A Breath Of Fresh Air

Chapter 7

Mirabella

I sighed with relief as gusts of fresh air blasted my face. I was finally outside and ready to go home. Away from the party and everyone else. The socialites in attendance were their usual selves, looking down their noses at anyone they deemed lower than their status.

It had felt like I was suffocating in there. A breath of fresh air was always the cure to my anxiety.

"I just realized how stifling inside was," Lucia commented smiling wide.

"Yeah." I agreed nodding.

"I'm sure their glares contributed to the heat back in there." She gestured back at the door.

I didn't resist but let the laughter out, and I felt free at that moment.

Lucia always made me feel better. She made things bearable.

"Why is Daniel taking so much time?" Lucia complained scratching her neck.

We were both standing at the side entrance to the Oxford's house waiting for my driver to come and pick us up.

Lucia's driver will be following us from behind.

"I don't know. Maybe I should text him?"

Lucia shrugged inclining me to bring out my phone from my mini purse.

He had gone out to prep the vehicle when I had signaled him that we will be leaving soon.

"Oh here he comes." She alerted me.

I sighed in relief dropping my phone back to the purse.

We interlocked our arms, manoeuvring our way down the stairs. There was no security guard stationed there to help us, so we had to do it ourselves.

"Why so many stairways?" I grumbled a little agitated. I wondered why The Oxfords were obsessed with filling their residence with stairways.

"To maintain their socialite image." Lucia chuckled.

It was annoying.

"Almost there." It was hard work as we advanced carefully so as to not miss our steps and twist our ankles.

The tension flowed out of my body as we finally made it down the stairs.

"I thought we were never going to make it down."

"Me too." I panted, winded by the little activity.

"Ma'am." My driver was by my side immediately opening the back door.

"Why were you late?" I asked curious.

"Ma'am, the guards were performing a check."

"Okay." It was understandable why they did that. This place was full with socialites, so it has to be safe especially now that the royal family were here.

I slid into the smooth leather seat followed closely by Lucia.

The air inside the car smelled crisp as a result of the air conditioning. It was a classic from my father's car collections. Alpha Gandalf sure did love cars when he was alive.

"I can't wait to get home." Lucia dropped back against the seat while I toed off my heels. It was hell navigating the halls with those death traps.

"Me too. Damn, my feet are on fire." Lucia winced, her heels joining mine on the floorboard.

"The price we have to pay to look good." I whispered.

When we got to the gate, the security guards did another check before allowing us to go through the gate.

Daniel navigated the car gradually trailing out of the premises into the open road.

"Mira, did you notice that The Superior Alpha was nowhere to be seen?" Lucia started the conversation.

"Yeah, it was quite surprising." It baffled me, even though this was not a love match, he should have been available by Amenadiel's side.

"I was hoping to get a glimpse of him. Honestly, he was one of the reasons why I even attended in the first place." She pouted.

"I'm not gonna lie, I was also curious of how he would look like." As foretold by stories, he looked fearsome and was very huge as only an Alpha can be.

"And we all know it's obvious that the union between Amenadiel and The Superior Alpha is arranged. But he didn't have to do her dirty and leave her all alone to the attention of the guests."

As per tradition, whenever any high class family was holding a party, as a guest you must attend with gifts.

Lucia and I had gone together to present ours to the couple but met only Amenadiel with her mother by her side supporting her.

"Poor girl." I muttered. This was one of the reasons I will never go into an arranged marriage with my eyes wide open.

My parents ill-fated marriage was a lesson always at the forefront of my mind.

A mistake I will never make.

Just the engagement party and she was already treated like this.

Lucia and I talked randomly till it was time for her to drop at her place.

"I had a nice time tonight."

"Me too."

"Don't forget to text me." We hugged and then she got out of the car.

An escort was waiting for her.

Daniel waited for Lucia to get in her car before continuing our journey.

I alighted from the car, stretching my body. Today have been a hectic day.

I made my way to the house passing by the household workers, my main destination, my room. The workers greeted me and I nodded in response.

I also noticed something, the house was quiet and the workers seemed more relaxed.

Meaning Cornelius was either out or passed out in his quarters.

I was almost close to my wing when I stopped by my mother's room.

It was an unconscious move on my part. I have grown so used to checking on her before retiring to my own room.

Even though she was never happy to see me, I still did it. I couldn't stop myself, she was my mother. An integral part of my life even though she refused to give me her motherly love.

"Mirabella, stop torturing yourself." I sighed before gently turning the door knob and went in.

As expected, she was asleep, turned to her side. Gertrude must have assisted her. She found it so hard to move her body without experiencing pain.

She looked so peaceful, not like her usual expression when she was in pain. Which was her daily facial expression, and I knew my presence only worsened it because she hated me. Why won't she? Because I was the main reason why she was like this.

I moved closer to her, swiping the sweat off her brow with the edge of the napkin that was placed by her bedside.

Carefully, I cleaned her face gently.

I paused when she moved a little, wincing in slight pain.

"Shh, go back to sleep." I allowed the tips of my fingers to touch her face and smiled in sadness when her brows smoothened.

If only the woman that brought me into this world could just acknowledge that I was her daughter.