The Billionaire's Sudden Bride Chapter 230

**Summer's POV**

I could see the flicker of desire in Brandon's eyes as he leaned toward me, his gaze dropping to my lips. My heart raced, but the reality of our situation crashed through the momentary haze of attraction.

"What are you doing?" I pushed against his chest, glancing anxiously at our surroundings. "Do you realize where we are right now? Just drive!"

Brandon pulled back, the corner of his mouth twitching with amusement. He reached over and ruffled my hair like I was a child.

"I'm starving," I announced instead, deliberately changing the subject. "Let's grab dinner at that Italian place on 5th Avenue—the one with the amazing garlic bread."

Brandon glanced at me, eyebrow raised. "Italian? Remind me again, how many times have you had pasta this month?"

"Is that a problem?" I challenged, folding my arms across my chest. "I like Italian food."

阿

"It's not that it's a problem," Brandon clarified, his tone softening. "But all that rich food might not be good for you. I'm just thinking about your health."

"It's decided—we're getting Italian." I protested. 

Brandon's eyes softened as he studied my face for a moment. "Alright, if that's what you want."

I knew he'd seen through my ploy. After everything that had happened today, I wanted to get Brandon out of the house, distract him with something normal and comforting. A cozy Italian dinner seemed like the perfect solution—warming and requiring enough attention that he couldn't brood over his family drama.

We drove to Giorgio's in Manhattan, one of those upscale Italian restaurants with authentic recipes and a wine list longer than most novels. The place was packed, but thanks to Brandon's foresight in making a reservation, we were immediately shown to a private corner table.

While I scanned the menu, debating between the fettuccine and the risotto, Brandon pulled out his phone and stepped slightly away from the table.

"Why hasn't there been any movement on what I asked you to do?" His voice was low but sharp as he spoke to James.

I pretended not to listen, but couldn't help catching bits of their conversation.

"Mr. Stark, you mean...?" James's voice came faintly through the speaker.

"The photos. The task I gave you yesterday. Seems you've forgotten."

"You forgot. Wonderful," Brandon's tone was icy.

"Tonight?" Brandon considered. "Make it tomorrow morning. Get it done."

Brandon ended the call just as our appetizers arrived—fresh bruschetta and calamari fritti. 

"What was that about?" I asked, gesturing to his phone. "I thought you were on holiday for the next few days. Why are you still giving James assignments?"

"Nothing important," Brandon dismissed, reaching across the table to take my right hand in his.

I blinked in confusion as he studied my fingers with unusual intensity. The waiter brought our main dishes—fettuccine alfredo for me and osso buco for Brandon.

"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to pull my hand back. "The food's getting cold. Let go!"

"Hmm, it looks good," he agreed, releasing my hand. "Go ahead and eat."

Brandon twirled some of my pasta onto a fork and held it out to me.

"Stop that!" I protested, though I couldn't help smiling at his attentiveness. "I have hands, you know. Eat your own food!"

We settled into a comfortable silence, the rich flavors warming me from the inside out. Occasionally, I'd catch Brandon glancing at my right hand again, but I couldn't figure out why it had suddenly become so fascinating to him.

After dinner, Brandon suggested we take a walk through the nearby shopping mall.

"Since when do you enjoy mall-walking?" I asked, surprised. Brandon usually avoided crowded retail spaces like the plague.

"Did I ever say I didn't?" he countered smoothly, taking my right hand in his. "Let's look around. We should probably buy some things while we're here."

"Hmm?" I gave him a puzzled look.

Brandon led me through the mall with purpose, bypassing the usual stores until we reached the third floor. When we stepped into the jewelry section, everything suddenly clicked into place.

"Is this why you've been staring at my hand all night?" I asked, finally understanding his strange behavior.

A sales associate approached us immediately, her professional smile widening when she spotted Brandon in his tailored suit.

"Sir, how can I help you today? Are you looking for a ring?" she asked eagerly.

Brandon ignored her, turning to me instead. "Wait a moment," he said, then guided me toward the display cases. "Take a look. Which one do you like?"

"So you really did bring me here to buy a ring!" I exclaimed, finally putting all the pieces together. "That's why you kept staring at my hand during dinner!"

"Just hurry up and choose one," Brandon urged, a hint of impatience in his voice.

I scanned the glittering displays, momentarily overwhelmed by the options. Most of the rings were ostentatious—large diamonds in elaborate settings that would draw attention from across a room.

"You don't like any of these?" Brandon asked, noting my hesitation.

"It's not that," I explained. "But I have to wear this to work. Something this expensive and flashy wouldn't be appropriate."

"What kind of ring do you want, then?"

"Something more understated. Simple design, nothing too elaborate." My eyes landed on a display of more minimalist bands. "Brandon, come look at this one. What do you think?"

Brandon gestured to the sales associate. "Bring that one over, please."

The associate's smile faltered slightly as she looked at my choice—a sleek platinum band with a modest diamond in a clean, modern setting. It was beautiful but significantly less expensive than the showier pieces.

"Sir, are you sure you wouldn't like to see some of our other options? This particular ring is—"

"Just bring it out," Brandon cut her off, his voice dropping to a dangerous register. 

"I'll get it right away," she stammered, hurrying to retrieve the ring.

She returned moments later with the ring on a velvet cushion. Brandon took it and handed it to me.

"Try it on," he suggested.

I slipped it onto my right ring finger, admiring how the simple design caught the light. "What do you think? Does it look good?"

"Yes. It looks perfect," Brandon said, his eyes warm as they met mine.

"I think so too," I agreed, a flutter of happiness spreading through my chest. "Excuse me, could you please wrap this up for us?"

