CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE.
It was dinner time at the mansion and Adele, Jamal and Grandma were having dinner at the dining table. Shannelle was not with them because she was spending the night at her fiancé’s house. Something that did not sit well with Jamal. He had been grumbling about it ever since she told him.
“She never listens to me!” He mumbled under his breath as Adele served him some hot sauce.
“Who never listens to you?” She asked and took her seat. Jamal looked at her and sighed heavily. He creased his forehead with his fingers and sighed yet again before looking at Adele again who was patiently waiting for him to tell her what she wanted to hear.
“I guess I’m never going to stop wanting to protect her.” He lamented.
“Who are you talking about?” Asked, Grandma.
“Shannelle. I’m talking about Shannelle.”
“What about her?” Adele questioned as she took in a scoop of her soup, her eyes not leaving Jamal’s worried face.
“A few hours ago, she called to inform me that she would not be coming back home tonight. That she will be spending the night with Reid at his penthouse. I thought I was fine with it, but I just realized I’m not. I’m seriously fighting my urge to pick up the phone and call her to come back home.” He explained and Adele chuckled.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Adele cautioned as she picked up his phone that was lying by his right hand and put it away because she knew the kind of person her husband was. She knew he could snap and decide to call Shannelle, ordering her to come back home.
“So, why are you confiscating my phone?’ He asked, giving Adele a surprised look.
“Because I don’t want you to snap and do something outrageous, Jamal.”
“Adele, what do I have to do to get you to address me using sweet names like, love, baby, sweetheart, honey? What do I have to do?”
“That is a matter for another day, right now, we are talking about Shannelle so stop trying to change the topic. You need to let your sister live her own life.”
“I can’t help but be worried about her.” Cried Jamal and Grandma chuckled but said nothing. Adele calmly placed her hands on his and caressed it.
“And that’s really cute, but right now, you have to let go even for a bit. You’ve protected her all this while and right now, she is with the man you have always wanted her to end up with. You should feel relaxed right now, except you think that Reid is not good for her.”
“Of course not! I don’t think that way, Reid is a great guy and I know he treats my sister well, I’m just… you know, nervous. It’s going to take some time for me to get used to this.”
“That is one thing for sure, but for now, we have to make sure you don’t ruin things by ruining their date nights and cozy moments. They are engaged and will be married in a few weeks, leave them be. That is an order.” She said the last sentence with a very firm tone and Jamal nodded in agreement.
“Yes, boss!”
“I am not your boss.” Adele denied.
“You are.” Jamal insisted and she just rolled her eyes and focused on eating her food because she knew arguing with Jamal was complete waste. He would always win in the end.
“Mr. King.” A Servant called as she rushed into the diner, a terrified look on her face. Jamal and the others turned to look at her, wondering what was going on. “Mrs. Dominick is here with her bags.” The servant announced and just then, Aliya’s voice sounded.
“Is anyone home?” She called and Adele rolled her eyes hard.
They had reconciled and shared a warm hug, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to live under the same roof with her mother-in-law just yet. They all stood up from their seats and went to the living room and indeed, there was Aliya, with her bags and the most sorrowful look on her face.
The moment she saw Jamal, she rushed into his arms and burst into tears.
“My son! My darling son. I’m sorry for everything I put you through.” She cried.
“Mother.” Jamal was confused as to why his mother was suddenly crying. He gently pulled her out of his arms and studied her face closely.
“What’s wrong, mother?” He asked, concerned, looking at her.
“As we spoke this morning, I decided to ask your father about the problems you both have and what he told me was devastating. Jamal I’m so sorry that you had to go through all that in the hands of your father. Right now, I’m so ashamed to even look at you in the face. What he did was horrendous.” Aliya explained and Jamal just smiled and hugged her.
Her entire face was drenched with tears and her eyes were blood red. That was evidence that she had cried all the way to the mansion. Aliya could be madly annoying and provocative at times, but she was still his mother and he loved her very much.
“It’s alright mother. I’m over it already. That’s in the past now. You don’t have to cry.” Jamal assures his mother who disengaged herself from his hug and looked up at him with her completely drenched face.
“I left the house and I told your father I won’t return till he apologizes to you and I mean it, I’m not going back there until he makes things right between the two of you.” Jamal could see in her eyes that she was very serious so he simply nodded his head.
“Alright mother, you can stay here for as long as you want.” He told her because he knew that’s what she wanted. He knew she hated living out of the mansion and had seen that situation as the perfect excuse to come back.
If she had not yet reconciled with Adele, he would not have let her stay. He would have personally driven her back home that night, but the fact that she had reconciled with Adele made him let her stay.
For his father, all he wanted was him to apologise for what he did. Mr. Dominick was his father after all and he loved him. All Jamal wanted was for him to apologize and everything would be back to normal.
“Thank you very much, son. Thank you so much.”
“Layla, please take mother to her room.” Jamal told the maid who had always been in charge of serving Aliya.
When Aliya was taken to her bedroom, Jamal turned around, in search of Adele and that’s when he acknowledged that she was nowhere to be found.
“Grandma, where did Adele go?”
“Your bedroom, hopefully. She didn’t look too happy.”
“Oh shoot!” Jamal whispered as she sprinted up the stairs.
“Baby.” He called the moment he walked into the bedroom. Adele was lying the bed and he calmly walked over to her. “Baby, if you don’t want mum here, just say the word and I will take her back to her house right away. You have the final say. I’m sorry I made the decision to let her stay without consulting you first. I got carried away, but if her stay will make you feel uncomfortable, just tell me and I’ll make sure to take her back home first thing tomorrow morning.”
On hearing that, Adele quickly sat upright and pouted her lips and sighed.
“Now you are making me feel bad. I feel like an evil daughter-in-law who doesn’t want her husband’s mother coming to live with her.”
“I don’t see it that way and anyone who knows what my mum has made you go through won’t see it that way either. Like I said, it’s all left to you. Just say the word and it’s done.”
“Jamal I don’t want you to chase your mother away. I mean, she apologized and according to her, everything is fine between us and it is, but I honestly need time to process everything.” Exhales heavily. “It’s fine, okay. I guess this is the perfect opportunity for us to get acquainted with each other.“
“Are you suer this is what you want?” He asked, looking at her straight in the eye.
That was not what Adele wanted, but she knew that was what needed to be done. That was the unity she had always wanted, so she had to grab the chance to make peace.
She nodded her head with a smile.
“Yes, this is what I want.”
“Thank you. Thank you, love.” Jamal thanked her wholeheartedly as he planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
“For nothing.”
“So, I was going to ask about you hospital appointment with the doctor today, how did it go?” He asked, referring to their fertility issue.
“Get on the bed and cuddle me in your arms, then I’ll decide if I’m going to tell you or not.” She winked at him and lay on the bed. Jamal laughed hard, shaking his head.
“I will be right back.” He rose to his feet and went into the bathroom to take a piss before going to join Adele on the bed.