Adeline's Ροv
I feel something wet on my face. It's tiny little drops. It's so bothersome. I wonder if I'm sleeping outdoors or if Josh is playing another one of his pranks on me.
“Adeline?” It's a familiar voice…. Valerie.
Why is she helping him? I thought she liked me.
When I open my eyes, they shut back on their own due to the harsh lighting in the room.
Why are they flashing it directly on my face?
I start getting more and more pissed as I try to gain full consciousness of my surroundings.
I'm gonna eat everyone who's disturbing my peaceful sleep.
When I finally manage to focus on where I am, I'm taken aback by the three pairs of eyes staring at me with concern.
I frown and try to understand what happened but all the occurrences of earlier seem like a blur to me. My head hurts enough for me to stop thinking and wait for someone to update me.
“Are you okay?” Lucius asks, helping me sit up.
“I… what happened?” My voice came out groggy as a result of my dry throat.
“Your blood pressure dropped and you fainted.” Valerie answers.
“Oh.” That makes sense.
“How’re you feeling?”
“My head hurts so bad, it’s like it's gonna explode and my feet hurt from all the walking and I… I feel like… I think I'm hungry.” I mumble the last part.
“Do you feel anything weird? We can go to a hospital if-” Rhyett gets cut off by Valerie.
“She's fine. She just needs to eat to stabilize her blood level.” He opened his mouth to most possibly argue but she spoke again. “Let’s go get her something.”
She grabs his hand and drags him out. Sensing the need for action, he complies without another word. When they’ve left Lucius squeezed my hand to bring my attention from the door to himself.
“Are you sure you're okay? If there's anything you can tell me.”
“I'm fine, don't worry.” I reassured.
He smiled and pecked my forehead sitting down next to me on the bed. “You scared me, sweetheart.”
“I know. I'm sorry.”
“It's not your fault.” He moves his eyes to my stomach. “How’s the babies?”
“Probably pissed off cause I don't take care of them.”
“You do more than you can, Adeline. You're too young to manage all of this but you still are because you love them.”
I don't think he knows how much these words mean to me. Ever since I got pregnant I constantly need reassurance. I feel bad for relying on everyone for it but I can't seem to get my emotions under control on my own.
I smiled at him and he spoke again. “Everything’s going to turn out great. The babies are gonna be healthy and they're gonna be just as pretty as you.”
A thought crosses my mind and my smile drops. I hadn't considered it yet but… what if my little lives… what if they're- No! They're my babies! I’m giving birth to them they can’t be-
“What if they look like him?” I whisper the most horrible scenario of my life.
It feels like a nightmare. I don't know what I would do if it turns out to be true. I can't look at that man everyday. The man who destroyed my life, the man who's capable of doing such horrors to a child, the man who I don't know. The one who raped and impregnated me.
Lucius looks as shocked at my thought as I am. He didn't expect me to say that. Neither did I.
I hadn't given a thought to my kid's appearance, it didn't matter. But it does when they'll become a reminder of the most horrifying day of my life.
“It doesn't matter, sweetheart. They're your kids, who they look like doesn't matter.” He stroked my arm gently.
“But I- I don't want them to look like him…” Tears gather in my eyes as I kept looking at my father to tell me my concerns are unnecessary.
“It doesn't matter-”
“What if they turn out like him? What if they- They can't be monsters. They can’t - I can't see that- I…” I break into tears as my brain pounds against the skull.
“They'd never be like him. They're gonna have a great upbringing, they'll know the difference between right and wrong.” He spoke slowly. He knew I needed time to process.
“What if I fail to tell them that? What if they start questioning who their father is? What if they get to know who he is and they… they meet him and he… he spoils their mind? What if he teaches them everything that I don't want them to learn?” I don't even know what I'm saying at this point but all of concerns feel valid to me. “I can't have them see him. He's bad. Lucius, I'm telling you, they can't meet him. My kids won't be safe with him. What if it's a girl or two or even boys… Men like him don't care what gender they are or if they're his own kids-”
“Shh... It's okay.” He rubs my back. “Nothing's gonna happen to your kids. We’ll keep them safe. They'll never know who he is and they'll never ever meet him, I promise you. And you're gonna be the best mother to them, no one will be able to spoil their mind.”
Lucius was too sure of his words. But he can't predict the future. He doesn't even know who he is.
“What if he finds out I had twins. He knows me, he could come back to get them and what if he takes them away...” I start to really panic now.
His face darkened and he looked at me like he’s gonna mean every word that he's going to say. Like he knows it will be true.
“He's never gonna come back in your life. If he does, I'll kill him.” I was immensely relieved hearing him say that.
I believed what he said.
And I took his words as a promise.
I know he's capable of killing him for me. No matter how much I consider murder a sin, I won't stop him from committing one to ensure the safety of me and my kids.
