C16 Surviving the family gathering

Maria's pov~

It was finally the day for the family dinner and I couldn't feel more nervous. I woke up earlier than usual today and then I took my bath and proceeded to my wardrobe to dress up. I wanted to wear a nice outfit that would impress the Santino's but all my clothes were looking too simple for a day like this.

I was still in my bathroom robe going through my selection of dresses when I heard a knock at my door. I thought it might be from the maids so I went to open the door only to be faced with Rafael, the amount of the time he had come to my room this week alone was a lot.

I wanted to ask him what he wanted but I just decided to let him talk first.

“Why aren't you dressed up yet?” He asked.

“Nothing,I was looking for an outfit to wear before you knock, are we late or something?”

“No, we are not I just wanted to check up on you”

I raised my eyebrows when he mentioned checking up on me, when had he started saying nice things to me or was this part of the facade too.

“I also bought a dress for you. I thought that maybe you would be having difficulty picking a dress that would best suit the occasion”.

I was still stunned to speak, he bought a dress for me. Oh well if it was a facade at least I get to enjoy it for today.

“You are not saying anything?” Or don't you want the dress?”He said, shaking me off my thoughts.

“Oh sorry, I was just thinking about something but yes I will take the dress where exactly is it?” I asked because he was clearly not holding anything in his hands.

“ The is a maid holding it outside your room,I wasn't sure if you would accept it so I told her to hold on to it so I would know if you wanted it or not, hold on let me tell her to bring it in”

So he went to the door and opened it and the maid came with a beautiful light pink gown and a set of diamond jewelries with pink heels to match. I was squealing inside me and trying to maintain composure at the same time . It was the first time he was doing anything nice for me and I was really happy but trying so hard not to show it.

“It looks so lovely thank you” I said with much sincerity.

“You're welcome, I will let you dress up then and I will tell the maid to get breakfast up to your room when you are done you can come to my study room and meet me there” he said and then left my room before I could say anything else.

I directed the maid to put the dress on my bed and sent her away and then I began to dress up. When I was done I took time to observe myself in front of the mirror. The cloth was absolutely breathtaking and it fitted me perfectly. I smiled.

When I was done with dressing up, my breakfast was brought to me by a maid just like Rafael had said. I wonder why I was receiving nice treatments today but I didn't want to think about it too much before I jinxed it.

After eating I took my handbag which was white in color to match the jewelry and I left my room and headed to Rafael's study room. I knocked before entering the room and I saw that he was in a different cloth than the one he wore when he came to my room. His hair was styled to perfection and he was putting on a dark suit which really brought out his look. In any case he was looking very dashing and handsome.

“Are you done with staring?” he asked, smirking.

I looked away embarrassed because he had caught me staring at him. But I decided to act foolish as if I hadn't seen him. “You wish, I'm prepared, are we to go now?”

“Yes, just one more thing” he said and then began to approach me. I felt my breath hitch as he came closer and closer to me, his eyes were staring directly at mine and I felt it wander to other parts of my body and then rested on my lips. Was he planning to kiss me?I shut my eyes as I waited to see what he would do. I felt his hands on my hair and then I opened my eyes and saw that he was removing a cobweb that was on my hair.

“Why are you looking so flustered,did you think I would kiss you?” he asked with a devilish grin.

“Of course not” I said and turned away from him to control my cheeks and then he said “let's go we don't want to be late or else it will mess up our plans, you remember all I said yesterday right?

I nodded and he continued “ good let's go”. I followed him out of the house. His car was already waiting for us and his driver was seated behind the steering wheel. He opened the door for me and motioned for me to get it and I did, though I was surprised but I would leave it for later. He entered the car after me and we sat in silence as his driver drove off.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

As soon as the car reached the Santino's family house I felt a knot of nervousness in my stomach and I was hoping that Rafael didn't notice it. When the car parked Rafael and I stepped down and made our way to the Santino family estate, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Despite Rafael's reassurances and the tips he had given me, I couldn't shake the feeling that something would go wrong.

As we approached the grand entrance, I plastered on a smile, reminding myself to maintain the perfect facade. This was my chance to prove to Mr. Dante Santino that I was worthy of being his son's wife, even if it was all just an act.

Once inside, we were greeted by the sounds of laughter and chatter. The atmosphere was lively, yet beneath the surface, I could sense an undercurrent of tension. This was a family with secrets, and I couldn't help but wonder what lay hidden behind their perfect facade.

As we mingled with the guests, I found myself constantly on edge, afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. Rafael, on the other hand, seemed to effortlessly navigate the social intricacies of his family, charming everyone he encountered.

I couldn't help but admire his confidence, even if it grated on my nerves. Despite our differences, there was no denying that Rafael had a certain charisma that drew people to him.

As the evening wore on, I found myself growing more comfortable in my role. With Rafael's guidance, I managed to navigate through conversations with ease, carefully steering clear of any topics that might reveal the truth behind our marriage.

But just as I began to relax, I caught sight of Mr. Dante Santino making his way towards us, his expression unreadable. My heart began to race as I braced myself for whatever he might say.

To my surprise, Mr. Santino greeted us with a warm smile, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Maria, Rafael, it's good to see you both," he said, his voice carrying a hint of mischief.

I exchanged a quick glance with Rafael, wondering what game Mr. Santino was playing. But before I could say anything, he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"Surviving the family gathering so far?" he asked, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

I couldn't help but laugh at his unexpected question, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. Despite my fears, it seemed that Mr. Santino was on our side, at least for now.

With a grateful smile, I nodded. "So far, so good," I replied, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.

As Mr. Santino moved on to greet other guests, I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards him. Perhaps, despite the secrets and lies that surrounded us, there was hope that we would get through this night together or would we….??