"Almond Jones?"
The moment that name fell into Jayden's ears, every alarm in her head went off instantly.
She sat upright on the sofa as though struck by lightning, her grip around the phone tightening unconsciously.
Of all people…
Why was he calling her?
And after everything she said to him that night?
Jayden frowned deeply.
She had practically humiliated the man during their blind date, walked out on him midway through the conversation, and made her disgust for the arrangement obvious, yet he still had the guts to call her personally.
Weren't men supposed to have fragile egos?
Or was he calling to retaliate?
Various thoughts crossed her mind at once.
"Yes," Almond repeated calmly from the other end, almost as if he could picture the expression currently on her face. "Almond Jones. The man you walked out on the other night, the CEO of Jones International Enterprise… and your husband-to-be."
A dangerous glint flashed through Almond's grey eyes as he spoke those last words.
Although his voice remained calm and gentlemanly, he was laughing hard inwardly.
He already knew how much she hated hearing anything related to marriage, so intentionally referring to himself as her husband-to-be was guaranteed to irritate her.
And indeed
Jayden almost exploded immediately.
"I guess by now you must have heard that the wedding will be taking place in less than two weeks," Almond continued smoothly before she could attack him. "So I thought it would be good if we could meet up and properly get along before then. We should at least discuss each other's likes, dislikes, boundaries, and expectations."
His tone softened slightly afterward.
"And… I'd also like to apologise for my grandfather's domineering attitude. He truly means no harm. He's only trying to look out for me and choose what he believes is the best among the best."
Jayden let out a dry laugh.
"That must have been very easy for you to say," she replied sharply. "So because he's trying to look out for you, someone else's happiness has to be sacrificed?"
"And please," she added with annoyance, "don't flatter me with all this 'best among the best' speech. There are plenty of women in this world. Different types at that. So why exactly me?"
Her voice gradually turned colder.
"I already made myself very clear the last time we met. I have absolutely no interest in this marriage, but it seems none of you are taking me seriously. You all probably think I'll magically change my mind with time."
She laughed bitterly.
"You people seem to forget that anything forced can never truly be sweet. Honestly, I find this entire arrangement suffocating, but since everyone is determined to continue regardless of my feelings, then I just hope none of you live to regret the consequences later."
Jayden herself almost paused at how naturally the lie rolled off her tongue.
If Almond sensed she was planning something, things would become even more difficult for her.
With how desperate both families already seemed, she wouldn't be surprised if they arranged a marriage certificate overnight just to trap her completely.
For now…
Pretending was safer.
Almond remained quiet for a brief moment after hearing her words.
Then he suddenly chuckled softly.
"This speech of yours sounds more like a threat than a warning," he said calmly. "But that's fine. I happen to enjoy challenging things."
Jayden rolled her eyes instantly.
This man was unbelievable.
"Anyway," Almond continued smoothly, "since we've said all that needs to be said, will you be available for lunch this afternoon? I'll forward the address to you."
Jayden blinked in disbelief.
"You cannot be serious."
"Hmm?"
"How exactly do you expect me to suddenly clear my schedule for lunch today when you're only informing me now?" she asked in annoyance. "Do you even know what time it is?"
Without waiting for his response, she added firmly,
"Today is impossible. I'm busy at work and my schedule for the next few days is already tight. We'll have to try some other time."
Almond leaned slightly against his office chair, his expression remaining calm.
"It is indeed my fault for informing you late," he admitted easily. "But I still think it's important for us to speak face-to-face."
His tone turned unexpectedly patient.
"So can you check your schedule and let me know whenever you'll be less busy?"
Jayden hesitated briefly before answering.
"Alright. I'll try."
"Good. I'll look forwa—"
Beep.
The call disconnected immediately.
Jayden had hung up without waiting for him to finish speaking.
Almond stared at the phone for a second before shaking his head helplessly.
This woman truly had no patience for him whatsoever.
Still…
Compared to the hostility from their first meeting, today's conversation strangely felt calmer.
At least she didn't insult him and storm off midway this time.
That had to count as progress.
Meanwhile, Jayden lowered the phone slowly, her chest tightening with uneasiness.
The contents of the conversation only increased her anxiety.
Things were becoming more dangerous by the day.
She was already lying repeatedly to cover her tracks, and maintaining the act was mentally exhausting.
She needed to leave this city soon.
Very soon.
Otherwise, she feared everything would spiral beyond her control.
Thinking deeply, Jayden stood up from the sofa and walked toward the large glass window overlooking the city.
The security around her had increased again.
Even inside her own apartment, she constantly felt watched.
Her father truly intended to cage her completely.
At this point, the surveillance surrounding her was no different from what a wanted fugitive would experience.
Still…
Jayden believed this could work in her favour.
The more confident her father became in controlling the situation, the less suspicious he would be when the real plan finally unfolded.
Once his guard lowered
That would be her chance.
Although there would definitely be consequences afterward, she no longer cared.
Anything was better than losing herself entirely.
Her brother had secretly warned her earlier that their parents seemed to be planning something behind the scenes, though even he couldn't figure out exactly what.
What disturbed her most was hearing that her mother had finally become fully resolute regarding the marriage.
That hurt more than she expected.
Not that her mother had strongly defended her before…
But knowing she had now completely sided with her father still left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Jayden sighed heavily and closed her eyes briefly.
Then Almond's voice replayed in her mind again.
Calm.
Patient.
Reasonable.
Too reasonable.
If she managed to escape successfully, she would still need to maintain appearances long enough to avoid suspicion from him too.
The last thing she wanted was for Almond Jones to personally come looking for her.
That man seemed far more observant than he allowed others to believe.
Opening her eyes slowly, Jayden muttered under her breath,
"How exactly am I supposed to get through all this…?"