CHAPTER 6

DARLENE

I swallowed hard and stared straight at the table, eyes nearly popping right out of my sockets.

"What?" My voice was in whispers that came out strangled and unheard. I wished I had walked into anything else.

Anything else other than the entire Mckenzie family sitting there, on a table in my Dad's bakery.

I recognized Mr Mckenzie anywhere and in any form.  Every now and then, he loved to show face in my father's bakery and bless us with all sorts of money and gifts that, if I do say so myself, were actually very unnecessary.

I hadn't seen the rest of the family before, but I didn't need to be told twice that the beautiful woman who sat by his left and the two handsome men who rounded the other quarter of the table, were the rest of the family; their aura stood out like a gem in the midst of full stones. They oozed off regality in all shades and with heads held high and shoulders poised in the air, postures straight and confident, even while sitting, anyone could have been able to tell that these people were blessed with immense wealth.

The kind of bastard wealth associated with a family as prestigious and glorious as the Mckenzies'.

Together, they sat together at a table. It was just a regular table in my dad's bakery, but with them on it, it looked divine. Like angels on earth. They had no food; they were being served none, and like the entire family was in a conspiracy, mouths moved in speech and hands moved in fine gestures.

Thankfully, none of them had noticed me.

Maybe if I just quietly turned back and walked away, they would not know that I am even here—

"Shoot."

My plans were defeated.

The moment I took one step back, like he knew that there was someone there behind, staring at them, his head whipped back and almond shaped eyes squared me in a look that was more of like a chokehold.

I froze.

With delight, those eyes lit up and sparkled, like seeing me sparked a fire in them for a moment. He sat there with the Mckenzies' — the man who caught me staring— and he would not look away.

Easily, a corner of his lips lifted and I caught it as a smile. One which I hated to admit was very charming. Even more eye catching than that perfect silk jet black hair that glossed in the light that cast a glow on him, through the windows.

I sighed deeply. "Not now." I turned around and ignored his gaze that bored holes into my back. With urgency, my next move was to walk away from this place and dare I say it lightly, RUN.

"WOW! I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE MCKENZIES' WERE VISITING MY BAKERY TODAY!"

Well, fuck shit.

Again, my plans were defeated.

I had barely even maeone move to move when my father appeared out of nowhere and surged himself into the regal family table, making sure to hook an arm under mine as he pulled me along with him to them.

Oh, God, no. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.—

"What a pleasant surprise to see you!" He was beaming with the largest grin I had ever seen and the brightest glow in is eyes as he acknowledged the Mackenzie family with everything that he fucking had.

I stood there, stuck in the grip my father had on my arm, and trying to look anywhere but in the face of Mr Mckenzie himself.

It was the hardest thing to do.

These people had the presence of a thousand men. The maddening aura of an ancient Greek god. When Mr Mckenzie stood up, it took everything in me not to bow. How can one person be so intimidating?

He was ageing, I could tell. His white beards were well grown and full, and the wrinkles on his face showed experience, stress, and the pride of a man in his 60s. However, with the sharpness and quickness in his body language, demeanor and mannerisms, you could tell that he was very agile. He moved with a powerful presence that even I couldn't resist.

It was difficult to not cower.

Even Dad's height had decreased a bit as he slouched a bit, bending in a little bow, in front of the man. I couldn't tell if it was just courtesy, or if the man low-key just terrified him as well.

"I wish I was aware that you were coming, Mr Mckenzie, I would have prepared my finest bread and my sweetest cake for you!—"

"Oh, don't bother about that, Mr Bernardo." The man spoke. Even his voice had thunder to it. A deep baritone that shook me to the core. Made me want to straighten my back.

And the man was trying to be 'polite'.

I hated to imagine what he would have sounded like when he was angry.

"Coming here is more than enough joy for me. I love the aroma of this bakery, and the more I come here, the more pleasant I feel knowing I am getting more and more used to my to-be in-laws," He said to my father.

"Well, you could whip me some cake though. If Pops won't have any, I defs would.—"

"Quiet, Frederick."

It was the older woman who stood by Mr Mckenzie that politely silenced the man who just spoke. I glanced at him for a moment, and he stood right by the handsome man who wouldn't stop staring at me. I looked away almost immediately. This 'Frederick' looked good, but that strawberry blonde hair was way too sharp and had me looking away in an instant.

"We actually came here for another reason," The woman spoke again.

She spoke softly. Her voice was like whipped cream and cotton candy, but even with that, I felt my heart drop at what she said.

What other reason were they here for?

God. What on earth do these people want from me now?!

"I am all ears!" My father was jumping at the request. I fought the urge to facepalm.

The woman smiled at Mr Mckenzie whom I dead knew was her husband, urging him o go ahead and explain. Truth be told, she was gorgeous. Her heart shaped lips coloured in blood red caught me first, and following it were those silver colored orbs that slit at the very ends. Her beauty was sharp, like how it would be a cat. Looking from the handsome man who was staring at me and the other handsome one with sharp unbearable strawberry blonde hair, I could easily tell who they got their looks from.

"Well, I see you brought your daughter here…" Mr Mckenzie said, gesturing towards me and acknowledging my presence since the first time that we walked to them.

"Yes… yess…" Dad kelpt nodding and saying.

"Well, my son, Alexander…" He gestured toward one of the men, and I hated to admit…

It was just the one I was hoping it would be.

The handsome man with the almond shaped eyes and silky black hair.

Alexandria Mckenzie stepped forward on his name. Just like his father, his aura struck and his demeanor was firm. He stood like a confident man who knew his business, and firmly, he stuck out a hand that demanded a handshake.

I would say demanded because even if he had a charming smile that made it clear to me he was trying to be polite, his demeanor was beyond confident that it could have almost be mistaken for arrogance.

"N-nice to meet you," I stammered as I took his hand. He held it firmly in a shake, I almost melted into butter. Then, he released quickly, stuffing it right back into his pockets.

"Alexander insists that he wants to spend some time with Darlene, before the grand wedding," Mr Mckenzie told us.

"Well, unfortunately, I have to help my Dad in the Kitchen so, I won't have the time to spend time with—"

"Date and Time!" Dad leaped for joy.

Oh, crap.

"Now." Frederick spoke up again. Glanced at his family members a bit. "Just want to save some time and speed this up, you know." His mother looked like she had mentally face palmed.

"Well, now is fine!" Dad said.

I turned to him, alarmed.

"But, Dad!" I protested.

"You don't have to do any work today, darling," He was already helping me take off my apron. "The man wants to spend some time with his fiancee, so come on, go, go!" I was protesting and Dad kept urging me on and pushing me towards them, while I lightly fought against.

"If she must suggest another time suitable for her—"

"Now is fine, I assure you!" Dad cut Mrs Mckenzie off as he pushed me to Alexander.

"Wait!—"

I was already colliding with the man, and if no for the fact that he was quick to catch my fall, I would have been on the ground.

Quickly, I jutted myself out of Alexander's hold and in nervousness and awkwardness, started to dust off imaginary dust off all the parts of my body.  

"Shall we?" The man raised a brow, asking as though my opinion and my permission mattered at this point.

I took in a deep breath, exhaled tiredly, and nodded against my will.

"We shall."