Chapter 157 Family

Few hours before breakfast.

Bennett strolled down the hallway. He had just stepped out of his chambers and was headed to his daily routines. His steps were far from fast but not slow, his eyes moved from left to right as he observed the walls and priceless vases that were ten inches away from each other with every step being taken.

The hallway consisted of six doors excluding Bennett's chambers. It was at the far end of the hallway. He had been in a terrible mood lately, and nobody knows why. Ever since the party, he seemed to have changed, and it was obvious. Something was truly disturbing him.

He was headed to the elevator when he heard the sound in one of the empty rooms. It was a smashing sound as if someone threw a glass and it shattered on the wall.

He paused his steps and turned his head to the direction where the sound came from. His hands were behind his back, his shoulders were posed backward and his chin was slightly upward. His confidence was still in check.

He raised his brows slightly to the sound and kept his ears wide open to hear if he heard correctly but silence filled the air instead. He was about going to take a look when his attention was called off by the maid that walked out of the elevator.

"Sir, your attention is needed in the kitchen."

He nodded and followed her immediately but his thoughts were still on the sound he thought he heard.

~~~~

The round table consisted of the dark man and his goddess, Tiger and Klaus. Bennett stood by the side, making the family complete.

The maids divided themselves, making sure they carried out their jobs well. 

Zhavia's eyes strolled to the men opposite her. This was the first time she had taken her time to carefully look at them. 

The blonde guy– Klaus. Had eyes that were totally out of this world– gray. His skin looked like it had been washed with the petals of Odin. His lips were flushed red and his attention was somewhere else. He had happiness written all over him. His branded white top and sweatpants gave him this clean attractive aura that screamed dominance. He looked hot.

Her eyes strolled back to the guy seated right beside him as she carefully observed him– Tiger.

His black hair was packed upwards. His ice-blue eyes caught anyone upon seeing them. His lips were the color of a fiery rose. His black sweatshirt made his light skin very striking. His attention was also not on the meal in front of him but somewhere else.

These men looked nothing out of the ordinary. They looked different from every single person she had met entirely her whole life. They act differently, they think differently, and they react differently. It is as if they grew up out of the world far from humans and they have their own universe.

Nicholas on the other hand had the most intriguing feature of them all. His features were unimaginable and well defined. His manners were well crafted and high principled. It was his lifestyle and it was admirable.

Her eyes strolled to him and his expression was still indifferent. A smile sprung up to her face on seeing his nonchalance.

"How long have you guys been a family?"

Her voice interrupted their thoughts as the shock was written in their actions. Her eyes were on the meal she cut with her fork and knife. Her face was expressionless and blank.

Tiger's knife stopped halfway through his meal as his eyes went to her, Klaus's hand remained on the glass of wine he was about to lift upwards, and Nicholas just looked at her while he kept on chewing.

"Family?" Tiger broke the silence. 

It was the first time he had spoken to her since he met her. Her eyes met his and held unto them for a while before taking them back to her meal.

All eyes strolled to Nicholas who just kept chewing calmly. His hands went to the glass just beside him as he picked it up and took a sip of the red liquid. They all waited for him to say a word. It was only his word that mattered.

"You think such a thing exists?"

His eyes were still on the meal. His expression was grim.

"Well, normally, yes".

Zhavia chipped in swirling her glass as she took a sip of the red wine and locked her eyes with the dark man's.

"I mean looking at you all, I can see clearly that the bond you all share is similar to that of a family, or perhaps I'm just thinking up things?"

Klaus's lips lifted to her words. He understood quite well what she was trying to do and he found it interesting. Nicholas's goddess knew how to get to him in a very unique way and he enjoyed it.

"No, they are family to me".

Nicholas's voice filled the entire room, for it was dead silent in there.

"They are my most trusted and are also loyal to you too".

Great! It just happened.

Tiger and Klaus exchanged looks as they conversed with their eyes.

Klaus: I like her.

Tiger: Really?

They managed a smile as they both turned back to her, looking into her eyes.

"Welcome to the family miss Mckay".

Klaus gave her a warm smile as he spoke and she responded back with a smirk. His eyes strolled back to Nicholas that had a certain type of look In his eyes. Never in his life, since he knew Nicholas had he seen him like this. This was the first time happiness was clearly written in his eyes. It was also the first time he spoke when there was a meal before him.

This woman who came into his life, in less than a month, had done something no one else was capable of doing.

Tiger on the other hand never smiles at anyone other than Klaus, but he gave her a fake smile. His eyes strolled to Bennett that stood directly behind Nicholas and the old man had a smile on his face. 

Bennett was enjoying the tension and the uncomfortable smile Tiger had on his face. He loved that someone of the same arrogance level as him was finally a part of the family and was already throwing darts right at his ass.

His eyes met with Tiger as he continued smiling with a raised brow, pissing the daredevil even more. His smile widened, even more, when he watched him gulp his wine in one go.

"I just remembered I had a certain task. I guess this is where I take my leave, Bennett can you come with me?"

He got up as he spoke, leaving Klaus and Nicholas with lifted brows.

"Y-yes".

The old man didn't expect his call as he was too engrossed in making fun of him.

~~~~

Meredith's eyes repeatedly went to the headlines of the event that took place the previous night as she sipped her tea calmly. The magazine's main headline was about the mysterious woman that caught the dark man's attention.

She maintained her calmness because no one knew exactly who it was, and most blogs suspected Genevieve Middleton, and some suspected Zhavia McKay but it wasn't certain yet.

Her eyes went to the next trend when her lungs gave up on her in seconds. She felt wholly empty. There was this feeling in the pimp of her stomach when she saw the headline of Anthony and his betrothed.

They were tagged as the most adorable royal couple and she felt a certain ache in her belly. She hated him with someone else. She hated how she kissed him right in front of her. She hated that she had to watch another woman claim him in her presence.

She clenched her fist at the thought of it.

God, he looked like a prince the previous night– he is a prince obviously, but he was as hot as hell. His eyes only looked at her. She only saw him that night. He was the only one she wanted to be with, the only one she wanted to be held by. She wanted him to kiss only her. She wanted him to see only her.

Her entire body shivered to her thoughts as she snapped out of her trance.

Stop thinking about him, Meredith.

Her eyes were still on the papers as she quickly closed them releasing a deep breath. Her fingers uneasily clicked the table as numerous thoughts ran through her mind. 

She thought of Genevieve and why she didn't show up even when she sent her an invitation personally. She wondered why Genevieve would dishonor her invitation and she was disappointed. 

Her eyes strolled to the maid at the far end of the room as she ordered her.

"Place a call on the Middleton Residence".

"Yes, ma'am".

She continued sipping her tea calmly as the maid walked back in with a telephone.

Meredith picked up the phone to place the call but was called off by another maid that announced Genevieve's presence.