The Dinner – More praises! - 5

Aubrianne Ivanov

Earlier, Aubrianne was surprised to see Kirrah and her husband there.

Aubrianne had immediately panicked, wondering what Kirrah would have told her father about what she walked in on in the bathroom at the club.

Her worries skyrocketed when her father introduced them as her personal security detail and that they were not husband and wife.

It was his small way of ensuring her safety,

Aubrianne had felt thrilled at her father for thinking of her safety, fully realizing that she was never in danger, even if Ron had tried to get at her or follow her.

Because the thought crossed her mind that Ron was here before all this, was he unknowingly following her all this time?

Because she found it hard to believe he just so happened to be in the same club, in the same city, thousands of miles away from his home, the very night she just happened to attend?

Nuh uh, plus Jada had said it as well. Aubrianne could not find another reason for Ron's presence in TL. He followed her there.

Nevertheless, Aubrianne was simultaneously mortified by what said 'personal security detail' might have said and to think she was

worried about Ron earlier. Huh!

Well, Leia really had said he was not a threat!

Thankfully, in the end, her father's speech quickly pulled her out of her state of panic, and she instantly masked her true emotions.

She had hoped she was just coming off as someone who was merely overwhelmed by all this attention.

As dinner went on, Aubrianne finished telling her side, speaking about her experience, and Theo jumped right in again, this time sharing about the time he'd offered Aubrianne money, but she didn't want to take the money.

"Bri had outright turned it down, while I figured she may need some financial assistance with her mother gone. So, of course, I reached out in a technical way. Having dear old Ivan do my dirty work."

"Don't we know it? Ivan butted in again, as usual occasionally, teasing Theo as they jested throughout.

Theo is the most relaxed and laid back at home, in this private setting, when around his close friends and family. He narrowed his eyes at Ivan, but he was so happy you could see the smile at the corner of his eyes.

Theo waved him off. "So I had Ivan present her with a sort of 'welcoming package' pending her graduation. But my baby girl was not having it. Are you all crazy? Absolutely not. Were her words.

The entire room laughed, even her pouty brother and struggling Stepmother.

"I kid you not," Theo said, joining in on the laughter.

"Yip, that is exactly what she said. I was there," Jada spoke in between laughing as she envisioned Aubrianne's reaction. She had it live.

"Imagine, my baby girl wanted to do this the right way, and accepting this was just wrong in her eyes. That is virtue, and I have never been prouder in my life than I was at that moment, even though everything in me wanted her to take the money."

Timothy's body reacted as if Theo had ripped out his heart, while Christen was seething on the inside silently. How dear he. Never been prouder?

Looking at her like the proudest papa in the world, he said, "I respected her more. She was my daughter through and through. I knew that the moment we spoke. That is why I decided not to grab her, have Ivan pull the car around, and run with her back then."

Aubrianne went wide-eyed as everyone else burst out in laughter. They knew how true that was. If Theo wanted to, he would have kidnapped his own daughter!

"Instead, I let her do this her way and intended to make her dreams come true for her hard work, so her way it was." Theo continued to gush, further squeezing Timothy's heart with his words.

Now they were on the fifth and final course.

After more talks among the group, Aubrianne understood Mr. Grey's response to her threatening and attempting to leave. Her father would have had Mr. Grey's head had he messed things up for him.

She had actually felt bad for further stressing him out, "Aww, Mr. Grey, you know, now your almost heart attack the day I was at your office makes so much sense now." Aubrianne realizes the pressure her father puts on Mr. Grey.

Which stirred up more praise toward Aubrianne. She immediately regretted bringing it up. Mr. Grey decided to talk about how she threatened to return the gifts and was threatening to leave if someone did not explain what was happening.

However, Aubrianne soon realized this could be a good thing, especially when her father mentioned that she had outright refused his money.

She knew he was trying to paint a perfect picture for his family. Everything he had said was accurate, and the fact that he spoke about her refusing his money should at least let them know she was uninterested.

At least she wanted to have hope!

Now, on the other side of the table, Daniela was trying to figure out what was going on with her father tonight. He was acting strange, doing weird things with his face.

While Daniel kept glancing at Aubrianne ever so often, dying for a moment alone with her, he sat next to his sister Daniela. Then it was Jada and Aubrianne, then back to Theo!

Now Jada, on the other hand, earlier she was stress eating the life out of those croissants. She wondered if she could sit there long enough to get through dinner and not want to jump Ivan's bones. Well, we will test that theory tonight, no?

Jada thought while shoving another croissant in her mouth and chewing it, her mouth full and cheeks poking out. As Ivan watched her, amused.

They had been sitting here too long now, and she was on the verge of losing her mind, being this close and yet so far. She abruptly got up and quickly excused herself to head to the bathroom.

Jada recalled passing about ten bathrooms in their short tour, she exaggeratingly thought.

While Theo sat there, he wondered why Ivan, his Beta, his first in command, one of his close friends, smelled like his daughter's friend.

His Alpha nose had picked it up just as his father used to pick up Athalia on him every time, and she was always doing her little masking spell.

Theo would take showers upon showers. Even when he had landed, he would take another shower before ever seeing his father, and somehow, that bastard used to always pick up Athalia's scent on him. It was the sweetest caramel-flavored essence he had ever smelled.

Now that he had smelt Jad on him, Theo understood precisely what his father was talking about back then.

His father had always known Theo was lying to him about Athalia, and Theo used to be adamant that he had not seen her, that it was only a business trip or another.

Theo guessed that was why his father kept the threats coming because it was not that he did not believe Theo. It was because he knew Theo was outright lying.

He knew Theo had seen her because of his sharp Alpha nose that picked up the scent he would be drowning in every time.

Theo had shaken his head at the thought because his father was dead anyway.

He had also glanced at Jada, who was stuffing her face nervously, yip something was going on. Well, Ivan, buddy, good luck. He had thought.

Then he wondered if that's where Ivan was today. Wait, was he there with the girls last night? Aubrianne had mentioned they went to the club, and when he spoke to her, Jada was not in yet.

And when did this connection happen anyway?

After Theo added and subtracted, a side smirk formed on his lips.

However, he did not miss Ivan pulling out his phone and excusing himself three minutes after Jada left. Wow, the lover boy could not even wait five minutes at least?

When he remembered himself in a similar situation, he smiled to himself and thought, nope, he could not wait.

As the night passed, things did not improve for Christen. Now, it was how Theo talked about Aubrianne and doted on her that made her sick as she couldn't stop seeing him with HER!

Thankfully, the closeness is of the nature of a father and daughter. However, there are times when he looks at Aubrianne as if she was his world, and it is in those moments when it is the hardest.

Was that the way he looked at Athalia? He never even once looked at her this way, and she was his wife!