“Are you feeling better now, Liam?” A hand smoothed over his head, eliciting a soft hum from the said boy. “You know that she didn’t mean you any harm, right? She was just very happy to meet you.”
Liam let out a clearly disgruntled but incoherent muttering before turning his head away from his mother.
Jane sighed and continued to calmly stroke his head. “Cheer up, honey. I don’t like seeing you upset.”
She really was such a good mother, even if she was a bit too nice for her own good at times. She always listened to Liam’s side of things and tried to understand him before saying anything.
Trying to take his mind off my mother’s overly friendly and nearly deadly display of affection toward her first grandchild, I lightly nudged Liam’s cheeks and offered, “If you want, I can tell my mother to not bother you because you want want to stay by Jane’s side tonight. She can be a bit overbearing at times, but she’ll still at least respect your wishes.”
He looked up at me hesitantly before glancing at the partition separating us from the driver and then up at Jane before diverting his eyes again. “It’s not that I hate Mrs. Cordova… I’m just not used to people being so unconditionally loving…”
I nodded understandingly and hummed, “I’ll at least tell her to give you some room until you’re ready then.”
Liam nodded quietly as he wrapped his arms back around Ms. Jane, “And I was going to stay glued to Ms. Jane without you telling me.”
“Ah, you noticed.” I chuckled lightly. He was honestly just too clever and observant. I explained, “I would’ve stayed by Jane’s side for the entirety of the night if it were up to me, but I’m sure that many of my investors and competitors will be trying to pull me aside. I don’t want to leave her alone, so the next best thing is to make sure the two of you don’t get separated from each other.”
Jane looked up at me worriedly, “Why would people try something? It’s an event you are personally hosting. Wouldn’t they expect you to be on high alert already?”
I engulfed her trembling hands into my own warm hands and reassured her, “I already have my best guards assigned to the two of you for tonight, following you from the shadows, but I still worry because you two are too important for me to be careless. I would like to believe that people would know better than to try anything, but this is the first time I am introducing anyone as my partner. People will see you as my weakness and try to hurt me through you. I just don’t want anything to happen to you, okay?”
She nodded shakily and reflexively squeezed my hands for reassurance.
Noting his mother’s wary expression, Liam piped up, “I’ll won’t let anything happen to Ms. Jane, and even if something does happen, Mr. Cordova will come to save us like always, right?”
“Honey… we can’t always burden him like-”
“Danary.” I firmly refuted, “I told you this last night and so many other times before, but you and Liam would never be a burden to me. If anything, all of this power of mine is only useful when I can use it to protect the two of you. It would’ve been a worthless power otherwise.”
As the car slowed to a stop, the side door opened up the venue’s entrance, revealing the paparazzi line waiting for us to step out.
I turned toward Jane and pressed a soft kiss against the side of her temple. “You’re already strong enough the way you are, so feel free to lean on me whenever you need me because I am here to fill in the your gaps when you need it.”
She nodded timidly and gave a reassuring squeeze to my fingers.
Without another word, I stepped out of the car and nodded at my driver, who was holding the door open. Ignoring all the camera flashes, I turned back around and stepped aside, letting Liam hop out of the car and wait next to my side.
Another onslaught of questions and a bombardment of flashes washed over us, but I paid no mind to it and extended a hand out for Jane.
My breath hitched as her soft fingers slid my skin, accepting my hand. Dipping her head ever so slightly as she minded her step, she emerged from her car with a graceful flurry of fabric trailing after her.
Pride swelled in my chest as I watched how beautifully she shone on all the flashing lights with a soft but amicable smile on her pink lips. Unable to help myself, I leaned down and stole a kiss from her lips, earning another fury of camera flashes.
Surprised by my actions, her eyes flew open. She reflexively squeezed my arms as she tried to resist the kiss. But the moment that I pulled her into my arms, she instantly melted into the kiss, forgetting about the people around us
Reluctantly parting from her lips, I pulled away with a smirk as I took in her stupefied form. Noting how her fingers unconsciously touched her lips in reminiscence of the previous kiss.
The crowd of reporters roared in excitement as they tried to push passed my guards, shouting all sorts of questions from every direction.
Her eyes widened when she realized that everyone had seen our kiss and hushedly scolded me, “Achilles! What were you thinking? Everybody’s going to-”
Her voice cut off as I pulled her closer and wrapped an arm securely around her, giving her waist a playful squeeze. “I’m just showing everyone who I belong to.”
Her cheeks burst into a deep shade of red again as I pulled her down toward the walkway leading up to the venue’s front door.
Lifting Liam up into one of my arms and keeping my other arm wrapped firmly around Jane’s waist, I made my way down the walkway.
“Mr. Cordova, who’s the lady beside you today?”
“What was the meaning of that kiss?”
