Chapter 2 ENCOUNTER.

Wynter sat at the table, sipping her drink and staring out the window, her mind consumed by the arrogant stranger she was about to meet. She'd never laid eyes on him before, but she was determined to take him down a peg. As she mixed her juice with a straw, her thoughts drifted back to the mysterious but charming guy from the night before.

Her cheeks flushed at the memory of his deep, husky voice, his chiseled features, and his toned skin. He looked like a demigod, and for a moment, she forgot to breathe. But her admiration was quickly replaced by annoyance when she remembered he was fucking a lady out there in the streets. The thought made her blood boil over.

Wynter cursed herself for feeling a pang of jealousy. She wasn't supposed to care about someone else's actions, but she couldn't shake the image of him holding someone else close. Her mind was a jumble of conflicting emotions – excitement, embarrassment, and a hint of curiosity.

She was supposed to be the one, he was holding down last night, she was supposed to be the one taking his hard thrusts into her body, but instead another person barked on her.

As she struggled to gather her thoughts, a strong hand grasped her palm from behind. She turned to see who it was, and her eyes widened in shock. It was him – the Charming prince the same stranger she'd been thinking about all night. Wynter's mind reeled as she tried to process the situation.

Before she could say a word, he held her plams possesively as he asked the unthinkable: "Will you marry me, Wyn?"

The room fell silent, and all she could hear was the pounding of her heart. It was as if time had stopped, and all that existed was the two of them.

Wynter's eyes locked onto his, searching for answers. Was this a dream? Was she hallucinating? She felt like she was floating on air, her senses heightened. The sound of his voice, the feel of his hand on hers, the look in his eyes – it all seemed surreal.

As she sat there, frozen in shock, she couldn't help but wonder what had just happened. Had he really just proposed to her? And what did it mean for their future together? The questions swirled in her mind, but she couldn't find the words to ask them. All she could do was stare at him, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Will you marry me, Wyn?"Her mind replayed his questions

The words hit her like a punch to the gut, knocking the air out of her lungs. Her eyes widened, her lips parted, but no sound came out. He stood there, towering over her, his grip on her palm firm but not painful. His voice-deep, smooth, and dripping with that same arrogance she'd heard yesterday-was now softened by something she couldn't quite place. Was it sincerity? Desperation? Wyn didn't know. All she knew was that the man who had haunted her thoughts since last night was now standing in front of her, asking her to marry him.

Her mind raced. Marry him? This man-this stranger-who she'd only seen for the first time yesterday, who she'd sworn was the epitome of arrogance, who she'd convinced herself she was going to "deal with" today. What the hell is going on?.

And one thing she was sure about was the he didn't remember her, from last night, at first she was tempted to throw herself at him, tell him yes, that's she's ready to be his, but another one cautioned her and reminded her, she had and would never be a easy target, for any man.

Wynter's eyes widened in incredulity as she forcefully withdrew her hands from his. "What the hell do you think you're doing, sir?" she retorted, her anger palpable.

"You heard me," he said, his tone steady but laced with that same commanding presence that had made her both furious and inexplicably drawn to him yesterday. "Will you marry me?"He asked again, his quest dominant and possesive.

She pulled her away from his, taking a step back. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions-confusion, disbelief, and, to her own frustration, a flicker of curiosity. "You're insane," she said, her voice stronger now. "I don't even know you."She reprimanded.

Malvern was taken aback, seems like he suddenly woke up from a trance, why the hell did he ask her to marry him, and yet again, how dare her reject him, all he had remembered no women had dared rejected him, but she did it, she said it to his face. Calming himself, he felt he'd overstepped, letting his emotions cloud his judgment. "Oh, I apologize... just a slip of the tongue," he whispered, adjusting his shirt.

Wynter's laughter was laced with disdain. "A slip of the tongue? I call that an assult ? You can't just grab someone's hand without consent, and fucking tell them to marry you!"

Malvern offered his most charming smile, taking the seat opposite hers. "I've apologized, Miss. Why are you still upset?"He tilted his head slightly, a smirk playing on his lips.

Wynter found his smile repulsive. "What do you think you're doing, taking that seat? It's reserved!"She smirked back at him.

Malvern extended his hand, his smile still on his lips, as he mumbled those words. "Hi, Wyn. I'm Black Bird."

Wynter's eyes sparkled with amusement. "So, this is it?"She trailed off, her mind flashing back to the image of him pressed against a woman in the alley, his hand gripping her thigh, his lips trailing down her neck. The memory sent a jolt of something through her-anger, jealousy? She wasn't sure.

