Damien Doukas’ POV
“Are you ready?” Adrianna asked as we got out of the rental car in front of her parents home in Spain, Catalonia.
“Yes, of course,” I replied arrogantly as we walked towards my parents' mansion. Honestly, I was nervous. What if Adrianna’s parents did not approve of me? However, I did not want Adrianna to know that. “Is your brother home?”
Adrianna frowned. “I do not think so. He should still be in the army, but I am not sure.” I shifted my jaw and Adrianna nodded to an elderly man standing near the doorway. “Antonio, where is Mama and Papa?”
“Miss Valdez, your parents are having tea. You could wait in the lounge. I will fetch your parents for you.” Antonio, who I guessed was the family butler, smiled at Adrianna.
Adrianna beamed gratefully towards him. “Thank you, Antonio, please inform them that I have brought a guest with me.”
“A guest?” It was then he realized I was standing beside Adrianna with my arms around her waist.
“Antonio, this is Damien, my boyfriend. Damien, this is Antonio, my family’s butler. He has been in my family for years. He is like a second father to me.”
I eagerly reached out a hand to shake, and Antonio stared at me with stars in his eyes. “My, I never thought it would happen again. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir.” I gave a sideway glance to Adrianna to see that she was blushing and giving Antonio a mocking glare.
“It is very nice to meet you too, Antonio, especially when you could tell me how Adrianna was like in her youth,” I said, slightly relaxed now that, at least, someone important to Adrianna had accepted me.
Amusement shone in Antonio’s eyes as he nodded slowly. “Of course, I had better fetch your parents now, Miss Valdez.”
Adrianna nodded and beamed as Antonio walked out. She slipped out of my grasp, sat down on the red chaise lounge and patted the seat next to her. “Here, sit with me.”
I obliged and sat down beside her. Adrianna smiled up at me and slipped her hand in mine, and I pressed my lips against them. “You are nervous, are you not?”
“No, I am not,” I said with false bravado, but as usual, Adrianna saw through it.
“Damien.”
“Fine, I am. What if they disapprove of me?” I said annoyed as I ran my fingers through my hair. I didn’t like the fact that Adrianna could see through my walls that easily. But again, it was a good and bad thing I suppose.
Adrianna smiled softly at me before leaning in and gave a chaste kiss on my lips. “Then they will have to get over it because you are stuck with me.”
My brows shot up. “What?” Adrianna blushed and glanced away.
“I, uh, I—”
My grasp on her hand tightened, and a grin tugged onto my face. “You truly mean that?”
“No… maybe… yes,” Adrianna mumbled before glancing at me.
“Good, because you are stuck with me as well,” I said with a grin, and a wide smile appeared on her face.
“Adrianna, my darling!” A tall, well-dressed blonde woman came into the room and greeted Adrianna with a hug. “Oh, I have missed you so much. Two months is way too long.”
Adrianna hugged the woman back tightly. “I missed you too, Mama.” I tensed. What if Adrianna realized she missed her parents and changed her mind about moving in with me?
The woman was well-dressed with her blonde hair in a loose bun at the base of her neck. She had piercing blue eyes and the same facial structure as Adrianna. She was probably the same height as Adrianna or, perhaps, shorter.
“Darling, where are your suitcases? Antonio did not inform the maids to bring them back to your room and— oh my,”
Her mother’s gaze was caught at Adrianna’s neck. “Mama, what has happened?”
“Y-your neck! The ring, I mean the necklace. It is not there anymore.” Adrianna’s mother gasped.
A small smile appeared on Adrianna’s face. “I moved on, Mama.”
Adrianna’s mother choked, and tears spilled down her cheeks. “That is amazing, my darling. I thought you would never heal from his death. It was such a terrible period but— enough about that time. Who is he?”
Adrianna turned to my direction, and I went towards them. “Mama, this is my boyfriend, Damien Doukas. He is Olivia’s husband’s good friend. Damien, this is my mother, Emilia Valdez.”
I took out a hand to shake, and Emilia took my hand and shook it while looking at me with amazement. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Valdez. Adrianna speaks very highly of her family.”
Emilia looked at me with so much emotion in her blue eyes. “Oh, I never thought this day would come. Please, call me Emilia. I-I never imagined that my darling Adrianna would ever be happy again. Thank you so much for that, Damien.”
