Chapter 13 Family Dinner
To address the talks was highly unfavorable for me yet I had no choice and came to meet my parents who returned from their trip.
The second I arrived, my eyes fell on my younger brother who looked almost similar to me.
Black hair, blue eyes. But he had muscular, dominant features and a charming aura already around him, unlike me.
I didn’t like interactions, parties. I liked staying within my own tiny world.
“Well, well, look who is here? After being the center of attention,” Draven called, pulling me into a hug.
“Congratulations,” He whispered, winking at me. I was taken aback. Did he know? How? Or just teasing me?
“Shut up,” I growled, sending a glare to shut up and pull back.
“Ah, the pieces of my heart,” Father called happily, giving us their blessing as I greeted my parents, ignoring his talks.
“Welcome, Mom and Dad,”
“Welcome, son,”
Mom called, “Good thing you are here, Vince, your father and I had some questions for you,”
“Can we discuss them at the dinner table? I am starving,” I sighed, trying to delay it for the time being.
“Sure. Go and freshen up,”
“Hmm,”
We were having dinner, I could feel their eyes on me, waiting patiently for them to address the talks of being ‘intimately’ connected with Alyssa going around.
“So, what are these rumors?”
“Can you specify which and what exactly do they say?” I asked calmly, munching on my bite.
“You and Alyssa have something going on. That she left her husband for you and you two are having an affair,” Dad said sternly.
I chuckled dryly, “How gauche,”
“Tell us, are these rumors or the truth?”
I stopped eating for a moment, placing the cutlery down with a perfect raised eyebrow, staring back at them with a sly smirk.
“What do you think?”
Handling the situation, Draven interrupted, waving his hand to get attention and stated an undeniable truth.
“Who do you think you are talking to, Dad? Love doesn’t cross your son. I doubt he would do anything,”
Dad’s suspicion vanished the second he heard it and ended up chuckling, nodding in agreement.
“Yeah, you are right, I forgot about that. Rumors were so high that we couldn’t help but to ask for confirmation,”
“But, that doesn’t mean you won’t love anyone, Vince, you have to marry and settle someday,” Mom added, getting worried about my future.
“Tell me, what would you do if I say I have settled with Alyssa, hmm?”
That’s it. My next response would depend on them. If they would accept her, I would tell them-
“Ew, no,” And Mom won’t.
“There is no way I want my son to marry an already married woman. Plus, I heard she slapped you at the wedding. There is no NO WAY in hell I will accept her,” Mom said with disgust.
Forming my lips in a thin line, I continued eating again quietly, no longer sure about revealing this marriage for the time being.
I could feel her declination towards Alyssa from here.
And I didn’t help her just to throw her into another fire.
“Oh the slap, I forgot about that. What a funny moment that was,” Draven laughed. I glared at him to stop mentioning that.
“Exactly. My son only reminded her about her cheating husband and she overreacted.” Dad nodded in agreement.
Smirking victoriously, Draven rested his elbow on the table, using his manipulative charms once again and questioned temptingly.
“Now, keep that in mind and ask yourselves again, Mom and Dad, will our Vince help someone who humiliated him?”
“Right, Draven,”
“My bad, Vince, sorry about that,”
I knew I could count on Draven to eradicate their doubts. He did this flawlessly.
“But, because of that, you have to convince Astrid. She is worried because of the rumors,” Mom spoke, ruining my two-seconds of relief.
I forgot about that.
“Yeah, you guys are going on a business trip already, why don’t you book a romantic date there?”
“Hmm,” Coldly humming, I continued eating while trying to ignore the impish glances Draven was sending in my direction.
After dinner, I was on the rooftop, staring at the moon, submerged in my thoughts on how to break the bomb of my marriage on them.
As I was filled with my stress, Draven offered me a cigarette which I took as we lit it up and exhaled the smoke in the air, sharing a comfortable moment.
“So, are you going to tell me or not?”
“I have married Alyssa,” I told him without hesitation, leaning back on the seat with a strange relaxation filling me.
To my surprise, he didn’t show much reaction and shrugged his shoulders.
“Yeah, I know,”
“You do?”
“Of course. I asked Uncle Andrew, he told me everything. I was just checking if you will share it with me or not,” He smirked.
Humming, I tilted my head up to lock my eyes at the vast sky. Eerie satisfaction surged in me as I placed my hand over my heart.
“I saw Lucia’s reflection in her, Draven. Therefore saving her from her failed love, I married her. I couldn’t let her die before my eyes,”
“Yeah, I understand you did a good deed, Mr. Saint.”
He smiled coldly, placing his hand over my shoulder, almost teasingly before throwing the harsh reality on my face.
But, tell me, how are you going to cope with these consequences? How will you save her from your own family?”
I looked away, tentativeness brimming in me which he noticed and questioned with raised brows.
“Did you think about that?”
“No. Saving her was only on my mind. Plus, I saw a selfish opportunity in her failure,”
“What opportunity?”
“That her heart won’t be able to love again. Perfect choice for me,”
My jaw clenched, recalling the promise I made with myself of not loving anyone again. It had no place in my life.
“Come on, Vince, just because it happened to Lucia, doesn’t mean same will happen to you,”
“Draven,”
Calling him sternly, I blew my cigarette on the ashtray before rising from my seat.
Assertiveness began to surround me as I enunciated a reality, a swear of my empty life before going back to my room.
“I will ‘never’ love anyone,”