***A/N: If you are re-reading this starting May 2024, please note that there are enhanced scenes and details for you to enjoy :)

I have also added some music recommendations in the Comments to help you be in the mood as our characters.

Thank you for staying all these years!***

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It was becoming a real challenge for Vee to change her attitude whenever she sees Jordan. She didn't realize that it had become worse until her friends had called her out. Guy and Lenka described how her default facial expression was like whenever Jordan was around and it would always be grumpy. Her treatment of him was worse than how she would usually deal with an annoying individual. She never really noticed it, but she was always frowning whenever she talked to Jordan either in person or over the phone, and it was becoming exhausting. She wasn't even sure why she was acting that way.

"You need a break," Lenka suggested, "and it's best to spend time with Jordan."

Lenka started laughing hysterically when Vee looked at her with disgruntled eyes. "You two need to bond," she said, matter-of-factly. "Besides, you will get married soon, and you must start learning how to like him..." She pinched Guy's arm in excitement, and earned a growl from the latter. "Oh, c'mon. You have to admit - the youngest Gallagher is a hottie. It's not that impossible to like him..."

Vee privately agreed, but there was something inexplicable which hindered her from acting nicely, and she knew that she would need to fix it. Taking a vacation seemed a good idea, and she hoped that Jordan would agree.

"Sure. When are we going?"

It still came as a surprise when Jordan agreed with Vee. She had a feeling that he wouldn't agree with the idea when he sounded unenthusiastic over the phone earlier when she invited him for lunch. She thought that he came half-hearted and would not want anything to do with her requests.

She paused from biting on her steak and looked at Jordan's face to see if he was genuinely interested. A strong blush crept on her cheeks when she looked up and saw him staring at her with twinkling eyes. Those were the same eyes which she remembered seeing while they were surrounded by reporters back when their "engagement" was announced. She had already shoved the memory of those eyes at the back of her mind since she found it disturbing, and seeing his bright blues again made her lost for words.

"Uh..." she drank her wine to evade Jordan's stares. "Do I have anything on my face?" She snapped, when he refused to look away. She could feel her cheeks going red and warm, and she didn't like the developing smirk on Jordan's lips. Mustering all her strength to give him a frown, she placed her elbows on the table and glared into his eyes. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Jordan chuckled as Vee's face quickly shifted from blushing to frowning, and he secretly congratulated himself for successfully making her reveal her softer side. He had always wondered how to make her yield and be friendlier to him, and he honestly never expected that his usual get-the-girl actions would work. Ladies had always complimented his eyes, and acting wisely, he had always used them to his advantage. He also noticed that Vee always evaded his stares and it made him realize that she was trying not to fall in his trap. That alone, he confidently told himself, would lure Vee into staring right back at him - and it worked. Only for a few seconds.

"I was just listening intently," he replied, smiling as he enjoyed the sight of Vee's frown. "I've always wanted to go on a vacation, and this would be the first time I'm going with my fiancée." He couldn't help but grin all the more as the Yates princess pouted at him in pure annoyance. He watched as she resumed eating, viciously slicing her steak like it were his face. "Careful, sweetheart, you might break the plate." He laughed heartily as he earned another deadly glare.

Going on a vacation would help Jordan decide where to start with his own investigation of the Yates-Gallagher accident. He needed more information but didn't know where to start looking without the help of a Yates. After observing how aloof Vee could get when asked by reporters about her family, he felt that she was trying to hide something important. He knew that she would have to be comfortable with him and to trust him enough to share her thoughts, just like the way she trusted Conan. It was the same advice he got from Alannah, but he didn't anticipate that it would be that difficult. So far, his research had revealed that Vee's personality varies with the people around her and although interesting, that information was not that helpful. In the fashion industry, she was well-known as someone who works closely with designers who donate to charities; she also earned the nickname "Snapdragon" coined by displeased paparazzi whom she had given the dirty finger back when she turned eighteen because they crashed a solemn gathering with her college friends; there were also rumors of her catching an ex-boyfriend whom she caught cheating right in her own hotel suite and throwing him out of the room butt-naked. Looking at how Vee was described by the media people, someone like Jordan who didn't know her personally would think she could be bipolar. He chuckled at the thought.

Jordan's frequent chuckles made Vee uneasy and suspicious, making her wonder if the Gallagher heir was silently plotting her death. She couldn't force herself to fully trust him like how quickly she did his older brother. Her judgment was prejudiced by her displease towards the fact that he stole her precious caught-on-camera kiss. It was something trivial, but she had always dreamed of being photographed while kissing someone only on her wedding day. Of course the poor man doesn't have the slightest idea about it, but no matter how unfair it was, Vee still chose to take it against him. She could hear Lenka at the back of her mind reprimanding her for being unfair.

