The Ride to Where?
1226 Words
Chapter 11: The ride to where?
REINA – POV
I sat still, spine straight, hands folded in my lap. Pretending like I’d done this before, like I was some model waiting to go on stage.
But inside? I felt like a little girl playing dress-up in her mother’s closet.
“There.” Her voice held a note of satisfaction. “You’re glowing, darling. Simple, effortless, and elegant.”
I glanced at the mirror. She was… right.
The dress fit like it was made for me, hugging all the right places. The makeup was barely there, but it made my eyes sharper, my features softer.
I looked… beautiful.
“Thank you,” I muttered under my breath.
“Anything for a pretty lady.”
A few minutes later, a soft knock came at the door.
“The car is ready, madam.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
I stepped out of my room, literally counting my steps. I mean, why would I look this beautiful and then trip because of some six-inch heels?
When I got to the garage, I could feel the stares. The guards, the driver, Damien, and even… him.
Adrian’s gaze was unreadable. I couldn’t tell if it was admiration or confusion like he was trying to recognize something familiar in a version of me he hadn’t expected.
Damien leaned toward me and whispered, “You look good. Don’t say much when you get there. Just smile and be quiet.”
“Thanks. Wait, what? Where are we going? And why do I need to be quiet?”
“Relax, okay? Just calm down. I trust you’ll do great.”
I slid into the passenger seat. Adrian didn’t look at me. Not when I got in, not even when I cleared my throat.
“Where are we going?”
“My parents’ place.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“And I guess this is one of those things we talked about in a parallel universe because in this one, you definitely said nothing.”
He didn’t respond.
Typical Adrian. Mmph.
Meeting his parents? Already?
Weren’t we just pretending?
Why is this even necessary?
The streets blurred past glass buildings, blinding lights, massive billboards. Night time New York.
Then the city began to shift from its bustling streets to a quiet estate that screamed silent wealth.
Adrian’s mansion was nothing compared to this. The driveway was long enough to land a private jet. And I wish I was exaggerating.
The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of the entrance. He stepped out first composed as always. His suit fell on him like it was sewn onto his body.
He walked around to my side and held the door open without a word.
As if he was ever this nice.
I took his hand and stepped out.
There they were.
I recognized his father first. Tall, with the same angular bone structure Adrian had. His expression was unreadable, but there was weight behind his stare.
His mother, though?
God.
She was beautiful. Elegant. Sharp.
“So this is the wife?”
This is the wife?
She said it like I was some joke.
“Good evening, ma’am. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
No response.
Instead, she turned her back. “Well, let’s not stay here all night. Shall we?”
I already knew how tonight was going to end.
A disaster. They didn’t like me. And worst of all… they weren’t even trying to hide it.
The dining room was impressive huge art pieces on the walls, a long glass table that looked too fragile to touch. Yet something about it felt… empty.
I had barely settled in when she started.
“What’s your name?”
“Reina.”
“So… Reina, where did you school?”
“Queens College.”
“Oh. Public? Not even NYU or abroad?”
I shook my head.
“I mean, Alessandra finished from Cambridge Law.”
The way she said it like it was some weekend course.
“But I suppose not everyone can be that… ambitious.”
I didn’t take the bait. Just folded my hands in my lap and nodded politely.
She kept going.
“So, no postgraduate studies?”
“Not yet.”
“Interesting. You don’t meet many young women these days who stop at a bachelor's.”
I saw it in her eyes. Heard it in her tone. She knew exactly what she was doing.
“So, what do your parents do?”
“They’ve passed away.”
She clicked her tongue softly. “Oh. How sad. Though that does explain the eagerness.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’ve been excused.”
“Eagerness? Really? And what exactly does that have to do with my parents passing?”
“Don’t act ignorant. No family name, no trust fund, no international degree, and yet… here you are. Married into one of New York’s most prominent families. You must be very… strategic.”
Adrian didn’t even look up. Just sat there, scrolling through his phone like none of it mattered.
“I need to take this call,” he muttered, already walking out.
What was I expecting? Defense?
Of course not. That would require effort.
The moment the door clicked behind him, her mask slipped completely.
“You’re very lucky. Girls like you usually don’t make it out of that life.”
“Girls like me? That life?
Ma’am, how about you ask your son why I’m here instead of being a thorn in my flesh?”
“My son may have married you, but don’t flatter yourself. We all know what this is. And you think I’m the thorn, when you’re the one who inserted yourself into a bloodline you don’t belong to.”
She leaned in, lowering her voice.
“I’ll make this clear. You’ll never be one of us. You’ll always just be the girl with no roots, no name, no legacy. A liability.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, hard, trying to hold back the sting in my eyes.
“Tell me… what do you bring to this family besides a tragic sob story and a last name you got through sheer luck?”
There was a bit of silence.
“Noth—”
“Beatrice.”
His father spoke, calm but firm, setting down his napkin. “That’s enough.”
“What?”
“I said…” He looked her straight in the eye now. “That’s enough. You’ve made your point. Several times. And quite cruelly, if I might add.”
“I’m simply stating facts.”
“No. You’re humiliating her. In our home. At our table. And I won’t tolerate that.”
“She’s—”
“She’s not who you wanted, yes. But nothing can change that. She’s our son’s wife. So the sooner we accept that, the better.”
I pushed back my chair. “I need a minute,” I whispered, not waiting for permission.
My heart was screaming, but I pulled myself together and walked to the door.
And just as I reached for the handle, I heard her again.
“Runs just like her kind.”
No.
I didn’t run.
I walked because if I stayed one more second, I’d break.
And they didn’t deserve to see that.
- Writer
