Adrianna Valdez’s POV
I stared at the mansion with narrowed eyes. “Are you sure you want to go through with this, Damien? It is not too late to go back to New York.”
Damien sighed and gave me a firm nod. “Yes, you have to get through with this. It is for you to rebuild your relationship with your father.”
I sighed heavily. Damien could be so stubborn, but I couldn’t fault him for that because I was the same. “All right, fine. One unkind word from him, and we are leaving.”
“Of course, my darling.” Damien pacified me and opened the car door for me. I pursed my lips at his patronizing tone before getting out of the car. Damien slid an arm around my waist as we walked up the stairs that led to my family’s mansion.
“Miss Valdez, it is very good to see you back here after the last time…” Antonio greeted cheerfully before trailing off awkwardly. “It is all right, Antonio. Oh, I would like to invite you to mine and Damien’s wedding this coming month. You have been like another father to me, and I would like to see you there.”
Tears had shone in his eyes before he nodded his head vigorously. “Of course! Congratulations Ms. Valdez and Mr. Doukas. I am very happy for the both of you. I guess you would be informing your parents about the upcoming nuptials?”
I exhaled, and Damien nudged me. “Yes, we would be. Where are they now?”
“They are in the library now. would you want me to announce your arrival?”
I shook my head gently with a smile. “It is all right, Antonio. Damien and I would walk right in.”
Antonio nodded and let us in. I let out a heavy sigh, and Damien gave me a charming grin, “Let’s go.”
“Yes, let’s get this over and done with,” I said sighing, dreading this encounter. I was wearing a loose white halter maternity dress that covered my baby bump. I was not ashamed of my two little boys, but I wanted to break the news before they noticed.
Damien kissed my forehead, and we entered the library. My mother was seated in her favorite chair, reading the papers, while my father was reading a book, his reading glasses perched on his nose. The moment I entered, his eyes darted towards my direction before he gave his full attention back to his storybook.
“Mama,” I started, and my mother turned from her newspaper to me before she stood up and hugged me tightly before gasping. “Adrianna. Y-you—”
“Mama, not now. I will be announcing it later,” I said quietly, hoping my mother would go along with it. Figured that my mother would find out I was with child just after hugging me. I sighed. Things were not going according to plan as I hoped they would.
My mother nodded, shocked. “I didn’t expect you to come back home so soon after the last time.” I remained silent, and from the corner of my eye, I noticed my father watching our exchange. Damien’s arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I sighed again. I was not doing this for my father but for Damien and for our sons.
“You have to thank Damien for that. He convinced to come back to Spain,” I spoke, and my mother nodded. Soon, an awkward silence ensued.
My mother, not one for awkward situations smiled and moved gracefully and sat down. “Why don’t you sit down, my darling? You must be extremely tired after the long journey.” Her eyes went towards my belly before meeting mine with an excited smile.
I glanced at my father to see him watching Damien and me with a blank expression. When he realized that I was looking at him, he went back to reading his book. Damien guided me to the sofa, and we sat down, and I started, “Damien and I would be getting married next month, and I would like both of you and Andre to fly down to New York to be there.”
I said coolly, and my mother gasped before nodding her head eagerly. “Of course, my darling. We will be there, right, Markos?” she replied while emphasizing heavily on my father’s name.
My father met my mother’s gaze evenly for a long moment before answering, “Of course.” With that, he turned back to his book.
I fumed and was about to stand up when Damien tightened his hold on me. He shook his head with a frown on his face as I opened my mouth to retort. Recalling my promise to be patient and to control my temper, I let out a breath and continued, “We also have some news to share. I am pregnant with twins, and we will be having two little boys.”
My posture relaxed at the thought of my two little angels, and my mother gasped and clapped her hands. “Two little boys? I am going to be a grandmother?”
I nodded and smiled. “Yes, we have decided to name them Roman and Raphael.”
My mother gushed, and she went over to hug both Damien and me. A loud bang echoed in the room as my father stood up and slammed his book onto the table with a murderous expression on his face.
He abruptly left the room, and my heart sank. My heart felt as if it had sunk to the bottom of my stomach and I could feel the telltale signs of upcoming tears due to the sting in the back of my eyes. Why should I be feeling this way? I didn’t need my father’s acceptance, but I didn’t want my children to feel rejected. I tried to hold the tears back, and Damien wrapped his arms around me tightly, his presence comforting me.
Hurt and rejection filled the pit of my stomach as I brushed my tears away. “I am so sorry, my darling. I had a harsh talk with him the day you came. I am truly sorry for his behavior, Damien. After all, we are going to be family now.” My mother apologized. Damien shrugged and smiled at my mother.
“It is all right. Thank you for welcoming me into your family. And what is a family without a little drama?”
My mother smiled a little and stood up. “Come, why don’t we have some lunch now together, and both of you could tell me how my grandbabies are and everything else?”
I nodded, and Damien stood up before helping me. “Sure, why not, Emilia?” The three of us went to the dining room to have lunch.
***
I watched with a smile on my face as Damien and my mother started chatting together. I was pleased to see that they were getting along terribly well. I spooned a spoonful of pumpkin soup into my mouth and noticed that my father was watching us at the doorway.
