( Beverly Hills, California.)
Arian De’ Argent sat at the most boring family dinner ever. But that was probably his new life till he died.
He couldn’t sleep well the entire night and had to be sedated because he was restless. His fever broke this morning but he wished it didn’t, so he’ld skip being at the stupid table.
Aside the De’ Argents, the Campbells, Winterfields and Lorenzos were also present. Though they tried not to show it, Arian knew they were expecting some kind of drama from him, judging by their silent stares.
Even Tommy was openly gazing at him from where he sat across the table!
“I’m thinking of a family trip to Venice for the holiday.” Williams breezed, breaking the awkward atmosphere. Sir Williams Campbell was Jeffrey’s father.
“The country is so beautiful and the air is nice. It’ll be nice for the baby.” Mom Rose smiled at Mom Felicity, the Californian beauty.
“Tch! I know Williams. Even though it’s a holiday, he’ll still find some world-coming-to-an-end excuses to work! So I’m not really interested.” She huffed and Sir Felix laughed.
“It’s a necessary sacrifice needed to thrive in the business world. Not waiting for opportunities to appear or letting go of them when they happen.” He said.
Mom Anna, the twin’s mom, tried to keep her voice beneath a sneer but it failed.
“That’s a better case! What would you call working overnight on your honeymoon??”
Stifled laughers went round the table when Ricky’s dad uncomfortably cleared his throat, looking a bit flustered.
Only adults chuckled, mind you. Ricky was boredly playing a video game, Jeffrey and Nicky were lost in themselves, Damon was seriously typing away on his phone, Tommy was stressing his nanny on eating only the sweet things on the menu and Selena was harping on what came into Arian’s plate or not.
“No offense, but is there a way to screw dinner?” Damon impatiently texted in their private group chat.
While Ricky and Jeffrey switched to the chat, Tommy was pouting aggrievedly. After expecting a lot of cookies, brownies and sweet treats as Christmas was less than a week away, the wronged little fox was upset as his mother had forbade him from having any.
The doctor had mentioned something about him having early signs of toothache and cavities but obviously, the little one didn’t understand.
He looked at the weird greenish thing on his plate and made up his mind before jumping down from his high chair and sneaking over to Damon’s.
Damon looked away from his phone and his heart melted seeing his adorable face. He smiled and picked him up.
When he cluelessly returned back to his phone, Tommy dropped his rehearsed smile and zeroed his eyes on his cheesecake like a predator.
The cold, white, creamy cheese and sugar which was sprinkled with crushed cookies, resting on a huge slice of cake made him drool! So before his over-fussing mother found out, the little fox stuffed not only his mouth… but his face as fast as he could.
“Do you want some more?” Damon asked, noticing his healthy appetite and Tommy couldn’t have been more pleased!
He hastily nodded.
“TOMMY ELVIS DE’ ARGENT! What are you doing? I don’t know what to do with you anymore!” Mom Rose scolded from down the table.
The white cheese had covered Tommy’s mouth like Father Christmas’s funny beard. And she scowled the more when he tried his smiley, adorable face on her.
“Aunt, the dentist said he can have sweets sometimes.” Selena smiled to his rescue.
“You don’t see what I see every night he goes to bed! Try taking time to lift his blankets and see what he hides underneath!”
“Mommy, I told you those candy bars came over by themselves. The chocolate ninja brought them!” He argued and everyone chuckled.
It was the benefit of being adorable. People bought your story easily…. Well except your own mother!
“I really do not blame you.” She gritted. “I blame your father!”
“And what did I do?” Richard raised his head from his wine glass.
“Well if you hadn’t been a handful at his age, just MAYBE he would’ve been less mischievous!” She accused.
“Rosey Rose, how would you know that?” Sir Michael Winterfield, Ricky’s dad, mused.
“Hmph.” She smugly snorted. “I know I wasn’t that way myself so it must be from him!” She flipped her hair and tilted her chin.
“Yes! It’s about time someone said the bitter truth!” Mom Anna interjected and Nicky narrowed her eyes.
“Mom, I’m sure it’s Ricky. Not me, right?”
“Of course darling! You’re the good twin. Ricky’s more like his father.”
“Pardon?”
“Yeah, pardon?” Ricky blurted after his dad and everyone else chuckled.
Soon, a little wronged-fathers versus accusatory-mothers argument started and dinner was much more lively without waiting for the young master Argent to do something crazy.
Tommy was elated seeing that his case had been forgotten…. or more truthfully, suspended. But he looked at his quiet older brother and felt sad.
