CHAPTER 234: A TABLE FOR TWO FAMILIES [II]

We were just settling into the private dining room – a space so grand it felt like a museum exhibit – when the real show began.

A small parade swept in. Staffs in uniform, arms laden with boxes wrapped in gold, red and ivory tied in satin-ribbons that stacked higher than seemed practical. The polished floor almost mirrored them as they moved like a well-rehearsed parade. Behind them, a woman walked with unshakable grace.

Elise Walton.

I knew her silhouette before she even stepped fully into the light—her poise, her elegance, her way of making every space bend toward her. But it wasn’t intimidation that filled the room tonight. It was warmth.

Elise Walton, a vision in an emerald green silk gown that shimmered with every graceful step, moved past the staff with an air of quiet authority. Her hair, coiled into an elegant chignon, caught the light, and her eyes softened as they landed on me.

Her smile curving the way it had at the spa, the hospital, and the restaurant where we first met when I was Adrien’s fake girlfriend. "Isabella," she said, crossing the distance without hesitation.

"Elise," I breathed, a genuine smile finally breaking through my carefully constructed composure. I stepped forward, pulling away from Adrien’s steadying hand for a moment to meet her. She kissed both my cheeks lightly, her perfume brushing floral and expensive across my skin.

"It’s wonderful to see you, dear. You look absolutely radiant," she said, her voice a soft melody, yet carrying an undeniable authority that commanded the room even as she offered kindness.

Heat climbed my neck. She had always been kind, always steady, but here—with everyone watching—her affection landed differently. It was protective, deliberate, as though she was placing me firmly under her wing for all to see.

She turned her gaze to Adrien, a subtle acknowledgment passing between mother and son. He gave a slight nod, his possessive hand returning to my waist almost immediately.

She glanced at Leo next, her tone bright. "And you must be the famous little brother. Adrien mentioned you have quite the sense of humor."

Leo blinked, then half-grinned. "Depends who you ask."

Her laugh chimed, genuine. Then Elise’s eyes swept to my father, softening further. "You must be Mr. Miller." She extended a hand, and my father, though still visibly stiff, took it, a surprised flicker in his eyes. He must have expected a more formidable matriarch, not this graceful woman who radiated polite warmth. "I am Elise, Adrien’s mother. It is an absolute delight to finally meet you." She gestured to the mountain of presents. "Just a small token to welcome you."

My Father was momentarily speechless.

Leo leaned toward me. "I like her. She’s got queen energy."

Then came the rest.

Yvonne, Adrien’s stepmother, with her Botoxed smile and calculating eyes. And then, the patriarch. Adrien’s Father was a formidable presence, a man who commanded the room simply by entering it. His expression was unreadable, his eyes sweeping over us with a dispassionate, analytical glint.

Elise, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing in my father’s mind, continued the introductions. "And this is my husband, Henry Walton."

The name hit my father like a physical blow.

Walton. I may have forgotten to prep them

My father’s eyes widened, the color draining from his face. "Walton?" The word came out strangled.

"You—your son is—" His gaze darted to Adrien, disbelief knotting his features. "You are Walton?"

Beside me, Leo nearly choked on his own breath. "Wait. Walton? As in the

Walton? Adrien Walton?"

Leo’s eyes, usually alight with mischievous humor, were now round saucers, darting between Adrien, then me, then back to Adrien. "The Waltons, Izzy? As in the Waltons? The ones who own half the world?" He looked at me, a silent accusation in his wide gaze. "You forgot to mention he’s part of that Walton family and not a Washington?"

My father, on the other hand, didn’t speak. His face was a mask of utter horror, the color completely drained, leaving his complexion ashen. He swayed slightly, his hand reaching out blindly for support, finding only air. The polite smile he’d worn moments ago had completely disintegrated, replaced by a ghastly pallor. His eyes, fixed on Adrien, were a maelstrom of shock, betrayal, and a dawning, terrible understanding. He wasn’t just stiff anymore; he was frozen, a deer caught in the headlights of a super-yacht.

I felt a sickening lurch in my stomach.

The silence that fell, heavy and suffocating, seemed to stretch into an eternity, punctuated only by the soft, distant jazz music that now felt impossibly ironic. My own carefully constructed composure, so fragile against the weight of this evening, shattered. I’d known this moment would come, but I hadn’t anticipated the visceral impact, the absolute, crushing realization dawning on their faces. I swallowed, a bone-dry click in my throat. How could I have possibly prepared them for this? For the reality of marrying into one of the most powerful, influential, and notoriously private families in the world? This is why aria and I didn’t want to tell them.

Adrien, in contrast, didn’t move. Not a flicker. His hand simply tightened at my waist, steady, immovable. Where Leo gawked and my father faltered, Adrien stood rooted, calm and unshaken, the quiet weight of his presence turning the silence heavier. He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. His silence was confirmation enough, the weight of his hand steady at my waist as if to say stand tall, princess.

The tension swelled thick, nearly unbearable—until Elise, with effortless grace, sliced through it.

"Yes," she said calmly, her smile wrapping around us like velvet. "And tonight, that means nothing more than this: we are family, sharing a meal. Please, sit."

Elise’s gentle invitation hung in the air, a silken rope thrown into choppy waters. My father, however, seemed to have forgotten how to swim. His mouth was agape, his gaze fixed on Adrien, then me, then back to Adrien, as if trying to piece together a puzzle whose final, crucial piece had just detonated. Leo, meanwhile, had gone completely still, his half-grinned face now a mask of pure, unadulterated disbelief.

However, her warmth left no space for protest. Even as my father’s chest rose and fell too fast, even as Leo gawked between Adrien and me like he’d swallowed dynamite, Elise’s presence anchored the room.

And just like that, two worlds that should never have collided were forced to share a table.