The sales associate nodded, but before she could take the ring, she spotted someone entering the store and her attention immediately shifted.

"Sir, are you looking to purchase jewelry for the lady? Right this way, please," she called out, completely abandoning us to greet the new customers.

To my surprise, no other sales associate was going to answer my request. 

I was about to express my indignation when Brandon's hand tightened around mine. I turned to see what had caught his attention.

"Brandon? Summer? What are you two doing here?" Lonnie Caldwell stood before us, his arm wrapped around an elegantly dressed woman who I assumed was his fiancée.

Chapter 231:No Thanks

**Summer's POV**

Brandon and I both spotted Lonnie at the same time, and my eyes immediately traveled to the delicate arm linked through his. A beautiful woman stood beside him, her elegant posture and designer outfit screaming old money.

Lonnie’s gaze shifted to my hand and the ring I was still wearing. His eyes widened in understanding. "Speaking of which, you two had such a low-key wedding that you haven't even had a reception yet! Just picking out rings today?"

Lonnie examined the simple band on my finger, clearly noting it wasn't made of particularly expensive materials—just a simple, elegant design. "Brandon, are you short on cash these days? Couldn't you buy something a bit nicer for Summer?" Lonnie's pointed glance toward the sales associate spoke volumes.

The salesperson's face immediately drained of color. The other staff members who had been watching from a distance exchanged nervous glances.

They might not have recognized Brandon, but Lonnie's deferential attitude made it clear that Brandon's status was significant.

Lonnie's expression darkened dramatically. "Call your manager out here. Now," he demanded, turning to address the entire sales team.

"M-manager?" one of the salespeople stammered. "Who are you? Our manager isn't here..."

"Not here? Fine." Lonnie's voice dropped to a dangerous register. "Tell him that all of you, including him, need to be gone from this place by tomorrow morning."

The woman beside Lonnie touched his arm gently. "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly so angry?"

"What do you think?" Lonnie replied tersely. "These people have no idea who they're dealing with."

He turned back to the terrified staff. "Do you have any idea who this is? This is Brandon Stark, CEO of Stark Group. And you've just insulted his wife by treating her like she can't afford your mediocre jewelry."

Just then, a man in a well-tailored suit rushed over, wiping sweat from his brow with a handkerchief. "Mr. Caldwell! I didn't expect to see you today. Is there a problem?"

"Is there a problem?" Lonnie repeated incredulously. "Do you train your staff to turn deaf ear to customers? Is that how you do business?"

"I don't understand—" the manager began.

"Your sales associate here," Lonnie pointed at the woman who had been helping us, "decided that Summer wasn't worth her time because she chose a simpler ring instead of the flashy, overpriced ones."

"This is unacceptable! I assure you, this will be addressed immediately," the manager sputtered, turning to us with a desperate smile. "Mr. Stark, Mrs. Stark, please accept my deepest apologies. I would be honored to offer you our finest pieces at a special discount—"

"That won't be necessary," Brandon cut him off coldly.

Lonnie turned to us, his anger shifting to a charming smile. "Brandon, Summer, at least let me make this right. Consider it my wedding gift to you both—any ring in this store, on me."

I exchanged a glance with Brandon, touched by Lonnie's gesture but also uncomfortable with the scene unfolding before us.

"Actually, I think this simple ring is perfect," I said, feeling protective of both Brandon and my choice. "Marriage is about the two of us, not about how expensive our jewelry is. What matters is the sentiment behind it." I examined the ring on my finger before shaking my head slightly. "Besides, we've been married a while without rings, so it's not like we desperately need them. It's getting late—maybe we should head home."

I examined the ring on my finger before shaking my head slightly. "Besides, we've been married a while without rings, so it's not like we desperately need them. It's getting late—maybe we should head home."

Brandon's lips curved into a slight smile at my words. "Alright," he agreed, before turning back to Lonnie. "Thank you for the offer, but we'll pass."

Brandon placed the ring back in its display case, then took my hand, ready to leave. Lonnie quickly stopped us.

"Why the rush to leave?" he asked. "It's rare to run into each other like this. Why don't we go grab some tea together?"

"That won't be necessary," Brandon glanced at his watch. "It's getting late. We'll catch up another time."

"Well, if you insist," Lonnie conceded, noting Brandon's less-than-enthusiastic mood. "But you absolutely must invite us to your wedding reception when you have one."

"Of course," Brandon nodded curtly before guiding me out of the store.

As we walked away, I couldn't help smiling a little. "Should we have accepted his offer?" I asked, half-joking. "That diamond solitaire in the front case was pretty spectacular."

Brandon and I emerged from the mall, with me still chuckling. "Are we being too hard on Lonnie? We deliberately avoided Stark Group's malls to keep a low profile, and then we run into him anyway."

Brandon's expression remained neutral, though his brow furrowed slightly. "Did you really like that ring?"

I shook my head. "I wanted it at first, but then I thought about it. It's not like we absolutely need rings. We've been married all this time without them! Besides, if I start wearing a ring, people will ask questions about the wedding, which seems like more trouble than it's worth."

"But we are married," Brandon said, his fingers lightly brushing against mine. "Not wearing rings seems... wrong somehow. You're my wife."

"I know that," I laughed. "Come on, we can buy rings another time, right? It's not urgent." I tugged at his hand playfully. "Let's get out of here—it's freezing!"

I pulled Brandon along as we half-jogged through the parking lot, our breath forming clouds in the cold night air. By the time we reached the car, the city lights were twinkling all around us, and we realized just how late it had gotten.