the smiling cameras as she crossed Darius to take a seat in his car. Her face automatically morphed into something of annoyance as Darius opened the other side of the vehicle.

He sighed, mimicking her facial expression. "Well that was fucking dry."

She snorted. "That's one way of putting it."

They had been attending the famous International Debutant Ball. Normally, Nyla would avoid events such as these, but Darius had pleaded with her to attend and so she'd succumb to the pressure. The only reason Darius was attending was because his mother had been unable to fly out. When Darius told her he would not be attending, she threw a fit saying that the Giordano name had to be present.

Thus, her and Darius attended the most pointless ball ever. Nyla didn't know what she'd expected of a debutant ball, but she'd hit almost every nail on the head. Giggling girls? Check. Big dresses? Check. Annoying mothers? Check. Desperate girls trying to hit on everyone? Check.

"I'm glad we left." Darius said, as made a right turn towards his condo.

"I just don't know why they still do this in the twenty first century."

Darius shrugged his shoulders. "It's tradition. Are you going to tell a wealthy family they can't carry on what they have been doing for years and years?"

"But it's so stupid and outdated."

"A lot of traditions are."

They were silent for the rest of the way and Nyla flipped through her phone calendar.

"What do you want to do for your birthday?" she asked.

Darius' birthday was approaching in less than two weeks and she knew she wanted to throw him a birthday party but first she had to make sure he hadn't made any other plans with his college friends.

"I'm actually going to fly back to Texas. My mother throws a huge gala every year in my name."

"Oh," Nyla said softly. She'd assume that her and Darius would spend his birthday together doing something nice. She forced her features to morph into something lighter. "If it's a gala anything like tonight's was..."

"It's usually not." Darius responded.

Nyla was silent once more before she cleared her throat. "I actually remembered that I have a proposal that I need to look over and I forgot it at home. Is it okay if you drop me at my place instead?"

Darius' head spun towards her and he frowned. "Are you sure that it can't be done tomorrow? We could head to my place and I could give you a ride in the morning."

Nyla morphed her features into a smile which she thought could pass as believable. "No, I'm sorry. It has to be done tonight. If you're tired, I could call and Uber from your place, I don't want to impose."

"I'll drop you off." Darius said in a tone of finality.

"Great, thanks."

Silence descended in the car. An already terrible evening had taken a turn for the worse. Nyla felt annoyance that Darius had confirmed with his mother without even telling her. But worse of all, she hated the fact that Darius hadn't extended an invitation to her.

When they arrived at her condo, Nyla insisted that Darius didn't need to drop her upstairs, but he completely ignored her. They rode in silence in the elevator till they reached the penthouse.

Nyla turned the key in, "I guess I'll see you sometime next week." She made a move to close the door, but Darius' foot held it open and he waltz right in.

Eyes blazing, he tilled her head before capturing her lips in a searing kiss. Nyla could feel the anger and frustration between them as the kiss got deeper. It was almost punishing, a battle of wills to see who would concede in the end. Nyla stepped back, immediately ending their connection.

"Are you ready to tell me now what your so mad about?"

Nyla licked her lips, missing the taste and heat of Darius'. "I'm not mad."

Darius ruffled his jet-black hair before letting out a low laugh. "Quit lying Nyla. I know you. We were fine in the car before but suddenly your mood turned sour. Tell me what's wrong." He pleaded.

"Fine," Nyla snapped. "I'm annoyed at the fact that you didn't tell me about the stupid gala, but more fucking pissed off that I won't be there for your birthday."

Darius stared at her for a moment before he began laughing.

"I'm glad to see that you find my anger a joke." Nyla said, stomping towards her bedroom. She was done with this.

Darius grabbed her hand gently before she could leave. "I'm laughing because I don't know where you got the idea that we wouldn't be spending my birthday together. We are both going to fly out to Texas—I already told my mom and everything."

Nyla spun around, "Really?"

Darius dipped his head in a nod. "Of course, you're my girlfriend. Why wouldn't you be there?"

Suddenly, it felt like the last piece of the puzzle fit into place and all was whole again. "Well I'm sorry about freaking out."

