Strangers
1196 Words
Elena's POV
Grey was waiting outside for me when I stepped out of the room.
"Why so long," Grey muttered as he looked at me with a scowl. He was sporting an irritated expression. His icy face really made my blood freeze, so I had to fight the urge to utter a swear despite the fear that was still roiling in the pit of my stomach.
"Sorry–"
"Don't over-apologize!" He shouted.
"They must be waiting for us coming." I heard a sigh come out from him.
"W–who are they?" I asked. But he deliberately didn't answer me. Without saying anything else, he walked in front of me. And I quickly followed in his footsteps. We were walking side by side in silence.
"Behave yourself, don't talk to anyone in there without my consent," he said in a cold, deadly tone, not friendly at all.
"Did you hear me?!" he asked in a half-serious manner.
"Yes, I heard you," I replied with irritation. Of course, I didn't answer him, not because I didn't hear what he said. Instead, I was busy thinking and guessing about where this man would take me.
We finally arrived at the yard, where the driver was waiting.
"Good evening, sir, madam." a man greeted us and opened the back door.
The older man was friendly. He nodded respectfully to me. And called me 'madam.'
I got into the black luxury car at first, and Grey was behind me. After we both sat down, Grey asked the driver to start the vehicle. A few minutes passed, with just us being tight-lipped. It seemed like Grey also had no desire to invite me to talk. So I also preferred to keep my mouth shut.
There was something in the air between us that made me feel uncomfortable - a tension, a hint that something wrong could come from it.
"You must be wondering where I'm taking you." He suddenly started a conversation.
I turned my head and looked at him in astonishment.
"Are you talking to me?" I asked in a confused tone. I don't know why I asked him such a silly question.
"Elena, do I look like a crazy person who used to talk to himself?" Shouted Grey with an annoyed face. I looked at his sharp eyes without blinking. Ah, this man was very handsome, much more attractive than Adoff. It's almost like someone sculpted his face with the help of angels. No, Elena, no! Don't think about him too hard.
I grinned, then nodded, "Of course I'm curious. Where are you taking me?"
"To meet my parents. There is my dad, stepmom, and her two children. So I really hope you can behave yourself."
"You don't have to worry, Mr. Velixus," I reassured him. He was obviously worried that I might cause trouble or something. He probably thought it would be better to leave me somewhere isolated instead of bringing me to his home.
Grey grunted, leaned against the seat rest, and closed his eyes. For the whole time, we were driving through the streets in silence.
"Bran, can you hurry up a bit? I want us there before eight, and I want back home before midnight." Still with his eyes closed, Grey gave orders to his driver.
"Don't worry, master. It won't be longer than that."
And just as Bran promised, we arrived in front of a mansion that appeared to be more modern than Grey's house.
Bran parked the car outside, then exited the vehicle. As soon as Grey was out of the car, he grabbed my arm with one hand and pushed open the door with the other. Once inside, we found ourselves in an elegant living room. There were so many beautiful plants here. They filled the place with their scent. In addition, a massive fireplace was in the middle of the room, lit up every corner of the home, and cast shadows everywhere.
"My father will appear in a couple of minutes,'' Grey said after taking off his coat. Then he took mine as well and placed them over his arm.
"Follow me, Elena," he commanded in a husky voice while walking into the dining room.
Arriving at the dining room, I saw three other people there. A young woman with a cold face and no smile was looking at me while rolling her eyeballs lazily. The other was an older woman, and a young man smiled to greet us. A smile full of fakeness, I could feel it. I glanced at Grey, who didn't look enthusiastic as he returned their hugs and pats on the shoulder. They congratulated us on our marriage. W—wait a minute, does this mean no one attended our wedding ceremony?
"Elena, this is Grace, my stepmother. This is Matthias, and this is Ameyra, my step-sister."
I shook hands with them.
"Hey, where did you meet my brother? Oh yeah, can I see your stone?" asked Ameyra. I frowned.
"A stone? What stone are you talking about?"
"Don't listen to her," Grey said as he pulled me away from Ameyra.
"Mom, please tell Ameyra not to say any more nonsense."
Grey looked furious, while I could see a smirk forming on Ameyra's lips.
"What stone, Grey, is your sister referring to?" I asked.
"You don't have to listen to her. She's just a little crazy," Grey said as he glanced at his watch.
"What took him so long," Grey muttered.
"Grey, don't you want to eat?" Grey's stepmother asked us.
"I'm not hungry!" Grey replied. I leaned closer to him and whispered, "maybe you're not hungry, but I am."
"You can eat when you get home later. We have to go back to my mansion soon before your face changes."
I gasped at Grey's words, "what do you mean?"
"The burns on your face will slowly return and will be completely back by sunrise."
Before I could process Grey's words, someone from the room behind the dining table came out. A middle-aged man with a thick mustache. His silver hair was combed back, and his greenish eyes glowed with intelligence under heavy eyebrows. He wore a grey suit with an emerald tie. The color of his eyes reminded me of a forest's clear waters. He stopped in front of Grey.
"Dad," Grey said with a worried face.
The man approached me, "are you Elena?" he asked with a warm smile.
I nodded, "yes, sir."
"Don't call me sir. From now on, you are my daughter." His voice sounded kind and reassuring, like someone I could trust.
"It is a pleasure to have you as part of the Velixus family!" He pats my shoulders slowly.
"Dad! We need to talk." Grey interrupted our conversation.
"Wait here and don't make any trouble, do you understand?" He said it as if I was a naughty little girl who could cause trouble. I answered him and nodded obediently. He and his dad left me with the three people at the dining table. They were now looking at me with strange expressions. I couldn't describe it. It was just that I could feel that they seemed to be scrutinizing me.
- Writer
