***
Isabella Montague.
I will be lying if I said I am not nervous. I am, hella so.
I tried to tell myself that my worries are baseless, that they are not actually my soon to be in-laws since Christian and I will only be married for the sake of the contract, and that none of this will matter in a year. There is no need for me to be worried or put much efforts since we will go our separate ways after all.
But, even those thoughts could not lessen the uncomfortable knots in my stomach making my toes curl in dread, and neither could Christian’s light jokes filling the space of the car. I could tell he was staying out of his way just to keep up banters with me to shift my attention from my earlier pile of worries.
However, even his jokes dissipated in the background as his car pulled up in the driveway of the Kingston modern design mansion. All of the sudden, all that nervousness came crashing on me all over again, and I found myself second guessing ever agreeing to come here in the first place.
My hand curled into a fist by my side as Christian stepped out, and rounded the car to come to my side. He opened my door, then leaned down to look at me with brows drawn in and lips slanted into a slight frown. “Are you okay?” His voice was soft, and calming when he asked, sounding genuinely curious.
Folding my lips in, I released a small breath, my gaze moving from him to the house behind him, where the unknown awaits me. Suddenly, I am hit with memories of when I went to James Donnelly’s family house for the first time after we had decided to get married and how everything started falling apart then.
The judging eyes, the not so discreet insults and looking down upon, and the nonchalant ignorant attitude. Now thinking back, there were a lot of red flags even before James and I tied the knot, even with his family. They never liked me to begin with, they made it obvious from day one and like a fool I sucked it all up.
I thought I was over it, however, I am suddenly rethinking that belief as a whole. Who is to say I will not get the same reaction from the Kingston family? What if they see right through me on this being fake and refuse? What if they judge me as a whole?
So many negative thoughts ran through my mind to the point I had zoned out. However, Christian’s voice suddenly came, snapping me out of the mini trance I was lost in.
“Isabella?” He called out again, his tone laced with worry. I blinked, snapping back to reality only to see him staring at me in worry, his extended hand still there, awaiting me to take it.
I swallowed thickly, tightening my fist for a split second before I released a small breath, and was quick to mask my expression. Forcing a small smile on my face, I tucked away my unease and nervousness and slipped my hand into his, allowing him to help me get out of the car which he closed behind me.
His fingers expertly slipped and intertwined with mine, before he gave it a small squeeze. His eyes examined my face, his eyes scrutinizing in a way that made me feel as though he could see right through me, and somehow, that made me uneasy.
“What?” My voice came out as a breathless whisper, wondering why he is staring at me like that.
He pressed his lips, pretending to think before he eventually shook his head. “Nothing.” He said instead, his lips slowly slanting upwards into a small smile. “I just think you are way too beautiful; I should probably keep you all to myself in my place instead of taking you out like this.”
His words, they hadthe remnants of my worries disappearing. Instead, I found myself releasing a small scoff, rolling my eyes in the process. “You are insufferable.” I stated as a matter of fact, for the nth time that night.
Christian chuckled, “Love, if I get paid every time you say that, I will be the richest man alive.”
“Are you not already?” I arched a brow, referring to his net worth. I know he is not, but in America, he could easily be, if he is not that is.
Instead of giving me an answer to that, he simply pulled me towards the little steps leading to the entrance. I followed him quietly, his fingers still intertwined with mine and our hands together, giving me I did not know I needed or tell him that I need, but he provided it anyway.
I found myself holding my breath as he pushed the door open, stepping inside first and pulling me with him softly, the door closed behind us. We were instantly welcomed by the warm bright lights illuminating the short corridor leading to the main part of the house where I guess the other members of the Kingston family are judging from the light noise coming from the area.
And I was right, because the minute we stepped into the living room, we were welcomed by unfamiliar faces I have never seen before, and those I will probably be seeing more than I would like in the year to come from now on.
The minute we were in sight, their attention as a whole yawed in our direction, and I suddenly felt like a deer caught in headlights, my hold around Christian’s hand tightening subconsciously in seek of some sort of support, and he squeezed it right back, much to my peace of mind.
Then, a woman about the same height as me, an older one in a beautiful dress grown reaching her knees with warm brown hair approached us, going straight to pull Christian down to her height for an embrace. My heart got caught midway as I tried to release Christian’s hand so he can hug her properly, but the moment my fingers slackened around his, he pulled them back, intertwining it firmly.
My gaze shifted to him, but his was not on me, but rather on the woman I suppose is his mother, whom he embraced with one hand instead. “Mom.” He greeted, his tone warm, and softer than I have ever heard him speak as his lips slanted into a warm smile.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.