The Royal Contract

She waited for her father to answer her. She believed that something happened. Maybe her father discovered something about Alex that he did not like. Or, he might have been suspecting something wrong with their relationship. 

She was beginning to wonder if her father already figured out that they were faking it. Whatever it was, she was feeling anxious about it. She wanted a hint that her suspicions were wrong.

"Should there be a reason for my daughter to have dinner with her family?" Her father asked her as he mixed the ice with his drink before taking a sip. "Besides, this is a perfect opportunity to get to know Alex. Your mom and I are quite curious about how the two of you met." 

"I think your father is right. It is high time that I also meet your parents since you will be meeting mine soon." Alex agreed with Ethan, hoping to ease the tension that he could feel between the father and daughter.

He was uncertain what was going on with Dani's mind, but he could sense that she was not happy with the way her father was acting. He knew he had to mediate in order not to worsen the situation.

"You see, even your boyfriend agrees with me." Ethan expressed his approval. He would do anything to win back his daughter's affection, even if he had to use Alex to do that. But Ethan was still not convinced of Alex's intentions with his daughter. Alex still had not earned his trust.

"Ok. Fine." She did not want to argue with him, not when Alex was around. He did not need to witness their interaction when they both could not agree on something.

But hearing her father call Alex her boyfriend had an odd ring to her ears. She could not figure if that were a good thing or something she should be worried about, although it certainly made an impact on her.

"I hope everything is ok in here." Her mother suddenly appeared by the doorway, checking on them. "Dinner will be served in a few minutes." She announced to them as she entered and took a seat beside her father.

"Everything is fine. What could go wrong?" Ethan sweetly said to his wife. "I am just getting to know Alex."

"I'm glad." Laura gave her husband a quick peck on his lips before she turned her attention to Alex. "I hope you are feeling at home with us. We invited you here so that we can get to know you. We hope you did not mind." 

"I don't mind at all. I am honored that you welcome me to your home." Alex also turned his head to Laura. He believed that talking to a person with eye contact indicated the sincerity of the words.

Alex took Dani's hand and planted a gentle kiss on her knuckles. A display of their intimacy in front of her parents. He figured that her parents might get curious if they looked too stiff together.

He felt that she stiffened a bit at his touch, but she quickly covered it with a smile. He made a mental note that they had to fix that. He was not sure if her parents noticed, but they did not appear to indicate that.

"Well, you are always welcome in our home." Laura took over the conversation as Ethan studied her daughter and the man at her side.

Again, the conversation was interrupted by the announcement that dinner was ready. 

All four of them stood up and walked with their respective partners on their way to the dining hall.

But Dani was surprised that instead of going to the dining area, her mother turned in the direction of the botanical garden. A large portion of the garden area changed and undergone renovation. She learned that it became a receiving area for some of their guests who loved to appreciate her mother's many flower collections.

"I hope you don't mind if I set up our dinner here." Laura directed her words to Alex. "I thought that this place is more intimate. In this way, we can talk more freely and get acquainted more in a more casual manner."

Although, there was nothing small about the place, nor simple. It was smaller indeed than the dining hall, but it still exuded elegance and sophistication that only money could buy.

"I like what you have done to this place," Dani told her mother as she scanned the room. It was different from the last time that she was here. Still, Dani observed that the decorations were still overdone. But she believed that her father was behind it. 

Her mother was the epitome of class and grace, but she never liked flaunting what she had. Since she did not come from a wealthy family like her dad, she always knew the value of money to a poor man. 

When she married her father, she did not get consumed by her father's wealth. Instead, she made a name for herself and never relied on his money. She worked as hard as her father, or maybe even harder. Because at the end of the day, her mother still had time for her.

She wanted to be like her mom. She would do her best to achieve even an inch of what her mom had accomplished. Just like her mother, she would be successful without the wealth and influence of her father.

"Thank you, Princess." Her mom rarely called her by her nickname anymore. But it did slip her lips from time to time. "I wish that you will come home more often so that you don't feel like you are a stranger at your own home."

She could feel the slight longing of her mother in her words. She missed her parents too, but growing up meant sacrificing a few things. Achieving her dreams meant doing things that were not in her comfort zone.

"I'll try to visit you more." She promised nothing, but she hoped she could at least see them a few times in a month.

"By the way, we have news that we also wanted to share with you." Her father suddenly interrupted her conversation with her mom.

All of them suddenly turned to him and gave him their full attention. 

With a wide grin on Ethan's face, he said. "We are going on a vacation."