Mirabelle’s POV:
The next morning, Noah had already left for work. Since I’d come back, I hadn’t yet made it to my company. I finally had a chance today, and I was eager to see what my office looked like.
When I arrived, I wasn’t exactly pleased with what I saw. So I pulled out my phone and called a couple of interior decorators, to make some adjustments.
The day passed faster than I expected, and soon enough, night had fallen. I found myself in our room, struggling with the beautiful black dress Noah had gifted me, trying to zip it up.
By the time I managed it, he had already gone downstairs, loaded the gifts into the car, and was waiting patiently for me in the sitting room.
Taking one last look in the mirror, I felt a mix of excitement because the dress hugged me perfectly.
I walked down the stairs, feeling my heart race as I saw Noah waiting below. He looked up as I descended, and the way his gaze softened and brightened. It made me feel beautiful.
“Mummy, you look beautiful!” Tyler’s small voice piped up from the side.
Mika ran over, her eyes wide. “Mummy, can I come with you and Daddy?” she asked, tugging at Noah’s pant leg, her little face full of hope.
Her cuteness never fails to bring a smile to my face.
Tyler, not one to be left out, joined in, holding onto my hand. “I want to go with you, Mummy.”
Noah and I exchanged a look, and I bent down to their level, brushing a gentle hand over their heads. “We’ll be back soon, loves,” I reassured them softly. “Jamie will stay here with you, and you’ll have lots of fun. We’ll just be gone for a little while.”
Mika pouted, clutching Noah’s hand a little tighter, but she seemed to understand, nodding slowly. Tyler looked at me with his big, round eyes but finally gave me a small nod too.
“Where’s Skyler?” I asked, glancing around.
“In his room,” Mika replied.
Then Noah gave them each a little kiss on the forehead, and I did the same before we stepped out.
The drive to Noah’s parents’ house was quiet. He glanced over at me a few times, his hand resting on mine as he focused on the road, but neither of us spoke.
I wanted to say something, to thank him again for the dress, but what we did last night flashed across my mind, and the words were caught in my throat, leaving me feeling shy.
There was so much I wanted to say but wasn’t quite sure how to.
We arrived sooner than expected, the mansion’s grand, ivy-covered gates opening as we approached. The house itself was as impressive as I expected-large and beautifully designed.
After Noah parked, he stepped out and opened my door, holding my hand as I climbed out. His fingers wrapped around mine as he led me toward the front entrance.
Once inside, I saw Ken was already there, sitting on the cushion with Mitchelle. Ken was talking with his father, Michael, who shared the same striking features as both Ken and Noah.
Beside Michael sat Caitlyn, Ken’s mother, and Noah’s stepmother. She looked up as we entered, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“You’re late,” Caitlyn remarked, her eyes fixed on me but she was speaking to Noah.
Michael shot her a look. “Let them get settled, Caitlyn. They’re here now.”
Ignoring Caitlyn’s irritation, I focused on Ken, who was watching me intently. There was something in his gaze that held on a little too long, it felt uncomfortably familiar, so I quickly averted my eyes.
Next to him, Mitchelle seemed to be watching every move he made, her eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched.
Noah, still holding my hand, gave it a light squeeze as he led us toward the dining room, where everyone already stood and began to head to as well.
The table was set with several dishes; more food arrived as we took our seats, and chefs appeared periodically to add to the side.
Dinner began smoothly, or at least as smoothly as could be expected. Noah kept glancing at my plate, adding more protein whenever he thought I wasn’t eating enough.
His actions didn’t go unnoticed, especially by Ken, who was watching every bite Noah placed on my plate.
After glaring at Noah for what felt like ages, Ken suddenly slammed his spoon on the table. The whole table fell silent, every eye turning to him.
He turned to his father. “Why are we acting like this is a perfect family dinner, when you know exactly why I asked for this gathering in the first place?” He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he glanced around. “Your favorite son stole his brother’s wife. Aren’t you ashamed at all? What will people say when they learn of this… abomination?”
A heavy silence followed, I glanced at Noah, who tightened his grip on his spoon.
Noah lets out a deep sigh, a sly smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “Aren’t we both the same.” He said while taking a piece of steak from his plate and popping it into his mouth, chewing as if he’d said nothing of importance.
The room froze, and every gaze fixed on him, Ken’s especially, as though he were waiting for the next piece to drop.
After a moment, Noah set down his fork, picked up his napkin, and slowly dabbed the side of his mouth, which only seemed to rile Ken further.
Ken’s patience snapped. “I am nothing like you, Noah.”
Noah let out a low chuckle. “You’re right,” He replied. “You could never be like me, Ken. You’ve always been beneath me, right from the time we were kids.” He leaned back, his gaze shifting past Ken, then landing on Mitchelle. “And just to clarify, I wasn’t talking about you, Ken. I was talking about the stranger sitting next to you.” He said, giving a slight nod towards her.