Chapter 11

"Dad, meet Gabriel and Gabe, he is my dad." I introduced the two most important men in my life.

Gabe offered his hand to dad who didn't hold it but was looking at Gabe, assessing him from head to toe.

I shrank my eyes in embarrassment. Dad! Why are you being so obvious about it?

Sighing I cleared my throat and dad finally accepted Gabe's stretched out hand. "It's nice meeting you sir."

Dad didn't reply, only gave him a curt nod. "Please have a seat Mr…"

"James but you can call me Gabrielle…"

"I prefer Mr James, thank you."

Okay! So dad was not going to be easy on him. I need to intervene or there would be a world war three and the cause of that would be the Aurora Kings.

"Did I tell you that Gabe is an excellent chef, Dad?" I tried to start a conversation that did not include certain death glares.

Gabe patted my hand once and squeezed it as if he understood what I was trying to do.

"Hm! You did not, darling but now that you told me I am sure Mr James would like to tell me more about himself and his business." Dad spoke glancing in Gabe's direction while Gabe being Gabe didn't lower his eyes and met his gaze head-on.

Wow! I never expected their meeting would be like this. One could cut the tension in this room with a knife.

"Certainly, I will tell you whatever you want to ask about me Mr Knights," Gabe answered, staring at dad without even blinking once.

Dad leaned back and crossed his one leg over his knee, he turned his eyes in my direction. "Aurora, darling, why don't you go and help Mrs Dolan with the dinner table. I am sure she would need your help till then let us both have a man to man talk."

I stiffened, "dad…" I never expected my dad to behave like this with my fiance.

I would have said something else but Gabe gave my hand another squeeze, I turned my eyes to him and he nodded at me. He was asking me to leave so that he could speak with my dad.

I gulped in anger. I walked to dad and hugged him "don't forget I love his dada! I used the words Dada, the word which I use when I want something and dad didn't want it. Dad shook his head as if he was disappointed about something but I didn't care. He started giving attitude to Gabe and I am just standing beside my love.

I kissed dad's cheek to show that he was still the best man in my life but my love for Gabe was also not less than the love I have for him. Passing a smile to Gabe I walked out of the living area and went to the kitchen.

Mrs Dolan was setting the plates. " You need help, Mrs Dolan?" I asked her. She raised her head and frowned but then her brows cleared up.

"Oh yes, darling! Help me with the plates," I kept thinking about what was going on between Dad and Gabe, what they would be talking about. I prayed that dad was not being too hard on him.

"Aurora, look what you are doing!!" I heard Mrs Dolan's sharp authoritative voice and looked down at what she was talking about.

My eyes widened seeing what mess I made this time. I knocked down the whole jig of water on the dining table and the water was splashed over the once neatly set dining table.

I didn't dare to meet Mrs Dolan's gaze. She would definitely make me clean the whole table, that too without the help of a single server. I mean really!

"Clean it now!" She ordered me, putting a hand on her waist and shaking her head.

"But Mrs Dolan…"

"Now Aurora kings, your dad has spoiled you too much for my liking. I wish your mother would have been here to teach you some values but not that man, " she muttered referring to dad.

"You have him wrapped around your pinkie finger. Bless the man who marries you and has to suffer this bratty attitude of your…" she kept muttering while I was cleaning the table.

And here I was mentally worried about the talk my fiance and father had while physically I was cleaning the dining table wearing a twenty thousand dollars dress and five thousand dollars shoes and didn't even ask the cost of my jewellery. I would be the most expensive maid right now.

"Clean it from there as well!" She said pointing a sharply manicured finger at the corner of the table and I cleaned it obediently.

"Enough now, go and change your dress till I make everything ready. God knows, instead of helping me you always increase my work.

And I put the cleaning towel on the table, didn't even look at Mrs Dolan and ran towards the living room where dad and Gabe were talking. I wanted to go and sit with them to make them both behave but what I heard made me stop in my tracks.

I was stunned, hearing dad and Gabe!

" I know people like you well, so let's just cut this drama short boy, and tell me how much money you want to get out of my daughter's life," Dad Asked Gabe in his professional business-like tone.

My eyes widened, I asked dad to be nice to Gabe and he was practically insulting him. I was about to interrupt dad but Gabe spoke and I stayed at the door to listen to what he would say. There was something in me which needed to hear his answer.

"I don't need or want anything from you Mr Kings, I love Aurora. I don't know about you but for me, she Is not for sale!"

