On a very clear afternoon ,Adonis and Leah stood hand by hand in front of the Mason's Empire.
Old Mason welcomed them at the entrance and ushered them into his most esteemed Empire.
"My dear ! Come and give me a hug ! You've made me so happy today !"He said ,as Leah stepped forward .
"When my boy told me he has met his soulmate ,I doubted but as you stand in front of me today ,I have no words to even add up to my excitement. "
Adonis glared at his father suspiciously, he never even talked past a minute in serious situations and now he was behaving like a poet .
Old Mason took Leah's hands warmly ,his eyes scanning her face ..."I was always waiting for this day ;the day that my son was finally going to bring home his bride .
And you're finally here ! "
He gestured toward the long table already set with silverware and steaming dishes. "Come, let's eat first. We can talk after."
Adonis held Leah's hands as they moved to the table .
Leah scanned the entire house ,amazed by the family portraits and the smell of "wealth" around her .
It was her first time ever stepping into such a lavish palace .
Adonis drew the chair out for her to sit before he sat beside her calmly ,not letting go of her hand.
A few servants poured wine and laid plates before them.
They moved to the garden ,each sipping their glasses of wine.
Leah was very precise ,calculative and cautious of her every action; first impression always mattered to her .
"You must forgive me if I'm a little too excited," Old Mason chuckled. "It's not every day I meet the woman who might join the Mason family." He motioned for her to sit. "Now… tell me, how did you and my son meet?
How did you fall for each other ?"He asked Leah who wore a wide and bright smile on her face but didn't even bother to take a glance at Adonis at all .
Her hands were tightly glued to the hem of her dress .
He knew Adonis was definitely cursing him from within but when he noticed the tension amongst them ,he heaved a sigh of relief .
"Ah ,don't mind me . I'm just excited to meet my future daughter-in-law."He added , Adonis grabbed Leah's hands tightly .
Leah smiled faintly, glancing at Adonis before answering. "It was… unexpected. One of those chance encounters that turns into something more."
"Ah," Baron said with a knowing nod. "And your family? What's your family name again?"
Adonis knew he wanted to make emphasis on an already laid point.
"Flair ! I'm from the Flair family !"Leah answered simply and averted her gaze at once.
"Wow ,I see! Flair family it is ,ha! So what does your family trade in ?"He asked again but Adonis got worked up with his questions.
Leah hesitated for half a second, and Adonis noticed. His jaw tightened. "Dad, must we start this now? We've barely finished dessert...."
Baron ignored him, eyes still on Leah. "I'm curious. A father should know who his future daughter-in-law is, shouldn't he?"
"All these are getting my baby tensed and a bit scared !
Let's just move on with other things instead ..!"Adonis said and kissed Leah's knuckles lovingly as his father watched the duo lover birds closely .
"Why's that ? I should get to know what my future daughter-in-law is like right ?
Come on son , don't be so much of a lover-man!"Baron insisted .
"Well dad ,the Flair family ...!"Baron cut his son short with a wave of his hand.
"Adonis my son ! Let my daughter-in-law answer my questions alright?
I want to catch a good conversation with her since she's soon going to be part of our prestigious family !
So my dear ,back to you ! You said that umm! You're from the Flair family right ?"Baron asked .
"Yes sir , exactly!"Leah said simply and heaved a sigh of relief .
"So tell me my dear Leah ,what does your family trade in ?
What's your family known for ? "He asked with a firm tone this time around ,his eyes sharp.
Leah once again bowed her head and heaved a sigh of relief before taking a gaze at Adonis who gave her a "don't speak look !"
But stubbornly, she defied his words and raised her head to look at Baron's curious face .
"Nothing ! Nothing sir ! We're nothing but a disciplined family from a small town all the way back from Colma !
We live simply!"Leah said and quickly bowed her head in shame.
Baron put down his wine glass ,leaning back in his chair with a frown .
"W. what ?! You mean to say you're poor ?!
So you're from a poor home ?! You have no status in society ?!
You've got no prestige ?! Like you're just a commoner ?!"Baron asked ,rapidly breathing because he was shocked to his indepth core .
Leah on the other hand sat down quietly and painfully bit her lower lips in pain and dreaded uncontrollable tears .
"So if you're poor then what's your level of education?!
Which school did you enroll in ?! What's your level of intelligent quotient and what job do you do ?!"Baron asked ,at least expecting to hear something better from Leah but Adonis rose to his feet in anger .
Get into the car waiting outside ! I want to have a word with my father !"Adonis muttered to Leah and without wasting any more time ,she quickly ran out of their presence .
" Impressive dad ! For heaven's sake Baron Mason,what was the meaning of what just happened, huh?!
You just disrespected the woman I'm set to settle with !
What's wrong with you dad ?! You pester me to get married and I bring my woman home and you ask her such useless questions ?!
You stay on my neck to get responsible and you're here judging my wife-to-be ,is it ?!
What kind of a father are you ?!"Adonis angrily asked .
"Wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" Baron shot back. "You brought home a low-class girl with no job, no money, no status and you call her your future wife? She's a parasite who will drain you dry!
That low class plebeian ,that loose bag! That parasite whose coming to squander all your money is the one you think you want to settle it with ,huh?!
Tell me ! "
"Oh please dad ,just shut your mouth up !
She's not a lose bag or a parasite okay !You don't know Leah at all !
She's a sweet , kind and loving person and ..!"
"Enough ! Enough already Adonis !
I've heard enough already so just scrub that sh*t out of your mouth!"