Edward seemed to have a hunch about who was calling, his brows furrowing with annoyance.

"Go ahead and answer it," Edward said, as if he were granting me permission.

Being the rebellious type, I not only answered the call but also put it on speakerphone.

When Edward heard Ryan’s gentle voice, his face froze, looking even more sour.

"Vic, when are you coming over? Lunch is almost ready," Ryan said, his voice gentle with a hint of affection.

Love hung in the air, heady and intoxicating like a shot of whiskey.

I replied softly, "Yeah, I’m almost there."

"Vic, we didn’t use any protection last night. Did you take the pill?" Ryan suddenly blurted out, dropping a bomb right in the middle of the conversation.

My head was spinning, and I instantly glanced at Edward–his face looked even more sour, the veins on the back of his hand standing out.

For some reason, I felt so embarrassed. I cleared my throat and said, "Yeah, I did. You really have to be careful with these things."

"Did you… did you not agree with what I said before?" Ryan’s voice dropped, sounding a bit helpless.

"You can’t just have kids willy-nilly," I replied right away. "Besides, I’m not planning on having kids."

Ryan seemed to pause for a moment before saying, with a hint of indulgence, "Alright, I’ll listen to you. We can talk about kids later."

"Should I bring anything when I come over?" I always felt it was a bit awkward to show up empty-handed.

"Maybe grab a box of baby blockers? You know my size," Ryan said, sounding a little bashful as he finished, his voice trailing off.

My mind just short-circuited. I snatched up my phone, switched off speaker, and pressed it to my ear. "Alright, I’ll grab them–and some fruit too."

"I’ll hang up now. We can talk when we meet." I was so mortified my toes were literally curling. ‘God, this is beyond embarrassing,’ Vic thought to herself.

If I’d known Ryan was going to bring this up, I’d have never put him on speaker. Seriously, kill me now.

After hanging up, I made sure I’d actually ended the call, then tossed my phone into my bag.

I stood up, ready to leave.

Edward’s breathing grew heavier, his face turning stormy. "Putting the call on speaker—are you trying to provoke me?"

I jumped, quickly explaining, "No, I just wanted to wrap you up in a cloak of virtue."

Suddenly, Edward stood up and closed the distance between us, step by step.

I was so freaked out I wanted to bolt, but my feet were stuck to the floor. He towered over me, then leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "I’m not the moral type. Don’t test me again."

I was trembling, stammering, "Alright, got it. I won’t dare next time."

Edward was still seething, his deep, dark eyes boring into me like he might devour me whole. I couldn’t help but feel a chill run down my spine.

I was honestly terrified he’d snap and pin me to the couch, so I quickly blurted out, "Ryan’s expecting me for lunch. I should get going."

Edward didn’t respond–he just kept staring at me, his eyes cold and unreadable.

I didn’t dare linger another second. I hurried over, flung open the door, and rushed out.

Once I got back to my car, it hit me–I’d left without paying for the coffee.

I’d booked the private room, so really, picking up the tab was my job as the host.

When you act like you’ve got standards, people can’t help but respect you more.

With that in mind, I hopped out of the car and dashed back to the café to settle the bill.

One pot of coffee cost me a small fortune. The staff claimed it was Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, the exclusive batch from the top 18 trees at Willow Bay…

What a rip-off! They’re on my blacklist now.

Still fuming, I got back in my car–just in time to spot Edward coming out the front door. Not wanting to risk another run-in, I hit the gas and took off.

I picked up some condoms and grabbed a few pieces of fruit on my way over.

Ryan was waiting for me at the door, dressed in a crisp white shirt and tailored pants. His tall, lean frame and strikingly handsome face made him look like he’d stepped right out of a magazine.

The sunlight bathed him in a warm glow, but his eyes were even warmer.

I got out of the car, and he came over to help me with the bags.

When I first pulled up, the guards at the checkpoints usually don’t let outsiders in, but I breezed right through without any trouble.

Ryan must’ve given them a heads-up ahead of time. So sweet of him.

Ryan looked a little shy as he asked softly, "I’m heading back to Braylin this afternoon. Why did you buy so much fruit?"