“Adeline,” I realized I was too caught up in my own thoughts when he called me. “It was a time that passed. Try to forget it like a bad dream that's never gonna repeat.” I just nod because I can't speak a single word right now.
He grabs my hand again. “I was thinking of it for a long time. Since you have nightmares… Do you want to maybe start therapy? I think it will be good for you.”
“No.” I say immediately then contemplate on the thought. “I… I don't think so. I think I'm doing quite well. My nightmare isn't always about what happened. And I… I try to not think of how my babies were conceived…”
“If that's what you want then that's what we do. But you'll tell me if you change your mind, okay?” He spoke so softly that I forgot why I ever disliked him.
“Yes.” I give him a weak smile.
He wiped my tears with the pad of his thumbs and kissed my forehead again. “No more crying. You've already had too much for a single day, you won't stress yourself again.”
Before I could reply to him, a knock sounds at the door and Rhyett enters after Valerie, followed by three waiters, Julian and Ewan.
I immediately turn to my side so the staff doesn't see my eyes that I'm pretty sure looks like I just cried. The staff doesn't look at me and silently leaves after placing the trays on the table.
Rhyett and Valerie take up chairs at the table set in the room while Julian sits on my other side while Ewan decides to keep standing and leans against the wall.
There's an uncomfortable air in the room that I've created. I can tell that everyone wants to ask what happened but I'm glad they didn't.
“Eat up.” Rhyett assembled a plate for me and placed it in my lap as I sat on the bed cross legged.
“They're serving already?” I asked, confused.
It's been barely an hour and half since the Gala officially started, it's too early to start serving.
“Reign asked the staff to serve early.” Ewan answered me. Atleast the guy isn't struck up when it comes to getting someone food.
“Oh.” I dig into the pasta and start to chew slowly.
“You know Valerie,” Julian spoke leaning against the headboard. “Rhyett has been fixing her plate everyday. He desperately wants to be her favorite.”
Julian doesn't like talking and such a topic isn't something he would start on his own. I know he's only saying this to lighten the tension in the room.
I'm really grateful for every time my brothers try to cheer me up one way or the other.
“I’m the one being desperate?” Rhyett asks raising a questioning eyebrow.
I ignore whatever he means by that. I think it's the right time to do what I was planning on. We're already on the topic of how great my eldest brother is so I might as well add a few more praises in Valerie's presence.
“And he even sends me lists of things to eat and avoid. He also asks me if I've taken my meds or not. He always makes sure if I've eaten or not. He even lied multiple times to our family about my pregnancy. He's such a great brother.”
I hope I wasn't too suspicious about it. Valerie should know how amazing he is. Maybe next time she'll consider being his plus one rather than bringing her own.
“He also asked me to get him books to learn how to take care of you.” She adds.
I wonder if I do need to put in more effort because she probably already knows whatever I'll tell her.
“It's good he's learning it now. He'll need that when he has children of his own one day. We just gotta look for a girl now.” I hint in a joking manner.
If I'm not wrong, I saw Valerie snap her lips together and glance at Rhyett. But my brother, on the other hand, is as calm as ever.
He clears his throat to speak. “We do need to find a girl before I'm too old.” There's something about the way he says it that confuses me.
“How about the heir of Panama? I heard her family was looking for a match. They won't decline us.” Ewan said.
“No, she just returned eighteen, Rhyett likes mature women, most preferably someone older than him…” Julian says looking at Valerie who seems to have an opinion of her own.
“Right, she hasn't even graduated highschool yet-” He cuts her off as he wasn't done talking yet.
“I think the daughter of Bahamas is a better option. She's twenty five, still hasn't gotten married because she had a lawsuit going on but now she's as clean as a saint. I think you two will make a good pair.”
Why are my brothers so foolish? I'm desperately trying to convince Valerie here and they're ruining everything.
I was planning to change the topic since it wasn't going how I planned it to and all of a sudden my sight fell on Rhyett’s ruffled state. Wrinkled shirt, no jacket and messed up hair.
“What happened to your clothes?”
It was a simple question but weirdly, Rhyett started to cough and Valerie turned the same red as her dress. Even her hair is down now and her whole neck seems to be suspiciously covered by it.
Why do these two look so sus?
“Ya Rhyett, what happened to your clothes?” Julian shifts his gaze from our brother to my doctor.
Valerie looks like she wants to punch Julian but decides to excuse herself instead and gets up as Rhyett glares at my poor brother for just repeating my question.
“Rhyett?” I bring his attention to myself as I'm still waiting for the answer.
“I got a bug in my clothes so I had to take them off. That's why they're wrinkled.” He explained.
“A massive bug.” Valerie mutters reaching for the door.
“Did you get rid of it brother?” Ewan smirks at Rhyett.
“We had to rush here because Adeline passed out.” Rhyett answered what doesn't feel like the reply to what Ewan asked.
Is he still sitting with a bug in his clothes?
