Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO
Chapter 102: Dinner Date

Chapter 102: Dinner Date

Ethan stared at the phone like it had just grown wings. He blinked once, then twice, before slowly reaching out and taking it from Stefan’s outstretched hand. His breath caught as he leaned in, squinting at the screen. His chest tightened the moment he saw the face staring back at him.

"That’s her," he said softly, like the words might disappear if he said them too loud. "That’s MY Rayna."

A long silence settled between them. Though he’d thought Stefan was just being paranoid over hearing the name and thinking too much, now, he didn’t think so anymore.

What he’s more interested in knowing is how his Rayna could be Ruby’s best friend. Could it be that it was Ruby she was going to pick up that morning he saw her? Making the calculations, it seemed to fit. If someone where to leave Zeden to Florittle that evening when Stefan got his sight back, then the person would be arriving in Florittle in the morning.

Did all this mean if he could get to Rayna, they would get Ruby? Was this it? Not just getting someone he loves but also a gateway to getting Stefan his missing piece.

Stefan stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. He began pacing the room, each step stiff with a tension that hadn’t been there moments before. His brows furrowed deeply, as though trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle that had just revealed a new, unexpected picture.

This was it. This was the universe working for him and bringing him and Ruby back together. Coming to Florittle had perhaps been the answer. If he’d known, he would’ve showed up since he realized the truth.

Ethan, still staring at Rayna’s profile photo, felt a slow rush of emotion flood his chest—surprise, confusion, and something that felt a little too much like hope.

"This can’t just be a coincidence," he managed to murmur to himself. "She said that morning... that maybe we should leave everything to fate. That if it’s meant to be, we’ll meet again."

He swallowed hard, the memory of her voice playing like a soft echo in his mind. "Let fate decide," she’d said, standing by the door with messy hair and brown eyes that sparkled with mischief and uncertainty. "If it’s meant to be, we’ll cross paths again."

He looked up at Stefan, who was still pacing like a caged lion, thinking and calculating.

"But we didn’t just cross paths again," Ethan continued, more to himself now. "We’re about to crash into each other."

Stefan paused mid-step and turned slowly to face him. "You sure it’s her?" he asked, not having heard a word Ethan had been murmuring.

"I told you, that’s her. Same voice, same eyes, same everything." Ethan’s voice was firm now, confident. "That’s the Rayna I’ve been trying to reach. The one I had a night stand with in Zeden."

Stefan rubbed the back of his neck, then let out a heavy breath. "Then it means Ruby wasn’t lying when she said her best friend’s name was Rayna. And if that’s true... it means your Rayna and Ruby’s Rayna are the same person. And since Ruby’s in Florittle, it only means she’s with Rayna. Find Rayna and we see Ruby."

Ethan scratched his chin, staring down at the photo again. "It’s a weird world, huh?"

"Weirder than you think." Stefan sat down again, the tension still clinging to his shoulders. "Do you know where she lives?"

Ethan shook his head. "No. I never got the chance to ask. She won’t pick or text me back. I told you this before."

Stefan frowned. "Then maybe you should call her again. I think we should try reaching her again. This is no longer about just the both of you. It’s about all of us now."

Ethan’s face dropped. "Come on, man, I understand what you said. But I’ve called and texted her over ten times. She doesn’t want to talk to me. I think I got the message even though I seem to be expecting her to call."

"I know but we have to call her again. Maybe she was busy. Or maybe she didn’t know how to respond," Stefan insisted. "Just try. One more time. For closure, if nothing else."

Ethan hesitated, looking at the phone like it might burn him. "I don’t know..."

"Just try," Stefan said, this time more gently. "Hope for the best. If she doesn’t pick, I’ll try not to bother you with calling her again."

Ethan let out a long, weary breath. His fingers hovered over the call button, nerves building with every second.

With a deep breath, he tapped the screen and the line started ringing. The line rang once... twice... three times and just before they thought she wouldn’t take the call, she did. fre ewe bnove l.com

"Hello?" Her voice. Soft, cautious, familiar.

Ethan’s eyes widened in surprise. His breath caught when he heard her voice across the phone and without thinking, he hit the red button and ended the call.

