In three hours, Rhiannon and the others stood in front of a magnificent building making Rhiannon sigh as she once again felt the difference between being rich and super rich. At the same time, she felt pressured as she wondered when she would ever have a house like that of her own.
“Young miss, our mansion is bigger and more luxurious than this. After all, we have the number no interior designer and also architecture in our midst,” Bancy said as she hoped that the latter would stop feeling uncomfortable or pressured.
Hearing Bancy’s words, Rhiannon’s eyes lit up.
“Really?” she asked eagerly causing Bancy to nod her head with a smile on her face.
“Yes. There is a bigger mansion with you having the top floor all by yourself, the elders and the rest on os us on the others. For our kids, there are three smaller mansions than ours in the compound. The mansion and compound are in a hundred acres of land,” she said in a whisper as she didn’t want Octavius to hear her.
Although she knew that the latter was close to their young miss, they also knew that the two of them didn’t fully trust each other and there was something they were hiding.
“Well, I guess that I will have to make a trip there after all this is over,” Rhiannon said while nodding her head making Octavius wonder how big was that mansion she had been told about.
Also, he wondered what Bancy meant when she said ours. Octavius stared at the two of them for a long time as he felt deep in thought wondering what they were hiding from him.
He wanted to say that the mansion belonged to Rhiannon’s father and that Bancy was one of the people sent to protect Rhiannon but when he recalled that Bancy seemed to know Mary and Melda, and also that he had heard that she had been sent to replace Melda in taking care of Rhiannon, he shook his head as he felt that the matter was so deep and concealed well.
He decided to wait till Rhiannon opened up to him and told him about them.
“Octavius, why didn’t you tell us that you guys were coming today? I didn’t even prepare myself to receive my daughter-in-law. You will make her think that I don’t approve of her” A voice came from the door entrance making them stop talking and looking around and turned to look at who was speaking.
“Mom, we were supposed to come tomorrow but she insisted on coming today as she has some things to do before your birthday day,” Octavius said helplessly as he understood his mother and knew that she was best at holding grudges.
When Amanda arrived in front of them and saw Rhiannon, she was so shocked that she took a few steps and early fainted.
“Celestine?” She called in a low tone while Antonio held her back supporting her.
Anabelle who was following her parents frowned as she couldn’t understand why her mother had reacted so strongly about seeing the beautiful lady.
Seeing how close the beautiful lady was to her brother, she instantly knew that she was her sister-in-law and sneered as she wondered how her cold and heartless brother had managed to make such a stunning woman agree to get married to him.
“I am sorry but my name is Rhiannon. Rhiannon Sanders. Celestine Sander is my mother,” Rhiannon said as she felt that since the woman knew her mother and saw some sadness and pain in her eyes, she instantly knew that she was her mother’s friend.
Also, she remembered Melda saying that her mother and Octavius were close thus she didn’t think of hiding her identity.
“How forgetful of me. How can I be seeing Celestine as she is already an old woman now? I have gotten old and she couldn’t be getting any older,” Amanda said with a smile on her face while Rhiannon’s smile started diminishing while Octavius got close to her and patted her back.
“I am sorry but my mom died a few years back. When I was a little kid,” Rhiannon said in a low yet sad tone stunning Amanda who took a long time before she got out of her shock.
“I am sorry. I didn’t know,” Amanda said in an apologetic tone.
“It's okay,” Rhiannon replied with a reassuring smile on her face.
“Well, guessing from how protective my son is, you are his wife, right?” Amanda said as she stared at the closeness of the young couple.
“Yes ma’am,” Rhiannon replied respectively as she couldn’t help but pull her arms out of panic and worry.
“That’s good. Your mother and I were really good friends. I think that it's fate that brought us together after all these years. Although she is gone, I am sure she is happy and relieved that I am your mother-in-law and not anyone else. And the small boy she always pampered is her son-in-law,” Amanda said happily but she had tears in her eyes.
