The door swung open, and Fidelia saw Maya standing there Andrian's younger sister.
All the tension from the moment before melted away instantly.
"Maya!" Fidelia's face lit up with genuine joy.
"Fidelia!" They screamed in unison and threw their arms around each other.
In the entire Richardson family, Maya was the only one Fidelia genuinely liked—well, apart from Andrian, though she wasn't ready to admit that yet.
Maya didn't see her as a social climber or a gold digger. She just saw... Fidelia.
"You look stunning, dear," Fidelia said sincerely, taking a good look at her.
Maya had a petite frame with brown curly hair she always kept tied up in a high ponytail. Tonight she wore an oversized shirt tucked into fitted blue trousers, casual but sharp, perfectly capturing her energetic personality.
"You're flattering me! Compared to you? I keep telling myself I want to look as beautiful as you when I grow up."
Fidelia laughed a genuine, bright sound that made Andrian's chest do something strange.
Meanwhile, Andrian stood there, still holding Fidelia's hand, watching his sister completely ignore his existence.
'I'm literally right here,' he thought incredulously.
"Ahem." He cleared his throat and straightened his shirt. "You know, little sister, I'm here too."
"Abeg, shift," Maya shot back sharply, waving him off with one hand while grabbing Fidelia's with the other.
Andrian blinked. 'Did she just—'
'Abeg shift? What does that even mean?'
'Did she just dismiss me?'
Then he remembered why she was mad at him in the first place.
"Are you still angry about me saying you weren't allowed to take the helicopter for that party?" he called after them.
Maya whirled around. "Yes! Everyone showed up in style except me. Do you know how embarrassing that was?"
"It's a high school party, Maya. You don't need a helicopter—"
"I was dared Andrian, I couldn't back off!"
"Fine. You can use it, but just this once," Andrian decided, unable to resist his sister's pleading eyes.
Maya's face lit up like the sun. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Big brother, I love you!" She ran back and threw her arms around him.
'That's all it took?' Andrian shook his head with a small smile as he hugged her back. 'A helicopter ride and suddenly I'm the best brother in the world.'
But he couldn't deny the warmth that spread through his chest.
Maya walked ahead excitedly while Andrian and Fidelia followed behind, their hands still locked together.
As they entered the formal dining room, Fidelia felt Andrian's grip tighten slightly, a silent warning.
The entire Richardson family was already seated around the massive mahogany table, and every single one of them turned to look.
"They're here!" Maya announced cheerfully, taking her seat.
"They?" Damien raised his head in confusion. Then his eyes landed on Fidelia and Andrian's intertwined hands, and his expression darkened immediately.
"It's called a family dinner, Andrian," Damien said coldly. "You didn't have to bring... that with you."
Fidelia's smile didn't waver, but inside, she was laughing.
'Still bitter, Damien? Get over it already.'
"She is family, Damien," Andrian fired back immediately, his voice like steel. "My wife-to-be. So get used to it."
"Little Andrian," a warm voice called out.
Andrian turned and his face lit up. "Aunt Hela!" He crossed the room to embrace her. "I didn't know you were coming. When did you arrive?"
"Not long ago," she said with a knowing smile.
They shared a look—brief but loaded with meaning. A silent conversation passed between them.
'Thank you for coming,' his eyes said.
'Of course. You know I'd never let your father bully you,' hers replied.
Then Hela turned to Fidelia, her expression warm and curious. "You must be the pretty damsel Andrian told me about."
"Oh, really?" Fidelia's eyebrow arched as she turned to look at Andrian. "And what exactly did he say?"
Andrian studiously ignored her glance, suddenly very interested in adjusting his sleeve.
"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," Fidelia said with a smile.
"Call me Hela," she insisted, taking Fidelia's hand warmly.
Fidelia nodded with a smile, then proceeded to greet the rest of the family.
Eleanor, Andrian's grandmother, nodded regally from the head of the table, her sharp eyes assessing.
Helena, Andrian's mother, offered a tentative smile warm but nervous, like she wasn't sure she was allowed to be welcoming.
