"Good Afternoon, Lady Demiliore!" Kiara nervously looked at the woman whose deep brown eyes were locked on her, freezing her in her place. "It's nice to meet you..."
Keith had never before seen his little sister so nervous in her life, but at this moment, he did not dare to step forward and help her out. He knew that it would only result in hurting Venessa more.
Raizer stayed silent too, not interfering in the matter. And everyone else seemed to have reached some tacit understanding and kept quiet as well, avoiding Kiara's eyes who was glancing at them for help.
The poor little girl did not know how much pain her mother had caused to Venessa, but they knew that if there were two people who had lost the most in everything that transpired, they were Darius and Venessa. But considering the facts that she not only lost her Husband who had betrayed her, but also lost her sibling and parents when she was only a young mother, and a lady in her early twenties, her suffering was far worse than anyone else.
Her mother had passed away from the grief of losing her husband and son at the hands of her own brother, but Venessa had survived losing almost everyone that she loved. And not only had she survived, she had stayed strong for her child.
She was strong, far stronger than the men in this room, who knew that if Venessa decided to not accept Kiara today, they could not really blame her for it.
Guilt gripped Keith's heart too as he realized what he was putting his mother through, and when he felt her turn to look at him, he stared right into her eyes but eventually found it hard to maintain the gaze and lowered his head.
"You are a beautiful little girl." Venessa turned to look at Kiara again, and she had a light smile on her lips. "But you are yet to introduce yourself to me."
"I am sorry..." Kiara was flustered when she heard those words and immediately bowed to her future mother-in-law. "My name is Kiara. Kiara Angelini."
"Oh.. An Angelini, huh?" Venessa brightly smiled at her. "How would you then explain your features that scream Demiliore to me? You look a lot like my son, my late husband, and you even share a resemblance with me. We have the same hair; and your forehead too looks just like mine."
"I..." The little girl lowered her head, slightly trembling in nervousness and anxiety.
She knew the answer to her questions, but she also knew that it was for the best that she did not bring up the affair that led to her birth in front of Venessa.
"Venessa Demiliore!" She offered her hand to the little girl and introduced herself. "I am Keith's mother."
Kiara stayed frozen in her place for a few seconds, but then mustered up the courage to shake her hand.
"Kiara." She did not say her last name this time. "I am Keith's sister." But she stated her position.
"Wouldn't that make you my daughter then?" Venessa smirked at her bold words and lightly squeezed the soft hand that she was holding before letting it go.
The blue-eyed girl trembled all over and hurriedly nodded her head.
"Good." She heard the older woman say. "Call me mother from now on."
Her words not just shocked the little girl but everyone present as well. No one had expected her to be so generous to this poor little girl.
Kiara could not believe her ears when she heard the words of Venessa, and then her eyes turned misty and she swiftly nodded her head, trying her best to suppress the smile on her lips.
She knew that she had gotten the permission of Venessa to be with Keith, and her heart was free of all worries now.
"Thank you, Mother!" She gratefully said.
Venessa smiled at her happiness and then smiled even more when she glanced at her son and found him still not daring to look at her.
"And who's this little angel?" She crouched down and looked at the little boy who had been silently standing right next to Kiara.
"I am Ben!" The little boy smiled and stepped forward, drawing his hand forward.
"Aww..." Venessa shook hands with him and then lightly pulled him to her. "You are so cute!" She said whilst squeezing the little boy's chubby cheeks.
Benjamin only let out innocent giggles at being treated the same way everyone treated him. By now, he was used to people playing with his cheeks, and was always expecting such a thing to happen.
"You are beautiful, Lady Demiliore!" He tried to sound respectful like his mother had taught him, but the words coming out of his mouth were filled with cuteness.
"Well, Thank you, young man!" Venessa gave him a kiss on the cheek and then stood up, lightly ruffling his hair. "He's beautiful!" She turned to his parents and said to them.
Danielle was very elated to hear that and nodded her head politely, and Damien replied with a polite nod of his own.
The two families then approched the dining table, and under the grateful eyes of Darius, they harmoniously sat together talking about miscellaneous things as the two maids served them the lunch.
"Do you need any assistance with her Identity Documents?" Raizer asked Damien, who was sitting adjacent to him.
"No," Damien shook his head. "I have used the Dragon Corps Intelligence network to deal with everything. No one can access the data of me and my family."
It was one of the perks of being a member of the Netherian Special Forces, and since Damien was third-in-command of them, he was entitled to even more privileges.
"And your plans for her adopted family?"
