[Kaleah POV]
"Good morning welcome to Bistro Bazaar, table for two?" A short, sweet lady welcomes us as we step inside the restaurant.
"Yes, please," Clayton replies, before we are shown to our table.
As always for Beckets we get the exclusive table, I don't complain anymore, Cyan didn't go to expensive tables since I had always complained about money, when I sold paintings, all my money went to my father's account, wait, I never even saw the money I got from my paintings, what did that man do with my money?
"Are you okay?"
"Oh…" Clayton brings me back to reality, but I now feel dazed.
I had let my father keep all the money for all my paintings from when I was still a child, mother never saw this money as well, nor did he even use the money on anything as we still lived in a rundown apartment and had trouble paying for mother's medical fees when she was pregnant.
"It is nothing just reminiscing of the past," I say, not entirely a lie.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
"It is just some boring stuff, you wouldn't like it," I say, "I would like to order please."
The waitress came back to take our orders, but Clayton still looked at me suspiciously.
"Um, can I have Greek salad," I order making Clayton widen his eyes.
"Darling, are you ordering that because you like it or is it the reminiscing of the past that is making you order that?"
"Oh… I like… I like it." I lie, I hate salads, especially Greek salad.
"Hmmm… says the very person who puts away tomatoes when she eats a burger, what a new development."
My face is completely white with embarrassment, how does he know that I try and eat healthy, but I can be picky, picky enough to hate tomatoes.
"Well… I heard I need to reduce calories to fit the dress, so I opted…"
"Come on it is our wedding who cares if you're curvier than all the brides? You are my bride at the end of the day."
Man, this man sure is husband of the year already, like my own friend Cyan was one to advise me to reduce calories.
"Oh... okay," I say smiling in happiness, no salads for me, "can I have the grilled steak and baked potatoes."
"I'll have lobster tail."
We had our breakfast, the best steak I have ever had, and I know mom probably turning in her grave to my statement.
"Should I drive you home or do you have any arrands to run now?"
"Oh…. I have an appointment with Mrs. Dealer so it will be good to be dropped there."
"Fine, let me pay the bill and take you there, do you want me to join the meeting too?"
I am completely shocked with his statement, like I know how busy this man is, Cyan had complained once when he wasn't coming home because of work, and he would sleep and eat at the office.
"You do not really have to, I know you are busy,"
"I am not so busy that I will toss all the wedding responsibility to you Leah,"
I cannot help but blush at when he calls me Leah or when he becomes so suspiciously considerate, he sure is a hidden gem.
"If you are not busy you can come with it is your wedding too after all."
Well, that was short-lived, our happiness our relaxed atmosphere, everything was going so well until we got out of the restaurant.
"Mr. Beckett is this the one you will marry?"
"I heard she is a gold digger,"
"Is it about the child you took to the hospital, is she your illegitimate daughter?"
"Miss how do you feel bagging the one richest man in the world."
"Mr. Beckett what happened to your relationship with Miss Leech?"
"Miss how does it feels to be a home wrecker. Does using your bastard child to do your evil biding satisfy you?"
They were everywhere, cameras, faces with nothing but contempt. I haven't even married the man yet and people already called me all sorts of name for just being see with him, who leaked this news?
"Leah! Don't panic we need to get you in the car and home, okay?" Clayton calls out, I nodded my head with fear before following his lead to the car, he had held my hand so tight that I could feel his anger.
"Are you okay?" he asked as when we arrived at the car.
"I think..., I think so."
"We need to go home; we will reschedule the meeting with Mrs. Dealer, we should fix this publicity nightmare."
"Okay," I say in the saddest voice, this is horrible, why are they bringing my little sister into this.
We arrived home soon, fortunately it was not swarmed with reporters, we arrived to find Melisa and Cyan tuned into the latest gossip news, yep, we were live.
"Oh, Leah sweety are you okay?" Melisa asks Cyan had come to hug the distraught me.
"I will call Cain to find out what is going on," Clayton says angrily before rushing to his study.
Cyan had slowly walked me to the couch where I finally let out my frustrations. "They call poor Zoey a bastard, she doesn't even have anything to do with this."
"Oh, Leah it is okay, we will sort this out okay."
I hug Cyan tighter, maybe this is just a passing storm, storms make us stronger right?
[Clayton POV]
"Damnit"
I can hear Leah cry from the living room, this must have been a huge shock to her, she never lived in the public eye and worse those vultures are painting her out to be a villainess.
"You better have a good reason why you never let me know about the media's ambush Cain."
"…."
"Fine, just fix this okay, I can't stand to see Leah cry, and make sure every reporter that were present in that ambush regret their very existence." Cain seem to be already working on the solution, "call your mother at tell her that we will not make it for the appointment."
I drop the phone before sighing, Hailee test my patience yet again, she seems to be the annoying roach that doesn't die, I should deal with her quickly before she does much damage.
The rest of the day flowed so darning, I hate how we were two steps up just this morning and now we are a million steps back.
"Good evening, Cousin," Conan returns home unnecessarily late, finding me reading a book on the couch "wow, did everyone have dinner yet? it is so quiet."
"Well, Leah had her dinner in her room with Cyan and Zoey, grandmother also joined them."
"And why didn't you join us? Way to support your fiancé," grandmother comes downstairs she seem to put away all the trauma the accident left her with now.
"I didn't want to intrude grandmother; I am sure Leah wouldn't want me there."
"You are such a coward when it comes to this girl," Conan mocked.
"Where have you been all this time huh?" grandmother asked, "last time I checked you were taking the nanny home."
"Um… well…" Conan decides to stutter, oh, this is new, Conan losing confidence altogether because of one thing.
"I am also interested in where you've been."
"Oh… well," "knock-knock-knock" saved by the door, ugh.
"I'll get it, it better not be those reporters," I say standing from the couch.
I open the door to meet a slightly tall man, looked to be in his fifties, he wore a blue shirt and some ugly pants; shiny shoes and a cap. He definitely needs a stylist.
"Oh, this is definitely the wrong house, I have been lost twice" he chuckles, I still looked at him with indifferent eyes since he hadn't said anything interesting yet.
"Can I come in?"
"Who are you to request me to let you in?"
"Oh... sorry I didn't introduce myself; my name is Ore Huxley; I am your fiancé's father."
He says this with the most disgusting smile, oh, I will be damned, it seems this publicity made even rats and cats come out of hiding.