"What the hell, Ethan?" Stefan shouted, sitting up straight. "Why did you hang up?"

"I panicked, okay?!" Ethan snapped, dropping the phone on the table like it had betrayed him. "I didn’t know what to say."

"You’ve been chasing her for six months and you didn’t know what to say?"

"I didn’t expect her to actually pick up!" Ethan groaned, running both hands down his face. "Now she won’t answer again."

Stefan shook his head in disbelief. "You’re unbelievable. She finally picks up and you go all coward on her?"

"I’m calling her again," Ethan said, picking up the phone with shaking hands. "But what do I even say now?" he asked and Stefan looked at him, resisting the urge to laugh at his best friend.

Stefan leaned forward. "How about you start by asking if you’re disturbing her—since she’s been ignoring your calls. If she says no, ask her to dinner. If she agrees, you can talk more in person. Keep it simple."

Ethan nodded, breathing in and out deeply, like he was preparing for war. He glanced at Stefan, who gave him a small, reassuring nod.

"Okay," he muttered, hitting the dial button again.

The phone rang... and rang... and with each ring, Ethan’s heart thudded against his chest. His thumb itched toward the red button again, but he held back and waited.

Then— "Hello?" came her voice again, soft and uncertain.

Ethan exhaled slowly. "Hey... sorry I hung up earlier. I just needed to be sure you were ready to talk to me."

Rayna’s tone changed instantly—there was a smile in her voice now. "If I wasn’t ready to talk, I wouldn’t have given you my number in the first place."

Ethan raised his brow. "Really? Then how come I called and texted more than ten times and got nothing back?"

There was a pause on the line as Rayna turned to Ruby who’d forced her to take the calls.

"Don’t tell me you were counting," Rayna said, laughing lightly.

Ethan gave a mock sigh. "You kind of make it easy to count when you don’t reply."

Ruby gave Rayna a look and she didn’t need anyone to tell her what it was about.

Then she sighed, her voice softening. "I’m sorry, Ethan. I didn’t mean to ignore you. I’ve just... been busy."

"Busy? Taking care of your pregnant friend, I guess?"

She laughed—truly laughed this time. "I can’t believe I told you that. But yeah... you could say that."

Across the table, Stefan sat up straight. The puzzle was fitting itself together. Pregnant friend. Rayna. Ruby. It definitely was Ruby.

Everything pointed in one direction now, and Stefan didn’t even try to deny the growing certainty in his gut. f\r(e)ewe.b no\vel.com

Ethan smiled, heart warming at the sound of her laughter. "Well, in that case, I’ll forgive you."

"Oh yeah?" Rayna teased. "What’s the price?"

"A dinner date," Ethan said simply. "Tonight."

She hesitated, and Ethan felt his heart lurch in fear. "Only if you’re free, of course."

Rayna looked over at Ruby, who had been silently listening from across the room though not with her eyes as they always seemed to betray her lips. Ruby gave her an encouraging nod, mouthing, Say yes.

Rayna bit her lip, eyes twinkling. "Okay. Just dinner."

"Great. How about you text me your address and I come pick you up?" Ethan asked, wanting them to confirm as quickly as possible.

"Oh, I think you should text me the details of the restaurant instead," she said, not sure Ruby would like to be seen just yet.

Ethan’s face fell but he didn’t let it show in his voice. "Great idea too. I’ll just text you the details."

"Looking forward to it," she replied, her voice a bit softer now. \n(o)v.e\l.com

As the call ended, Ethan looked up to see Stefan staring at him, a small smile playing on his lips.

"She agreed to having a pregnant friend," Stefan said, standing. "I’m telling you, I’m a hundred percent sure now—Ruby’s the pregnant one."

Ethan nodded slowly, still processing the fact that Rayna had actually agreed. "If she is... then we’ll see soon enough."

Stefan clapped a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. "One thing’s for sure—fate doesn’t play around."

Ethan chuckled, glancing at the phone again. "No, it really doesn’t."

And somewhere in his heart, a spark lit up—a feeling he thought he’d forgotten how to hold on to.

Hope.