Chapter 0327

The luncheon we have a week later is...awkward, to say the least. I say a little prayer of thanks about every ten seconds that

Daniel hasn’t left my side for a moment, charmingly fending off questions and making small talk with both the Biancis and the

Aldens while I stay quiet, smiling prettily.

I look up at my handsome fiancé and I shake my head a little at the laugh that bubbles out of his throat at something my father

just said — something decidedly unfunny. But the way Daniel reacts? You'd think my father was a damn comedian.

Daniel glances down at me and sends me a little wink that makes me burst into a smile.

See? I think. He’s got me charmed too. These damn Lippert men.

I look around the room, taking it all in. Janeen, of course, stayed home with dad — no one here wants to acknowledge my

adoptive family as anything but a footnote in my life — but everyone else of note is here. Even Jerome stands by the door ina

black suit and sunglasses, playing the role of our personal body guard.

My eyes flick to Natalia and Alessi, who did indeed fly in from Italy the moment Daniel called them and asked them to come

back. Alessi was characteristically thrilled when we told him about my pregnancy. He kissed me four times — twice on both

cheeks — and told me I was a wonder and a Madonna. Natalia, also characteristically, had been more reserved, offering her

congratulations with narrowed eyes.

As I watch them now, delicately selecting their lunch from the buffet table my father generously provided, I can see in the stern

set of her features that this is not a celebration lunch for her. No, she’s got something up her sleeve. And I, particularly, would like

to know what it is.

“Isn't that right, Fay?” Daniel asks, and I turn my face up to him. And then I do my best to blush and pretend to be embarrassed

for being distracted.

“What?” I ask, turning to one of his Bianci cousins and smiling even though I honestly don’t care what he said.

“Anthony was just asking if we have plans to honeymoon,” Daniel says smoothly. “But I told him...probably not until the baby

comes. Right?”

“Yeah,” I say, grimacing and leaning into Daniel's side as if I’m the most infatuated girl on earth. “As much as I'd love to run away

to Paris with this guy tomorrow, I think it’s probably better to go when I can enjoy the wine and the unpasteurized cheese, right?”

Daniel and his cousin laugh politely, but they’re cut a little short as Natalia’s voice cuts smoothly in, a barb on her tongue as

usual.

“That’s our Fay,” she says, smiling around at us as she joins the conversation. “Always worried about where the next drink is

coming from.” She gives me a simpering little wink and I work hard — really hard — to keep the smile on my face. “There is more

to life than that, girl! But,” she shrugs, “you will see.”

“Yes,” I sigh, placing my hand low on my stomach. “I’m sure motherhood will open many doors for me. Do you ever regret it,

Natalia? Not having children?”

Daniel subtly elbows me but I don’t feel any guilt as I see the smile fall from her face.

Screw her, I think, hoping she reads it in my eyes.

She’s going down anyway. It’s just a matter of time.

I turn and look up at Daniel, ignoring her. “Can we get something to eat?”

“Of course,” he murmurs, gently running his knuckles down the length of my cheek and smiling at me fondly. Then, together, we

move off to the buffet. Luckily, no one else is filling their plate just now, so we’re alone.

“What the hell was that,” he murmurs. “We're supposed to be courting their friendship, Fay.”

“We're supposed to be courting

Alessi’s friendship,” I reply, putting my

head on his TN rie

plare for he! playing the

ever-considerate fiancé and

dad-to-be. “Natalia can kick rocks for

all I care.” Please read the original

content at .

Daniel sighs and shakes his head, but he doesn’t fight me on it. He’s falling into the old patterns his dad established: trusting the

one in charge, not asking any questions.

We both turn towards the center of

the room as we hear my father

tapping a fork against-tiis wice( glass

te-getgvensine’>attention, I lean

harder against Daniel as my father

starts talking, sighing and nibbling on

a strawberry as we settle in for a long

speech. Please read the original

content at .

My father drones on and on about

the new ties between the Bianci and

the Alden family, about which he is,

predictably, thrilled, Ashe, sped I!

novieetirat ao Che nota single

person — mentions Daniel's actual

last name, and that none of the

Lippert relatives have been invited to

the party. Instead, it’s as if Kent has

been wiped from the books entirely

and Daniel has been swept up into

the Bianci family. Please read the

original content at .

Which, frankly, is precisely what I wanted.

But still. lt makes me clench my jaw to see how easily Kent is dismissed. Kent made of these people he made filthy rich, and

now they’re picking at the corpse of his empire and raising their glasses to me.