"Do you have any suggestions where we could go?" She casually asked, trying not to get more annoyed as Jordan's mobile phone started vibrating endlessly on the table. She watched as his long fingers casually flicked the screen of the phone and she saw a woman's photo. Since the phone was facing away from her, she couldn't make out who it was or what name was showing. Her eyes instantly flew back to Jordan's face to see his reaction, and waited as Jordan answered the phone with a naughty smirk on his lips. Curiosity made her want to eavesdrop and discover who was calling, but he motioned for her to wait as he excused himself from the table. From a distance, she could see him biting his lower lip in an enticing way as he listened attentively to whomever was calling.

The sight made Vee blush uncontrollably, thinking that the woman on the phone could be his real girlfriend. Why didn't it cross my mind? She thought, suddenly feeling a little guilty. She wondered how Jordan must be juggling between his personal life and being her fiancé, and it made her want to not judge him anymore. Besides, everything he had done was for her own benefit, and he seemed to have pure intentions regardless of his methods.

Lenka is right...I need to get to know Jordan better.

Finally convincing herself to give Jordan a chance, she decided to force herself to act a lot nicer towards him, shoving a weird feeling at the deep recesses of her mind.

Not really knowing how to spend their vacation together, Jordan and Vee agreed to start off by strolling the streets without purpose and trying to blend in with a different crowd than their usual business encounters while wearing "regular clothes."

"Hey," Vee complained when Jordan pointed out that her clothing style always looks like she just stepped out of a fashion magazine. She wasn't sure whether that was meant as a compliment or not, and she pouted as he browsed through magazines which featured her. She felt like being judged as he nodded and shook his head from time to time.

That morning, Vee got a big surprise when Jordan came to her house unannounced, donned in sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt. He said that he was out jogging when he suddenly thought of buying pizza and sharing it with her. Not being a morning person, Vee acted all grumpy towards him again, especially when she realized that her diet would be ruined in the morning by cheese pizza - which happened to be her favorite. She wanted to have other options prepared for breakfast, but Jordan told her that the house helpers have all gone away for a five-day vacation at his prodding. Even Max accepted the offer. She wondered what kind of drug he had given her bodyguard.

"I can't believe you're ruling my life now," she crossed her arms dramatically as she got out of bed. That was when she realized that Jordan was in her room, and that Max was not guarding her door. She was about to push Jordan out of her bedroom when he suddenly shoved into her mouth a piece of the pizza he was eating. Unable to talk, she glared at his smiling face as she chewed. Cheese always made her feel better, and as she started becoming less hostile that when she just woke up, the next thing she knew, she was already in the kitchen waiting for Jordan as he brewed coffee.

It was a little odd not to hear any noise from her house helpers who would usually be up early in the morning to prepare her breakfast, but she realized that she had not offered them any vacation yet ever since she took over the house. Jordan's meddling has done them a favor and she thanked him for it, but she wouldn't voice it out, no.

"Here's what you need to wear," Jordan suddenly jumped from the couch and brandished a magazine page which featured jeans and shirts.

Forcing herself to wake up after being so full, Vee agreed and decided to prepare for her day. She came out of her room after bathing for an hour and showed Jordan the pair of jeans she wore as he had suggested. Again, she felt judged as he asked her to turn around so he could take a good look.

Jordan commented that she still looked fancy, and asked her to change into dull-colored clothes. She didn't want to spend time rummaging through her closet for something "normal-looking" and so she ordered Jordan to look for clothes which would match whatever he had in mind. He obliged but complained about having to literally step into her closet to look for clothes. Even so, he came out grinning triumphantly while waving an old sweatshirt and a pair of workout pants.

"I think you'd pass with these." He told her.

Not wanting to think much, Vee let Jordan decide. She hasn't worn the pair for almost a year, and she thought she may have already grown a little into her clothes as they felt snug. She came out and asked Jordan to see if it still fit her, and she almost jumped when she got a furious "no!" Taken aback by Jordan's sudden irritation, she waited patiently as he went back to her walk-in closet and looked for other options. She could hear him grumbling from the inside.

"Don't you have decent clothes which don't flaunt your ass? Man, this big closet is useless."

Standing in front of her full-length mirror, Vee silently agreed that her clothes were a little body-hugging, but she could imagine Guy telling her that it was just right to flaunt her assets. She privately agreed that going out in the streets in those sweats wouldn't be a nice idea, though. When Jordan came out again holding another pair of sweatpants, she noticed that his mood had changed. He looked uneasy and was obviously trying to keep his cool. She wondered if it was such a challenge to dress her up.

"I shouldn't have said that," Jordan told Vee as he looked out the window. "Wear whatever you want, I'm not complaining,"

Not in the mood to argue, Vee changed into the new pair of sweatpants which Jordan had found. It didn't feel as confining as the first pair, and to be honest, Vee felt more comfortable. She tied her hair afterwards and didn't put any makeup on. She noticed that Jordan didn't look at her clothes anymore and was just trying to occupy himself with his phone. His suddenly dry attitude continued until they went out.

