Baby

Chapter 21

Dean:

“What were the two of you talking about?” Mariana asked the second I reached her. I wasn’t stupid. or blind, and both Iris and I knew that she was watching the two of us, but that wasn’t something that I liked or appreciated. If anything, I was simply thankful for the fact that it settled to her watching us. Though I wasn’t stupid, I knew that her watching us seemed to catch more attention than we wanted or needed. Everyone around had their eyes on us as they waited for what she was going to say or do, and that was something that I didn’t appreciate.

I raised an eyebrow at the woman who shook her head in question, clearly waiting for a response which I was not going to give. The fact that she believed that she could actually ask and expected an answer came as amusing to me; however, I knew for now that I shouldn’t be commenting.

“I find it odd that you think that I would answer your question right now; however, I will leave it at that.” I said, not bothering to answer. She glared at me then at Iris who was talking to a couple, Elijah and Riley, two other partners of the family. She smiled, her smile bright, making my heart. skip a beat at how professional, beautiful, and elegant she was. The woman’s femininity is something that caught my attention and my heart, and that was something that I knew even caught my parents‘ attention as they looked at her proudly

“You are my husband and I have every right to know what you are speaking about with…”

“She was my wife and she never asked what I spoke to you about, and you were my mistress.” I said, stopping her. I didn’t care that we were at my parents‘ house when I spoke, but I knew that my words came out as shocking for Mariana whose eyes widened in surprise. Her hands shook and she nodded before putting on the best smile that she could muster as mom and dad approached us.

I could tell that they noticed the tension despite our low tones, and I knew that I had to fight back the urge of walking away and leaving her to deal with the mess that was to occur. I looked at mom whose eyes met mine and she shook her head in question, trying to understand what was going on.

I shook my head in response and giving her a gentle smile, I nodded at Mariana whose eyes were fixed on Iris. I expected her to follow me, but instead, she walked toward Iris who raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. She was a queen like she has always been, something that Mariana knew that she would never reach.

“Hello to you too, Mariana.” Iris said calmly, noticing Mariana’s anger. She kept her eyebrow raised at the woman, waiting for what she had to say, and Mariana shook her head. Everyone around us looked at both Mariana and Iris, clearly waiting for what was going to happen. I knew that this was something that almost everyone anticipated. The divorce and marriage were rocky enough as they were; therefore, this was an encounter that neither one of them expected to ever see.

“What game are you playing right now? And don’t tell me that you aren’t. I am not stupid nor am I blind…”

“Need I ask what you are referring to right now, Mariana, because last I checked, no one was playing any games. If anything, we are all here, attending a gathering together.” Iris said coldly.

Elijah looked at me, shaking his head in question and I shook my head in response, motioning for him to stay quiet. The last thing that we needed was a fuss right now, but judging by what Mariana was doing, I knew that it would be a fuss that we are getting. It was something that my parents wouldn’t drop either, and I wouldn’t be able to blame them. We were here as guests, and yet, she was being ill mannered.

“I do not know what kind of dirty tricks you’re trying to throw, but stay the fuck away from my husband. Things would not end well if you choose to play such dirty games.” Mariana threatened and Iris raised an eyebrow. She studied Mariana’s expression for a few seconds before taking a step back toward the bar where they were serving cocktails. She took a glass before turning to face Mariana, handing it to her.

“I do suggest that you don’t forget your past, Mariana.” Iris said coldly. Her eyes were fixed on Mariana, waiting for her to say a word or act wrongly as she knew that Mariana was not only crossing a line, but was playing a bad game here. It was something that I couldn’t defend her in if I tried, mostly because even I knew that Iris was right. It was Mariana who was playing a dirty game here, and Iris was simply responding to it. “If you have done something, then you should not expect everyone to be the same.”

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“Take what I said as it is.” Iris said, stopping Mariana whose eyes were fixed on Iris’s. Iris didn’t even flinch or respond to my wife who looked like she just saw a ghost. The fact that Iris was delivering the message that I wanted was something that I knew very well. However, I knew that if I didn’t interfere, Mariana was not going to drop the topic. It was something that she would end up arguing with me about when we got home, that was something that I knew very well. But I knew not to say a word about it as I knew that she was playing a very dangerous game, it was one that I knew that I would even hear about from my parents, but for now, I was going to choose to stay quiet

Mom looked at me, and I nodded, silently asking her to help. Iris’s eyes met mine and I shook my head, watching as she gave me a quick nod of understanding. It amazed me that even after five years of divorce, that she could still read my expression as well as she could. She understood what I’ was saying without the need of me opening my mouth, and that was something that I valued a lot more than I could even let out.

It was something that I appreciated about her. At least, I knew very well that she wouldn’t end up doing something that would risk the family’s reputation, even if she wasn’t even part of the family

anymore.

“I will choose not to carry this conversation with you, Mariana as you truly are not worth the fuss or second thought.” Iris said, putting a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. “But I do suggest that you start thinking differently. You know, not everyone is after the money that you searched for, and thankfully, no one can deny that 1 grew up wealthy.”

She looked up and down at Mariana whose eyes widened at her words. She looked at me as if silently begging me to interfere; however, I chose to stay quiet. I knew better than to do so, especially when I knew that Iris was right about what she was saying. That fact alone made my wife’s hands shake as she tried controlling her anger, feeling embarrassed as she knew that everyone had their eyes on her. It was something that I didn’t like and didn’t want for her. But it

20-12 Wed, Aug

was something that she dug for herself, and that was something that I couldn’t help her with.

Mariana had Iris being a victim of her games, and that was not something that Iris was supposed to be expected to be quiet about, especially when she knew that Iris was not only cheated on, but she was the one who ended up in pain out of this marriage.

Mom and dad looked at me, wanting to see my reaction; however, noticing that I was completely quiet, mom put her hand on mine, gently squeezing it, snapping me out of my train of thoughts.. She knew that I didn’t like this, but she knew that Iris was right in every word that she was saying.

“I grew up in wealth, and I know what it is to be a woman of pride. Whereas you, I do not know what to refer to you as.” Iris said coldly. Mariana looked at me before giving Iris a dark smile as if thinking that she was putting the final card, in her mind, I was the final card that she was going to use to break Iris. But I wasn’t stupid, Iris wasn’t going to show her that she was shaken because of it.

“Yes, and yet, it is me who ended up marrying the man that I love.” Mariana said, trying to defend her point.

“Indeed, it could be true.” Iris said, looking at me for a second before she focused her attention on Mariana who thought that she would be victorious about this; but I knew Iris enough to know that this wasn’t how she was going to end this conversation. “But at least I know for fact that I was, and could still be, his first and last thought on a daily basis…”

Now, this time, Iris looked at me, making my breath get caught in my throat. “At least, this is how it was until a fling appeared in his life…”