Pretending to be.

As everyone took their seats, Harper began introducing Barron and Caleb to the rest of the group. Caleb and Ethan nodded in exchange, having already met before.

Abigail tried to make her way to the empty seat beside Ethan, but Harper somehow beat her to it, plopping down beside him with a bright smile.

Abigail's eyes flickered to the remaining empty seat, which happened to be beside Caleb. She slowly made her way over, trying not to draw attention to herself.

Abigail glanced over at Caleb, who was sitting nonchalantly, adapting to the environment with ease. Her eyes then shifted to Barron, who was having a blast, enthusiastically devouring the steak and pasta on his plate. His eyes lit up as he took a bite, and he let out a satisfied "mmm" that made everyone laugh.

Abigail couldn't help but be surprised by Barron's antics. She had expected him to be stuffy and formal, but instead, he was relaxed and carefree, enjoying himself immensely.

Ethan glanced over at Abigail, noticing her unusual expression. He slowly reached out and placed a dumpling on her plate, accompanying the gesture with a warm smile.

Caleb, who had been observing Abigail from his seat beside her, noticed that her face had flushed a delicate pink. He raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her reaction, and wondered what was going through her mind.

Mason walked back into the backyard, but he wasn't alone. He was followed by a man who was dressed in sophisticated attire, holding a bouquet of flowers.

The group fell silent, surprised by the sudden arrival of a stranger. Sean smiled charmingly, his eyes scanning the group before landing on Abigail.

"Hi! Am I not welcome here?" Sean asked, his voice confident and smooth.

Harper looked at Abigail, expecting her to react, but Abigail seemed frozen in place. Harper stood up, breaking the awkward silence.

"Of course, you're welcome," Harper said, her voice polite but slightly strained. "It was just very unexpected of you."

Abigail suddenly snapped back to reality, her eyes locking onto Sean. "Sean," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sean smiled naturally and walked towards Abigail, holding out the bouquet. "Congratulations," he said, his eyes shining with sincerity. "I was out of town, so I didn't get to see the competition live, but I heard you were fantastic."

Abigail took the bouquet, her fingers brushing against Sean's. She looked up at him, her expression unreadable. The group watched in silence, curious about the sudden arrival of Sean and his connection to Abigail.

Sean's eyes scanned the group, and his gaze landed on Caleb and Barron. His expression changed, a hint of surprise and curiosity flickering across his face.

Barron, sensing the sudden tension, leaned in closer to Caleb and whispered, "Someone's vying for someone's girlfriend's attention."

Caleb's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze fixed on Sean. He didn't respond to Barron's comment, but his expression spoke volumes.

Abigail's eyes darted between Sean, Caleb, and Barron, her expression uneasy. Harper, sensing the awkwardness, tried to intervene, "Sean, Take a seat."

Harper's invitation to dinner was met with a charming smile from Sean. He glanced at Mason, his eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief.

Mason, sensing Sean's intentions, raised an eyebrow. With a wry smile, he stood up, whispering loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Aren't you too obvious?"

Sean's smile widened, and he slid into the vacant seat beside Abigail. "Is it obvious?" he asked, his voice laced with innocence.

The group exchanged amused glances. Caleb's eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on Sean with a hint of wariness. Barron, on the other hand, seemed entertained by the exchange, a small smile playing on his lips. Barron smiled and asked, "Sean, how do you know Abigail?"

Abigail glanced at Barron, wondering if they knew each other. But before she could ask, Harper chimed in, "Yes, how do you two know each other?"

Barron replied, "A friend of my cousin's brother."

Sean then smiled charmingly. "Abigail and I met through a mutual friend," he said, his eyes locking onto Abigail's.

Barron's smile never wavered, but his eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Mutual friends, huh?" he repeated, his tone light but with a hint of probing.

Sean's smile returned, and he leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed. "Yes, that's right. We've known each other for a while now."

The group fell silent, with everyone waiting for Sean to elaborate. But he seemed content to leave the conversation at that, his eyes locked onto Abigail's with a hint of possessiveness.

Caleb's eyes settled on Abigail, who was concentrating on her meal, her gaze fixed on her plate as if trying to conceal her emotions.

Ethan, sensing the unusual tension, attempted to shift the mood. "Why don't we hear a few words from our runner-up, Miss Abigail?" he suggested, his voice warm and encouraging.

Abigail, taken aback by the sudden attention, placed her spoon down and looked around the table, her eyes wide with surprise. "Huh?" she stammered, feeling a flush rise to her cheeks.

The room fell silent, with all eyes fixed on her. Abigail's shyness threatened to overwhelm her, but she took a deep breath and managed a faint smile. "What words?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm all set."

However, with the weight of everyone's gaze upon her, Abigail felt compelled to say something more. She took another deep breath and began, her voice growing stronger with each word. "It was my dream... I'd like to thank everyone here for your support."

As the dinner continued without a hitch, Caleb, notoriously finicky about his food, surprisingly devoured his meal in silence. Sean couldn't help but notice Caleb's unusual enthusiasm for the food.

Just as Sean was about to comment on Caleb's voracious appetite, Gini, a young and nervous employee, suddenly tripped over her own ankle. She stumbled, and a small amount of soup splashed from the tray she was carrying, spilling onto Caleb's hands.

Caleb's eyes widened in surprise, and he jerked his hands back, wincing slightly as the hot soup made contact with his skin.

"I'm so sorry!" Gini apologized, her eyes frantically scanning the area for tissues. Before she could find any, Ethan swiftly handed her a few tissues and helped Caleb clean up the spill.

"Why don't you wash it with water?" Ethan suggested, as Caleb carefully dabbed at his hands with the tissues.

Meanwhile, Barron stood up and turned to Abigail. "Why don't you help Abigail?"

Abigail nodded sympathetically. "MD, come with me," she said, her voice soft with concern. She turned to Gini and offered a reassuring nod, indicating that everything was okay.