“You were with Valerie?” I frown. “Then where was Max, I thought she was with him.”
“Blondie left for some family emergency.” His tone is a decibel darker now.
“I just saw him.” Julian argued, amused by something.
“He must be figuring his way out.”
Valerie finally exits when the conversation has died down. She was about to close the door when a hand stops her and pushes it wider. Judging by the charcoal black suit arm, I can already guess who it is.
“I hope I'm not intruding.” He doesn't wait for any reply and walks further in the room.
“Why are you here, Reign?” Rhyett asks harshly. “Don't mind my words, I'm just curious.”
“I came to see if your sister was okay? She means a lot to us, after all she's a part of our Mafia now.” He smiles. “And I wanted to ask if you need my help. We have a team of doctors of our own, I could call a few if your Valerie isn't competent.”
He's so rude. I don't know why he'd even come to ask me how I was, I would've preferred if I never saw him again. He's a perfect example of a stereotypical rich brat.
“Don’t concern yourself with our matters. My sister's health is my responsibility and I’ve gotten her the best doctor I know.”
“Sure.” Reign decides to ignore everyone else and comes forward towards me. “How are you feeling, Adeline?”
His voice is suddenly so soft that I wonder how great of an actor he is. This whole thing looks fake so I better keep my distance as instructed by my brother.
“I'm fine. Thanks for asking.” I kept my tone neutral.
“That's good to know. If you need anything, I'd be happy to oblige to any requests you may have.” He gives me another charming smile.
I know he's flirting with me and I'm confused about what to do in such a situation. I’ve rarely had anyone come up to me and try to flatter me. But never in front of my family.
I really want to get out of this situation and possibly go home but my father seems to have a different plan.
“Actually I’ve been meaning to talk to Ethan about this. It would be great if we could stay here for tonight since Adeline's still not feeling well enough.”
I agree I shouldn't travel right away because I might get horrible motion sickness and I do feel weak but I still would’ve preferred to risk a little discomfort.
“Sounds like an amazing plan, Lucius. You’re welcome to stay for as long as you want. I'll let dad know.”
“But I want to go home. It's Christmas tomorrow and we agreed that Rhyett's taking me to Church.” I argued.
“We have a few here as well, Adeline. If you want I can take you there.” Reign offered like a gentleman.
“That won't be necessary, I can skip this one time. I'm not feeling well anyway.” Though I'd hate to but if not attending Church meant not going with him then I would.
Reign's expressions change into one I think is of disapproval but he soon pushes back his smile. “Actually…” He looked like he was contemplating something. “I think you should have my number just in case you want something in the middle of the night and no staff is available.”
Does he not realize my family is here? Offering me his number in front of them has to be one of the most embarrassing things of my life.
“That won't be necessary. I'm staying with her. If she needs anything, I have your number, I'll let you know.” Julian said with a clenched jaw and fake politeness.
“I insist.” He takes out a paper which already has his number written on it. The guy came prepared. “Call me whenever you feel like it.”
He tried to hand it over but I was clueless of what to do. When I didn't forward my hand he placed it on the tray of food in my lap.
It felt like he was forcibly giving it to me ignoring how I haven't shown any interest in him. That really irritated me for some reason so I decided to say whatever insult came to my mind.
“You don't have a card for your contact? It's okay, daddy might get you one when you're older.”
He wasn't too old from me so it was totally normal if he was still handing out his number on a piece of paper. But it goes against the image that he tries to portray himself as.
Sure enough he didn't like it. His face turned blank and I knew he wanted to throw a fit over it. But I was too annoyed to care.
He shouldn't have pissed off a pregnant lady!
Julian tried his best to cover the chuckle with a cough but it was useless, we all heard it. Even Ewan was amused by the situation while Rhyett and Lucius kept an expressionless face.
“Adeline, we don't say that. That's rude.” Lucius scolded but I could tell he wasn't mad, he was just saying that as an obligation.
“It's ok, Lucius. She's new to our world, she doesn't know who not to mess with.” Reign turns to me with a small smile. “I never felt the need to give anyone my number, princess. But you're an exception.”
And just like that, I was speechless. I didn't know whether to try to come up with another insult or blush at his words because my mind wanted to do the latter.
“I should get going.” He looks at Lucius, his expressions close to deadly now. “You'll be expected for breakfast.” He took a few steps to the door but stopped. “With your daughter ofcourse.”
“Did you see that?” I ask Lucius the moment the annoying guy is out the door. “He's such a drama queen. Like go show your dad such tantrums!” I huff.
“He is arrogant, I agree… But it's probably a better idea to just ignore him rather than engaging yourself in an argument.” He advised.
“Okay.”
He knows Reign better than I do so I should do as he says. But I won't let him throw tantrums at me. He'd be put into his place whenever he decides to mess with me.
———
Merry Christmas guys!!!!!
Hope you liked the gift.