"Besides.” He paused, his voice carrying that easy, rxed tone. "I promised you sushi, didn''t I? I can''t just bail on that." He grinned. "Let''s eat first. We''ll need the energy to deal with those jokerster."


    Reese hesitated, but then it clicked. Matthew was pretending to beid-back, letting Joseph drop his guard. He wanted Joseph to think he wasn''t interested in fighting, only to strike when he least expected it.


    Her nerves settled. She smiled and nodded. “Alright, I''ll go with your n."


    Matthew started the car, turned the wheel, and headed toward the sushi ce. Inside the car, he put on some mellow music. Instrumental notes filled the space, washing away that earlier tension. Every now and then, he''d turn to Reese and chat about the most ordinary things. New dishes at the sushi spot, how strange the weather had beentely, anything but Ratcliff Global. It was like he''d just decided to forget about the boardroom drama for the time being.


    Reese watched him, so calm and collected, and she felt her worries slip away. She knew Matthew never walked into a fight without a n. He might look casual, but he always had things under control.


    After about twenty minutes, they pulled up to Reese''s favorite sushi restaurant. The ce was hidden away on a quiet little side street, all clean lines and simple Japanese decor. It felt peaceful the moment they walked in.


    The owner spotted them right away and hurried over, beaming. "Mr. Wiles, it''s been a while. Want your usual table?"


    Matthew smiled. "Yeah, the usual." He took Reese''s hand and led her to the booth by the window. It had a great view of the alley''s greenery, and the whole corner just felt so calm.


    Once they sat down, the waiter handed over the menus. Matthew nced at them, then ordered without even looking. He picked out all the things Reese loved: salmon belly sushi, arctic surf m sashimi, grilled eel, and a sukiyaki hot pot. He added, "And two sses of plum wine, please."


    “Coming right up," the waiter said, bowing a little before heading off.


    Reese watched Matthew, feeling a warmth spread in her chest. "You still remember what I like?"


    Matthew looked up, his eyes soft. "Of course I remember. I remember everything you like."


    Her cheeks heated up. She quickly turned toward the window, pretending to study the nts outside, trying to hide her embarrassment.


    Matthew noticed the flush on her ears, and his smile grew even wider.


    Before long, their food started


    arriving. The salmon belly sushi looked perfect, with just the right amount of fat, practically melting.in her mouth. The arctic surf m Sashimi was bright and crisp, the griffed eel had that smoky aroma and tender texture, and the sukiyaki was bubbling away, rich and inviting.


    Reese picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece of sushi, and popped it into her mouth. She closed her eyes, savoring it, feeling all the stress of the past few days just dissolve with every bite.


    Matthew watched her enjoy the food, and he couldn''t help grinning. He kept adding


    more to her te, not bothering to hide how much he cared.


    They ate slowly, talking in quiet voices. The restaurant felt like its own little world, far


    away from all the chaos and games of the business world.


    Every now and then, Matthew''s phone would buzz quietly. He''d nce at it, tuck it away, and go right back to talking with Reese,


    gon


    never letting anything interrupt their


    time together.