Arian wasn’t talking, eating or even smiling. He just sat lifelessly, staring at the food on his plate. He no longer behaved the way he used to. Tommy knew it was because of Natalia. He also missed her too and her hot friend. She was also cool.
He pouted sadly. But that sadness evaporated into a wide grin when he saw the table maids change the empty dessert plate to a full one!
“You won’t be saying that until you have kids of your own! And if they turn out to be Tommy’s kind, just pray they skip childhood for the sake of your sanity.” Mom Rose bantered a smiling Selena.
The dads had switched to talks about golf and politics while the moms were still at the topic.
Selena intimately entwined Arian’s arm which he was using to poke his food and rested her recently curled up black hair on his shoulder.
“Arian is soft and gentle. I’m sure our kids will be just like him.” She fondly smiled.
Without turning his head, Arian glared at their connection before switching the fork to his other hand. The little movement slyly broke their contact.
“Yes, that reminds me. How’s the wedding going? Congratulations again.” Sir Williams smiled. Everyone gave them good wishes and Selena couldn’t have grinned wider!
She flushed from all the sweetness and muttered the thank you-s on their behalf.
Meanwhile, Arian on the other hand, ignored them and continued picking… or rather, STABBING his meal.
The noise the fork made drew everyone’s attention back to him again. They paused the ever flowing congratulations and resumed giving him the silent psycho looks. Even Damon raised his head from his phone.
Arian’s fruit salad began rattling and jumping out of his plate but he didn’t stop. He kept poking it distractedly, without blinking once.
“Arian.” His dad called and got total silence. The rhythmic stabbing continued. Ricky exchanged a prepared-for-any-more-marathon glances with Jeffrey.
“Arian?” Selena whispered and touched his arm which was hidden under a casual black long sleeved shirt he wore.
Instinctively, Arian’s eyes snapped to her fingers and relaxed. He looked confusedly at the couple of eyes gazing back at him, and then down at the weird mess on his plate.
When he saw his guilty fingers holding the fork, he cocked a puzzled brow and casually dropped it. The maids flew into action and cleared up the mess. Then the conversations merrily continued.
However, Arian’s hand twitched and his water glass crashed on the floor when someone mentioned something about the honeymoon!
Everyone stared again to see that the young master had already gotten up. He ungraciously tossed his napkin directly into his soup and spared them a glance.
“I’ll be having an early night. Please excuse me.” He muttered and was gone.
Selena smiled apologetically at the rest at the table before rushing after his personal guards, who were trailing him upstairs. Tommy sadly shook his head and faced his milk back.
“What’s wrong, Tom?” Damon fondly tickled his ear.
“The voices aren’t gonna be long now.” He pouted.
And true enough, infuriated voices which tried to be hushed sounded from upstairs a few minutes later…
***
“Arian, are you okay?” Selena walked into the room after him, leaving the guards at the door.
“Quit acting like you care. It doesn’t suit you and frankly? It gets on my nerves.”
“Why are you sounding this way? Dad only mentioned the…”
“And stop talking about the damned wedding!” He cussed and pulled off his shoes.
“What’s wrong with you?” She gasped.
“What’s wrong with me?” He scornfully scoffed. “What the hell’s wrong with you?! Why can’t you get that there’ll never be anything serious between us, ever!”
“It’s still Natalia, right? Why can’t you forget her?! She dumped you, Arian! Twice! It didn’t take her three days meeting that hot prince to trash you.
“If I’m pathetic then you’re just as worse! She’s moved on a long time ago and by the looks of it, she’s really happy!” She yelled and his heart hurt more than it’d ever hurt before.
“Go away. It’s enough torture that I have to spend the rest of my life with you. At least let me have this one night in peace ALONE. And don’t you ever…” He roughly pulled her arm.
“… bring Natalia into this.” Selena forcefully yanked her arm free and glared back at him.
“Or what?!” She dared. “She’s the problem between us. Actually, her memories in your heart is the damn problem! If you’re so in love with her, when last did you check up on her? She’s so happy with her prince charming that the media’s helplessly hyped on their case!
“What other sign do you need to see before telling your darn heart it’s time to freaking MOVE ON!” She fumed. Something wrecking shifted within Arian but it was gone as soon as it came.
“Get out!” He forcefully dragged her out of the room.
“Even if she’s moved on, nothing and no one will ever change the way I feel about her! Least of all, you!” He swore and slammed the door in her face…