Chapter 2:This Is My Fiancé?!

The Beaumont estate dining hall shimmered under the chandelier, and everything smelled too expensive.

Aiden sat stiffly at the polished dining table, surrounded by his perfectly put-together parents and half a dozen board members he barely knew. He didn’t care about the talk of mergers and joint ventures. He just wanted to eat and leave.

But then he walked in.

Kairo Vance.

The boy from the garden.

Except now he wasn’t just a boy.

He was tall, built, confident. His black suit fit like it was stitched to his skin. His hair was still dark and sleek, but his face had sharpened — angular jaw, straight nose, and those same stormy, unreadable eyes.

He walked in flanked by three men in black, all expressionless. Bodyguards?

The room shifted the second he entered. Even the adults straightened.

And he walked straight to Aiden.

Sat right beside him.

No greetings. No warning. Just sat like it was his seat.

“You’re in my space,” Aiden muttered, trying not to be obvious about scooting half an inch away.

“You smell the same,” Kairo said softly.

Aiden choked on air. “I—Excuse me?!”

Kairo didn’t flinch. “Like rosemary and citrus.”

Aiden blinked. “You’re weird.”

Kairo’s lips curved — just slightly. “You like it.”

Before Aiden could throw his napkin in Kairo’s face, Mr. Beaumont stood up with a wine glass and a dazzling smile.

“Everyone, thank you for joining us tonight! It’s not just a business celebration — it’s a family reunion. And… an engagement announcement.”

Aiden frowned. “An engage—wait, who’s getting married?”

Mrs. Beaumont smiled at her son like he was a particularly dense puppy. “You are, darling.”

Silence fell.

Aiden stared.

Mr. Vance chuckled. “To my son, Kairo. As agreed upon seventeen years ago.”

Aiden blinked.

Then turned. Slowly.

Stared directly at Kairo. “I’m sorry. You’re WHAT to me?”

Kairo looked directly at him. “Your fiancé.”

Aiden’s chair scraped loudly against the marble floor as he stood. “No. Nope. Not happening. I was a literal baby. You cannot seriously think I’m—”

“You made a promise,” Kairo said calmly, not even looking up from his drink.

“That doesn’t count! I was NINE! I also promised to marry a banana that year!”

“You made it to me under the cherry blossom tree,” Kairo said quietly. “You said if I came back before you turned eighteen, we’d get married. I have the contract.”

He pulled out a neatly folded envelope from his jacket pocket and set it on the table.

“Signed by both families. Stamped. Witnessed. Legal.”

Aiden’s mouth dropped open.

“What the ACTUAL—?!”

Mrs. Beaumont placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, smiling through her teeth. “Sweetheart. This is an opportunity.”

“An opportunity to marry a robot with a scent kink?!”

Kairo turned to him slowly. “You’re louder than I remember.”

“You’re CREEPIER than I remember!”

Mr. Vance chuckled. “Boys will be boys.”

“No!” Aiden shouted. “No ‘boys will be boys!’ This isn’t a playground crush! This is—I have rights!”

Kairo sipped his water. “I have the contract.”

Aiden snatched it up, skimmed it in disbelief. It really was real. Their parents had signed it years ago — part of a future merger agreement. If the two children chose to agree when they came of age… they’d be bound in both marriage and business.

And it was signed by Aiden’s parents.

And Kairo’s.

And he hadn’t been told until now?!

“You’re joking,” Aiden whispered, stunned. “You all set me up.”

“We didn’t think you’d mind,” Mrs. Beaumont said sweetly. “You and Kairo were inseparable.”

“That was before he vanished off the face of the planet!”

“I was in training,” Kairo said, standing smoothly. “Overseas. Military, combat, finance. Preparing to take over the Vance legacy.”

Aiden stared. “Oh, so while I was struggling with algebra and saxophone lessons, you were becoming Batman?”

Kairo gave him a small, unreadable smile. “I’m back now.”

“I don’t want you back!”

“You’ll come around.”

“NO I WON’T!”

“You already are.”

“WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!”

Kairo stepped closer.

Too close.

Aiden froze as Kairo leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper. “Your pupils dilate when you’re angry.”

Aiden gasped. “Don’t analyze me like a science project!”

“You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

Aiden was one second away from flipping the entire dining table.

Instead, he spun around and stormed out of the room, the contract still clenched in his hand.

Outside, the night air was cool. The garden was quiet, moonlight glowing off the fountains. Aiden stomped toward the hedge maze, heart racing, still trying to understand what had just happened.

He made it halfway down the path before he felt it.

That presence.

Kairo.

He turned around just in time to see the other boy following at a calm, measured pace.

“What do you want now?” Aiden snapped, cheeks still pink.

“You stormed out with my contract.”

Aiden scowled. “I’ll burn it.”

Kairo stepped closer. “You won’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re curious.”

Aiden’s lip curled. “About what?”

“What we could be.”

The air shifted.

Aiden could feel it again — that subtle pulse in the back of his neck. Like his instincts recognized something before he did. Like his body was responding to Kairo’s nearness in a way that had nothing to do with logic.

He hated it.

Loved it.

Wanted to punch it.

“You think you know me,” Aiden said bitterly.

Kairo didn’t flinch. “I do.”

“You think I’ll just fall into your arms?”

“No,” Kairo said softly. “I think I’ll make you fall.”

Aiden’s breath caught.

Kairo stepped even closer, their faces just inches apart.

Aiden’s fingers trembled at his sides.

“You’re insane,” he whispered.

Kairo’s voice was barely a breath. “Only for you.”