"How do I look, Lucius?"Milana blocked Ci-ci"s path to the door, asking for what seemed like the millionth time about her dress.
Truth be told, she looked absolutely stunning. She wore a delicate brown gown that clung to her torso but fanned outward below. Her beautiful, glistening and healthy brunette hair seemed to shine with hints of gold as it was held up by an elegant braid. Even her accessories were the pinnacle of perfection, not too flashy, but complimenting her warm and adorable appearance.
Ci-ci couldn"t have asked for anything else, she truly made his heart flutter uncontrollably.
This time, Ci-ci didn"t answer, he only took her into his arms and kissed her gently, knowing that she"d make a fuss about her cherry lipstick if he went too far.
"Pinnacle of perfection." Ci-ci said with a bright smile, enjoying Milana"s adorable pout. "I know you"re nervous, but there"s nothing to be worried about. We"ll go wish the couple our best, eat a little and leave. It"ll be over before you know it."
Milana nodded obediently before following Ci-ci out and into the sleek white range rover waiting for them. She had always been a clean freak, not to mention a perfectionist. It was a miracle that Ci-ci could even get her out of the house.
Still, she was happy. She knew that her Lucius" line of work was very much hinged on social events like this one. As his woman, she had to put her best foot forward and help ease the process.
When she was young, her mother would often go over these sorts of etiquette driven things with her, so she was very much familiar with them.
Milana blushed to herself as Ci-ci helped her into the pa.s.senger side. "How nice would it be for those invitation cards to read "Mr. and Mrs. Grant" one day…"
It seemed Milana had caught the bug all women did when attending such wedding-related events. She couldn"t help but think of the future.
**
"Welcome, yes, it"s nice to see you Mayor." Isabella stood along a path of a grand estate owned by the c.o.x family, personally greeting guests along with her husband-to-be.
Isabella was dressed beautifully, as one might expect. Her dark skin glistened with an afterglow that hid the chaotic state of her mind, while her elegant dark royal blue dress did the rest.
"Fake it "till you make it." She whispered to herself for the umpteenth time.
Her fiancé, Dalton c.o.x, stood by her side. He was a handsome young man with warm eyes and a kind smile that seemed to invite everyone into his fold. But, at the moment, he was worried for his fiancée.
As everyone who married into large families likely experienced, Isabella was undergoing quite a culture shock. Although her family was well off, it was simply nothing in comparison to a sub-pillar family like the c.o.x family.
Isabella had been up for almost three days straight, memorizing the faces and names of hundreds of guests. He knew it had been hard on her.
Dalton couldn"t help but grit his teeth in frustration. He had planned on having their head butler act as a herald to ease Isabella"s tension. But, his elder brother had taken him away for some superfluous reason.
If their butler had been here, at the very least, Isabella"s anxiety over the possibility of forgetting a name would be gone.
"He did it on purpose. That b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" Of course, Dalton could take that role, but it went against etiquette. The point of this engagement party was to introduce Isabella to their world as modern-day n.o.bles. It was normally the role of the lady of the house to receive guests, Dalton was already going against the norm by standing next to her like this. If he stepped forward any more, he"d be hurting her more than helping.
Dalton did his best to calm his emotions, keeping on his plastered and practiced smile as they received guest after guest.
After more than an hour of monotonous actions and fake interactions, Isabella"s expression suddenly brightened, catching Dalton"s attention immediately.
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He sighed in his heart. "This is my Isabella in her best state."
Dalton turned his attention toward walkway leading up to the florally decorated arch of white oak that led to their large gra.s.sed lands.
He immediately saw a well-dressed man with a bold presence, despite his only above average looks, escorting a breath-taking beauty.
However, he was at a loss. He didn"t recognize these people at all. "Isabella"s friends?"
Dalton sighed inwardly. They had come here to support Isabella, and that was commendable. But, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. This kind of society could chew you up and spit you out before you even knew what happened.
Coming here with such a beauty… It was bound to cause problems. Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds had no boundaries.
Although Dalton thought this to himself, he was curious about this man. "If that presence of his isn"t faked… Maybe there isn"t a need for me to be so cynical."
Isabella smiled genuinely for the first time that day. "Lucius! I"m glad you came. This must be Milana?"
Milana"s nervous energy seemed to have disappeared completely. She stepped forward with a n.o.ble air and extended a hand and bright smile to the soon-to-be-weds.
"It"s nice to meet you, I"m Lucius" girlfriend. I"m happy to know that he has such good colleagues."
Dalton was stunned by Milana"s demeanor. Although Isabella didn"t catch it, how could he not as a young man who grew up in an aristocratic family?
"Which large family is she from?..." He couldn"t help but think to himself. It was one thing for him as a man to marry a lady below his station… But the opposite? The family who would accept such a thing was one he had yet to meet.