Darius removed his shoes. "I'm just glad we talked about it so there are no misconceptions." He wiggled his thick eyebrows. "Now that you're done being mad, want to cuddle?"

♠♠♠♠♠♠

"Mr. Giordano?"

Nyla and Darius both spun around as they heard his last name. Dressed in an impeccable black tuxedo, white gloves, and a matching hat—the southern twang was very different from his appearance.

"Ms. Robinson sent me here to pick you up." The man then turned his glance to Nyla. "And who are you madam?"

Nyla tense for a moment at the assessing gaze as Darius looped and arm through her waist. "This is my girlfriend."

"Oh, Ms. Robinson hadn't informed me that you would be bringing company."

Nyla had a bad feeling about this, but Darius merely shrugged as his gaze met Nyla's. "My mom must have been too busy and just forgot."

After recovering from the shock, the driver politely asked them to follow him. Lugging her suitcase, Nyla did so.

A sleek black Royals Royce awaited them, and Nyla cocked an eyebrow towards Darius. He shrugged uncomfortably with the heat of her gaze. "My mother likes extravagant things."

"A trait it seems her son inherited," Nyla mumbled under her breath, but Darius heard her and sent her a glare. She pushed away the driver's hand and placed her own bag in the back. Nyla and Darius settled into the back.

The air condition eased her annoyance a bit at the overly flashy car. "There's nothing like a little bit of Huston humidity."

Darius pulled at his collar. "You get used to it."

Nyla snorted. She didn't know why Darius had dressed in one of his nice navy suits even after Nyla had told him multiple times that he was going to be very hot. She, on the other hand went the smarter route, opting for a lilac blouse and some tapered trousers.

After what seemed like forever, they drove past the bustling downtown core towards a gated and more sophisticated community. Nyla's eyes scanned the houses one by one, mentally doing the math of how much property cost in this location and what the value of the houses could be in a few years.

They stopped in front of a gorgeous show-stopping mansion. The beautiful white marble exterior took Nyla's breath away. On closer inspection, the architecture had a modern twist which made her frown. "Did you guys renovate the place earlier?"

Darius looked up from his phone. "Yeah, about a decade ago, one of my Dad's friends offered to spice up the place a bit. My mom loved the idea and so she played a huge role in it."

Nyla nodded. Their driver rolled up right to the driveway where a finely dressed gentleman awaited them.

"That's Joseph." Darius pointed towards him. "He's the one who helps my mom with upkeep of this place."

"He's a butler?" Nyla asked incredulously.

Darius scowled at her. "Don't let him here you say that. Once, when I was a teenager, I decided it would be funny to have a butler so that's all I called him the entire day but sufficient to say, the next few weeks of my life were miserable until I apologized."

Nyla's eyes widened. "What did he do?"

Darius laughed. "Somehow, in all my meals and on my bed, screws would find their way. They weren't very sharp, but damn were they uncomfortable."

"You didn't tell your dad to fire him?"

A small smiled played upon Darius' lips. "There's no way my parents would. My father would be disappointed in my language and he probably would have joined Joseph. I learned my lesson the hard way."

Nyla mirrored Darius' expression as she got out of the car. She had a feeling her and Joseph would get along finely.

"Joseph, how are you?" Darius asked as they strolled towards the mansion.

"As dandy as I can be at the tender age of sixty." Joseph muttered wryly.

Nyla stretched out her hand. "I'm Nyla Malhotra. Darius' girlfriend."

Joseph gave her a warm smile that soothed some of the nerves Nyla was feeling at meeting Darius' family.

"You must be a special lady in order to actually want to be with Mr. Giordano."

"Hey," Darius interjected, mockingly putting his heart on his chest. "I'm not that bad."

Joseph's eyes twinkled with secret knowledge. "I refuse to comment on that."

The two shared ear-splitting grins before Darius sobered a bit. "So, how is Mom doing?"

Joseph held the door open for the two of them. "She's anxiously awaiting your arrival."

