**Family Drama**
The black limousine pulled up in front of the Beaufort Mansion. Alana stared at the proud mansion from the car as the driver stepped out to open the door for her.
She stepped out from the car, her eyes glued to the building before her. She glanced back at the vehicle, noticing that Roman had yet to step out.
A frown creased her face when she saw him sitting comfortably, tapping on his iPad with a relaxed expression, as if he hadn't noticed they had arrived and the driver was holding the door open for him.
"Are you going to step out or not?" Alana asked, annoyance coloring her voice.
Roman had been tapping and scrolling through that iPad throughout the ride, barely saying a single word to her. He hadn't even mentioned anything about his family.
Roman glanced at her with a stoic expression before handing the iPad to his driver.
"Give us a moment," Roman said to the driver, who immediately nodded before excusing himself.
"You should watch the way you speak to me," Roman said, his gaze stern. "Try to show some respect."
"Respect?" Alana scoffed. "Respect is earned, and you clearly haven't done anything to earn mine. Now, can you get out of the car so we can get this evening over with?"
Roman frowned. "You're really lucky you're not someone else," he said, exhaling, before stepping out of the car.
He reached for her hand, and Alana instinctively took two steps back, a suspicious look on her face.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Can you relax? Someone might be watching us." Roman frowned, his gaze shifting to the house before returning to her. "Give me your hand," he said, his right hand outstretched towards her.
Alana stared at his hand, then met his eyes, before placing her right palm in his.
The moment her palm touched his, Roman pulled her, causing her to stumble forward and fall into his chest.
Alana gasped and tried to push away from him, but Roman circled his arm around her waist, holding her in place.
She raised her head to meet his eyes.
"Let me go." She pushed against his chest, but it proved futile. "Roman," she called his name, angrily gritting her teeth.
"I think you've forgotten that I'm your boyfriend," Roman said, his eyes narrowed. "Maybe I'll just have to make you remember that fact." He released his hold on her waist but still held her palm firmly.
Alana immediately took a step back, creating a little space between them.
"You bring women to the house without any regard for me. Yet here you are, saying I forgot you are my boyfriend. You're the one who obviously forgot you have a girlfriend," Alana said.
"Is this about the makeup artist?" Roman asked, tilting his head slightly.
"Yes, it is. And don't you dare think this has anything to do with jealousy," Alana said, pointing at him before her eyes drifted to a car pulling up a little distance away.
"Fine then. I will end my arrangements with her," Roman said sincerely.
He held her hand up and slowly slid a silver ring into her pointer finger.
"You'll never see her in the penthouse again," Roman said, his eyes focused on the ring, as his thumb gently grazed the back of her palm.
Alana stared at the ring on her finger then back at him, trying to discern if he was serious. She frowned when her eyes drifted to the person stepping out of the car that had just pulled up.
"And what about her?" Alana asked, her eyes pinned on the blonde, sexy woman who was now approaching them.
Roman's brows furrowed before he turned to glance at the woman, a deep frown immediately creasing his face.
"Roman! Didn't think you would make it," the woman chimed in with a bright smile adorning her beautiful face, not even sparing Alana a glance.
"Mind telling me what the hell you're doing here, Rose?" Roman asked calmly, despite the anger brewing in his voice.
"I invited her," someone said from behind.
Alana turned to see a tall, elegantly dressed woman approaching them, each step graceful, her chin tipped high.
Roman didn't need to turn to know who it was. He sighed before turning around.
"Did the part about this being a family dinner escape your mind?" he asked, staring at the woman coldly.
"Rose is like family, and besides, my father asked me to invite her over," the woman said with a sly smile. "Who knows... You might end up marrying her since you two are close," she added before her gaze shifted to Alana. "And who might you be?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Alana's lips parted, ready to respond, when Roman interjected.
"Don't answer her. She's not important," he said, and began walking towards the house, with Alana quickly following him as he still held her hand.
"Don't get too friendly with anyone in there. Remember to only speak when necessary," he instructed her, maintaining his pace.
Alana simply glanced at him, remaining silent. She had detected the tension between him and the woman. Just before entering the mansion with Roman, she cast a final look back at the woman.
Roman slowed his pace as they entered the house. The butler of the mansion approached them, bowing and offering a greeting.
"Where is everyone?" Roman inquired.
"They are all in the dining room, Mr. Ashford, except for Miss Jean, who just stepped out a minute ago," the man replied.
Roman nodded and walked past him toward the dining room, with Alana beside him.
As they entered the dining room, the small talk immediately ceased, and all eyes turned to them, causing Alana to feel nervous.
"Ah Roman. I was starting to think you wouldn't be able to join us," the old man sitting at the head of the table said, his wrinklings more prominent as he smiled.
Roman gave a stale smile in return as he and Alana approached the table. "I wouldn't miss this for anything, Grandfather," Roman replied, his voice polite, despite something lingering under his voice which Alana noticed.
But she couldn't tell if it was anger she sensed in Roman's tone. She could feel the weight of the stares from the others, seated at the table making her feel like some kind of art on display.
"I'm glad you could make it. And who might this lovely lady be?" the old man inquired, his eyes shifting to Alana with a curious glint.
Roman brought her hand up, kissing the back of her palm. "This is Alana, Grandfather. She's my girlfriend," he introduced her briefly.
One of the woman at the table choked, coughing continuously, immediately those words left Roman's lips.
The old man's smile widened, and he gestured for Roman and Alana to take a seat at the table, completely ignoring his eldest daughter coughs. "Well, welcome, Alana. Please, join us," he said warmly.
Roman pulled out Alana's seat for her, before taking his seat. His gaze fell on the woman who was still coughing as a maid passed her a glass of water.
"You should get that cough treated before it gets worse," Roman said to the woman, his voice holding no concern at all.
The woman set the glass down. "It's nothing serious though, I just choked."
"On what, Laurence?" Roman asked, tilting his head wickedly. "Your breath or my words?"
Laurence chuckled, nervously. "Ah ha ha. Y–Yes... I mean no. Did you say she is your girlfriend?" She asked, quickly changing the topic when she realized that she was stuttering for no reason at all.
"Yes, mother. He said she is his girlfriend." The young lady, who was at least in her early twenties replied.
"You look pale mother..." The young woman said, as she placed the back of her palm on her mother's neck. "Do you need more water?" She asked, concern in her voice.
"Shut your mouth," Laurence glared at her daughter, while the middle aged man sitting beside her who Alana assumed to be her husband, immediatly patted her back
Alana's brows rose slightly for just a slit second as she stared at the mother and daughter duo.
"It looks like everyone is here," the woman who met them outside said, as she entered with the blonde beauty, Rose.
Rose had her eyes locked on Alana as she approached the table before taking the seat next to Roman's.
The old man instructed the maid standing closer to him to serve the food and the maid immediately left along with some other maids standing in the room.
Alana could feel an intense stare on her. There was just something different about this stare that she couldn't quite place her finger on.
She raised up her head glancing at everyone at the table to see who was giving her this stare. Her eyes locked with the man's eyes at the end of the table. His intense gaze causing the hairs on her arm to stand.
She couldn't quite understand it, but there was just something in his black eyes that set off all the warning bells in her head.
The man's lips curved slightly into a warm smirk, the look she thought she had noticed in his eyes immediately dispersing before he turned his gaze away from her.