“Does this mean that the infamous bachelor is finally off the market?”
“Who’s the boy in your arms?”
“Are you accepting an illegitimate son as your heir?”
I clenched my jaw at the last question, trying not to lash out at any of the reporters. Jane didn’t need me to make a scene on her first time being introduced to the public.
Ignoring the pests, I swiftly made my way into the building, leaving the paparazzi locked outside the glass doors.
I carefully set Liam down on the ground. Once I made sure he wasn’t too phased by the paparazzi, I turned to Jane.
Her skin was covered in goosebumps as she anxiously squeezed the side of her arms.
She must’ve noticed my worried expression because she flashed me a weak smile and added, “I’m just not used to all the cameras, but I’ll be okay.”
I pursued my lips, unconvinced by the pale color of her face.
She light-heartedly joked, “If you look so grim when we enter, people are going to think I’m blackmailing you into being with me.”
I frowned at her poor attempt to lighten the situation.
She quickly added, “Plus, I will eventually need to get used to this for when I get married to you.”
Giving in to her, I sighed. “Fine… Just… Just don’t push yourself too hard…” I skimmed my fingers along the loose curls in her hair and tucked a strand behind her ear. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
She nodded and gave me two cheeky little thumbs up.
Amused, I engulfed her hands in my own. Unraveling her little fists, I pressed her palms onto either side of my cheeks and mumbled softly, “I expect you to show me some extra affection when we get home tonight to make up for making me feel so anxious.”
She flushed adorably at my words and nodded silently.
Content with her answer, I released her hands before turning toward Liam, who was distracted by the reporters just outside my building. He didn’t seem all that bothered by the reporters pressed up against the glass walls, but I still kneeled down to his height and assured him, “Don’t listen to what anyone says. I don’t care if you don’t carry my blood. You will soon be a son of the Cordova family, so I want you to keep your head high.”
His eyes fluttered across my face. With a deep breath, he nodded and promised, “I will.”
I smiled at his answer and leaned into his ear to quietly whispered to avoid being heard by Jane, “Also, if you ever cause a fuss, I will always stand by your side because I trust that you won’t do anything without reason. But don’t tell your mom because she’ll scold me for spoiling you.”
Liam chuckled lightly before giving me a small nod.
I patted his back and then stood back up.
I held my arm out for Jane. Once she intertwined our arms, I nodded for my guards to open the grand doors leading to the reception hall, where all my guests were waiting for our entrance.
“Now announcing the arrival of tonight’s host, Mr. Rafael Achilles Cordova, and his fiancee, Ms. Danary Jane Belcalis.”
The crowd’s bustle immediately died down.
Jane’s grip tightened around my arm as we walked through the double doors, but I could tell that she was trying her best not to show her fear. She shone under the lights of the chandeliers, immediately capturing everyone’s attention as we made our way to the center of the floor.
Hushed whispers fluttered about the hall.
“He’s actually here today.”
“I’ve never seen Mr. Cordova with a date before.”
“A fiancee? Did you know he was engaged?”
“Wait, what about the boy with them?”
“Do you think he’s already been selected as the next heir?”
Noting Jane’s rising anxiety with each whisper, I placed my hand over Jane’s hand that was resting on my arm and gave her a silent squeeze in reassurance.
She glanced up at me timidly but soon started to relax under my warm gaze until she was focused only on me.
Even more whispers bloomed.
“Did Mr. Cordova just smile?”
“I’ve never seen him so soft before.”
“Who is she?”
I stopped at the center of the hall and turned around to face the crowd. I greeted, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for attending my charity gala to celebrate the opening of my new headquarters. I am glad to see so many familiar faces were able to make it out here tonight, and as for the unfamiliar faces, I hope we can be on good terms.”
I reached my hand out for Jane to take and gently coaxed her to stand next to me. As Jane timidly stepped out in front of me, I continued, “As many of you have already heard, I am also happy to announce that I am now engaged to this lovely lady right here, Danary Jane Belcalis. She is a wonderfully intelligent and beautiful woman who helped me finish this building, so I hope you will welcome her just as warmly.”
Placing a hand on Liam’s shoulder, I added, “Although I am not introducing this young boy yet, I expect everyone to treat him as an extension of the Cordova family and I will not allow for any disrespect.”
Looking up from my soon-to-be family, I ended my little speech with, “I know that this may come to many of you as an unforeseen surprise, but I am very happy to announce the end of my life of bachelor life and the start of a new future that I will be building with these two right here. I am sure that you will be excited to meet them as well, which is great and all, but I must ask you to please keep their well-being in mind before bombarding them all at once. Otherwise, please enjoy tonight’s gala, and feel free to bid on any of the items in the glass cases along this floor. All proceeds will be donated to charity programs for orphan children.”
With that, my opening speech ended with a loud round of applause and cheers.