Just as Joseph finished his sentence, an elegantly dressed women came down the grand marble staircase. She was wearing a sophisticated plum dress with a pair of sheer tights and kitty heels. She had sharp features, thinner mouth but long, arched brows that shaped her brown eyes.

"Darius, my love." She engulfed her son in a tight hug which he returned.

Nyla stood in the foyer, like a deer caught in headlights. Darius' mother looked so much like him, yet her aura was so different from her sons. Her sleek, shiny bob was as fashionable as they came and a piece almost hit her lips as she did a one-eighty to stare at Nyla.

Her gaze pierced into Nyla, who was aware that she was being severely scrutinized. "You must be Nyla." she said with a polite smile.

There were no handshakes, nor hugs and Nyla felt her stomach drop. She knew that Darius' mom had analyzed her, and she had come to a decision, Nyla was not welcome in their home. Nyla felt her skin heating up and for the first time, she wished so could be back in New York in the comfort of her own condo without someone judging her appearance. Darius, oblivious to all of this, began chatting with his mother asking her about her day and other events planned.

Nyla zoned out, only to hear the last sentences of Helena Robinson's words. "—it's best if you freshen up now. You can visit Lily later; they will be here soon."

Nyla swallowed the bile that was rising in her throat. "I'm sorry, who's coming?"

Darius' mother gave her a patronizing smile. "Oh, just a few close friends from around the neighbourhood."

Nyla nodded, accepting the information. When Darius' mom told Joseph to lead Nyla to her room, she didn't refuse at all. The charm of the mansion was gone as quickly as it had come.

♠♠♠♠♠♠

There was a light knock on the door and Nyla placed down her laptop to swing the door open. Darius stood on the other side in a navy crew neck and khaki pants. He reminded her of a preppy Harvard boy—ones she'd seen on campus quite a bit. His style made sense, because he was a rich, Harvard graduate.

"How are you settling in?" His gaze moved behind her, towards the room in which she hadn't unpacked a single thing except her laptop.

"I'm fine," she said with a tight smile.

Darius looked at her but didn't say anything. He gave her a mischievous smile. "Want to come and visit someone before dinner begins?"

Nyla looked at her laptop longingly. She didn't know if she was up for another other surprises. "Who are we meeting?"

"Lily, my sister."

"She's the one who has cerebral palsy?"

Darius nodded and a softer smile lined his lips. "I'd like you to meet her."

"I'd love to meet her," Nyla replied honestly.

Darius took her hand as they walked through the hallways. Nyla admired the artwork on the walls. Some were classical pieces but every once in a while, a modern piece would pop up and she would be amazed. They walked up the stairs to what seemed to be the highest floor of the mansion.

"It's only Lily and my mother that stay on this floor." Darius explained. "Lily likes looking at stars in the night, so this place was perfect for her. Plus, if we have guest, she's not really disturbed by the noise."

Nyla nodded and stood behind the door as Darius knocked lightly. "Lily, it's me. I'm back and I brought a friend."

There was silence on the other side before the door swung open and a young woman gestured them inside. Based on her uniform, Nyla was pretty sure that this was Lily's nurse.

They stepped inside the bright room and to Nyla's surprise, it was surprisingly comfortable. It was airy and bright, with potted plans and different textured walls.

"The sensory touches help her out," Darius said, noticing her gaze on the fur wall.

Nyla nodded. Lily was seated in a wheelchair, her dark black hair placed in a braid just past her shoulders.

"Darius!" she squealed.

Darius stepped forward before kissing her head.

"I missed you," she said as he stroked her hair gently.

Lily smiled and hummed to herself. Nyla watched the interaction between them with a pang in her heart. It was clear that Lily meant so much to him and she couldn't believe that some media members were willing to use her in negotiations. Darius pulled her forward and Nyla almost fell onto the plush carpet.

"This is my friend Nyla; you remember I told you about her?"

Lily took her time observing Nyla who stood still as a statue. She reached for the bracelet on her wrist. "Nyla?"

Nyla smiled and took it off before gently placing it on Lily's wrist. "Yes," she said softly. "It's so nice to meet you."

