Chapter 353: Chapter 353

A soft whisper, "Three kids: one Fae, the other half-mer, and the last, who cannot be compelled, all under one roof...."

While sitting at her vanity, illuminated by the soft glow of a small chandelier reflecting off the polished surfaces in her dressing room, Shelby found her mind racing with thoughts, unintentionally voicing them aloud.

The odds, the impossibility of it all—how could such a thing happen in this mortal world. The human world that she was so used to, despite its complexities, should be mundane. In short, the world was ordinary and despite the fact that it looked unpredictable, it was predictable in some ways?

Suzie moved efficiently around her, brushing and pinning her hair with practised ease, but Shelby’s attention was distant, her gaze unfocused, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. Her soft brows furrowed in concentration, giving her an almost charming and candid beauty.

The gentle fragrance of pomegranate and other essential oils floated in the air, a subtle luxury that would usually make her feel calm and composed.

Tonight, though, its effect was lost on Shelby as her mind lingered on matters far beyond the intricacies of her beauty regimen that Suzie always insisted on. Left to Shelby, she would have thrown on any dress for the occasion as it wouldn’t make much difference. Shelby also understood that this night was an important one for their whole family, so she allowed Suzie to fret on her.

Shelby shifted slightly, the rich silk of her robe rubbing against her skin, slightly reminding her of why she was late to the banquet. She blushed lightly as a slight thought of what she and Ian had done in his very dressing room barely an hour before surfaced.

They could never get enough of each other. Yet even this comfort felt oddly meaningless and short-lived in the face of her thoughts. Shelby couldn’t help but think of all the possibilities of what this could mean.

Her eyes, a shade darker in the overcast shadow from the light, reflected a mix of curiosity and bewilderment—a rare vulnerability glimpsed only by her loyal lady-in-waiting, Suzie, who caught the change and paused for a fleeting second just as Shelby added,

"What are the odds of that in this human world? Such coincidences are never right.... Something more must be at play here!" she pondered silently, almost tasting the strangeness of it. She bit her lip, unknowingly enhancing her allure, her expression both tender and intense.

"I’m not sure about that Miss, but it does seem fishy. Do you think that was the reason that the woman and her fiancée were killed? ... I mean, why they died?"

Suzie often tried not to refer to Aliya by her name. She dropped her hands as her work of art on Shelby’s hair was finally done, and she took a step back just as a knock sounded on the door. Shelby sighed and dismissed the thoughts.

"I’m not sure the details or implications of this either but don’t worry about that." What Shelby really wanted to say was to herself. However, little did she know that she was spot on with this anomaly of these three. A major storm may have been brewing up, and it was unknown whether it could be tampered with or come wreck her new life as she knew it.

That aside, they had other issues and duties to attend to that evening and that was the priority.

She stood up just as the door pushed open, and her three kids walked in.

"I just have to put on my dress, and we’ll be ready to go."

Suzie brought out the dress in question and helped Shelby step into it. It was an elegant, golden evening gown with a luxurious, satin-like finish that caught the light beautifully. It had a V-neckline showing just enough of her light skin and chest without being vulgar.

The corresponding long sleeves with subtle gathers at the shoulders, gave the upper portion of the dress a regal, structured look. The bodice was fitted with a wrap-style design that accentuated Shelby’s small waist, cinched in by a stylish side knot that draped gracefully.

This was from Gabriel. The other two just had eyes wide open as their eyes followed the rest of the dress.

The skirt flowed down in a cascading, asymmetric hemline that added some more drama and movement to the silhouette. The fun part was that all of this was in a golden fabric that draped and folded in a way that gave the dress a rich texture, creating a sense of lavishness.

"It’s beautiful...." This came from Samantha as Suzie lightly brushed off invisible dirt from the shoulders and handed Shelby a structured black handbag with a modern gold clasp which added a sharp contrast to the softness and warmth of the dress.