Malvern remained unfazed. "Hi, Wyn. Sorry to keep you waiting, and sorry again for my earlier behavior, I was just teasing my pallet."

Wynter's voice was soft, measured. "So, it was you?, the dude from the...."She paused, taking her eyes off him, when she couldn't bare his beautiful eyes on her.

Malvern smiled. "My name is Malvern Archer. That's me, and you're Wynter right?"He asked.

Wynter maintained a straight face, sipping her fruit juice. Malvern was taken aback – this wasn't the reaction he typically got from women. Because whenever he's around girls he doesn't need to make the move ,but instead they do , girls, women, ladies,they crowd , around him.

He was about to say something,when a waiteress, brought a dish ,in tray right in front of Wynter ,and he could guess she ordered it .

"You ordered , for food already?"He asked, giving the waiteress his own order, as be watched her unwrapped the food.

"Do I need to starve myself because of you?" she asked, her tone icy, hitting him like a baseball.

Malvern was taken aback, but her words struck a chord, breaking the little boldness he had tried to gather up in front of this lady...or girl. "That's a fair point," he thought, "but her delivery is harsh."He pondered.

"Sorry I took up your time; something unexpected came up," he stammered, surprised by the weakness in his own voice.

"I don't need your insincere apology," she retorted, her voice still frosty.

Malvern discreetly clenched his sweaty palms, feeling trapped and uneasy. No woman had ever spoken to him like that before, and his usual charm seemed lost on her.

"Have I wronged you in some way?" he managed to ask. "Why are you all Curt towards me?"He asked.

"What's your name again?" she asked, her tone firm, as she dig her spoon into the soup.

Malvern sighed deeply, her delivery are all harsh, and at this rate he thinks it's high time he let her know what exactly he is."My name is Malvern," he replied softly.

Wynter hissed in disgust."Look at me, really look at me. What do you see?" she asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

He locked eyes with her, his gaze sweeping across her upper body. He couldn't deny her beauty – her long hair, sparkling eyes, small round face, and curves that caught his attention. However, his instincts told him she wasn't seeking compliments.

"I don't understand what you're getting at, Wyn," he muttered.

"How old are you?" she snapped.

Malvern hesitated, knowing most people disliked discussing their age. Still, he wanted to please her. "I'm Twenty-Six Wyn," he replied.

And Before he could finish, she cut him off. "I'm nineteen, Mr. Malvern!"

"Mister ?,Why the formal title?" he whispered, his brows raised.

"When I asked you to take a good look at me, you said you saw nothing," Wynter said angrily. "Now, I'm telling you – what you're doing right now is borderline predatory,a child abuse!"

Malvern was taken aback. "Predatory? How so, Wyn?" he asked.

"Because I'm nineteen, and you had the audacity to ask me how much I charge for a night!" Wynter retorted.

Malvern realized he had misstepped. "You're still seeing yourself as a teenager, but I'm only twenty-six that doesn't make me old," he replied.

"Do you know why I came here?" Wynter asked, her voice rising. "I came to give you a stern warning: not every woman you meet will tolerate your inappropriate advances!"

Malvern's smile faltered. Wynter's anger was palpable."She looks adorable when she's angry," he thought to himself.

Wynter, however, was seething. "Do you find this amusing?" she asked, her voice icy.

"No, Wyn, I'm not taking your words lightly," Malvern replied. "My mind was just preoccupied with something else."

Wynter stood up, grabbed her bag, and headed to the counter. "Where are you going?" Malvern asked, following her.

Wynter ignored him, walked up to the cashier, and paid her bill. Malvern was taken aback.

"Why did you pay the bill?" he asked.

"I'm not that broke, and I won't wait for you to pay," Wynter hissed, walking out of the restaurant.

Malvern followed her. "Why are you doing all this?" he asked, trying to stop her from hailing a taxi.

Wynter turned to him. "You don't know?"

Malvern sighed. "Okay, I understand what I said yesterday was wrong, and I apologize. I didn't mean it."He apologized immediately, still not believing himself. Did he just apologized to the girl, for what!?

A sly smirk crossed Wynter's lips as she walked away. Malvern followed her, grasping her hand from behind.

"Wyn, can you –"

Wynter landed a forceful slap on his face, cutting him off. "Next time you lay your filthy hands on me, you'll regret ever crossing paths with me!"

Malvern stood frozen, clutching his face. Never had he been treated this way by a woman – let alone a nineteen-year-old girl.