I gave her a sincere smile. “I would do anything to make Adrianna happy. You do not have to worry about her.” I could feel Adrianna’s gaze on me, and her hand tightened in mine. I met her gaze with mine and wrapped an arm around her waist tightly, and Adrianna sighed contentedly as she leaned against my shoulder.
Emilia observed us with a growing smile on her face before she frowned. “Darling, where are your bags as in the two huge suitcases you brought, not these measly ones that I had no idea you owned?”
I exchanged glances with Adrianna, and she chewed on her lip before answering, “I left them back in New York. I would be staying there with Damien permanently.”
Emilia had frozen before her eyebrows raised up. “So, in modern terms, both of you will be staying together without marriage?” Her bewildered gaze shot between Adrianna and me.
I raised my eyebrows. Adrianna really was not kidding when she said her parents were old-fashioned.
I tensed, and Adrianna sighed and nodded. “Yes.”
Emilia blinked before shrugging. “That is highly unethical as both of you would not have any chaperones, and I have to outgrow all of my old-fashioned roots, shouldn’t I?”
I remained silent, and Adrianna left my side before hugging her mother. “Oh, Mama, I love all your old-fashioned-ness, but I want to stay with Damien. He makes me happy.” Emilia gazed at her daughter’s face before caressing the side of her face gently. “I love you too, my darling. All right, you can stay with Damien in the U.S. but promise me you will visit regularly.”
Adrianna nodded and beamed, “Of course, where is Papa? I would like to tell him the news too.”
Emilia smiled. “He is having his afternoon tea. Well, we both were until the both of you arrived. Would both of you like to join us then?”
I swallowed, and Adrianna nodded her head eagerly. “Yes, we would.” I answered, and Emilia beamed, “Great, I will let Antonio know. Come hurry, the sooner we arrive at the dining room, you can tell me how you and my daughter met.”
As we stepped into the dining room, I spotted a middle-aged man reading the papers while drinking tea. “Markos, Adrianna is here, and she has brought a guest!”
At Emilia’s words, the man stood up and greeted Adrianna with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, “Welcome home. What is this about a guest?”
Adrianna laughed, “I brought someone home with me today. Papa, this is Damien Doukas. Damien this is Markos Valdez, my father.”
The man narrowed his eyes at me, and I gave him my best smile. “It is very nice to meet you, Mr. Valdez.”
Markos eyed my hand before turning away, immediately dismissing me. “Markos!” Emilia admonished. “That is not how we treat a guest.”
“It is very nice to meet you too as well.” The tone used was clipped and cold.
“Papa,” Adrianna started, and Markos had her a warning look before she sighed and led me to one of the chairs and sat.
“So where did the both of you meet?” Emilia questioned as she tried to loosen the tension in the room. “We met for the planning of Trevor’s birthday. Both of us were involved as we are his godparents.”
“What is the relationship between you and this man Adrianna?” Markos questioned quietly.
“He is my boyfriend,” Adrianna announced as she held my hand under the table. My hand tightened around hers, and my heart sank when I saw the expression on Markos’ face.
“I forbid you to ever see him again. He is not right for you! I have heard of him. A womanizing self-centered bastard who does not care about anyone, especially those he had to step on to climb to the very top!”
Adrianna stood up, “You are wrong about Damien Papa. He is not what you say he is. He cares deeply for me and I for him. I cannot let you speak about him this way.”
Emilia and I remained silent, watching both father and daughter. Markos’ face turned furious, “You will stop seeing him this instant! I will never accept someone like him into this family! He does not deserve you! He probably wants your inheritance! He is a manipulative, playboy who will break you when you no longer interest him! Why can you not see that?! Break it off with him this instant!” His voice thundered out.
Adrianna shook her head. “I am an adult and twenty-five years of age. You cannot tell me what to do! You do not know him like I do. You do not even have the right to judge him. I know him better than you do and whatever judgment you had about Damien is wrong.”
I have heard enough. I did not want Adrianna and her father to continue fighting about me and be the cause of their strife.
With my heavy and defeated heart, I stood up. “Adrianna, stop. It doesn’t matter.” With that I walked out of the dining room, trying not to feel the burn of humiliation nor the pain of rejection filling the pit of my stomach.