Chapter 8 Relax.
Dahlia.
" Great. I will gladly marry you then, Dahlia Banks. " He responded, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
With the main conversation out of the way, the mood turned casual in the room, and Dalton pulled my chair, like a perfect gentleman, before inviting the waiters to serve.
He sat across from me, his posture straight and poised, very classic of a high-end society, well-bred male, manners instilled from childhood, with an aura that could not be replicated.
He was a piece of art, sinfully handsome, and looking at him, I zoned out. Our wedding was set in one week, and unlike before, when I had to break my back, planning my wedding with Jason, this time, I was not required to do anything.
My mother and his family were going to handle the wedding, from planning all the way to the invitations.
All I had to do was show up. And what more? We had only known each other for hours, but it felt like we had known each other for years.
As we watched the head chef in action, his movements guided with seasoned ease, comfortable silence stretched around us, just what I needed to enjoy a meal after days of not eating.
From the warm and calm ambience, to the gentle lights in the room, everything was nerve-soothing and within no time, I found myself relaxing, for a moment, pushing the thoughts of Jason's betrayal to the back of my mind.
" Bon appetite." The chef whispered before he exited the room, the waiters tailing quietly behind him.
" Enjoy your food, Miss Banks." Dalton wore a teasing smile as he whispered, and my hands froze mid-action, with a pink blush coating my cheeks.
That was embarrassing. I had chopsticks held, a piece of meat in position, my mouth wide open, ready to eat when he spoke, and for a moment, I didn't know whether to put the food back or to proceed and pop it into my mouth.
Well, I was too hungry to mind my etiquette. Despite everything, I wore a thick skin, ate my meat, and calmly turned to face him.
" Forgive my manners, Dalton. It's been days since I saw a proper meal. I couldn't help myself. " Saying that, I proceeded to put the napkin in place, straightened my posture, and forced a smile his way.
I understood what he was thinking. The Brooks may not have been as rich as the Riggs, but they weren't lacking either. Our etiquette classes were very similar. There were some codes of conduct that we were supposed to follow while dining.
Of course, having wanted to please Jason and to fit his mother's high standards for a daughter-in-law, I had followed all those rules to the letter.
From always smiling gently, oozing with feminine energy, to the mode of dressing, modestly, with jewellery that matched perfectly with the events, to the way of speaking, not too loud, just softly, and speaking only when spoken to, all the way to the dining etiquette, how to hold chopsticks, how far to sit from the dining table, and the amount of food a lady should eat at once.
I had known all that, observed them, for over ten years, doing everything to please Jason and his family, although, clearly, I never saw the point.
To me, everything had been like a business negotiation. You had to be in character even when sleeping. It almost felt like a punishment, but for Jason, and for the love that I had for him, I had done all that, and more.
" Relax, Dahlia. This is just a meal. It's our first meal together as a couple. You don't have to be so uptight. I was just teasing you. You are cute." He whispered, smiling gently, and when he did, two dimples adorned his cheeks, only adding to his charms, and for a moment, I found myself lost, staring at him.
For a while, I had a difficult moment connecting the man seated before me with the cold and ruthless CEO Dalton Riggs, the one whose ruthlessness was known in the entire country, spoken about daily in magazines. Hell, I had even a harder moment trying to connect him with a man who had roots in the mafia.
But wait! I was focusing on the wrong thing entirely. So, he didn't mind the way I ate? He said I could be myself. I didn't have to follow those stiff dinner manners. And he found me cute?
So, the real heir was easy and relaxed, while the wannabe, Jason, from the illegitimate Riggs branch had the guts to act all high and mighty? Always frowning, always sulking.
Thinking about it all, I felt stupid for having wasted my time grovelling at Jason's feet.
"Next time, just be yourself. I just want my future wife to be happy. " Maybe he read my mind because he gently patted my shoulder as he spoke, before he went ahead to eat his food.
His words almost brought tears to my eyes. It was the first time a person, aside from my mother, said they wanted me to be happy, genuinely. In the past, I had been so focused on Jason that I never sat down to ask if I was truly happy. And Jason? Of course, he never cared enough to ask whether I was happy or not. Well, my dumb self never cared back then. As long as he said he loved me, nothing else mattered to me.
' Dahlia is strong. She will be over it soon. I will just apologise to her.' Just then, the words that I overheard Jason saying rang in my mind and my face went pale.
No wonder he so easily dismissed me. In his eyes, I had no dignity at all. And who could I blame for that?
To win over him, to show him that I loved him, I had practically let go of my ego, to the point of turning myself into his unpaid servant.
After his accident, I had even taken culinary classes, secretly. I had wanted to cook some healthy meals for his weak body.
Later, I insisted on personally cooking his meals, just to make sure he recovered fully.
And yeah, he did recover, and what did I get in return? One sentence, a sentence that was filled with disgust and unveiled contempt.
' Dahlia took care of me. But she did all those things willingly. I never asked for it. She had a philanthropic heart.' I had overheard him say, and my whole world had tilted, spinning endlessly.
A philanthropic heart.. Just the thought of it all brought a bitter smile to my lips, and my appetite vanished.
' What a waste!' I muttered under my breath, unwillingness painting my face. The food was delicious, all to my liking, and I was starving, but after thinking about how stupid I had been in the past, letting Jason use and humiliate me, I lost all my appetite, and all I could do was curse him in my heart as I shoved small and now tasteless bits down my throat.
As Dalton had said, it was my first meal with him, marking the beginning of our journey together, so, no matter how unwilling I was, I still tried, at least, I didn't want to leave a bad first impression.
" If you don't feel like eating, then don't force yourself. "
" I will have my driver take you home." There was a deep frown on his lips as he suggested.
"Also, you are about to become my wife now."
" Stay clear of other men.."
" I don't like others having, even the smallest access to what is mine."