“Devon, someone is calling you.”
Henry handed her a phone. She had been in the lawn for almost an hour now waiting for Daemon to pick her up.
She’s wearing the pink dress he bought for her and the set of diamond earring hung on her ears. He told her it’s the first time he will introduce her to his world so she better looked put together.
“A call? Someone was able to reach me?”
She stood up anxiously from sitting on the bench and hesitated if she will accept the phone or not.
Henry looked relaxed so she assumed it’s a harmless call.
“Pick it up. It’s your mom.”
Her eyes widened and hurriedly snatched the phone away from his hand and answered it immediately.
“Hello? Mom?”
Devon fought off the tears from falling. Her make-up must not be ruined or else Daemon will put her up on that room again for hours staring at the vanity mirror while they glam her up like a doll. It’s exhausting. But she missed her mom. It’s her mom. It’s been weeks since the last time she had seen and spoken with her.
“Mom? Hello?” she repeated when no one answered on the line.
A lady sobbed. “Oh Devon. My baby. My only daughter. My love,” Melena erupted into violent crying that Devon cannot help but do the same.
It’s her mother. It’s really her. She is finally hearing her mother now.
“My baby, where are you now? Tell your mother, please sweetie. We’ve been looking for you since you disappeared on your wedding day. We are so worried for you, Devon. You are not answering your phone. Your father and your brothers are going crazy. Please my baby, come home to us now. Your mom misses you. I miss you so much my daughter.”
“I miss you, too.” Her voice trailed off and side eyed Henry who is guarding her for tonight. “I miss you, mom. I miss everyone in the house but… I can’t come home just to marry Joffrey. I can’t, mom. I will not marry him.”
“Yes, baby. The wedding has been called off. You will not marry Joffrey anymore. No one will force you to marry anyone, Devon. Just please, please come home, my child. I cannot sleep at night knowing that you are not in your bedroom. Please my baby, come home to mommy now.”
She can feel the anguish in her mother’s voice. She, too, is having a hard time dealing with the changes. Devon badly wants to go home now.
“But I thought he is still looking for me and how did you know that I am here?”
“Your father already talked with Joffrey and formally called off the wedding. Devon, Joffrey is not in the country anymore. He’s in Europe for business. You can look it up on the news. I know you are doubting me. I once forced you to marry him and I am regretting that now, sweetie. I lost my daughter because of my foolishness. I am sorry baby. Please come home to me now, Devon. Have pity on your family. I’ll see you later, my baby.”
The line went off and Devon was left in a state of utter confusion. She is torn between going home and being with Daemon who just got out of his car and is now walking to her.
“Are you okay? You look horrified. Do I look bad?”
She blinked many times to hide her tears. She tried to smile but she knows that she could not hide her emotions to someone like him. He easily reads people.
“I… I am just nervous. I don’t know how people will react to your announcement. I bet this will get to my father.”
Daemon patted her head. “That’s my plan.” He gave her his one arm. “Shall we, wife?”
She stared at Daemon’s eyes. They look genuinely happy like he has been really looking forward to this event. What happened? Did she thaw his ice cold demeanor? Or she guessed this is really the Daemon outside being a fearless mafia head. This is the man who promised to protect her and at the same time blackmailed her.
She gladly held his arm and nodded. “Okay, let’s go, husband.”
She saw a small smile on the side of his mouth before he tactically hid it.
The party is organized by a governor. Daemon proudly paraded her to everyone who goes to talk to him and as expected, they cannot help but gush upon recognizing her insignia.
“You are surely looking for a war, gentleman,” commented a war veteran to which Daemon just smiled.
They became the subject of everybody that night. The knowing glances, the fake happiness, and the worry all loomed as the night goes deeper.
“A wine for the newlyweds.”
Devon accepted a glass of wine from a passing lady but she felt herself froze when she sticks something on her hand. Thank god her husband is busy talking by her side so he didn’t notice it.
“Excuse me, Daemon. I just need to use a bathroom.”
“Sure. Henry will accompany you.”
She looked at the man who was busy studying her since that phone call but he never said a thing so she thought that he is just turning a blind eye on it.
“Meet me outside in the parking lot.”
That’s what the note says when she was able to read it when she is inside the CR.
She slowly opened the door and when she saw that Henry is not looking her way, she immediately moved fast to get away from him and headed to the parking lot where her mother has been waiting for her.
“Mom? Mom? Where are you?” She looked at the arrays of cars before her and raised her voice a little higher. “Mom? Wher-”
She was not able to finish her sentence anymore when someone emerged from the shadows and approached her. She felt all her body tingle at the sense of familiar danger that greeted her.
“Hello, baby.”