The air was filled with visible tension and my breathing was shallow.
My mama's eyes widened as large as saucers when she saw a ring on my finger. The sparkling diamond was giving me more problems than I could ever expect.
"What is this?" She glanced at the ring, "You're marrying?" And then, Aiden finally spoke up.
"I am here to invite you to our wedding, Mrs. Perez. I'm sure that a daughter wants her mother to be present on her big day, isn't it?" He managed to keep a slight smile on his face but she was in absolute shock.
"What?" She frowned and glanced at me. "No... this couldn't happen. Bella, I've found a man for you. I thought you just needed time!" She said throwing her hands up in the air in frustration.
My heart was racing at the moment and I looked at Aiden who was sitting comfortably as if this was just another normal conversation for him. Jesus Christ, how could this man stay so calm?
In the heart of silence, I finally managed to speak up. "Mama, I don't want to marry for money and power." My voice was weak like I didn't have much strength to say any words, but still, I managed to gather up the courage for myself.
Her stare was somehow burning through me as if it was going to cause wounds in my body if I looked at her any longer, so I just peeled my eyes away from her and watched the marble floor.
She paused, no words escaping her mouth as if she was in a deep shock; Well, yes she was.
"It's for our mafia, Your mafia!" She said as I looked at her. "I don't want anything of my father's inheritance and I made myself clear earlier." Aiden was watching me the whole time I spoke words of wisdom to my mother.
She scoffed, "And you'll marry this man with a nice face. Who even are you?" Ouch.
There was silence for a few seconds before he spoke up. "I'm the man who your daughter loves and will marry. The name's Aiden Hernandez." Did I mention no one still knows about how my father got murdered? The reports said that the killer wasn't identified yet, and everyone including my mother believed it. I had never disclosed who it was.
I almost heard a gasp from my mother when I saw her cover her mouth with one of her palms and fix her amused expression on me.
Though Aiden's identity had been disclosed that day, no one knew that it was him who killed my father. They just believed what the reports said.
"You're.." She stopped. "The leader of the Hernandez Mafia? Yes, I am. And your daughter is not marrying me for money and power." He said and her mouth was still wide open.
"So, will you be there for the wedding Mrs. Perez? It would be incomplete without you." She cleared her throat and fixed her stare on him.
"Call me Grace." She said, forcing a smile which I knew very well why it was there and I shrugged.
His lips tipped up in response, "Very well, Grace. Now, I must let you know that I will take care of your daughter as long as I live." My heart fluttered, but I tried to keep my expressions minimum for the show since my mother was just in front of me. If she wasn't here, I would've kissed him right away and told him how much I love him.
"Of course." She smiled once again. "I knew my Bella would find a wonderful man for her someday." No, she didn't.
A few more conversations made me feel like I would burst with the awkwardness around. My mother was the fakest person anyone could ever be and she had learned the art in all these years of her boring life.
If Aiden didn't introduce himself, then she would've just snapped herself out of the conversations and run away to her roses because she wouldn't have wanted me to marry anyone poor or who's not related to the mafia; This was a sick mindset.
But somehow, I got lucky and that's all I can say.
I never imagined today to go so easily because my mother was never a good deal.
But somehow Aiden managed to convince her with his magical powers or something like that.
We were in the car, driving back to New York after the lucky incident with mama. I kept my gaze outside the window most of the time but then my curiosity began to feel unsatiated.
"Why did you talk to my mother?" I turned to look at him as he focused on the road. "What do you mean?" He asked as I sighed.
"We both know that this marriage could've happened without that conversation back there." I fixed my eyes on him, trying to read his expressions but he was numb as always.
"I'm a man of culture, Bell. I needed your mother's consent." A corner of his lips tipped up as I rolled my eyes. He always got what he wanted and that included me too.
"Stop the car," I said as he looked at me and halted at a stop, and fixed his gaze on me. "What?" He asked as I looked at him and smiled.
"I think we left something unfinished once in the same car." He blinked and then finally realized what I was talking about. The one time when we were interrupted by a call and the moment got ruined.
A smirk escaped his lips, "Right here?" He asked and I nodded without hesitation. He chuckled lightly before running his fingers through his hair and glancing back at me.
"Fuck, I do love you." He said as I climbed onto his lap and brought my lips closer to his. "And I love you," I said as our lips touched each other, and I savored his taste, his smell, and everything which belonged to me.
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