Chapter 173 - Lets talk

The next following days from the postponement of our announcement were slightly chaotic.

Initially my dad wanted to call my grandfather to see if he could convince him but my grandmother told him to let her take care of it. When I asked of whether she was on board my dad gave me a complicated look.

"Ehhh not really but for her dating is not as serious as marriage. So her tune may possibly change if you kids decide to get married. But my mother is also not someone easily understood so I am not sure what she may be thinking or how she will act."

Finally the night before the new deadline for us to respond, my grandfather gave me a call. "My dearest child, lets talk."

His voice sounded tired. I checked the time difference and it was mid morning for him so I doubted the exhaustion being from just waking up. "Sure thing Papa." I went into a nearby room and shut the door to give us some privacy.

"Before I tell you my thoughts I want to understand yours. Why him?"

It was a loaded question. "Well to start with why I need to go back to the beginning. Since I was younger Dean and I had this unspoken connection. We understood one another even though he annoyed me and I was a tattle tail to him. Honestly when we reached high school I developed some feelings for him but I knew better than anyone the consequence of being with him."

"He is loud and brash, a wild spirit that is untamed. I could not see myself being able to handle him. Then there was the issue of our families. As much as he had done for me I could not allow myself to get to that level. Then came Felix. He when we first started dating was kind and gentle and always wanted to succeed. He had drive and passion which I admired."

"But when I was not meeting his standards he found someone else who could. He belittled me and made me self conscious of everything. I was pushing hard running in a race that I was never meant to win. In the end we broke up and what I thought was supposed to be freedom ended up being a cage."

"I did not realize it but I tied so much of myself to our relationship that with it gone I felt like I was nothing. And at that same time so many of my peers were getting married and having children so I felt behind."

I sighed and took a second to recollect myself. I did not mourn the breakup as it was the best thing that could have happened but rather the emotional turmoil I was in during that time seared deeply in my heart.

"It also did not help that his new relationship was with someone who was my opposite. I even considered just finding anyone and marrying them just for the sake of keeping up but I took a step back and allowed myself to heal first. I built myself back up to be independent again and feel comfortable in my own skin and bones."

"Dean though he had his own thing going still lent a hand whenever Felix was being an ass or would offer advice if I needed it. But even then he was still untouchable. You already know what happened with Dante and Deans involvement with that but what I am trying to convey here is that unlike other men Dean let me go at my own pace and helped when I allowed it."

"It is the compassion and empathy that I admire. He is willing to see things from my perspective. And it is not like I do not get what is at stake here. I have been grappling with how to go about this because I do not want to deny myself my own happiness just for temporary comfort. So please just give him no give us a chance."

I took some deep breathes after speaking for so long. He was quiet on the other end. Had it not been that the line was still active I would have thought that he had hung up. "Hello? You still there?"

"Yeah I am still here. I am... just processing it all."

After a few minutes he finally spoke up again. "When you were born I knew by just looking into your small face that you were someone dangerous to me. Dangerous because I could never say no. Even on our last phone call denying you was painful, I wanted to give you everything but rationally he is not a good idea."

"I want to observe him. See if he is truly someone worthy of your time and love. So feel free to go ahead but just know that my approval is conditional and if at any point he mistreats you or puts you in danger, he is gone."

I breathed out a sigh of relief I was not aware I was holding.

"Thank you Papa Benito this means the world and more to me." His still sounded unsure but he seemed more content after hearing my gratitude. "Lets hope it works out. Anyways I know it is starting to get late for you so rest up. You have a big day tomorrow."

After our goodbyes I texted Dean about the go ahead and informed my parents as well.

The night passed quickly and at 8 A.M. sharp we both released statements on our social medias. 

'Hello this is Celeste D'Angelo. I apologize for the delay in releasing this news. I am happy to confirm that between Dean Cortez and myself we do have a personal relationship outside of business. This will not change any current working dynamics and contracts. We appreciate the patience and ask for blessings in our relationship. Thank you.'

It was short and too the point. Initially when we drafted these I thought it was silly we had to announce this like idols or celebrities do. But my father explained the reasoning more in depth. "Our families are the largest and most wealthiest conglomerate in the country. Normally dating news is minuscule but it is not really a hidden secret of the rule between our families. So the fact that after so many generations a possible merger could happen is very news worthy and any clarification is hugely asked for by the public."