

Theo tapped his fingers against the table, considering. "And what happens when they expect an engagement?"

Serena shrugged. "We ‘break up’ before it gets that far. Blame it on irreconcilable differences. Maybe you’ll tell the press I was too demanding. Maybe I’ll say you were emotionally unavailable."

Theo laughed at that. "Very believable."

"Exactly," Serena said, lips curling. "It’s the perfect arrangement. No emotions, no expectations—just mutual benefit."

For the first time that night, Theo really looked at her. Not as the charming socialite everyone assumed she was, but as something else entirely.

Smart. Calculated. Dangerous in the best way.

"You really thought this through," he murmured.

"I always think things through."

Silence stretched between them. Then, finally, Theo let out a slow breath and smirked.

"Alright, Lancaster. You’ve got yourself a deal."

Serena clinked her glass against his. "To making our parents regret underestimating us."

Theo chuckled. "To their regret."

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End of Part 4.