In the evening, they all gathered in the backyard of Antony's residence.
Gian and Farhat-Letizia's husband-were busy with the meat on the grill, while Letizia herself was putting their son to sleep in the bedroom.
Antony's newly acquainted teenage daughter, Adaline, and her friend Flavia, were sitting together with Claire's niece, Abigail. The two teenage girls seemed engrossed in watching a video on the laptop placed on a pillow, occasionally screaming in excitement or humming. It seemed like they were watching a concert of their favorite boy band.
Meanwhile, Adaline and Claire chose to join the middle-aged women in the kitchen, who were busy preparing desserts and drinks.
Adaline was actually confused about what to do, as all the tasks were already being handled by the three mothers in front of her. Consequently, she and Claire just sat quietly, occasionally responding to the parents' conversations. Fortunately for Adaline, Claire was there; otherwise, she would have been truly unsure about whom to be with. Despite the Altezza family accepting her, she, being naturally shy and introverted, still felt a bit reserved.
As for the man who invited her there, he was still nowhere to be seen. Claire mentioned earlier that the men were in the office, discussing work matters.
Abigail and Flavia arrived, asking for additional food to be prepared. Despite grumbling, Claire moved and did what they asked. "Typical fickle teenagers, just seeing something on the internet makes them crave it instantly."
Claire seemed accustomed to using the kitchen's sophisticated equipment. Her relationship with Antony seemed very close. Well, of course. Besides being easygoing, Claire was also the future owner of this house, right?
Abigail took Claire's seat, and Flavia sat next to her. "Aunty, make a lot of food, okay?" The little girl commanded. Claire just made an 'OK' sign with her fingers without turning her head.
After all the food made by the mothers was brought back to the backyard, Abigail and Flavia resumed their activities with the laptop and the food plates on their laps, replacing the laptop's previous position on the waterproof carpet at their feet.
Claire chose to sit next to Adaline with a plate of food in her hand. "Want to try my cooking?" she offered, acknowledged by Adaline. "I was actually curious but hesitant to ask," Adaline replied, her gaze directed towards her niece and future stepdaughter. "I know Altezza, though not too intimately. And I know you."
"Your personality and Altezza's are like night and day. So, how did you end up together? And what about your crush?" Claire asked, finishing her question by turning to look at Adaline.
The 'crush' Claire referred to was the man Adaline liked, the one who wanted Adaline to keep her distance and pretend not to know each other. The man whose presence had been forgotten since his mother's surgery.
"I stopped hoping. He never saw me as a woman. He even didn't want people to know that we knew each other," Adaline replied with an empty stare.
"So, that's why you turned to Altezza?" Claire asked, raising an eyebrow.
"N-no, it's not like that," Adaline stammered.
Claire was well aware that Adaline had liked Haris for quite a while. One of the reasons Adaline joined Coskun Company after graduating from college was because of him. Although her father was another major reason, his presence was also one of the triggers.
Honestly, Claire didn't expect that one of her closest friends would end up with her future cousin-in-law.
It's not because Adaline isn't beautiful. She's beautiful, very beautiful. Gian was right; Adaline looked like a doll. Her petite figure, lovely face with chubby cheeks, round eyes adorned with golden corneas, framed by thick eyebrows and long eyelashes-she truly looked like a teenage doll. Even though she was already in her mid-twenties.
However, Claire also knew that Altezza was interested in the socialite type of women who diligently took care of their beauty-women with curves like a Spanish guitar, with prominent front and back parts. So, she was quite surprised when she saw him bringing Adaline to his engagement event.
"So, what's it like? Tell me about the beginning of your relationship," she softly commanded.
"You never told me that the man approaching you was Sir Antony," Adaline replied, unwilling to give in so easily.
"But I told you all the details, even though not with his name." Claire smiled meaningfully.
"But..."
"What's going on here?" That question saved Adaline from having to answer Claire's question. Antony was now sitting on the left side of his fiancée, while Altezza was sitting on Adaline's right, helping himself to the food on his plate without permission.
"Nothing. I was just asking Adaline about how she first met Altezza," Claire replied flatly.
