The Royal Contract

Alex left Dani and Ethan on the dance floor to check on something first. But before he did, he watched the two and found the scene in front of him, one of the best highlights of the night.

He was satisfied to witness the reconciliation of Dani with the man he first loved. He figured that this night would never be complete if guilt still gripped her heart due to the misunderstanding between her and her father.

"Alona, are all the remaining programs set for the night? Do you still foresee any more issues?" Alex asked his secretary, who was coordinating with the organizers.

He wanted everything to run smoothly from here on to the end of the event. He knew that they might not be able to tackle some unknown variables that might arise but, at least, minimize its impact. 

"The fundraising is progressing successfully." According to Alona's report. "They almost exceeded the expected target of donations." She continued to explain to him, and the night was still young..

"That's good. Notify me immediately if any problems occur." He gave his final instructions before dismissing her.

Although the team designed the projection conservatively, they still believed it would exceed expectations by a margin. It would be enough to help all the charitable institutions selected to benefit tonight.

Dani suggested sharing some of the portions of the funds raised tonight with some reputable foundations. It was one thing he loved about her. She always looked at the bigger picture and not just her point of view.

He walked back to the party when things seemed to be running smoothly. This event did not need his supervision, but he wanted this night to be perfect or at least according to his plans.

"Are you all enjoying the night?" Alex moved to the location of his parents and found Dani's mom with them. 

Laura and his mother had become fast friends since they first met. Learning that they had so much in common had made them inseparable. It was like they were long-lost sisters.

"Yes, we are. For a first-timer, you are doing a great job so far." Katherine answered him, pointing to the triumphant party around her.

It was the first time she had seen her son in action, and she believed he had outdone himself. She could not be prouder of her son and his achievements.

"Laura, you look lovely tonight." He greeted, turning his attention to her.

He could see so much resemblance in Dani and her features. Like her daughter, Laura was also an epitome of beauty and elegance. They might not be royalty, but they did exude class and glamour.

"Maybe we should hire you to organize your wedding," Laura interjected with a slight chuckle.

She could not help but tease him a bit. She could see the tension on his shoulders as he stood straight beside her. If she was in his situation, she might also be on her nerves ending by now.

"Well, I am not surprised since Alex had always been great at whatever he sets his mind to, but this is exceptional." His mom praised his work, amazed at what he had done in such a short time.

"Thank you, beautiful ladies. But you also have to give credit to your husbands. They did invest in this celebration." He knew if not for them, it would have been difficult for him to pull this through.

It was not an impossible task, but it would have been more difficult. But with Fred's support and Ethan's backing to his plans, he had lesser hurdles to overcome.

"Ok. Fine. You are also great." Katherine kidded her husband, who smiled proudly and bowed at his wife as he took the credit.

"Of course, we men can always do better than you women if we put our minds to it." Fred boastfully muttered to them.

"Do you have what I asked you to bring?" He whispered to his mother as he leaned closer to her.

His plans were not a secret among them. In truth, both their parents were involved in the planning of this event. But he did not want passersby to hear their conversation. 

He did not want anyone to ruin his surprise. Not when his nerves were starting to go haywire.

He would fight endless hours in a boardroom and never be this agitated. As of now, he felt like his heart was about to explode out of his chest from his excitement.

"Of course, I do." His mom responded with eagerness in her tone. His Dad and Laura seemed to share the same sentiment as they waited for Katherine to give Alex what he was asking for, but.

"What's wrong?" Ethan asked when he saw his wife's face dropped as if there was a problem.

He quickly stepped closer to her and checked if there was something he could do to help. From her expression, he could already tell that something was brewing.

"It is not in here." She pointed in her bag as she kept searching for whatever the object was.

The panic looked on her face, and her eyes indicated that she was dead serious. She could not find it. It had gone from her possession.

"Are you sure? You even showed it to me earlier before we left the room." Frederick said, showing signs of concern on his face.

"Mom, try to look again." Alex was anxious now because he needed that in his plan for tonight. "Check every pocket." He insisted.

His mom could not lose it. That object was essential in his plans tonight.

"Don't you see that my bag is too small to have many pockets?" Katherine pointed out, exasperated with her son's suggestion. 

"Fine. But is there any chance that you just forgot it in your room?" He was willing to go and get it if that was the case.

He had to find a solution to this dilemma before Dani returned from the dance. Then, his mom started smiling as if there was something silly about the situation.

"Mom, is there something wrong?" Alex questioned his mother, a bit confused by her reaction.

He could not understand why his mom suddenly changed her demeanor. As if she had single-handedly found a solution to their problem.

"Well, you should look at yourself in the mirror. You are about to have a heart attack, judging from the look on your face." His mom said, walking over in front of him and held his face in both of her hands.

"Breathe. Relax." His mom instructed. "I am so happy to see that you are so in love with Dani. We all are. I'm sorry if I wanted to see how much." Katherine uttered in her melodic voice. 

She stretched her hand to her husband, and Fred pulled out the object she had her husband kept for her in his pockets. She took Alex's hand and placed the item on his palm.

"It would seem that I am still a good actress." She stated to Alex, who made a huge sigh of relief upon seeing the thing his mom handed to him.

"Mom, thanks so much for everything. You too, Dad." He quickly placed the item inside his pocket. He turned around to look at Laura, who witnessed their exchange. "I am glad that you are also here for Dani."

"We are also here for you. Seeing Dani's happiness is all we ever dream of, and now that you are here to fulfill that, we can't ask for more." Laura pulled him closer and hugged her future son-in-law.

"You already have my daughter. Now, you are also taking my wife." Ethan jokingly said, seeing Alex in the arms of his wife.

Laura quickly let go of Alex, happy to see her husband on her best behavior. Well, that was good enough in her book. Besides, she knew that Ethan was starting to see Alex as a son, his son.

"Dad, you and your corny jokes." Dani stood beside her man, pulled him to a quick kiss. "Is everything alright?" She whispered privately in his ears.

She noticed when she and her father was walking towards them that he was slightly anxious about something. Until his mom and her mom calmed him down. Whatever it was they did or said, he felt relieved.

"Some issues in the program." He answered her, more of lied to her. But in a way, he felt that it was true since it was indeed part of his program. "But no need to worry, these two beautiful ladies managed to save the day."