The Billionaire I Married by Mistake

22. MEET

|Katherine|

A quiet awe settled over me, spreading through my chest like a slow-burning flame. It was only now that everything his parents and siblings had said about him truly began to sink in. I’d heard them praise Javier countless times—how sharp he was, how he could read a room like a seasoned politician, how he had a natural instinct for business. But today… I finally saw it with my own eyes.

Or maybe… maybe I just wasn’t used to being around someone like him.

He was too good. Almost unsettlingly so.

It had only been one public appearance, and yet, somehow, I knew—I hadn’t even seen the full extent of his capabilities. He sat with us with such poise, fielding difficult, unscripted questions from the media like he’d been preparing for them all his life. But he hadn’t. That much I knew. And still, he handled each one with a perfect balance of charm and calculation.

And me? I just sat there, quiet and still, utterly mesmerized.

The ease in which he addressed the crowd, the confidence in his tone, the way he redirected questions with such finesse—it was hard to believe this was the same man who, not too long ago, knew absolutely nothing about the company we were now entangled in together because of a marriage that neither of us planned. Yet there he was, embodying the role of a business heir so convincingly that no one would dare question it.

He looked like he belonged up there. Like he’d been born to lead our company.

Some of the reporters turned their questions toward me, but I could barely muster more than a few short answers. The rest of the topics I had reviewed, the points I had rehearsed—they never came up. The entire press conference had veered in a completely unexpected direction, and I was left trying to stay afloat while Javier swam through it like the waters were calm.

I didn’t know whether to feel relieved that I wasn’t grilled… or disappointed that all my preparation amounted to nothing.

Still, it ended smoothly. And for that, I was grateful—truly. Without him, I might have completely unraveled.

By the time we arrived at the private dining room Noel had reserved, exhaustion had set into my bones. I thought we’d be having lunch with the legal team—at the very least with Noel—but they had all politely declined. Something about having other matters to attend to. Noel gave a vague excuse about needing to return to the office for a meeting and promised he’d grab a bite there instead. Before I could even attempt to change his mind, he had already slipped away.

And just like that… I was left alone with my husband.

“I wasn’t expecting you to show up today,” I said as I slid into the seat across from him.

He followed suit, undoing his tie with practiced ease and shrugging off his coat. He rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, exposing his forearms, and with a careless flick of his fingers, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. The air conditioning hummed gently, but somehow he still looked overheated.

My gaze dropped, and before I could stop myself, I caught a brief glimpse of his chest beneath the fabric. I quickly turned my attention to the waitress entering the room, pretending I hadn’t seen anything.

“I didn’t exactly plan to come today,” he said, eyeing the waitress too. “But… I had a feeling I might.”

We placed our orders with minimal conversation before returning to the moment between us.

“Still, I’m really grateful you stepped in for the press conference,” I said, glancing at him again. “You didn’t have to do that.”

He leaned back slightly in his chair, eyes sparkling with amusement. “Did I really have a choice? You could barely answer a single question.”

I groaned, feeling the burn creep into my cheeks and the back of my neck. “That’s because those questions weren’t even on the list! I wasn’t prepared for any of that.”

He laughed under his breath, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Welcome to the world of media. It’s never about what’s on the list. They live to throw curveballs. The only thing you can do is know your stuff… and stay calm when they try to rattle you.”

I let out a heavy sigh, slumping forward a little. I knew that. Of course I did. But somehow, hearing it from him—cool and composed even after all that pressure—made me feel like I had fallen short.