"Are you that curious?" This time, Altezza asked. Adaline could feel his breath so close to her ear, with his open collar revealing his neck.
"Yes," Claire replied again. "Does anyone of you want to share? Because I've been trying to persuade her since earlier, but she chooses to stay silent." Claire looked at Adaline and Altezza alternately with raised and lowered eyebrows.
"Well, actually, I'm curious too." This time, Gian's voice chimed in. Adaline glanced nervously at Claire until the girl chose to lower her gaze.
"Everyone here knows how Claire's and my story began, so why don't we hear the beginning of Altezza and Adaline's tale? Do you all want to hear it?" Antony said, and Adaline never expected the CEO, who seemed reserved and expressionless, to be mischievous.
"Of course, we want to know. Considering this is the first time he's brought a girl home and introduced her to the family."
"Isn't that a bit suspicious?" Letizia, who had returned after putting their son to bed, now sat in front of her husband, who was embracing her from behind.
They looked so intimate, the way a loving couple should look. And honestly, it made Adaline jealous.
"I'm a bit suspicious; perhaps Altezza forced her to come here and asked her to pretend to be his fiancée because Aunt Delila kept threatening him," Antony continued, his suspicion making Adaline even more nervous, struggling to swallow her saliva.
Blushing, Adaline glanced shyly at Altezza's family. The parents chose to sit on beach chairs near the swimming pool, while the sons, daughters, and grandchildren sat on the grass, arranged in a circle with a short barrel filled with firewood as if they were having a bonfire.
The parents preferred to listen to their children's conversations rather than actively participate. At least, it made Adaline feel somewhat calm. Somewhat, not entirely calm.
"So, who wants to tell the story?" Gian demanded with an authoritative tone. Adaline didn't dare to answer; she preferred to remain silent and let Altezza speak because she was afraid of making a mistake.
"Do you really want to know, huh?" Altezza's voice sounded loud. His question was answered with nods from his family. Suddenly, he edged closer, embracing Adaline from behind, placing his chin on her bare shoulder. "Do you want to tell it, or should I, Madam?" he whispered teasingly. His warm breath tickled Adaline's ear, making her shiver. She didn't even dare to lift her head because of fear.
"Don't show such romantic scenes, Brother. You make me jealous because I'm the only one without a partner tonight," Gian grumbled. "And there are teenagers here who shouldn't see adult scenes."
"What are we doing?" Altezza wouldn't back down. Instead, he hugged Adaline tighter, intentionally kissing the curve of her neck, causing Adaline to widen her eyes for a moment. "Letizia and Farhat do scenes like this, and you don't stop them," he mocked.
"That's because they're husband and wife," Gian retorted.
Altezza reached for Adaline's left hand with his large left hand, then showed his palm to Gian. "Adaline and I are officially engaged now. And Antony does this to Claire." Altezza gently kissed Adaline's temple, mimicking what Antony did to Claire. "You don't stop them either." A blush reappeared on Adaline's face, making her bow even lower in embarrassment. She truly felt like a living doll being played by her master.
Everyone laughed hearing Gian's grumble, except for Adaline, who still kept her head down in embarrassment. "That's why, Uncle, find a partner soon so you won't disturb other couples' romance," Flavia, the quiet one, spoke with a mocking tone, causing her father, her future stepmother, and Altezza to laugh.
"You dare to mock me, huh?" Gian glared at his nieces, and Flavia and Abigail responded with nods. "Just because you're going to have a new mother, you're getting arrogant." Laughter echoed again. "Be careful; I won't bring chocolates for you later."
"It's okay; we're grown-ups, and chocolate isn't good for our growing bodies," Flavia replied. "Uncle can replace the gifts with cash. Later, we'll buy what we want ourselves," Flavia added, and Abigail nodded in agreement.
Gian widened his eyes, looking at his nieces. "I didn't expect you to become materialistic now." He said, making everyone laugh again.
"It's not being materialistic, Brother. It's just business," Antony defended. Gian snorted.
"So, what's the story? Don't try to change the subject," Letizia spoke.