The Dining Table

Alanna was shocked and still processing what had just happened when Justin immediately unlocked the door and when he had given her enough time to calm down, he pulled her by her wrist back to the parlour of the mansion.

"Oh, there they are! You are both finally back! Please come take a seat here." Alanna saw her family and the Flores family were already seated at the large dining table, waiting for them.

"Alanna and Justin, come on. Let's have our meal." Alanna's mother, Luna Vales who had barely spoken a word since the whole drama of her daughter's marriage started, said.

The young girl's breathing was still heavy and scattered and Justin took note of it.

He quickly pulled her again to the dining table. Seeing two consecutive seats that were there, he turned his attention to Alanna's mother who smiled at him knowingly.

"Sit there," Justin told Alanna, pointing at the other seat beside his before he pulled out the seat for her.

With her mind still hazy, she could only do as she was told while staring into space, trying to decipher what had happened a few minutes ago between her and this man.

When she had sat down, Justin pulled out his chair as well and sat on it, not minding the girl beside him and simply focusing on the dishes in front of him.

"We've run out of blood, Mr. Flores. I hope you don't mind it while we ask the servants to get more blood. You can manage this little here." Mr. Vales explained this to Christian who just nodded like it was no issue.

Christian stared at his son, Justin and then his soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Alanna who was also not touching any food in front of her. He was about to ask what happened to her but his younger son beat him to it.

"Lady Lana, you seem a bit flustered. Are you alright?" Dave Flores asked Alanna who had not touched a thing since she came back from the 'bonding' with his brother.

Dave's question was enough to snap Alanna back to the present and she sat up, staring at the people at the table, specifically avoiding Justin's gaze.

"Yes, I am fine, Dave. Thank you." was all she could muster up to say.

She began looking everywhere on the table to find any dish that she might be able to eat and when her eyes fell on one, she paused. She attempted to stretch her trembling hand to the dish but her hands were too small.

Seeing what she was trying to do, Justin closed his eyes for a moment before he stretched his hands out instead and picked up the plate with the dish for her.

"I didn't ask you-" Alanna tried to speak but when she saw his eyes stare intently at her, she swallowed back her words.

Since her family hardly ever showed their red eyes, Alanna found it uncomfortable seeing this man's eye colour that had been bared countless times in front of her.

Flashes of what happened in the soundproof room earlier filled her memory and she could feel her hands ball into fists at the thought of what he had done.

How dare he touch her?! Who did he even think he was?! Did he think she was one of those women he could treat whichever he wanted?

She kept glaring daggers at him that she didn't realize she had caught the attention of some of the people at the table who were with her.

Seeing this, Justin smiled at her before he dropped the dish in front of her and commented, "Please, Lady Lana, eat. Unless you find me so attractive that you have decided to forfeit your meal just to gape at me."

His loud comment turned Alanna's already bright red cheeks even redder, as she furrowed her brows before averting her gaze away from his.

Alanna could feel her body tighten as she served the dish, remembering what he had done to her.

There was no possible way she would be getting married to this type of person. Never! If he couldn't even respect her on their first day of meeting, then how would he when they were married? She didn't know but she was sure impending doom awaited her if she married him and that only made her plan to escape or elope with Ethan more valuable.

She would make sure to get back her phone from her father tonight. And for that, she would need to be on her best behaviour so he could lower down the guards around her.

While she was drowning in her thoughts, Justin had eaten nothing on his table and was patiently waiting for the blood Mr Vales had claimed was coming.

As he was waiting, he turned his attention to the people at the table, some of which were discussing with one another, others simply ate their meal peacefully while Justin could see one or two persons peeking at him from the side.

He turned his attention to the first person who was no other than Lipton Vales, Alanna's elder brother.

When Lipton saw he had been caught, he didn't hide anymore and immediately sat up to gaze at the man who was now smiling at him.

"Nice to see you again, Lipton," Justin said in a loud voice that caught everyone's attention. Lipton only gaped at him with a generous smile that held no ting of mischief in it.

"Same goes for you and your family, Mr. Justin," Lipton said.

Alanna paused at their conversation and noticed how her brother didn't address Justin the same way he had addressed him. It annoyed her that her brother thought to add 'mister' to Justin's name when the latter couldn't even do the same.

"Seems you haven't changed one bit. Still wears the same worn-out suit after all these years." he pointed out while playing with the glass in front of him.

Lipton, not knowing how to retort said, "What can I say, Mr. Justin? I have bonded so much with the suit." which was all he could think of as he wasn't used to such bantering.

"So idiotic of you to mistake your horrible sense of fashion with bonding with a suit," he remarked carelessly, making everyone in the room gasp.

"Justin..." his father warned him as he glared at his son.

Lipton turned slightly red at Justin's remark and anger glowed on his face. Before he could attack Justin again, Mr. Vales interrupted,

"Why don't we just enjoy a good meal without any issues or problems?" he proposed with a smile, making everyone keep shut in agreement.

Lipton sent a silent glare to Justin even after the petition but Justin was the least bit affected by it. He returned it with his mischievous smile instead.

Finally, the servants arrived with the blood that Justin had been waiting for. He brought his glass forth and the maid poured some of the blood without hesitation.

However, the moment Justin took a sip from it, he grimaced.

"Is there a problem, Justin?" Mr. Vales asked the man whose expression showed one of disapproval.

"Here I was, waiting patiently for the blood but it turned out it was stale and wasn't even freshly obtained." Justin voiced out his discontent at the blood provided.

Alanna wanted to retort at this insolent man's statement but kept quiet so she wouldn't earn her father's wrath and lose her chance of gaining his trust.

Instead, her brother, Lipton took the chance to retort, "We do not drink fresh blood from people, Justin. We have our respect and drink the blood from those who volunteer to give it."

"No wonder your vampire abilities are inferior. What do you expect when you drink stale blood?" Justin beat him to it again, only angering him further.

Screech!

Alanna's chair made a loud noise as she pushed it back. "I would love to use the restroom. Please excuse me." she excused herself, not able to handle these insults thrown at her family any additional. She was sure if she stayed any more moments here, she would say something she'd regret.

When Alanna had scurried away, Mr. Vales turned his attention to Justin.

"Since you have a problem with the blood, you can have a fresh one from any of the servants here," the man offered to see his wife and son stare at him in shock.