Clarissa, his stepmother, barely acknowledged her, her frown making her displeasure crystal clear.
Then her gaze finally landed on Elijah Richardson,Andrian's father, one of the most powerful business titans in the country, the man who controlled the entire Richardson Corporation.
Fidelia had researched him thoroughly. Cold. Ruthless. A man who valued power above all else.
And standing in his presence now, she understood why everyone feared him.
His expression was exactly as cold as she'd expected sharp, calculating, devoid of warmth. The domineering aura surrounding him was palpable; everyone at the table seemed to shrink slightly in his presence.
This was a man who called the shots. And he made sure everyone knew it.
He didn't even bother to look at Fidelia as she greeted the family. His eyes remained fixed on his plate, as if she wasn't worth acknowledging.
'So that's how it's going to be,' Fidelia thought, her smile never wavering. 'Fine.'
Two could play that game.
The family took their seats around the long table. Eleanor sat at one end, Elijah at the other. The family members filled in between Hela, Helena, and Clarissa on one side; Charles, Damien, Andrian, Fidelia, and Maya on the other.
They had already started eating, so when Andrian and Fidelia took their seats, a maid quickly brought their plates and set them down.
For a few minutes, only the soft clink of silverware broke the silence.
Then Eleanor spoke, her voice cutting through the quiet tension.
"Andrian," she said, her slightly shaking hands setting down her fork, "I've been hearing troubling news. The National Bureau of Investigation paid your company a visit. How did you let that happen?"
"It's been settled," Andrian replied calmly. "They found nothing. Someone fed them false information. We're investigating the source now, so it won't take long before the culprit is caught."
"Good. Make sure you don't involve yourself in anything illegal. You know how much I hate that sort of thing."
"You have nothing to worry about, Grandmother."
"Yet you're still making me worry," she said softly. "You bought a company just days ago, then turned around and sold it. You still haven't married. So yes, I'll keep worrying at least until everything is sorted out."
"Then you're worrying for nothing," Andrian replied smoothly. "The marriage is on Saturday. In two days, you'll be wishing me a happy married life. I hope you've prepared a good gift for me, Grandmother."
Eleanor's lips curved slightly. "Oh, I have. And I don't mind giving it."
Everyone in the room understood what that "gift" would be.
'Shares.'
Fidelia felt Andrian's hand tighten almost imperceptibly around hers under the table.
This was what he'd been working toward. Recognition. Power. Independence from his father.
Then Elijah set his cup down on the table and he wasn't gentle. It was deliberate.
The sharp thud echoed through the dining room making everyone pause what they were doing and focus on him
Side conversations died instantly a the room went deathly silent.
"Your marriage has already been arranged," Elijah said, his voice cold and absolute. "You will marry Bridget Crawford, Derek's legitimate daughter. Not the adopted one." His eyes flicked dismissively to Fidelia. "So stop whatever game you're playing."
Andrian met his father's gaze without flinching.
"You've been away for a while, Father, so you might not have heard." His voice was calm, but there was steel underneath. "I'm not marrying Bridget. I'm marrying Fidelia."
"You don't tell me what to do!" Elijah's voice rose, his control slipping. "I tell you what you will do! What could you possibly gain from marrying the adopted daughter? This marriage was supposed to unite two powerful families, strengthen our position. What use is she to you with only five percent shares?!"
Fidelia's mind sharpened immediately.
'Five percent. How does he know the exact number?'
Only someone very close to Derek would know that level of detail.
'They've been planning this together.'
"I don't care about the business," Andrian said, his voice ringing clear through the dining room. "If I'm going to get married, it will be on my own terms to the woman I love. Not for some corporate alliance."
The words hung in the air.
'The woman I love.'
Fidelia's heart stopped.
She turned to look at Andrian, but he was still staring at his father, his jaw set.
'He doesn't mean it,' she told herself firmly. 'It's just part of the act. He has to make it convincing.'
But her racing pulse suggested her heart hadn't gotten the message.
"I don't approve," Elijah said, his voice a low growl.
"But I do."
The calm, unwavering voice cut through the tension and everyone went silent by the unexpected voice.