"Enough boy! See who you are talking to. I can ruin you with a single node," Dad snapped. "I raised my daughter like a princess, I don't want some gold digger to come and trap her in his love talks to gain his hands on my business and money. And I am well aware of people like you…"

"Stop right there Mr Kings. I might not have billions in my bank account like you but still, I earn well with my restaurant. You raised her like a princess and I will make her my queen. She loves me and I love her, I don't care what anyone else thinks about us or our relationship, for me she is the one that matters the most, her happiness. So if you're looking for some man who will accept this cheque from you, sorry to disappoint you but you didn't have enough money to buy my love for your daughter."

"You…." Dad took a step in his direction and I couldn't stand there anymore. So I walked inside with a smile on my face pretending I didn't hear anything they were talking about.

"Dad…" And he stopped, turned around and smiled at me. I walked and stood beside Gabe, "What were you both talking about?" I asked casually, passing a smile to both of them.

Dad raised his eyes to Gabe. "Nothing we were talking about football, love. We both like different clubs." Gave replied, meeting Dad's gaze. I gazed at both of them and I saw dad giving a node to Gabe.

My baby! He was trying to save Dad and my relationship. His respect in my eyes increased tenfold on the other hand I decided that I needed to talk to dad. He needs to respect my decision and accept Gabe in my life now.

Finally, Mrs Dolan came there and asked about dinner. "Yes, I am really hungry, Mrs Dolan."

We all sat for dinner and even there I could feel the uneasiness in the atmosphere. But bravo to both Gabe's and Dad's performance. They both tried to initiate a conversation with me and each other. I know they both love me. I know they both want my happiness and of course, both were behaving like stubborn fools.

Uh! May God give me enough strength to handle these two thick-headed men. I need to do Yoga for strength and patience to deal with these adult wannabe children.

Anyhow, the dinner ended and dad was the first to stand up. He stretched his hand, and Gabe accepted it.

"It was nice meeting you, Mr James." He said, watching Gabe with calculating eyes. Dad glanced my way and something shifted in his gaze.

"Drop your fiance to the door, Aurora. I have some important work to do." Dad nodded at me and gave one more glance to Gabe. He turned his back and walked downwards to his office.

*uff* I huffed and raised my brows at Gabe. "I am sorry…" I whispered silently.

Gabe's brows pulled together. He pulled me towards him, our bodies touching each other, I gasped at the sudden motion. "Gabe…"

"Why are you sorry, Aurora?" He asked, his eyes focussed on mine while I gulped in the anxiety of being this close to Gabe in my Dad's house where anyone could come and see us.

"Tell me, why are you apologizing, Aurora?" He asked again.

I huffed. "For how my dad treated you, I heard you both talking to each other in the living room but pretended that I didn't." I stood on my toes and kissed his cheek lovingly. "Thank you."

He stretched his face a little in question. "Why are you thanking me?"

"For pretending that you and dad were really talking about football and dad was not accusing you of being with me because of my money."

Gabe only chuckled. "I was prepared for this, Aurora. I understand where your dad was coming from. I mean in front of your dad I am nothing and you are his daughter. His heir and he is obviously scared of someone taking advantage of your nativity. Also, you are wrong in one regard. The money belongs to your dad, not to you. "

I frowned at that. " I am not Naive. And of course, whatever belongs to my dad belongs to me as well. There is no difference." I tried to resonate with him but he just shook his head.

"No, you are wrong here Aurora. You see your dad loves you too much and doesn't let you see the real world. Here, you have the identity as Aurora Kings, Ethan king's daughter but where is Aurora...your surname defines your worth not your name."

I bit my lower lip from inside, controlling myself from lashing out at him. He always does that, whatever I am excited about he just says the opposite. If Susan would have been here she would have accused him of breaking my spirit and demotivating me.

But I kept mum, what else could I do? If I said something which he didn't like I couldn't even think what he would do. Ah! Sometimes I feel so frustrated in this relationship but my love for him was more important than anything else. I wanted to give us time, I mean it's only been two months since we started dating and he proposed to me today.

I had to be considerate about my relationship. My mom used to say this to me, relationships are easy to break but hard to maintain. It takes a lot of love and patience to save it, honey. Love your partner like there will be no tomorrow. Live with him like it's your last day.

When I accepted Gabe's relationship I promised myself that I would give my everything to this relationship and I would. It's just sometimes I didn't feel he was being supportive like right now!

I sighed and tried to focus on what he was saying. "Look Aurora, you need to step into the real world. The world you live in is created by your dad in which you get whatever you want but in my world, you have to struggle for everything. You give a hundred dollar tip to people but in my world every single penny counts, a single cent could decide if they would be bread on my table or not."

