Braelyn's Pov
My feet wandered around aimlessly, just to get my mind off what happened in the room.
Was Raphael jealous? A dry laugh left my lips at the thought. That just seemed ridiculous to even think about. His warnings were echoing in my ears.
' He'll ruin you. That's what he does. ' That sentence stuck with me. I knew Lucien was the proclaimed black sheep of the family. Raphael and Lucien's relationship has always been complicated. Maybe he was saying that from a heart of hatred
"Why do I even care?" I muttered, and a cold mist formed under my nose as I spoke. The night wove through my hair.
The cold breeze wrapped around my skin, causing me to shiver and break out in goosebumps. It carried a distinct scent of roses that lingered in the air, coming from the garden, which helped clear my thoughts. For a moment, I felt free from this burden that had been weighing me down.
My ears perked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. A small knot formed between my brows. Who was the person who wanted to ruin this peaceful moment?
The footsteps stopped a few steps away and a calm voice followed.
"Madam Braelyn. I was instructed to inform you that dinner is ready." The person said.
I glanced over my shoulder. A maid stood quietly behind me, waiting for my response.
"I will be there shortly. Thank you for informing me." I replied.
She smiled back and nodded softly. "Please don't stay out long in the cold, there is a flu in season now." Her voice held some concern.
The maid excused herself and left.
A tired sigh left my lips. Her footsteps faded and I was the only one left outside in the cold.
My chest felt heavy, and the thought of being at that table gave me a sense of dread. Too bad I couldn't avoid it.
******
From the dining entrance, I could hear their cheerful chatter. On the surface, they looked like a perfect family, one I tried desperately to be part of for years, and it felt like I was truly a Volkov.
Olivia's laughter died the moment she spotted me. She scoffed and reached for her water, her distaste barely concealed.
I was never a part of them, my heart stung at the thought. Images flashed across my eyes.
It was fleeting just like the moments Raphael truly made me feel loved. The smiles were always fake but I never thought otherwise.
I forced a smile on my lips and then approached the table. "Good evening everyone. Sorry, I made you wait." I chimed sweetly.
Everyone wasn't present at the moment, just Raphael's parents and Olivia's family, including her two daughters. Her husband divorced her a few years prior around the same time Raphael and I got married.
Ever since then, she has been rather sarcastic and bitter about life. It was never targeted towards me until today.
"Welcome, Braelyn. I was expecting you to show up with Raphael." Olivia noted. She was targeting me.
Elysia's gaze flickered toward her mother expressing her discomfort.
"I didn't know my husband had to accompany me everywhere. I will take note of that since men love women who cling to them, just like your ex-husband's current wife." I chimed with the sweetest smile before I took my seat across from Olivia, which a maid pulled out for me.
Her face darkened, twisting uncomfortably. Rumours had it that her husband divorced her for his younger mistress, the same age as his daughters.
"Oops, I must have spoken out of place, Aunt Olivia." I feigned a surprised expression covering my mouth. Olivia's face only got darker.
Natalia awkwardly laughed trying to ease the atmosphere. Ronan didn't react to either my behaviour or his sister's behaviour, still acting unaffected by anything as always.
"Come on, enough of the snarky remarks. Raphael is an adult who doesn't need a clinging wife. We should remember Gregor's last wish for us to tolerate each other until after the funeral." Natalia chimed in trying to act like a mediator
I snorted, then reached out to grab a glass of wine a maid just poured for me to take a leisurely sip. Olivia sneered and then glanced away.
She started to whisper to her eldest daughter who was like a mini witch. Her mother's replica, Elysia, while the younger daughter Aurelia, sitting by her other side, was busy on her phone.
Soft footsteps echoed, and I didn't look over because I recognised those irritable clicking sounds coming from Amelia's heels. Everything about her was starting to get on my nerves which isn't surprising.
