At the same time Reyes Family Mansion
The long mahogany dining table gleamed under the morning sun filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Franklin Reyes sat at the head of the table, dignified as ever, flipping through the financial section of the newspaper between bites. To his left sat his elegant wife, Claudia, her poise untouchable. On his right, Camilla stirred her tea absentmindedly, seated right in front of Claudia beside her older brother Lucas, who looked like he needs to be somewhere else.
The clinking of cutlery filled the silence — until Camilla finally spoke.
"Mom, don't you think Seraphina and Adrian are a terrible match?"
Actually, for Camilla, anyone matched with Adrian was a mismatch aside from herself.
Lucas sighed without looking up. "So you think you match him better?"
This sister of his just says things that make absolutely no sense, and his parents — especially his stepmother — always indulge her.
"Lucas," Claudia said gently, flashing her son a reprimanding smile. "Liking someone isn't a crime."
"It's not," Lucas replied, setting his fork down. "But lying to yourself is. It's better to tell her the truth now than walk her down the aisle of her own heartbreak."
It was obvious that Adrian didn't like Camilla, but she never wanted to accept that fact, which annoyed Lucas most of the time.
Claudia let out a soft sigh and turned to her daughter. "Camilla… I think it's time you let go of Adrian. He's already engaged."
"What? You're sounding just like Dad and Lucas." Camilla's eyes glistened with frustration. "Don't you want me to be happy?"
Everyone kept saying she should forget about Adrian, that he's engaged as if nobody wanted her to be happy.... even if her happiness lay with only Adrian.
"Of course I do," Claudia said, reaching out to touch her hand. "More than anything. But I don't want you hanging onto a man who has never truly looked your way."
Claudia knew Camilla loved Adrian, but she couldn't force Adrian to love her back. She wanted her daughter's happiness more than anything, but in this matter, she felt helpless.
"But I've loved Adrian since we were kids. He has to love me back," Camilla insisted, voice rising with passion.
Her love for Adrian started as a childish likeness. Even when she didn't know what love meant, she had liked him had claimed she'd become his wife one day. And now the future had arrived, but he was about to marry another woman. Impossible.
Franklin finally folded his paper and spoke, tone calm but firm. "Camilla, just because you love someone doesn't mean they're required to love you back, love never works that way." his tone became softer as he said that part.
It hurt him that his daughter couldn't let go of her infatuation with Adrian.
"Dad…" Camilla pouted, trying her usual charm. "But what if they break up? What if Seraphina and Adrian don't last?"
People who date break up. Even engagements get broken, and in marriages there's always a divorce. So, anything could happen to anyone... Including to Seraphina and Adrian.
Lucas chuckled dryly. "What are you going to do? Break them apart? Or wait for them to divorce?"
He couldn't understand the way her sister thing sometimes.
"Adrian will marry Seraphina," he continued flatly. "He needs her. Whether you like it or not."
Seraphina and Adrian's marriage wasn't just about love, it was political and necessary for Adrian.
Claudia's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you suggesting our family isn't enough for Adrian to rise within the Blakes?"
Even if her family's wealth wasn't as vast as the Harts', they could still help Adrian become the head of the Blakes, right?
Lucas straightened a little. "That's not what I meant…."
Although that wasn't what he meant to say, Seraphina was still the only one who could help Adrian become the head of the Blakes, unless he decided to go for the Romano heiress, Alessia. But the latter was too troublesome. Adrian needed a wife with both strength and submission, not a scared cat like his sister. And maybe he didn't want his sister involved in the bloody fight of the Blakes.
"It seems like that's what you meant," Camilla said, her jaw clenched.
"Whatever," Lucas muttered, tired of explaining himself, but continued. "Seraphina is like family. We shouldn't destroy a lifelong friendship over something like this."
The Hart family was powerful in its own way. If not for the Blakes' involvement in… shadier dealings, the Harts would have been on par with them. But the Blake-Hart alliance ensured a balance in power.
Franklin nodded. "Seraphina and Adrian are engaged now, there's nothing to do about it anymore. It's better to have an ally than a foe, okay? And this marriage is political, not just romantic..." His tone softened again as he said knowing his daughter is getting mad "Such marriage isn't good for my precious daughter"
"I've loved him since we were young," Camilla muttered, glaring down at her untouched breakfast. "And they just met a few years ago."
How could her love of several years lose to a love of a few years?
"Camilla," Franklin said, tone final, "let's finish this breakfast in peace." He must have spoiled his daughter for her to be this persistent.
Having no choice, Camilla shut her mouth, not wanting to anger her father, while Lucas made a mocking face at her.
They ate in silence for a few moments. Then, in a voice laced with false sweetness, Camilla chirped, "Dad, don't you think it's time Lucas got married too?"
Lucas blinked, taken off guard.
"That's true," Claudia added smoothly, her tone playful. "It's time I had a daughter-in-law."
Lucas looked between them with growing suspicion. "Are you two serious right now?"
How did his marriage suddenly become the topic?
"You're a year older than Adrian," Franklin said. "Even he's getting married."
"I'm not going to get marry just because Adrian is," Lucas said coolly. "I want to marry for love, like you did with ny Mom. And like you did with Mom, Claudia," he added, watching Claudia carefully.
Claudia's smile faltered for a brief second. Although she had been the best mother she could be to Lucas and Camilla, it seemed they couldn't help but mention their late mother.
"Oh, please," Camilla scoffed. "You're always chasing one woman or another. You, of all people, shouldn't talk about love."
It would be an insult to love if Lucas ever talked about it. Like Lucas and love didn't belong in the same sentence.
Lucas rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the character reference."
"You know," Claudia said with a light laugh, "a friend's daughter has taken quite a liking to you. I think she'd be a perfect match."
Franklin smiled at his wife fondly. "I'll leave it to you. You always know what's best."
Lucas stared, baffled. How did this conversation turn into his engagement? And they seemed to be taking it seriously.
"I'm not getting married," he muttered, snatching his car keys and rising from the table.
"Don't be shy," Claudia called after him, teasing. "I'll arrange for you two to meet very soon. Don't worry, you'll like her."
Camilla laughed as her brother walked off, clearly annoyed. That's what he get for annoying her.
Franklin looked at Claudia, warmth in his eyes. He still thanked the stars every day that he'd chosen her to raise his children after their mother died. She had done more than step into the role, she had become everything a mother could be to them.
But he never knew she had abandoned her own daughter to become someone else's mother.