He held my face in his hands, his thumbs caressing my cheek lovingly. "I want you to be ready for everything, every kind of situation to be with me, love...I am not saying that I won't be able to give you this lavish lifestyle ever. I will, I promise but it won't happen anytime soon. I have plans, it's just that it will take time…"

And he always does that as well. I feel ashamed after he shows his soft side or I say the meaning behind his harsh words. I mean I know that my dad is a billionaire and I might not know what it takes to earn money but still I never took anything for granted. I mean last year I wanted to go to the Maldives for vacation but dad denied me his private plane because it went for servicing and I didn't get angry instead I hired a chartered plane. If I could understand Dad's problems then I could understand Gabe's as well.

"I understand Gabe…"

He patted my cheek as we started walking towards the main door. "Aurora, I know my words could hurt you but after we get married I want you to quit your designing and help me in my restaurant."

And I was stunned. "Huh!" My eyes broadened hearing him. "Gabe, what would I be doing in your restaurant?" I asked him, not able to believe his words.

"I don't know, you can't chop vegetables as I am sure you didn't know and I don't want you to chop your fingers."

I grimaced when he said chop your fingers, I was looking at him expectantly. "But you can wash dishes…"

My throat swelled up hearing him. He wants me to give up on my dream of jewellery designing and do dishes in his restaurant. I was bewildered by his thought process.

"Gabe, I have plans for a jewellery business…" I told him, gazing into his eyes.

He chuckled. "Oh, Aurora!" He held my face in his hands and placed a soft kiss on my forehead, stared into my eyes. "Darling, I love you but you need to know the harsh truth about yourself. You stand no chance in the business world and, you can do anything because of your dad's contacts and money but love, I can't afford all this and at the end of the day, you will be dependent on me. Think about it." Saying that he leaned to kiss me and I turned my head away a little.

"Mrs Dolan might come." I cleared my throat and forced a smile. He squeezed my hand affectionately, caressing my face with another hand while looking at my face warmly.

"I just want you to be with me, every second of the day." Again I maintained the smile but inwardly I was near to tears. He finally walked out of the house giving me the one last smile before sitting In his car and drove away. Finally, I left the sob I was holding. His words become the axis of my thoughts.

Was he saying the truth? do I not have an identity of my own? I glanced at my perfectly manicured hand and imagined them washing dishes in Gabe's restaurant. My eyes widened in horror.

When I turned around I gasped seeing dad standing there. "Aurora…"

I pinched my lips and tried to walk away but he stopped me. "Darling you look hurt, did he do something?" He asked me.

Tears pricked in my eyes, I wanted to hug him just like I used to do when I was a child and someone or something hurt me but remembering Gabe's words of me being Daddy's little girl stopped me from doing so.

I fisted my hand to gain strength. "Yes, I am hurt but it's you who hurt me dad, not Gabe." I lashed out at him in anger recalling the words he said to Gabe.

"I don't understand what you're saying, Aurora?" His brows pulled together and he asked me.

"I heard what you said to Gabe in the living room. You wanted to buy his love, you wanted him to leave me, dad!"

He raised his brows in surprise. "Yes, and I was right to do so. You see you are my only daughter and I wanted to see how he would answer me. I have the right to check whether the man was good enough for my Princess or not."

I gulped in emotions. I want to hug you right now dad. "And...and what have you decided?" I asked him, fidgeting with my fingers.

"He seems nice and proud, I like him."

I couldn't hold my tears anymore and ran into his arms. "Oh, dad! I… I am so sorry for the way I talked with you."

He caressed my back. "It's okay love. You have the right to your old man."

I chuckled. "Na, my dad is still one young handsome man."

"That I am…" he sighed, broke our hug, now let's go and some father-daughter time.

We both were talking about everything and anything at hand. But suddenly, dad asked me about the competition I took part in. "What about that jewellery competition, Aurora?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't have any news yet."

He frowned. "I can help you, darling, I have some contacts in this line, I will give them a call and you can meet them…"

Gabe's words telling me that I have no identity of my own came to my mind. "No dad, I want to do something on my own now. I don't need your help, let me grow my wings on my own."

He nodded, "as you wish darling but don't forget that your father is always here to help and support you," he assured me.

I nodded, I know you are always with me dad but now it's about my identity and self-respect. I will prove it to Gabe that I can earn my own money and name. I was not born to wash dishes in his restaurant.

I will show him what the Aurora King is capable of doing…

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