A frown marred my face, and I greeted coldly, “Father.”
Conversation stopped between Damien and my mother as they turned to the doorway as well. Damien grabbed my hand and enclosed it in his larger one, giving me comfort.
My father eyed me carefully before speaking, “I would like a word with Damien privately.”
I began shaking my head and started to protest. “No—”
“It is okay,” Damien interjected quietly before standing up and walking to where my father stood.
I narrowed my eyes at my father. “If you ever say or do anything unkind to Damien, you would not have a daughter anymore nor would you get to know your grandsons. It is all because of Damien that I am here.”
My father eyed me before walking off wordlessly with Damien following him. I pursed my lips and sat back down on the seat. “Don’t worry about them, my darling. I had a very, very big talk with him. Just continue your meal. My grandsons need them.” My mother smiled at me.
“He better not do anything, Mama. I am serious. If he did, he wouldn’t have a daughter anymore,” I said seriously, and my mother sighed.
“Let us hope that it will not come to that.”
***
Damien Doukas’ POV
As I followed Adrianna’s father into the study, thoughts plagued my mind. What was this man going to say? This man was holding the perfect future for Adrianna and me. Adrianna didn’t care to have his blessings, but it would be right to have it.
Without Adrianna’s father’s blessing and agreement, there would always be a strain or discomfort whenever Adrianna’s parents are mentioned, and I did not want that for her. And for our two boys, they deserved to have two complete sets of doting grandparents. I knew I had that when I was younger.
“Take a seat,” Markos said as he sat opposite me in his study’s chairs. I sat down and waited for him to speak. Adrianna’s father was clearly good-looking when he was younger. Now, he looked stern and distinguished.
Markos studied me before releasing a breath and spoke, “I always wanted a daughter when Emilia and I got married. We had tried for years, but she wasn’t with a child. After five years, it seemed impossible, and we grew content with our son, Andre.”
He paused and bent his head down to rub at his forehead to collect his bearing. Clearing his throat, he continued, “You could imagine my shock when Emilia told me she was with child again. I was elated especially when we found out the child was going to be the daughter I always wanted. My daughter Adrianna is one of the most precious and important people in my life.”
I remained silent, knowing this must be a sensitive subject for him to talk about, and in a way, it was interesting. “When her fiancé died, I had never been so terrified for her life. My precious daughter had locked herself in the room refusing to eat or sleep or even talk to anyone. It was like she wanted to die along with him. Being a parent or in your case, a soon-to-be-parent, you would feel desperately helpless. All you wanted to do was help, but what could you do when that person does not want to be helped?”
He stopped and shut his eyes as though he was in pain before meeting my eyes. “Emilia and I could do nothing but watch with increasing horror when things got bad to worse a year later. All I wanted was to ease my daughter’s pain and to help her get over that stage in her life. But one day, she had just walked out of her room, and she seemed like my Adrianna before Jacob died. Emilia and I were so stunned that we could do nothing but gape at her. Even though things got better, my precious daughter had changed. She had formed a shell around herself. But as the years gone by, she seemed more and more like the old Adrianna I knew. Of course, no matter what, I still love her.”
Markos finished as his eyes stared off into a distance, reminiscing about the past. I remained silent as I marveled at the information that Markos had shared. Sure, I had a slight inkling of what Adrianna had gone through, but I didn’t know it was that bad.
Markos closed his eyes and sighed deeply. “I have heard things about you, Damien, some good and some not so good; a playboy womanizer who leaves a trail of broken hearts in his wake, a ruthless businessman who doesn’t care or think about consequences the plans his company will cause. So, of course, you can imagine my horror and displeasure when Adrianna announced to me that you and she are together. I didn’t want some callous womanizer to be with her. I actually had a man in mind from Spain for Adrianna to marry.”
My jaw shifted, and I opened my mouth to defend myself, but Markos held up his hand to silence me.
“However, I see the happiness you give her. She seemed like my precious daughter I had lost seven years ago. Also, I see the way you look and treat her with love and care. I could not ask for any better way for her to be treated. I do not want to lose my daughter because of some fight nor to never know my grandsons. So Damien, forgive me for judging you on what I have heard and not experienced. It was not right for me to judge a book by its cover. I would be proud to welcome you into this family and to call you my son.”
Markos focused his gaze onto me before taking out a hand for me to shake. A small smile formed on his face as I shook my hand with his.
“One more thing, Damien, if you ever, ever hurt my daughter or make her cry, you will find out what happens to those who displeases a member of the Valdez family,” Markos said coolly, and I gave him a sincere smile.
“I promise I won’t. Adrianna means everything to me. Hurting her would kill me.”
Markos nodded, and a small smile tugged onto his mouth. “That is good to know. Come, let us join the women for lunch so Emilia and I could know more about our grandchildren and how you and my daughter met.”
“Of course, Mr. Valdez,” I answered.
Markos frowned before adding, “Call me Markos. We are family now.”
I nodded and followed him out, pleased and strongly relieved that everything had turned out well. I hurried after Markos eager to be near Adrianna again, this time, with the acceptance from her father about her and I being together.