“Rhiannon, from today, never say that you don’t have a mom. You got two moms. I am your mother from today and you can come to me if you need anything. If he hurts you, don’t hesitate to run to me and tell me what happened so that I can beat him up. He might have grown up and become taller than me but that doesn’t mean that I can’t beat him up,” Amanda said causing Rhiannon to start shedding tears as she was touched while Octavius glared at his mother.
“Mom, you made her cry. Also, I will never hurt her,” Octavius said as he took Rhiannon to his embrace, and patted her back as she cried on his hard chest.
“Oh spare me. You won’t hurt her and you did that some weeks ago that she even an away,” Anabelle said sarcastically causing Octavius to glare at her as he felt that she was too nosy and troublesome but Anabelle didn’t care about his glare or thoughts.
“Let my sister-in-law go you punk. When she is here, she isn’t yours, She is mine and mom’s and we want to take her in the house right now,” Anabelle said as she stepped forward but her words made Rhiannon chuckle and stop crying.
She wiped her wet face with Octavius' shirt before pushing them away.
All eyes were on her thus when they saw her actions, they chuckled while Anabelle felt that she was in another world if someone had dirtified her clean freak brother and he wasn’t angry but when she remembered her husband, she shook her head as she felt that men were really unpredictable.
“Hello,” Rhiannon greeted Anabelle with a smile that blinded Anabelle and she hugged her.
“Aaah. I have always wondered when this guy will get married and I will have a sister-in-law. I am older than you thus you are my baby sister. I will pamper you rotten. As mom said, she is now your mother and not mother-in-law and I am your sister and not sister-in-law,” Anabelle said while smiling causing both Octavius and their father to wonder where their cold and aloof lady who was known as the ice queen went.
“Oh, my name is Anabelle. I forgot to introduce myself,” Anabelle said making them speechless.
“Anna, if you have no problem with me calling you that,” Antonio said with a smile.
Looking at Rhiannon, he felt like he was looking at his childhood friend as he had grown up with Celestine.
“Not at all,” Rhiannon said as she didn’t mind what her in-laws called her.
“I am your father-in-law. Antonio. Call me dad,” Antonio said as he patted Rhiannon’s head.
“Dad,” Rhiannon called softly.
“Good girl. Sorry that these two have started talking to you even before inviting you into the house. We can first go in,” he said as he stood aside to pave the way for his daughter (s) and wife who were holding arms affectionately with Rhiannon at the center.
Anyone who would see them would think that it was a mother with her two daughters but entirely, they wouldn’t be wrong.
They walked in with Bancy and some of the designers and some of the workers who were carrying bags following them.
“Rhiannon, I saw that a woman was accompanying you,” Amanda said after they arrived at the living room causing Rhiannon to feel embarrassed as she had forgotten about Bancy and wondered whether they would think that she wasn’t so welcoming or dared about her friends.
“I am here young miss,” Bancy said in a low tone when she saw that Rhiannon was looking for her.
“Her name is Bancy, she manages two of my companies for me,” Rhiannon said introducing the latter she wondered whether she was going to introduce her as a friend or servant but decided on what she had said since it would give Bancy a status and be respected.
“Oh, no wonder I nearly said that she was a businesswoman but it seems that I wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Hello,” Bancy greeted them.
“Mom, we come in a hurry as we have a lot of work to do. I was given the task of designing your birthday dress for you and we finished it. We thought that it was better if we came earlier than we had agreed so that you can try it on and see whether it fits you perfectly or whether we can do some alterations,” Rhiannon said as she clapped her hands and some stylists walked in with a portable wardrobe.
“Please open for her to see the gown,” Rhiannon said when they walked in.
They did as told and opened it.
“Oh, my goodness. Rhiannon. I was just wondering whether a perfumer like you could design clothes but now I see that I was worrying for nothing. Now I am wondering whether…”