Chapter 104 FUTURE IN-LAWS.
SLOANE'S POINT OF VIEW.
I walked hand in hand with Lucien as we climbed up the marble stairs of the Everhart mansion. Lucien had calmed me considerably in the car, drawing circles on the back of my hand momentarily as he drove. The second the mansion’s view came up as he drove closer, I wasn’t filled with nervousness anymore; rather, it was the anticipation of what tonight could bring.
Since I’d discovered about Reginald, and all that he’d done, I’d come to terms with the betrayal, and realised that it was better to try and move on instead of concerning myself with a man that sought to cause me so much harm, while comforting me. Valerian, Ms Vale, Seraphina, and Ace were my new family….my real family; and I would do my part to get to know them.
“It’s gonna be okay, baby,” Lucien said, tightening his grip on our joined hands.
“Yeah….I’m gonna meet my real family tonight. I only hope shit doesn’t hit the fan.”
“I’m here for you, no matter what.” He said, and I realised something. Lucien was walking into enemy territory. My family….they didn’t like him. I could see it, feel it, hell, I saw it clear as day on the night of the play.
The only person who might feel a bit indifferent, or not hate Lucien as much as the others, might be my mother.
“Are you gonna be okay? You’re walking into a room full of people who don’t like you.” He doesn’t flinch; he just smiles like that excites him.
“Are you worried, baby?” I nodded. I was worried that he wouldn’t manage with them. He opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could, the door opened to reveal my mother.
She stood before us, dressed in a simple peach dress, her blonde hair styled beautifully so it fell in deep curls around her, dainty but very shiny jewellery on her neck, ears, and hands, as she smiled hesitantly while staring at me.
“Sloane! You’re here.” She said, her smile growing wider at the sight of the one I gave to her. “Please, come in.” She says with her hand gesturing to the inside of the mansion. I handed her a bouquet of lilies Lucien and I got on the way here, and she accepted it with an even wider smile.
I noticed she barely regarded Lucien, or even gave him anything short of a glance, so I pulled my boyfriend closer, smiled even more, and said, “This is my boyfriend, Lucien. You must have met him on the night of the play.”
It was in that moment that she finally turned to him, and with a stiff smile, she said, “Oh, welcome, Lucien.”
And being the psycho my boyfriend is, he returned her smile with a wide one, and said, “Good evening, Mrs Everhart. You look beautiful tonight.”
She squints her eyes at him before turning to me like she only regarded him as an afterthought. “Sloane, come on. Your father and siblings are all waiting for you inside.”
I nodded, but refused to let go of Lucien’s hand as she led us in. I was here with my boyfriend for a reason. I’d seen how much they didn’t like him, but they needed to know. That Lucien and I were a team, and no one would separate us.
“Valerian! She’s here.” My mother said, and I finally caught sight of him standing against the dining table. The entire mansion felt like an artist’s piece. Whoever designed it was an immaculate designer.
From the chandeliers to the colours of the furniture, the walls, the curtains….everything came together to scream luxury, and to be honest, I felt very out of place at the sight of it. The house I grew up in….or thought I grew up in….it was the very opposite of this.
At that house, I could see the ceiling, but in this one, the ceilings are so high that I can barely see them. I could smell the jasmine in the air with every inhale, and it felt like the air got cleaner with every minute. Each inhale felt cleaner, fresher, and somewhat different. Hell, the air was new, too. I could feel the luxury of the floors beneath my small heels as we stood. From where we stood, I knew the house was a statement piece; I could barely picture what the other rooms would look like.
“Sloane,” Valerian said, a wide, fatherly smile on his face the moment his eyes made contact with mine. He also barely glanced at my boyfriend, only staring at me until he pulled me in his arms. I didn’t let go of Lucien’s hand.
“Hi, Valerian,” I said, not ready to call him dad yet. I don’t know why, but for some reason, calling him dad, or her mom….it felt like I shouldn’t yet, which was weird, because I didn’t know why I felt like that. I guess a part of me felt like I was betraying Reginald by doing it, even though the man wanted me dead, and probably still wants me dead.
“Meet my boyfriend, Lucien. I already introduced him to um…..mom.” I said, wincing at how awkward it felt to say that. I decided last minute to try it, to see how it would feel if I called one of them mom, or dad, and now that I’d done it, even though it felt weird, I think I can try again.
The second the word ‘mom’ left my lips, I could hear the sharp inhale of breath from her, but I was more focused on Valerian’s eyes on Lucien, as he regarded him like he thought he was something he could squash.
“Hello, young man.” He said, his voice cool, but his eyes were filled with something that looked guarded. It was like he didn’t trust him, and honestly, I didn’t understand why.
“Good evening, Mr Everhart. I’m honoured to be here at your dinner.”
“You weren’t invited, though,” Valerian says, but before Lucien could say something that would definitely have them hating him even more, I interjected;
“Um…I brought him over. I know I said he would only drive me over, but I just wanted him around while we talked, Dad.”
I used that last word to get him softer, and it worked, because Valerian looked calmer instantly, even though he still regarded my boyfriend like he was a specimen under a microscope.
“Fine, but only because you want it.” He said, his voice much softer as he spoke to me. “Come on in, we have the kitchen prepared, everything you loved as a child. Hopefully, it’s still to your liking?”
He asked, and I could see the unsure look in his eyes. My heart squeezed with guilt because, for the first time, I realised that he was also in the same position as I was.
He was meeting his daughter after such a long time, and after suffering at the hands of his brother, the least I could do was be supportive.
“It’s alright, Dad,” I said, seeing the relief and joyous expression at that.
“Perfect. Ace and Seraphina will join us now, and then, we can begin.”