Chapter fifty-five: She is a true Princess

Gabriel's POV:

"Madi, can I borrow your boyfriend for a few minutes?"

Madi and I both chuckled at her Mom's question. We're currently in the kitchen and she and her Mom were preparing food for dinner. Although they have maids, they choose to cook their own meals. 

"Mom, what kind of question is that? Can't you just simply say you're going to talk to him?" Madi asked as she cut the vegetables. 

"Shh! You just made it more formal, but it's still the same!"

"Okay, fine!" she said rolling her eyes. I can't help but laugh at their way of conversation. They were like best friends rather than a mother and a daughter. 

"Let's go, Gabriel." her mother took my hand and pulled me out of the kitchen, but we heard Madi ask her again. 

"Where are you taking him, Mom?"

She put her index finger to her lips, gesturing for me to keep quiet. "I just want to talk to him, that's all. Don't worry he's all yours."

And by that time, I laughed really hard. We heard her complaining in the kitchen but her Mom ignored her and continued to drag me upstairs. At first, I was confused as to why she was pulling me and where we are going, but she has already answered my silent questions. 

"I'll show you something, but don't tell my stubborn daughter about this. It's just our secrets, okay?"

I smiled and nodded. We continued upstairs to the hallway and when we got to the end, she opened a door and the light switch inside. And my eyes widened for what I saw... trophies, certificates in frames that were half hanging on the wall and half were inside the glass cabinets. There were also some pictures... pictures of Madi in school uniform, with medals and in the oval field and some were in front of the school and many more that I couldn't point where. 

"These have all been her achievements in schools, in work and business."

I crunched my eyebrows with the word business but remained quiet. I just let her continue what she was saying. 

"Here, let's start with this one."

She opened the door of the glass cabinet and pointed Madi's photo in a sports uniform that I don't know which sport is and an oval field in her background. 

"This one was taken in her high school days. She was only fourteen when she won in a track and field competition."

"S-She won in that sport? She's an athlete before?"

"Yes, she's an athlete, son, when she's in high school. She always brought a medal, trophy or certificate for that sport."

My mouth hung open with the information. I can't believe she played sports too.

"And who would have thought she would enroll in a cooking school in college? I thought she would take something related to sports, but she took up Hotel and Restaurant Management."

And then she giggled, but the frown in my forehead just got deeper. She took up HRM? She enrolled in a cooking school? But as I remember, she took business in college? 

"W-Wait," I said interrupting her for a while. "Madi enrolled in a cooking school in college? But I thought she took a business course?"

She laughed at me. "Yeah, but that's just her second course after finishing the first one," she said grabbing my hand again. "Come here." she pulled me to the second cabinet of trophies and certificates. 

There were photos of her in front of her school and a very familiar restaurant behind her. She's at the microphone and cutting ribbons, and receiving certificates. And because I don't understand, I turned to Mrs Davis again. 

"Why is she cutting the ribbon in front of this restaurant?" I asked pointing to the one with which she has scissors and a ribbon in her other hand. 

"That one was taken during the grand opening of her first restaurant---"

"She has a restaurant?" I asked cutting her off again. Madi has a restaurant? 

"Ohh... don't you know?" she asked me back, chuckling. "For sure my daughter has a lot of things to discuss with you later. Okay, I'll tell you half of her secrets and I'll let her tell you the rest. Is that okay with you?"

"Y-Yeah... that's fine with me, Mrs Davis," I answered nodding. But I noticed that she suddenly got serious. 

"That's one of the secrets I need to tell you. Madi is the only Davis in this house."

"Huh? What do you mean she's the only Davis in your house?"

"Because her father and I weren't married, so I'm still Petterson until now," she said smiling... again.

"Ohh..." I don't know how to form words right at that moment, but I remember one thing that Madi said to me. "But she said, she has a brother and sister? Where are they?"

"I'm sorry, son, but I think it's better to ask her that instead of me. If she's willing to open up her past life, then it's good, but if she's still not okay, just wait patiently until she's ready."

"It's okay, I'll just try to ask her whenever she's ready about this matter."

"Thank you, son. Let's go back to our topic earlier. As I was saying with this picture, it was when she opened her first restaurant. Are you familiar with the name 'Maiden'?"

My eyebrows furrowed again. That name sounds familiar to me. And my eyes widened in the realization. 

"She owned that restaurant? That fine-dining restaurant in Chicago?"

"Yes, it has now three branches in your city and from what I heard, she's expanding again into four branches."

I was totally blown away by that. Now I know why she didn't accept the money I offered her from our deal. But what still a mystery to me, was the reason she had kept all of this information in her life. She's a secretive and a reserved person. 

"But why did she choose to open her business in Chicago instead of her homeland?"

She smiled at me and then shook her head. "Because my daughter wanted to create her own identity. Her name and her business. She doesn't want to help her old mother with our own business here."

"Was that why she chose to live in just a small apartment?"

"Oh, yes, she doesn't want others to know who she really is. And she hates having bodyguards. You know what, I'm so proud of her accomplishments. She did it on her own, though it sometimes makes me sad that she wants to have her own business rather than be known for being my daughter." she sighed heavily.

"You have a business too, Mom?" but then she smiled widely when she heard me call her 'Mom'. 

"Just keep on calling me that. I like it and I'll make sure you two end up in front of the altar, soon." I gulped with the word 'altar'. "And regarding your question, yes, I also have my own business. If you're familiar with 'Green Ribbon Cakes'?" she asked casually. 

"Green Ribbon like Green Ribbon cakes and pastries?"

"Yes, it's actually my family's business, but as I'm an only child like Madi, I have no choice but to manage it. And this will be my biggest problem in the future, why? Because my only daughter chose to cook instead of baking."

I don't what to say at that moment. Their family owned one of the largest company that makes and sells cakes and pastries in the whole state. And Madi is indeed a princess, but she chose to live in a low profile way. 

We moved to the certificates hanging on the wall. 

"But you know what, I'm glad that she has a boyfriend now." she held my hand and gave me sincere smile. "You are her first boyfriend, son. I hope you can make her happy. I can see both in your eyes, how you love each other. Sometimes, you are going through a rough and difficult part in your relationship, but I hope you can both stay strong and keep each other. As a mother, there are just two things I wanted to ask you in favor. Don't hurt my daughter, son, and last but not the least, love her. Love her the way she deserves. She's tough and strong on the outside, but her heart is too fragile on the inside, Gabriel."

I don't know but I felt like there was cold water poured all over my body. 

"I promise," I said and then her smile widened even more. 

"You know what, I think I like you more than Madi's friend and suitor in college. You're more handsome than him."

My head snapped automatically at her and she winked at me. 

"A friend and a suitor?"