Julian's POV,
" Remember you're not to speak too much. Sometimes you can't just stop talking and you might forget where you are." He says looking extremely nervous.
"What? Why shouldn't I talk? I can speak like a girl.. I got this , Can you have some trust in me?"
" yeah , sorry " He says stopping the car in a drive way.
" And you.. remember you're not to be this nervous!" I say hopping that he fixes himself because by looking at him just once you'll know that he's hiding something.
" Uh.. sorry." He says
" why do you keep apologizing ? Hey.. I promise everything is gonna be okay , just relax ."
" Okay.. Whatever happens in there, promise me that you won't leave me nor avoid me." he says knowingly.
" What? Of course I won't , we've come this far." I say assuring him , I made up my mind last night that the moment I'll dress in this dress to look like a girl for him , that's it , no matter what I'll fight for us .
"Come here " I say pulling him towards me , I hug him tightly feeling him relax , I pull back and plant a kiss on his forehead then on his lips .
He unlocks the car , and opens the door . "Welcome back young master." Ladies in uniform come leading us to the house , they keep looking at me and smiling, I can see in their eyes screaming. "What a beauty ? Is it even possible that a beauty like this exist on this planet of earth ? " Am not bragging though.
As we approach the mansion, I feel a strange weight settle over us. It's massive, this house—towering columns at the entrance, cold marble floors, walls decorated with portraits of ancestors who seem to stare down at me with judgmental eyes.
Everything about it is imposing, as if every inch was designed to make you feel small. I glance at him, at the way his shoulders seem to tense the closer we get to the door, and I can't help but wonder what it must have been like to grow up here.
The moment his parents appear, I see it—this look in his eyes, almost as if he's bracing himself.
" You've arrived.." a middle aged beautiful woman walks to us . She doesn't greet any of us , I mean , if I were Adam I would have jumped on my mom already hugging her , but Adam here seems to be flinching away! What the hell is going on here?
" Yes mother " Seriously? How official. Is she even his real mother ?
"Ad.. is everything okay ?" I ask whispering after seeing him even more tensed when a man probably in his late 60s look us "Hey relax , I told you everything will be okay "
"Am fine" he says brushing me off.
" So she's the one..? Now I get why you refused Meredith , I mean, the girl here is prettier than her . Son I must say you have a very good test." He says sarcastically. "Why don't we head in the dinning room , I was informed that the meal is ready." He adds leading the way.
As we sit down , the long table set with a grand spread of food. Platters of roast, delicate plates of vegetables, sauces and gravies I don't even recognize_ I notice his head dip ever so slightly, his confident posture shrinking in on itself.
He barely seems like the same person. Out there, he's the kind of man who could make a room fall silent with a glance, the kind of man everyone at the company respects and fears. But here, in the shadow of this house, he seems… small. Vulnerable, almost.
When I look at his father , I wonder why he would say that his father is weak and old. I mean , he's not that old , anyway.. I don't know anything so let me shut my brain up .
" So what is your name young lady?" His mother asks , that is so rude and I might decide not to answer her . I feel like they don't like me already . But am pretty and look rich so what could be the problem, or maybe they are mad at Adam because he refused to marry the one that they wanted him to .
I realise that We didn't even discuss about anything like basic questions they could ask. "Annabel krause ma'am" I say softly.
Adam looks at me without any reaction on his face .
"So how do you like being with him? I know he can be so.... I don't know , What's the correct word.." His mother says with some hint of annoyance in her voice , is she kidding me ? This is his only child she's talking about like this .
"What does it matter Madison , as long as he has finally done something right and he's going to give us grandchildren soon." The man concludes. What does he mean that finally did something right?
I can't stand this anymore! Adam is so quiet. "Excuse me for interrupting but sir.. what do you mean by he finally did something right? He's always doing every right! Tr.." Adam holds my hand pressing it.
"Stop" he whispers but I think I've just lost my temper and I won't be able to calm until I've said what I wanna say!
"Let me speak!" I say loudly more than I should. " Sir , with all due respect ! Adam here is always trying to please you both , trying to do what he knows is right and what pleases you , so ,you accusing him like this with the fact that he's your son doesn't make any sense at all!"
" You mean , trying to wash away his guilt? Is that what you call trying to make us happy and do what is right?" His mother asks obviously annoyed by my words.
" What do you mean by wash away his guilt?" I ask curiously.
"So he didn't tell you? And you claim that he loves you?"
" Madison stop. You are going to scare the girl away , We need grandchildren." The man says.
" What? " I say absent mindedly and confused at the some time , is Adam sure that he brought me to his parents? Because never in my life have I ever thought that a parent would treat like this their own child.
" It will be great if she runs away and even more great if it's true that he loves her so that he feels the pain of loosing your loved one , he then will have to marry the one he doesn't like ."
" Can someone tell me what is going on here!" I find myself loosing it again.
" Wait ! Why do you sound like that now? Like a man." His father asks looking surprised.
"Maybe because am a man! What do you think?" I say knowing that Ofcourse they'll know that it's not the truth but Adam has panicked almost to death. " I speak like that when am angry and confused , don't worry about it." I compose myself again .
" Well , if you weren't this beautiful I would have been convinced that maybe you really are a boy in girls clothes because you know why? I've been having this feeling that Adam here doesn't want to marry because he wants his fellow men! How disgusting?" He turns to him. "I thought you stupidly still think that there could be love between two men . Let me tell you one of his histories my girl , he once when he was a young boy forced himself on a neighbour's boy ! We had to pay not to be taken to the police!"
WTF!! Am seriously confused beyond measure , but one thing that is clear to me is that I won't allow them to hurt him with these words!
" And by the way , about the guilt..!" his mother picks up "He killed my poor son , his brother!" She says angrily.
"I didn't kill him!" For once Adam speaks up , like his mother has just touched his wound.