"Good evening everyone. Sorry, we are late, Raphael and I got caught up in something." Amelia chimed excitedly. Her statement was targeted towards me. I knew what she was trying to do. Olivia was obviously more welcoming to Amelia.
"Those pearls are gorgeous darling." Natalia complimented the pearl necklace Amelia was wearing.
"Thanks, Raphael, got it as a congratulatory gift after the successful launch of my project." She said with in a heartbeat, holding onto Raphael's arm.
Everyone ignored how inappropriate their actions were. Raphael was flaunting his mistress without a shred of shame.
"Isn't that the eyes of the sea? It's an identical pair to the one Raphael got Braelyn last year." Elysia spotted out. My grip on my glass tightened and I almost choked on my drink.
There was only one Eyes of the Sea. I knew it because I watched him fight tooth and nail for it at auction… So why was it around her neck now? I finally glanced at her, the identical necklace wasn't the only thing that came to my notice, but also the hickey on her neck, and the pearls on her neck.
That's why they were late.
" Oh, this? Isn't it stunning? Raphael has such good taste… though I'm sure you already know that." Amelia confidently said before she took her seat. She giggled, then added, underneath her breath, a whisper that was deliberately meant for me to hear.
"Someone's pair is obviously a good imitation of the real thing." She wanted me to react, but to her displeasure, I didn't.
I just carefully placed the glass back on the table. My eyes fell on the wedding ring on my finger which looked like a complete joke. A bitter taste formed in my mouth.
' Don't think about it, Braelyn. She is trying to get into your head.' I reminded myself. I did not care what they did, it doesn't matter. I repeated in my head.
That was a lie. It was hard to believe Raphael really got me fake jewellery. I truly loved them.
Raphael surprisingly sat beside me. He didn't say a word. The meal started, and one more person was missing from the table. No one seemed to care he wasn't here. Lucien didn't even like participating in their ' family' activities.
Amelia was the star of the table. She has an undeniable charisma that makes it hard to hate her. She was the reason for most of the laughs. Once she was present, I always faded to the background.
A part of me was secretly envious of how she shone. Did that make me the villain of my story? I smirked, my attention was on my bowl. The soup was piping hot, and I was trying to blow off some steam before taking a sip.
The laughs died off, and, surprised, I looked up to see Olivia's stiff smile. The seat beside me was pulled open and Lucien sat there. I glanced at him, surprised that he chose to sit there and also because I didn't sense his presence approaching.
"I didn't know you were joining us for dinner. I forgot to tell the maids to inform you." Natalia commented.
Lucien arched his brow at her, "You were not expecting me, or hoped I wouldn't be joining you. Which is it exactly, Natalia?" He snickered.
"What did you expect? Everyone knows you hate sharing the table." Natalia retorted. Lucien wasn't affected
"I realised I have lost touch with my family. It is time I try to reconnect." Lucien replied. A maid immediately served him the first course, which was soup. He was dressed differently tonight.
He had a black shirt, which perfectly suited him, paired with black trousers. It was a simple but reserved classy look, making him look less like the black sheep he was known for.
"You disappear for 4 years, avoiding every family event, and now you want to reconnect with everyone." Olivia sneered, her dislike for Lucien was stronger than her abhorrence for me.
Lucien's smirk didn't drop. His eyes sparkled and I knew he was about to say something better left unsaid.
"I am sorry I have been absent. I just had a lot of things on my hands. I also want to extend my condolences, Olivia." He paused then made sure their eyes met.
"I heard your husband left you for a bimbo even younger than Aurelia. It must have been hard for you. I understand why you are quite bitter, but before you go around judging people like a viper, take a good look at yourself first."
The room went dead silent. I was even stunned by how far he went.
Olivia's face twisted, and even her daughter's was affected by Lucien's remark. "You son of bitch. Your mother was no different from that vixen."
A soft laugh rang, " At least she knew how to hold onto her man dear Olivia ." Lucien replied. His tone was casual, but the tension in the room was no longer subtle.
Everyone was left dumbfounded.