Lily smiled a bit before she went back to observing the bracelet on her wrist. There was another knock on the door and both of them spun around to see Joseph standing stiffly by the door.

"Your mother is requesting your presence at dinner."

Darius stood up and gave Lily another kiss. "I'm going to eat but I'll be back later and then we can play something."

There was a small hum which was the only indication that Nyla got that Lily had heard her brother. With a nod to the nurse who stood respectfully at the side, they headed downstairs.

"Where are we having dinner Joseph?"

"In the formal dinning room." Joseph replied.

Darius winced. "Is that really necessary tonight? I was hoping for a more casual dinner."

"Well, when you only come back twice a year, your mother does tend to go all out."

Darius ducked his head but didn't say anything. They walked through until they arrived in the dinning hall. To Nyla's embarrassment, everyone else had already been seated and so, when they walked in, she felt five pairs of eyes staring at her.

"How kind of you to finally join us," Darius mother said with a tight smile.

"Sorry, we were just visiting Lily."

Helena Robinsons face softened for a slight moment before she snapped right back into the stern figure that Nyla had seen for the last couple of hours.

"Darius, you can take a seat by Megan and I'm sure that Nyla won't mind sitting beside Eric." Helena's face left no room for argument and so Nyla dragged her feet to sit in the spot Helena recommended.

Once they were all seated, Helena made the introductions. It seemed like the Vanier's were old family friends of the Giordano's and they had grown up in the same neighbourhood. There was light conversation among everyone, and Nyla felt left out. Darius was seated in the corner and she on the other end, so they couldn't make eye contact either.

Thankfully, the food arrived minutes later. A steaming plate of pork chops with a bright red sauce was placed in front of her. Nyla picked up her fork and took a bite. It was heavenly. The pork chops were seasoned well and cooked to the perfect temperature. The sauce held a hint of raspberry and surprisingly went well with the meat. She picked up her glass of red wine and took a sip.

It was impossible for her not to gag. She still preferred red wine over white. Conversation flowed through the room and Nyla was vaguely aware of Darius and Megan conversing quietly in the corner.

"So, what do you do?"

Nyla turned her head to see that it had been Eric who'd spoken to her.

She took her time chewing. "I'm the CEO of a company."

"Oh cool! Is it a start up?"

She was saved the trouble of answering by Mr. Vanier. "Son, it's not a start up. She run's Renne, the makeup company."

Eric almost chocked on his wine as he gave her a disbelieving look. Nyla didn't care. She'd gotten enough of those looks in her lifetime.

"Oh, that's amazing." Megan spoke from the end of the table.

Nyla smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. Somehow, she'd become the topic of conversation. Luckily, Darius mother didn't want her to have the spotlight, so she switched topics.

"Megan, I heard that you were spearheading a program to help orphans in Africa. I just think it's amazing what your doing with your education."

Nyla glanced at Darius' mom to see her smug smile. It was clear that Helena was trying to set up her son with Megan—she was subtle, Nyla would give her that much.

"Thank you," Megan blushed prettily.

For a moment, Nyla was envious, but she banished the thoughts as soon as they entered. Darius was her boyfriend, what did she need to be jealous about?

She turned back to food wishing that this night could be over as soon as possible when everything took a turn for the worse.

Mrs. Vanier turned to Darius mother. "How is Vincent doing? I heard that he was taking a small vacation?"

Silence eloped the rest of the room. Nyla glanced at Darius and his mother who both sat stiffly in their chairs. She glanced once again at Mrs. Vanier and based on the sly smile playing on her lips, it was evident that she knew Vincent wasn't on vacation.

"He's doing well." Helena said with a bright smile that didn't quite reach her brown eyes. "I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago."

The last sentence was said with so much certainty that even Nyla couldn't tell if Darius' mother was lying. The tone was also everything. She made sure that subject was closed, not to be opened again. The tension in the room still remained and Nyla took her glass of red wine and took a big gulp. It seemed like this was going to be a long fucking dinner.

---------------

Well, it seems like Helena doesn't really like Nyla :(