"What?" Alex asked, incredulous. "You're kidding me, right?"
Julian shook his head. "Unless you can't drive."
Alex narrowed her eyes, accepting the challenge.
"Alright then. Let's go."
Julian tossed her the keys. She caught them midair and slid into the driver's seat without hesitation. Julian moved effortlessly into the passenger seat — which, for a man like him, felt oddly natural.
Alex started the car as though she'd been driving it all her life, guiding it smoothly toward the gate.
The gate had an AI assistant that opened the gate automatically.
"Open up. Gotta go," he said casually as Alex rolled down the window.
A pleasant female voice responded, "Hello, Julian. Drive safe."
"Sure, Gina. But today, my wife's the one driving."
"Oh," the AI replied mischievously. "That must be Alex, right?"
Alex turned toward him, eyebrows raised. Julian pretended not to notice.
"Yeah, it's Alex," he said smoothly. "She moved in yesterday."
"That was fast," Gina teased. "I forgot to congratulate her yesterday. Hi, Alex — and congratulations!"
Alex blinked, flustered. He'd talked about his wedding with an AI? She managed a polite smile. Luckily, she knew her way around tech — she almost laughed at the absurdity of it all.
"Hi, Gina. Thanks a lot," she said.
"You've got a lovely voice," Gina replied. "I never thought Julian would pick so perfectly."
"Alright, that's enough," Julian cut in before the AI could say more. "You've heard her voice. Add it to the database — she might drive out alone soon."
Alex shot him another questioning look, but he ignored it again.
"Of course, Julian. Have a nice drive, Alex," said Gina.
"Thanks, Gina," Alex replied as the majestic gate opened like something out of a dream.
---
"Where to?" she asked once they were on the road.
"Just keep driving," he said.
"Okey-dokey," she replied, smirking.
Julian typed something quickly into the GPS, clearly not wanting her to see. The car's voice assistant chimed to life.
"Hello, Julian," came another feminine voice. "How are you doing today?"
"I'm good. Guess who's driving," he said. "And it's not a guy."
"Hmmm…" the AI pretended to think. "That would be Alex, right? Wow!"
Alex laughed. "You've told all your cars about me, haven't you?"
Again, he ignored her.
"Yeah, it's Alex," Julian confirmed, amused. "Be nice."
"Why do you make me sound mean?" the AI protested.
Julian scoffed. "Be careful, wife. This one can be a real piece of work."
"Ouch," said the AI indignantly.
"Don't worry," Alex told her with a grin. "I don't believe him. Hi, I'm Alex."
"Hello, Alex. I'm Sam. Thanks for taking my side — Julian always tries to make me sound bad."
Alex chuckled. "He's a guy. Don't worry, we girls have each other's backs."
"I like you already," Sam said, mockingly cheerful. "Hey, Julian—"
"Go to bed, Sam," he interrupted and switched her off.
Alex gasped. "C'mon, Blackwood, that's rude!" But she was laughing as she turned the AI back on.
"Jerk," Sam muttered before Julian turned her off again.
---
They drove in comfortable silence until the GPS beeped, signaling their destination. Alex looked up — and her jaw dropped.
"Tell me we're not going in there, Blackwood."
Julian faced her, his expression unreadable. "Of course we are. You promised."
"I promised to cook, not to come here," she said, shaking her head. "No, Blackwood. Let's go."
He caught her hand before she could reach for the gear. "Just lunch, wife."
"Yeah, at one of the most expensive restaurants in town!" she shot back. "I can't go in there, Julian."
He tilted his head, amused. "Why not?"
She fumbled for an excuse. "I'm not properly dressed," she said finally.
Julian's gaze traveled over her, slow and assessing. She felt her pulse spike.
"I don't see anything wrong with your outfit," he said.
"Well… I'm not dressed for an outing. Look at me!"
She instantly regretted that invitation. Julian leaned closer, inspecting her face, her hair, her simple pink top and jeans. His nearness made her forget how to breathe.
After a moment, he leaned back with a smirk. "Nope, nothing wrong. You're just making excuses. Let's go, wife."
When she opened her mouth to protest, he raised a finger. "No more excuses. I'll drag you out if I have to."
Alex believed him — and that was exactly why she sighed and stepped out of the car.
Standing beside him, she crossed her arms. "You do realize you're bullying me into doing what I don't want to do, right?"
"As long as I get what I want," he said lightly, "the means don't matter."
Her stomach twisted. Just like marrying me, she thought bitterly. The brief comfort she'd felt around him vanished in an instant. She was just another accessory to him — and for reasons she couldn't explain, that hurt more than it should have.
Still, she followed him inside.
"Ready?" he asked.
She didn't trust herself to speak. She simply nodded and walked beside him to a private booth. The restaurant was every bit as luxurious as she'd imagined — red velvet chairs, crystal chandeliers, soft jazz in the background. She had once dreamed of dining here, studying their dishes to improve her culinary knowledge. But now? She was too angry to appreciate any of it.
"Are you going to order?" Julian asked.
"No. I'm not hungry," she said flatly.
"Wrong question," he countered. "What do you want to eat?"
"I said I'm not hungry."
Julian frowned, confusion flashing in his eyes. He thought they were fine. Something had changed — and fast.
"Are you okay?" he asked carefully.
"I'm fine," she snapped.
That did it. He leaned over the table and turned her face toward him, eyes narrowing.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"