LOVE'S QUAGMIRE [18+]

Chapter 3: Proposal

I saw Zephyr's eyes on me, and I blinked, giving him a small smile, and quickly shifted my gaze to my heels. 

 Abby motioned for me to come over, so I nodded and walked over to sit next to her. The three guys were just sitting there in front, staring at us.

 I was right, the man I saw this afternoon outside Reynolds Enterprise was none other than Zephyr Magnus.

They looked like mannequins or some fashion models, all serious-faced as if someone was taking their pictures. 

Trench coats were their thing, and they all had matching high-neck tops and pants, except for Zephyr, who was wearing a tux in.

Zephyr broke the silence with a polished introduction, "Greetings, I'm Zephyr Magnus Reynolds. A pleasure to meet you." 

I looked up at him, feeling a shiver run down my spine. His voice carried a warm, resonant tone, undeniably sophisticated.

 A smile adorned his face as he extended his hand for a shake. 

I reciprocated, attempting a polite shake. His hands felt warm and soft, a stark contrast to my chilly and clammy ones.

"Thank you. I-I'm Daphne, Daphne Hayes," shit, I mentally slapped myself for the stutter. 

He continued to hold my hand, maintaining a gentle smile. 

A lock of his perfectly styled hair fell onto his face, adding to his charm. I withdrew my hand, sitting back comfortably, as Xavier spoke.

"Hello, Daphne. Nice to meet you again, and Abigail too," he glanced at both of us.

 I bit my cheek, attempting to divert my mind from the lingering awkwardness.

 My dad, sensing something amiss, frowned and asked, "Again?" 

The gentlemen turned their attention to him and then to us. I looked at my dad and him, offering them a small smile, because, honestly, I didn't know what else to do.

 The bratty guy from Chaotic yesterday spoke up, "Yeah, actually, it's all my fault. By the way, I'm Sebastian, and I need to apologize for yesterday—for ruining those cupcakes and accusing you both."

 I was quite surprised because he seemed more calmer today compared to the chaos he caused yesterday. It was like he turned from a hothead into a scared cat.

Abigail glanced at me and turned to speak to them, "It's alright." 

"No, it's not alright, and we genuinely want to make amends for the loss. That's why we'd like to offer you this." Zephyr spoke with a guilty tone, reaching into his coat pocket and handing a box to my mom. 

As she opened it, we all leaned in to see a silver key inside. 

Frowns formed on our faces as we looked at Zephyr again.

"We've heard that Mrs. Hayes always had a dream of opening a bakery, but you never pursued it. As a gesture of apology, we'd like to give you the new bakery store located near Daphne's college," he stated, causing our eyes to widen in astonishment, except for his brothers.

"Come on, it's fine. We can't take this," my mom said, attempting to give the keys back. 

He insisted, gently holding her hand, "No Mrs. Hayes, it's because we genuinely want to do this for you. Refusing would only add to my sense of guilt for disrupting someone's hard work."

My mom found herself in a dilemma, but Sebastian insisted, and she reluctantly accepted it with a small smile.

As we all gathered in the dining room for dinner, the atmosphere was a mix of formality and the lingering awkwardness of unfamiliar faces.