Chapter Twenty-Five

Meeting Ailene

Maria's POV

  

  “Why exactly am I attending this dinner with you?” Helena grumbled behind me as we wore the pointy toe stilettos that we bought from the fashion shop a few days ago.

  “You will attend the dinner with me because I get to meet another Bolt family member. Look at it as a uhh support system kinda thing.”

  “Support system kinda thing? Since when do you need that level of support Maria Bellucci?”

  “Since the craziness that is called the Kidman family and the craziness that is Sebastian's father. You saw their actions recently, right?”

  “Yeah, you have a point. Which family member are we meeting this time around? His mother?”

  “Nope! His younger sister.”

  “Okay, younger sisters do not bring trouble.” Helena replied with enthusiasm then her face fell as she remembered something or someone. “Well, Maria. There's your younger sister.”

  “You better watch your mouth, missy. She's no sister of mine.” I replied with a fierce tone and Helena raised her hand in surrender.

  I headed to Nathan's room before leaving so that I would kiss him goodnight.

  “Wow! You look so pretty momma. You look like a princess.” He cooed when he saw me.

  He was already tucked in for the night but indicated that he must say goodnight to me before he slept.

  “Thank you, my sweet boy. Are you ready to go to bed?”

  “Mmhmm.” He replied, nodding his head happily. “Thank you for story time, momma.”

  “You are welcome, love. Momma's got to go. Goodnight, I love you.”

  She kissed him goodnight then joined Helena in the car and they zoomed off to the restaurant.

  “Oh! By the way Lena, Keith would be there. I forgot to tell you until the last minute.”

  “No, you didn't. You still have some delusional thought that I would fall in love with that man then discard all others. No, my dear Maria. They are all stuck with me, even Keith if he wants. I like sharing.”

  I shook my head and replied. “You must have a loosened screw somewhere in that smart brain of yours.”

  After a while, we arrived at the restaurant and entered the elevator that would take me to the section for the top elite in society.

  I saw Sebastian immediately as I entered. He stood at the terrace with Keith and a slim, tall brunette deep in conversations.

  “No one else is here by this time, that means Sebastian booked the whole floor, great! Hopefully there's no drama.” Helena said more to herself than to me.

  As we moved forward, Sebastian turned and our eyes met.

  I saw his lingering eyes widen slightly, shining with interest as he stared at me as if taking in every detail.

  He had a soft, almost unconscious smile on his face.

  I saw from the corner of my eyes that Helena shook her head then she said with a smile. “You two!”

  He moved closer and said my name in a breathless whisper. “Maria.”

  And all I could think about were the times I was under the sheets with this man.

  “You two could get a room, you know?” Keith joked but his eyes were on Helena.

  Sebastian's sister looked between the four of us and shook her head then scoffed and asked with unbelief. “She is Maria?”

  I turned slightly then tilted my head to look at the gorgeous tall woman standing in front of me.

  She had a poker face but the tone of her voice broke whatever moment I was having with Sebastian.

  “Oh, pardon my manners.” Sebastian replied then moved towards me and took my hand. “ Ailene, meet Maria, my fiance. Maria, this is my younger sister, Ailene.”

  “Ailene, that's a beautiful name.” I commented stretching my hand towards her but she shifted backwards slightly as if my touch would hurt her, and my brows creased at her behaviour.

  She cleared her throat then looked at Sebastian and said. “Seb, she's, she's…”

  “Gorgeous!” Helena said with a fake cough then shrugged when everyone stared at her.

  I was very confused as I stood there. What was Ailene's problem? Or what exactly was all this fuss?

  “Are you alright, AI?” Keith asked but Sebastian remained quiet. I looked at his hands and saw that they were tightly clenched.

  “Yeah, I am fine, Keith, thank you.” She replied then turned and headed towards the table. “You know what? Let's just have this dinner already.”

  Immediately I heard her words and saw her attitude, my heart sank. First his father, now his sister. I wonder what his mother's attitude would be.

  Helena took my hand and squeezed then whispered. “I am glad I accompanied you  to this dinner.”

  “Me too.” I replied with a bright smile then I straightened my shoulders, raised my chin a little bit higher and then plastered a smile on my face.

  I wouldn't let any mannerless girl make me have a bad evening.

  Sebastian moved closer to me and whispered in my ear. “I am sorry about my sister's attitude, Maria. Trust me, she isn't like this. She is probably having a bad day.”

  I shrugged then took my seat, refusing to allow Sebastian's family spoil my evening.

  I picked up the menu then smiled when I saw the list.

  “At least the menu is great.” Helena whispered beside me and I smiled.

  Keith noticed the tension around the table so he raised a conversation around the hotel and its impeccable services.

  Helena joined in the conversation and soon Sebastian and I shared our contributions but Ailene did not say a word. She only ate her food angrily as if someone ate her favorite cake.

  Keith shifted forward in his seat then said. “Helena, I don't quite remember if I mentioned this before but you look so ravishing it's almost breathtaking.”

  “Thank you.” Helena replied shyly with a reddish hue on her face as if Keith's compliment had a deeper meaning, then she caught herself and added. “Good thing it's almost breathtaking. Wouldn't want to call the emergency unit.”

  At that moment Ailene cleared her throat dramatically while shaking her head then Helena cocked her head to the side and asked. “Is there something you'd like to tell or ask us, Ailene?”

  “No. I don't feel like talking right now.”

  “Mmm, that's funny because you have been talking since you came, just not with your mouth.”

  “Lena!” I half shouted when she heard her statement.

  Helena half stood then pushed her chair backwards. “Excuse me. I need some air.”

  “Uhmm, excuse me everyone, I have to check on Helena.” Keith stood up after a while and left.

  Sebastian took my hand under the table and squeezed them, trying to comfort me but I realized at that point that I wasn't feeling any hurt.

  And I realized that sometime that night, I had steeled myself against any negativity that would come from the Bolts, the Kidmans or anybody.

  There's so much negativity one could take and my subconscious had started pushing against them fiercely.

  I stood up and quietly announced. “I am going home. I've lost interest in the food and the event. Excuse me.”

  Helena saw me going to the elevator and joined me.