After hanging up her call with Chris, June held the bracelet in her hand. It felt warm and homely, making her feel like she belonged.
A small smile tugged at her lips, and she spoke to her baby. "Darling, what should we do? Grandma and Uncle want us there. We can’t disappoint them."
There was a soft kick against her stomach, and June smiled, patting it gently. "I’ll take that as a yes."
She placed the bracelet down and tried on the red shoes to see if they fit.
They were perfect.
It felt as though Chris knew her exact size when he bought them. After trying them on, she took them off and placed them beside the dress.
Staring at them, it was hard to deny the effort Chris had put into choosing everything for her.
She swallowed.
This time, she wouldn’t let her mixed feelings about Amie make her miss something this precious. She refused to disappoint the people closest to her, not when she knew how much they wanted her there.
She moved towards the window and looked at the mansion. She could tell at a glance that the security around it had doubled.
Her mother seemed to be tying every loose end.
A feeling of guilt spread through June. She picked up her phone and called Serena.
"June." Her mother sounded surprised to see her call.
"Mother," June responded in a whisper.
"I’m sorry, June. How are you feeling there? Is Rauf taking care of you?"
June thought about it. Rauf hadn’t done anything to make her uncomfortable. In fact, his actions continued to surprise her, making her wonder whether she had been too harsh on him.
"I think so," she replied.
Just as Chris had done, Serena gave her more information about the party. She also reminded June to attend.
It felt as though they knew what she had been planning.
June, on the other hand, asked about her mother’s eyes.
"I can see as clearly as a bat now," Serena replied.
When she finally hung up, June felt as though a heavy burden had lifted from her chest.
She moved away from the window before returning the last missed call on her phone.
It was Ellie.
The moment June answered, Ellie gushed about Chris’s invitation to the party. She hadn’t thought June was deliberately ignoring her and had already forgiven her. She claimed to understand that June must have been very busy with everything happening around her.
"And he sent a dress, a bag, shoes, and a necklace. Everything I could possibly worry about has already been taken care of by him." Ellie sighed. "He’s my Prince Charming."
June rolled her eyes. "Chris is no Prince Charming. He just likes giving people gifts."
But Ellie wasn’t listening.
"And then he asked me to be his date to the party. Apparently, it’s a couples’ event. I’m so excited! I can barely wait for the next three days to pass."
June could barely wait either.
After the day’s stress finally caught up with her, she collapsed onto her bed. She lay there thinking for a while before drifting off to sleep.
Maybe she needed to attend the party for her own peace of mind, too.
She didn’t think she would be okay listening to what had happened from someone else’s mouth.
The next morning, she slept like a baby.
Her baby decided to cooperate and didn’t move as much as usual.
Making the decision the previous night had left her feeling lighter. June sang as she went to the bathroom. She continued singing while dressing and was still at it when she left her room.
For the first time, the presence of other people in the house made it feel completely different.
She could already smell the aroma of breakfast, and Bingo was eating his meal.
She looked around, but Rauf was nowhere to be seen.
June moved towards the dining table. She was always famished. Unlike when she prepared a meal and the table held only one dish, this one was filled with different dishes, just as it usually was at the Vassari mansion.
June settled into the nearest chair and began devouring her food.
The more she ate, the more Fleur smiled at her.
"Is everything to your satisfaction, ma’am?"
June mumbled a yes and continued eating.
She was halfway through her meal when Rauf appeared.
June didn’t stop or look back to confirm his presence. She could already tell he was there.
After all, she could count the people living in the house.
Rauf settled into a chair, sparing her a glance. "Good morning. How are you feeling, and how’s the baby?"
"Fine. Thank you."
June was in such a pleasant mood that she didn’t bother brushing him off. Instead, she continued eating, occasionally shaking her head to an invisible tune.
Rauf watched her, barely touching his own meal. Unlike the food June had prepared for him the previous day, this breakfast seemed to be missing something.
He wondered why she was suddenly so happy, but he had decided that understanding women was beyond him, especially a pregnant woman.
Now, he knew he had only two days left to convince June, but he couldn’t think of anything else to try. He was already following Chris’s advice.
And if he were to succeed, this was his chance.
He was sitting beside her, and June hadn’t once looked at him with disgust. She had even acknowledged his greeting.
There was no better time to shoot his shot.
First, she was no longer hungry. Secondly, she was in a good mood.
"June," he said softly to get her attention.
She turned to face him with an innocent look.
Rauf swallowed.
This calm version of June was beyond him. He preferred it when she was angry with him. At least then, she showed some sort of emotion towards him.
Now, it seemed she simply didn’t care.
He considered the best way to phrase his question.
"I know it’s none of my business, and I’m supposed to stay out of your affairs. But I’ve thought about it several times. I think if you don’t attend the party, you’ll end up staying home and feeling sorry for yourself."
Seeing that she had already solved the problem he was trying to address, June waved her hand nonchalantly.
"You don’t need to say much. I’ve already made my decision. I’m going to the party."
Rauf blinked.
When had she decided that?
But he didn’t ask. Instead, he moved on to what seemed to be a more pressing issue for him.
Maybe she had also changed her mind about him.
"So, what do you think about going with me as my partner?"
June stared at him.
She didn’t want to walk into the hall alone, but she also knew it might be difficult for a pregnant woman to find a date at the last minute.
She decided to go with Rauf.
But she wouldn’t tell him that just yet. Let him work for it a little longer.
"I’ll think about it."