Ingrid nodded as if in agreement with her two siblings.

"Can I carry the bag, Mum?"

Shelby smiled and handed the small clutch to Ingrid and Ingrid’s eager eyes gave her away—it was as if she had been given a significant task that filled her with pride and satisfaction. Shelby’s overall look was sophisticated and commanding, perfect for a high-profile event or gala: precisely perfect for the night ahead.

Ian had planned this to the tiniest detail, and she did not have to worry about anything.

’You look beautiful!’ Ian’s husky voice echoed in Shelby’s head, and she rolled her eyes.

’You’re not even here, so how did you see what I was wearing?’

’Is that grievances I hear? I’m sorry, My Elfin! I’ll make it up to you!’

Shelby shook her head and smiled. She already knew that someone may have sneaked a picture of her to Ian.

Suzie helped Shelby in her strapped heeled sandals, and she was ready to go. She did not even bother looking at herself in the mirror. With the way the children’s eyes were shining, Shelby knew that she would be more than okay.

Shelby turned to her three children of whom she had been thinking of earlier. Their abilities and uniqueness were hidden from all eyes but that did not make them any lesser than they were. Her heart swelled.

’Whatever the case, these three are with me here, and I should own up and embrace this identity of motherhood. I will protect them to the best of my abilities!’

’Hmmmfffp! As if you can even protect yourself!’ A little voice countered in her mind, but Shelby dismissed it.

Her eyes rested on each of them briefly: Gabriel was in his tux with a small bow tie, Samantha and Ingrid, were also in dresses. They looked simple, but they were all top-notch designs. This would be the first time that the whole family came out in a formal event.

"Do you have your gifts?"

The other two echoed the same, and the family of four started out, with Suzie trailing a few steps behind them. The animated chatter was enough to stop a few workers who took a second look at them. Even Ingrid was participating in this mundane conversation between mother and children.

The four had become even closer since Samantha had come to know about the fact that there were other species. She had nearly fainted from excitement the day Samantha found out that even her dad was different.

Samantha had come to pride herself on the fact that only she and her mum were different. That made her even more special.

When Ian found out that Samantha really could not be compelled, they tried to groom her to fit into what they were so they could control the whole narrative. Contrary to their fears, Samantha seemed to have become someone who went with the thrill of the moment, and she was not even faking it.

She was over the moon that her family was like that. She itched to announce it to the world but clearly understood the warning that had been meted out.

The only grievance that Samantha had was that she had been thrown into the Suzie training regime and even as she walked alongside the rest of her family, her thighs and all of her body hurt like crazy. Samantha did understand that this was the prize that she was to pay for coming into the known. She thought of it as the prize to be closer to her family!

Shelby paused and turned to look at Suzie questioningly,

"I-" Suzie hesitated for a bit and then asked,

"Is it going to be okay? I mean-"

Shelby smiled. "It’s all going to be okay!"

Shelby had no fears whatsoever at all in regard to this Dinner Gala. It was supposed to be a birthday celebration wrapped as something else and she was well aware of what Suzie wanted to ask. For some reason, Shelby was overly confident that night and it was not even stemming from having Ian around; it was from deep inside her.

Suzie’s pride welled up. It took someone who had been with Shelby from the very first day to understand this pride.

’I have been with Miss for so long. From when she was alone with only Gabriel to keep her company till. They look like a real family now.’

Suzie was sure that, these were the same thoughts going through the minds of all those who stopped to look at them.

They passed through the corridors and finally came out the back garden where the program was being held. They were just in time to hear,

"Isn’t my son already married? His wife is naturally the new mistress. What do you mean by the fact that a new mistress has not been set yet?"

At this, Shelby’s only thought was, ’The drama started already?’

Shelby took one step and then another followed by her kids and an overbearing pressure seemed to emanate from her person, forcing most of the people to shrink back. It was as if they had found themselves in the presence of a supreme and had no confidence in looking directly at the person!

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