FIVE

Elijah was dressed in a black suit and looked so handsome. He looked at me slowly, taking my appearance in.

I was wearing one of the outfits he'd bought me earlier, and my hair and makeup had been professionally done. Perks of being married to a rich man, I guess.

He must have noticed how nervous I was because he suddenly reached out and rubbed my shoulder gently.

"Be calm," he said. "And stop fidgeting. It's very distracting." He licked his bottom lip, an act I found incredibly sexy.

I nodded and let out a deep breath. "What's your family like?" I asked. If I was going in there, I needed to be prepared.

"They're ruthless and can be very overbearing." He adjusted his cufflinks without looking at me. "My grandfather's harmless enough. It's the others who you should be cautious of.” He paused and turned his head towards me.

That didn’t make me feel any better.

‎

‎“You’ll be fine,” he added, almost like an afterthought.

‎

‎I glanced at him. “That didn’t sound convincing.”

‎

‎His gaze softened just a little and once again I'm mesmerized by those gorgeous eyes. “Just stay close to me.”

I nodded.

"Don't talk unless you're spoken to and be careful when they ask questions, and they're going to ask a lot." He paused, staring at me intensely. "Remember, we met on a business trip a few months ago."

I nodded.

"What's your job?" he asked suddenly.

"I work at my family's bakery."

"A bakery?" He sounded genuinely surprised. "You're a baker?"

"Yes. Why?"

"That prick Logan didn't seem like the type to date someone with that kind of job. He always seemed so snobbish to me."

I found it funny that he was calling someone else snobbish. Maybe he should look in a mirror.

"Well, I love my job," I said defensively. "You didn't seem to mind what my occupation was before you made your offer, did you?"

"I don't care what you were doing so long as it wasn't illegal. It's my family I'm worried about. They're very particular about that kind of stuff."

Yeah, right.

We got out of the car and headed toward the massive estate. Security escorted us into the house and Elijah took my hand as we approached the large door, and I felt him squeeze it lightly, like he was trying to reassure me. The act made my stomach flutter. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

The door opened.

Everyone was already seated at a long table. Their heads turned toward us and my stomach did a flip.

‎An elderly man with salt-and-pepper hair spread his arms wide. This must be his grand-father. “Ah... here are the newly weds. So happy to see you all.”

His mother, Eleanor, was more dressed up than when I'd seen her earlier.

All eyes were now on me and I gave a sweet smile, trying not to let my nervousness show.

"Yes, this is Breanna," Elijah said, His hand brushed the small of my back briefly before he let go.

"Although I'm very upset that you got married in such a private manner," his grandfather continued. "You didn't even inform your own mother."

"I was disappointed when I found out," Eleanor said, she sounded genuinely hurt. "But I would like to get to know Breanna now."

We took our seats. For some reason, I was seated directly next to the grandfather instead of beside Elijah. He on the other hand sat across from me.

Food was served shortly after, but the stares didn’t stop.

The grandfather was larger than Elijah and looked very agile for someone his age. I felt him studying me with keen interest.

Okay Breanna...keep your cool. This is just going to be a nice family dinner.

"You're very beautiful," he said. "Elijah has always had a taste for fine women, but he was never able to keep one. I wonder how he managed it this time.

I swallowed.

“You must have really charmed him too. He was very adverse to the idea of marriage in the past."

"Well, actually, he charmed me," I said, forcing a smile. "I fell for his... good nature."

"Good nature?" A laugh erupted from somewhere down the table. "That's rich."

I looked over to see a younger man, maybe mid-twenties, smirking at me. He had the same brown hair as Elijah but none of his sharp features.

"Marcus," Elijah glared at him. He looked like he was ready to jump across the room and strangle him.

"What? I'm just saying, "good nature" isn't exactly how I'd describe you, cousin." Marcus leaned back in his chair. "So, Breanna, what do you really see in our Elijah here? His charming personality or his bank account?"

"Marcus," Eleanor said sharply. "That's enough."

"I'm just curious," Marcus said innocently. "It's not every day someone marries into this family so... suddenly."

"Leave her alone," Elijah said coldly.

A young woman who looked like a younger version of Eleanor spoke up. "I think it's a fair question and we really don't know anything about her." She looked at me with disdain. I just met these people and one of them already hates me. Great. "Where did you say you met again?" She questions.

"On a business trip," I said.

"What kind of business trip?" she pressed. "What do you do?"

"I work at my family's bakery."

The table went quiet.

"A bakery," the girl repeated slowly, like I'd just said I worked in a circus.

"Yes, a bakery," I said. "It's been in my family for three generations." I said very proudly.

"How... cute," she said. She looked at me like I was a piece of gum beneath her Jimmy choos.

"Madison, that's enough," the grandfather warned. "Let the girl eat in peace."

Madison pressed her lips together but didn't look happy about being silenced.

Another woman who'd been quiet until now, leaned forward. "So you're a baker. That's quite different from what we expected for Elijah."

"I didn't marry her for her profession, aunty," Elijah said in a tight voice. "I married her because I wanted to."

"Still," the aunt continued, "it is rather sudden and surprising. Especially considering—"

The doorbell rang, cutting her off.

Everyone looked toward the entrance.

"Oh, that must be her," Eleanor said brightly, standing up. "I invited one more guest. I hope you don't mind."

Elijah's expression darkened. "Who did you invite, Mom?"

"Well, I thought since this is a family dinner and we're celebrating your marriage, we should include everyone important." Eleanor smiled. "I invited Victoria."

"You what?" Elijah's voice was dangerously low.

The door opened, and a woman walked in.

She was stunning. Tall, elegant, with perfect blonde hair. She wore a designer dress that hugged her figure perfectly.

She looked at Elijah. "Elijah," she said, her voice smooth as silk. "I hear congratulations are in order."

Elijah stood slowly, his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscle ticking.

"Victoria," he said flatly. "What are you doing here?"

"Your mother invited me." Victoria smiled. I didn't like the way she smiled at all. "I wouldn't miss the chance to meet your new wife."

She walked over to the table and extended a perfectly manicured hand to me.

"You must be Breanna," she said. "I'm Victoria Ashford. Elijah's fiancée."