Chapter 863 Two Weeks?

Chapter 863 Two Weeks?

The butterflies in Kimberly's stomach performed a frantic ballet as she pulled into the restaurant's valet lane. Eleven AM had arrived far too quickly, and the pep talk her mother delivered about Ryan being a "wonderful gentleman" did little to calm her nerves.

Taking a deep breath, she adjusted the straps of her purple dress and stepped out of the car. Although Kimberly had been to that restaurant a couple of times in the past for business meetings, she had never felt this anxious as she walked through the doors.

Inside, the restaurant was a symphony of soft lighting, warm chatter, and the clinking of silverware. A hostess with a welcoming smile guided her towards a corner table where Ryan sat waiting.

He sat by a window, a bored expression etched on his face. He looked up as the hostess led her towards him, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features before he schooled it into a charming smile.

"Kimberly, you look stunning," he said, rising to greet her. His voice was deeper than she remembered, a smooth baritone that sent a shiver down her spine.

He held out a chair for her, his gaze lingering on her for a beat longer than necessary.

"Thank you, Ryan," she mumbled as she settled into the plush seat.

"Sorry I'm a bit late. Traffic was horrendous."

A white lie, but she wasn't sure how much honesty this date could handle right now. The silence that followed stretched on uncomfortably as Ryan watched her.

"I hope you won't always use this excuse in the future," Ryan finally spoke, breaking the awkward tension. "By the way, you look more beautiful than I remember."

They had both known each other for years since they had attended middle and high school together and usually hung out in the same circles growing up until Ryan left the country.

"Thanks. You don't look bad yourself," Kimberly said, hoping that he would have changed and wouldn't be as bad as she remembered.

"So, tell me about yourself, Kimberly," he said and she shrugged.

"What's there to tell? You know me," Kimberly said and he shook his head.

"Nope. We may be acquainted but we don't really know each other. Tell me about you. Something other than the basics," he said as a waiter joined them.

After the waiter left with her order, Kimberly launched into a rehearsed spiel about her job, her words sounding hollow even to her own ears. Ryan listened politely, nodding occasionally, but his gaze seemed more interested in the bustling scene outside the window than her.

"You know, I've been waiting for you to tell me about your illegitimate daughter," Ryan said and Kimberly raised a brow.

"Illegitimate? What gives you the right to refer to her as that?" Kimberly asked, not liking his tone.

"Isn't she illegitimate? Are you married to her father?" he asked flatly.

"You asked me to tell you something other than the basics. The fact that I have a daughter is a basic detail of my life that I'm sure everyone in the country knows about. And I believe you know about it too," Kimberly said, choosing to ignore his rudeness.

"So, what happens when we get married? Would you want her to live with us? Or will you be taking her to her father's family?" Ryan asked as he raised his glass of wine to his lips.

"When we get married? Isn't it too soon to be talking about marriage? And do you have a problem with my daughter living with me?" She asked and he shook his head.

"Not at all. I would love to see her. I've heard about her and how brilliant she is. And no. It's not too soon to talk about marriage since I'm sure we would be getting married. You look good enough for me and your background is okay regardless of the fact that you have a child. And I know I'm a catch. I'm good looking, wealthy, charming, funny and all that any woman in her right senses would want," Ryan said and Kimberly smiled wryly.

She could do that. She could live with his arrogance and self-centeredness as long as they stayed out of each other's way, Kimberly thought with a nod, "Yes. It's okay."

"So, deal?" He asked, extending a hand.

"I have a condition," Kimberly said and he raised an eyebrow as he withdrew his hand.

"What's that?"

"A Prenup. We have to sign a prenup," she said, and he smirked.

"Let's do that then," he said as he extended a hand again.

"Deal," Kimberly said as she shook hands with him.

"How soon can we get married?" She asked as she withdrew her hand.

"How soon do you want us to? A month is fine by me," he said and she shook her head not wanting to leave Dawn alone for that much time.

"What about two weeks?"

"Will that be enough time to plan a wedding? We are both from influential families and our guests need to be given an invitation..."

"Let's work with that. Discuss with your family and I will discuss with mine," Kimberly cut in, and he smiled.

"See? I knew we were a perfect match," Ryan said as he rose.

"I will send an engagement ring across to you tomorrow. What's your ring size?" He asked looking at her hand.

"Size 9," she said and he nodded as he dropped some bills on the table.

"You will get your ring tomorrow. It was nice meeting you," he said with a wink before walking away.

Kimberly drew a deep breath as she walked him walk away, and after a moment she left too.

The moment she got home and walked into the house, she saw her mom in the living room, "How did it go?" Her mother asked, rising to meet her.

"We are getting married in two weeks. Does the date work for you?" She asked, and her mother frowned.

"Two weeks? I thought you didn't..."

"Dawn will have to be here before the wedding, right? Please talk to, dad. She has to be here," Kimberly cut in.

"Kim..."

"You can begin the wedding preparations. I'm going in to get some rest. I have a headache," Kimberly said, and walked away without another word.

She was never going to forgive her parents for taking things this far. She was going to get married to Ryan and after she got back all that was hers from her father and had secured them, she would be sure to cut him off the same way he had cut off Dawn.