"I am sending them both on a World Tour. And they won't be returning to Netheria for a year. Upon their return, I will arrange for them to live here on the Estate and work for us." The future Master of Angelini Family revealed his plan.
Raizer nodded in satisfaction and then looked at the little girl who was trying her best to not talk much with Keith fearing that Venessa might find it inappropriate.
He had always been secretly keeping an eye on her, wishing that someday he could bring her into the family. But as the Master of Demiliore Family, he could not shirk his responsibilities no matter how much his heart desired to do something.
Kiara caught him looking at her and then brilliantly smiled at him, which made him chuckle happily.
"Do you want to marry him as soon as you turn 16 or do you want to wait for a few more years?" He mischievously asked her, and chuckled some more when she turned red from embarrassment and lowered her head.
Now that the subject that been brought up, everyone stopped eating and thought over it for a while.
"What do you think?" Damien turned to Keith and asked.
"I think it would be for the best if we arrange for it on her 18th birthday, 21st of September, 2044." Keith answered him, and smiled at his little sister who was frowning at him.
He knew that she planned on marrying him as soon as she turns sixteen, but it would not be appropriate considering all the plans he has in place for the next three years.
"I don't want to wait that long." She did not care about anyone else and said as she looked him in his eyes.
She did not want to wait for nearly four years to finally be able to live with him under the same roof.
"Neither do I, but I will be busy in the coming years and there's a lot that I need to do."
Kiara seemed a little depressed and lowered her head, not saying anything.
Damien and Danielle really wanted to comfort her, but they found Keith's proposal very appropriate. It would give them time to be with Kiara, and it would also help her grow into a fine lady capable of becoming the future lady of Demiliore Family.
"I don't think I would live to see that day." Darius amiably smiled at his greatdaughter. "I want to see you wedded before I leave this world."
Keith apologetically lowered his head at the words of Darius, and thought things over again.
"How about we hold a private wedding on her 15th Birthday, next year?" Raizer proposed. "And then when she turns 18, you two can officially hold a wedding ceremony."
Kiara was elated to hear such a proposal, and then hopefully looked at Keith for an answer.
"I agree with father's proposal. It's better for her to wed him as soon as possible. And I want to personally observe her growth and train her as the future lady of Demiliore Family."
To the surpise of everyone, it was Venessa who helped Kiara out.
"But she will be mostly living at the Angelini Estate until they are officially married." She added.
"I am fine with that." Damien nodded his head, and Danielle sighed and nodded too.
"Alright." Keith helplessly raised his head and feigned a sigh, which earned him a punch from Kiara into his left arm.
"You don't seem happy about it." She accusingly looked at him, narrowing her brilliant blue eyes.
"Do you think I am not happy about it?" He nudged her nose with his finger, which washed away all her dissatisfaction and made her smile.
"When do you want us to announce the Alliance between our families?" Danielle asked. "Grandfather is putting me in charge of the Angelini Group of industries, and it would be helpful to cushion the blow if the Alliance is offical."
Everyone knew that she meant by that. A lot of enemies were eyeing the Angelini Business, and as soon as Danielle takes over, they will come hounding her.
Raizer, Venessa, and Keith already knew what the best opportunity would be, and it was something they were here to discuss as well.
"I am getting married on 31st of December." Keith said to the surpise of Angelini Family. "Lins will be there, hopefully Graysons too. And Clarks are family friends, they will be there too."
Demiliore, Angelini, Falken, Grayson, Clark, and Lin were the six Major Families of the Sameran City. And Keith planned on having everyone but the Falken on his wedding.
However, no one in the Angelini Family was thinking about his plan. They were still surpised about the news that he was getting married in two weeks.
"Who's the lucky lady?" Danielle frowned when she found her niece disturbed by Keith's words, and asked critically.
Keith smiled at his little sister and assuringly squeezed her soft hand.
"Her name is Amelia, and she belongs to an Ancient Family." He turned to Danielle and answered her.
Danielle fornwed at his answer, but Damien and Darius turned solemn.
"Which one?" Darius asked.
"The Mourntale of Magic City."
"Is it wise to get involved into the matters of Ancient Families?" Damien seriously asked him.
He knew the details of all the Ancient Families in Netheria, and as such he knew about everything that had been going on in the Magic City.
The cold war between the Ancient Families of Magic City had ended, but this did not mean that there will be no future conflict. And the chances were that things would heat up again in the next few years.
Keith marrying a member of an Ancient Family meant that he would be pulled into the conflict too. And Damien wanted to make sure that the young man knew what he was getting into.
