CHAPTER HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT

CHAPTER HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT
I had woken up to an empty bed and a refreshed body. I looked at the clock beside me and was surprised to see that it was 5 p.m. in the evening.
Wow, I must be really tired.
It was the first comfortable sleep I had had in weeks, and this time around, I was able to get my much-needed rest.
It's been two days since we came to New York. Sin had told me yesterday that he was inviting a guest over today for dinner and that I should dress comfortably. What does that even mean?
comfortable as in casual or comfortable in formal but simple wear. I was perplexed.
I got up from the bed and quickly showered. I put on a white dress, pairing it with silver ballet feet. I don't think I can handle working in heels now. I decided to use a little eyeliner and mascara with my pink lip gloss. Since my hair was already short and reaching my shoulders, I chose to leave it down instead of putting it up in a ponytail.
I just hope it wasn't anything fancy.
I took out my phone to take a quick picture of myself and sent it to the group chat, which consisted of Athena, Samantha, and me. I scroll past the pictures, moving on to the ones with Sin and me. A smile graced my face at how beautiful we looked. We had made so many memories in just a year. I stopped at the picture of Sin, and I was laying in bed with Sin's chest bare. I could remember every event that took place like it was yesterday.
I looked in the mirror to assess my appearance, and my eyes shifted to my bare ears. I can't believe I forgot to put on earrings. I took out a silver earring and clipped the first one to my right ear. I was about to do the same to the other ear when the door opened and Sin walked in. I wore my earring, picking up my purse before spinning to face him.
"Amore, you look breathtaking." He says it with a charming smile.
"Well, I tried to look as comfortable as I could and at the same time pleasant since you didn't tell us who the guests we were expecting were." I said, admiring his black Amarni suit.
His dark hair was styled backward, making his jawline more sharp than ever. His stubble gives him a rugged but handsome look.
"You still look beautiful," he said. "You always look beautiful no matter what you wear." His compliments cause me to blush. He placed a small peck on my cheeks, his arm resting behind my back.
"The guests are already here. Come, let's go. " He opened the door, and we both got downstairs and walked to the living room. I halt in my steps, causing him to stop as well.
My eyes were opened wide in shock as I heard the familiar voices of my family. "No, you didn't," I said, "unbelievable."
"Yes, amore, I invited your family over. I think it's time they knew about the both of us. I smiled at his words, throwing myself into his arms.
When we pulled away, nervousness filled me up, and I took a step back due to anxiety. Sin looked at him, putting both his hands on my cheeks.
"There is nothing to worry about; they miss you and will be happy to see you." He assures me
"I don't know, Nikolai. I have kept a lot of secrets from them. He leans down to kiss my forehead.
"It doesn't matter because they care about you."
"Do you think so?" He kissed my temple.
"I know so, baby girl, and beside you, you have me by your side every step of the way." I nodded, holding hands, and we walked into the living room.
My eyes first locked on Amelia. She looked just like she did when I last saw her. Her wavy, dark brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her beautiful features shone even more. 
My gaze shifted to my aunt, Sera; her hair had grown longer than before, almost reaching her hips, and her skin was looking great and nice. It showed that things were really going well for her. I guess the job she works in pays very well. I settled on Stephanie; she still looked the same but better. She was dressed in expensive-looking clothes, her hair was short and dyed black, and finally, Uncle Carson appeared. I looked at them all and also saw that they were assessing me as well, their eyes more focused on my stomach in shock. Stephanie was the one that seemed to come out of it first.
"Mani," she yells, walking towards me, her eyes opened wide in a hug. We hugged for some time before moving on to hug the rest of the family. The happiness in their faces was visible, which helped me relax, knowing they weren't mad at me.
"Congratulations, sweetie!"
Congratulations, Mani!
"Congratulations. "
They both wished me at the exact same time. I know they were referring to the baby; I could see the question in Stephanie and her aunt Sera's eyes, but neither of them said anything.
"What's the gender?" Amelia asked, with joy in her eyes.
"We don't know yet." "I want it to be a surprise, but Nikolai thinks it's a girl."
"I know it's a girl," he defends, and we all laughed.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr.." Carson asked, his hand stretching out. I know it was an act; he didn’t want anyone to suspect that he knew Sin.
"Violenta, but I would prefer it if you called me
Nikolai. " Sin says, going along with his act. But his last words left not just me but Uncle Carson stunned. He had just asked him to call him Nikolai instead of Sin. 
Uncle Carson was quick to recover from his shock state and smile, while Sin winked at me as he shook hands with my aunts, Amelia and Stephanie. After greetings and pleasantries, we were directed to the dining room for our dinner. Sin pulled a seat out for me before taking a seat beside me at the head of the table, and the rest of the family followed suit, smiling at Sin's affection.
We all started eating, enjoying the wonderful meal prepared. I picked up the glass of juice in front of me when I heard a loud gasp from beside me and saw Stephanie staring at my ring finger.
"Is that what I think it is?" She asked, staring at the ring.
"Yes, it is."
A loud squeal escaped her lips, and she clapped in excitement. My aunt and Stephanie's parents looked at Sin and I with a smile on their faces.
"Congratulations." They all said it again, and we thanked them.
Stephanie and I chatter among ourselves. We had dinner and a cake for dessert, sharing it among ourselves.