Chapter 7

The atmosphere at breakfast was stifling, the kind of silence that wasn't peaceful but suffocating Regina sat at one end of the table, continuously slicing into her toast. She kept sneaking glances at Daniel, who was seated opposite her, scrolling through his laptop without sparing her a glance.

"Do you ever look up from that thing?" she finally asked, letting out a sigh afterwards

Daniel didn't bother looking at her. "Do you ever stop talking?"

Regina rolled her eyes, reaching for her coffee. "You're annoying."

He clicked something on the screen, barely acknowledging her presence. "And yet you married me. What does that say about you?"

She scoffed, setting her cup down with more force than necessary. "It says I'm being punished for something I didn't do."

Daniel finally looked up, his sharp gaze meeting hers. "Trust me, I feel the same way."

Regina's jaw tightened, her lips twitching as if she was ready to fire back. Instead, she inhaled deeply, forcing herself to look away. She wouldn't let him win this one.

Lunch wasn't any better. They ate in near silence, the occasional clink of cutlery against porcelain dish wear the only sound in the room. Regina found herself growing more restless with each passing second. She wasn't used to being ignored.

Fed up, she set her fork down and leaned back in her chair. "What's your type?"

Daniel paused mid-bite, his brow furrowing slightly. "What?"

"You know," she pressed, tilting her head. "The kind of women you're into."

He sighed, clearly unamused. "What does it matter?"

Regina smirked, sitting up straighter. "Call it curiosity. Humor me."

Daniel's lips twitched into a smirk of his own as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Fine. Busty women."

Regina's eyes widened slightly, her gaze instinctively dropping to her chest. She looked back up at him, her face a mix of disbelief. "Are you serious?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "You asked."

"You're a pig."

"And you're predictable," he shot back, taking a sip of water.

She glared at him, but her curiosity won out. "So, is that why you agreed to this marriage? Because I fit some ridiculous ideal of yours?"

Daniel's smirk deepened, but there was no humor in his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself, Regina. You could fit every ideal in the world, and I still wouldn't be interested."

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "You're such a liar."

"Am I?" he asked, his voice low.

Regina narrowed her eyes at him, and without really thinking, she began unbuttoning her blouse. Daniel's smirk vanished as his gaze flickered downward, catching sight of the soft swell of her breasts.

"Regina, stop," he said, his voice lacking the authority he intended.

She took a step closer, her lips curving into a sly smile. "What's the matter? Can't handle it?"

He swallowed hard, his jaw tightening. "This isn't funny."

"Oh, but it is," she said, taking another step forward.

Before she could say anything else, Daniel moved. In one swift motion, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against him, his lips crashing into hers.

The kiss was intense as if he was trying to prove a point. Regina's hands instinctively gripped his shoulders, her mind spinning. She barely had time to register what was happening before he lifted her onto the table, his body pressing against hers.

Her heart was racing, and for a moment, she thought she might let herself get lost in him. But just as quickly as it started, Daniel pulled back.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, stepping away from her.

Regina blinked, still breathless. "What—"

"This didn't happen," he said sharply, running a hand through his hair. His expression was cold, almost as if he regretted everything.

She slid off the table, adjusting her blouse. "You're unbelievable."

"And you're a reckless woman," he shot back

Regina glared at him, her chest rising and falling as she tried to steady her breathing. "You kissed me."

"Because you provoked me," he retorted, his voice rising.

She crossed her arms, refusing to back down. "Don't blame me for your lack of self-control. I didn't ask you to throw me on the table for a make out session. "

Daniel opened his mouth to argue but seemed to think better of it. Without another word, he turned and stormed out of the room.

By the time dinner rolled around, the tension between them was far worse than breakfast. They sat across from each other, the silence heavier than ever. Regina was the first to break it.

"There's a fashion house event tonight," she said, keeping her tone neutral.

"We're not going," Daniel replied without looking up from his plate.

"Why not?"

He finally looked at her, his expression flat. "Because we're on our honeymoon."

She scoffed, leaning back in her chair. "Our fake honeymoon."

Daniel's jaw tightened. "Do I need to remind you how the press will react if we show up? Or how the common people will react?"

"Oh, spare me the lecture," she said, rolling her eyes.

"They'll throw eggs, apples—whatever they can get their hands on," he continued, his tone growing harsher. "And let's not forget your family's reputation. Do you really want to add more fuel to the fire?"

Regina's expression darkened. "I can handle it."

"You can't even handle breakfast without starting a fight," he shot back.

Her eyes narrowed. "At least I'm not a coward who hides behind his money."

Daniel slammed his fork down, the sound echoing through the room. "Do you even feel sorry for what your family has done? For the lives they've ruined?"

Her breath hitched, but she quickly masked it with a scoff. "I didn't do any of it. So why should I care?"

He stared at her, his gaze hard. "You really are heartless."

"And you're a self-righteous prick, ain't you?" she snapped.

They sat in silence for a moment, the air between them thick. Finally, Daniel stood, grabbing his plate.

"You're more trouble than you're worth, Regina."

She didn't respond, watching as he walked out of the room. But as soon as he was gone, she let out a shaky breath, her hands trembling slightly.

This was far from over.