Jordan and Vee spent the first hour jogging without talking to each other. Jordan would occasionally slow down while he checked on his phone, and Vee would in turn wait from a good three meters away. On the other hand, if she would pause to fix her hair, Jordan would pretend to check his phone. Finally giving up and feeling that it was her clothing style which upset him, Vee decided to break the ice and hurried forward to grab Jordan's arm. When he looked at her with unreadable eyes, she tried not to back out by flashing her brightest smile.

"How about we go to the camp and you show me around?" She asked, refusing to let go of Jordan's arm which she noticed had tensed with her touch. She waited nervously as he contemplated on her suggestion.

"Are we driving?" When Jordan replied, Vee finally felt a bit at ease again. Since it would take twelve hours by land to go to the Elite Military Camp, she figured that it would be a perfect time for them to start talking again and bond. "I would have to take Jacket with us," Jordan said, "it's time to visit his vet at the camp."

With their new arrangement, Jordan and Vee headed for the Gallagher Mansion to fetch Jacket. The German Shepherd came bolting out the door upon seeing them and gave Jordan a big hug. Vee looked nervously at the dog who glanced at her with an equally anxious stare. Not knowing whether she had to pat its head or not, she decided to settle for a scratch behind its ears. She felt elated when Jacket started wagging his tail in pleasure.

Since Jordan decided to use his jeep for the long drive, Vee waited while he took his sports car out of the way and navigated out of the garage. As Jacket quickly hopped in the backseat, Vee snuggled in the passenger seat. She reminded Jordan that she would have to bring clothes with her, and that they would need to stop by her house to get some. However, since they would be out of route, Jordan declared that Vee could use his extra clothes in the trunk instead. It would have added two hours to their total travel time if they would go back to Vee's mansion. Ridiculous as it sounded to her, Vee simply agreed to use Jordan's extra clothes to avoid an argument. She simply secretly planned to make the manly set of clothes look nice on her.

As Jordan pulled to a stop at a gasoline station two hours after, Vee started getting bored. She didn't want to leave her seat but she felt the need to stretch and move around a bit. The convenience store of the gasoline station had a stack of magazines on display and she decided to buy time by browsing through one which had Jordan's face on the cover. While she skipped the write-ups and just looked at the pictures, her eyes fell on Jordan's old photograph showing him as a champion in a mixed martial arts competition. Skimming through the article, she caught a line which said "it was a great disappointment to the MMA world when Jordan Jacobs Gallagher declared an early retirement right after his fifth championship to focus on his studies. Rumor has it, though, that he secretly got married to his then beauty queen girlfriend, Shania O'Brien."

"Interested in your fiance's past, eh?"

Vee nearly jumped when she heard a man speak. Looking around, she saw a middle-aged man standing a few meters from her, reading the newspaper. He was wearing sunglasses which hid almost half of his relatively small face, but with the way his head was tilted, it was evident that he had been watching Vee. He unfolded his arms and reached over to casually tap Vee's shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said, "I don't think they really got married." He chuckled as he casually walked away out of Vee's sight as though nothing happened.

Although meeting a stranger who acts all too familiar while giving her a pat made Vee feel a little awkward, what she read in the article made her curious and she wanted to interview Jordan at once and get first-hand information. They just might get closer with this gossip which she had stumbled upon. She hurried back to the jeep with an excited grin ready to tease him, but her smile dropped when she saw him scowling behind the wheel.

"Who was that?"

It was Jordan's welcoming query, obviously pertaining to the man who just talked to Vee. His eyes traveled from Vee's surprised eyes to the spot which the guy tapped on her left shoulder.

He motioned to Jacket, who was watching in anticipation from the backseat, and the dog instantly went to sniff the spot on Vee's shoulder which the man had touched. Vee stiffened when it started growling, then put its heavy paw over the spot as it looked back at Jordan. Vee could not believe her eyes when Jordan reached forward and retrieved a tiny button-looking device which he said was a wireless audio-video recorder.

"Never let any stranger come close to you," Jordan warned. "Or better yet - never let them touch you." His eyes looked as cold as ice and dead serious as he glared into Vee's own. "Is that clear, Venera?"

Overcome by shock at what just happened, Vee immediately agreed with Jordan. She couldn't understand why a random man would plant a recorder on her since she had never experienced anything like it before. She has had her fair share of weird reporters and fans, but they were unable to get close to her as easily as earlier because Max and her other assistants had always surrounded or protected her. There was nothing weird which she had felt while talking to the stranger, too, and it scared her when she realized that she could have easily been victimized by anyone. Suddenly feeling threatened, she didn't realize that she had been embracing Jacket a little too tightly until the dog wiggled for some space.