Chapter 64: 64 ~ Mira
This was the part I hated. The unnecessary and unabashed staring. I had learned to perfect my poker face but it did not make it any less uncomfortable that these people were gawking at us.
Yes, he was the celebrant and we looked like a couple straight out of a magazine but this kind of staring was not needed.
Ariel came towards us and I let out my first smile of the evening.
"Hey girl," I said, pulling my arm away from his so I could hug her.
"Hello Mrs Romano," she said wiggling her brows. "You look spectacular!"
"Thank you."
"Your pictures are going to eat tonight!"
I grinned happily for once looking forward to the gorgeous pictures that I would have at the end of the night. Maybe I was actually getting used to this.
"Happy birthday sir," she said to Jace.
I turned to look at him and he simply nodded and looked away.
I smiled apologetically on his behalf at her and she nodded like she was used to it.
I pulled him closer as we posed for some pictures together. The other photographers had gathered around us like it was a red carpet show with the paparazzi all around.
This event was certainly going to make it to the news.
Jace pulled me closer and leaned in like he was going to kiss me. I felt my bones turning to mush as I placed my hand on his chest for balance.
The way he stared into my eyes... it felt raw and deep, almost like there was no crowd that we were performing for.
Snap out of it Mira. You’re getting carried away.
I had to warn myself.
"You didn’t tell me it was your birthday," I said, arranging his collar and bowtie out of habit as he wrapped both arms around my hips.
The hand placement was enough to give me an orgasm. I needed to focus.
"I thought you knew." He said, softer than he typically would.
"Of course I didn’t. You planned a whole party without letting me know." I frowned.
"Technically, I had other people plan it. I only paid."
I rolled my eyes slightly. "Same difference."
"Do you need me to make it up to you?" He said in my ears in a sultry whisper. I grabbed his arm tightly.
Did this man forget we had an audience or something?!
I was thankful my makeup was covering up my blush. It would have been a different story if otherwise. Imagine me blushing like a schoolgirl in front of all this people.
"You didn’t even let me get you a gift. I would have done that if I knew." I said, genuinely feeling bad for not finding out earlier.
I was still trying to win him over, I should have at least done my research. Silly me.
"Don’t worry about it Mira." He said, planting a kiss on my temple as he pulled my hand and took us away from all the cameras. The photo op was over. I was led to the table I was designated to sit with his mother seated next to me.
I watched as different people came to pay her homage. From what I had noticed, she was more feared than the Don himself. She must have been more dangerous than I gave her credit for.
"You two make a beautiful couple," she said over the music.
I held in a breath, knowing she was going to eventually drop a bombshell.
"I’m sure you’d make beautiful babies as well."
There it was. I slowly let out the breath I was holding through my mouth.
Her eyes trailed down to my flat belly.
"Nothing yet?"
I shook my head nervously. "Nothing."
"Stay positive." She said, tapping on the back of my palm.
She got up and walked over to a group of women whom I assumed were her friends.
I felt the pressure mount on me again. I really needed to conceive as soon as possible. I needed this to happen fast.
I looked around the finely decorated hall. It was filled to the brim with people of timbre and caliber but for some reason, I had feeling that there was something else going on here.
There was a bit of tension. It seemed to be normal for people in their world but for me it was thick.
There were performers doing their thing on the stage, I recorded a few of them. There was slight comedy and laughter caused by the event’s anchor.
Jace came back to the table and stood by me as they sang him a happy birthday. He barely cracked a smile as everything went on.
Sir, it’s your birthday, at least smile for a minute!
I shook my head at him as we sat down. How could anyone be so stoic? I was basically smiling on his behalf at intervals.
Then there was a round of toasts starting with Donna Carmela as she praised her son for being a hard worker. And how he has steered the empire in the right direction since his father’s passing over a decade ago.
The crowd of course applauded all that. Then it was Tomas’ turn. I had waved at him across the room when we came in and he waved back. He seemed too busy for us to chat like the last time.
He said a lot of nice things about Jace. It was proof that no matter how terrible you are as a person, there would always be someone who would say something nice about you.
I was handed the mic at some point. I tried to turn it down but the anchor insisted that I say something. I was put in a tight spot.
Slowly, I got on my feet and faced him. He looked at me for a bit and I took his hand in mine, intertwining her fingers all for show.
"Well," I smiled, aware of every eye on me. "He is a difficult man to figure out sometimes. But underneath all that steel and silence is someone who is fiercely loyal."
I looked around for a bit before my eyes fell on him again. "He protects me. And maybe that’s the most anyone can ask for in this world. Happy birthday my husband." I concluded.
There was a slight applause amidst some murmuring. Jace squeezed my hand slightly as I sat down as if to say good job.
The night was seeming ending on a good note until someone got up to give a toast. I felt Jace stiffen beside me for a second.
This strange man said a lot of things and then his conclusion was where the chaos began.
"Cheers to the past, the present... and the blood we owe."
It felt like a dream when a bullet went through his chest immediately after that and he fell over his table, shattering the the plates on it to pieces.
I froze in shock.
What stunned me even more was the fact that everyone else seemed unfazed by it.
I looked around, expecting a shootout or something but there was nothing like that.
Jace got up and raised a toast. Everyone else raised their glasses as well. My hands were too shaky to hold anything after all I just witnessed.
"Mission accomplished. Cheers!"
"Cheers!" They echoed.
The night ended with me once again realizing that I was indeed married to one of the most dangerous men in the world.