AUTHOR'S POV, At the Devlins Mansion
Reina Devlin had always prepared family dinners herself. Well, not only special dinners, but all the birthday parties, tea soiree, anniversaries and all the other ceremonies there is. It wasn't merely a tradition, for above all the members in the family, only Reina had an eye and a heart to understand what each detail meant.
She places every single thing with intention... especially in choosing the right flowers as what she learned from Diana.
Tonight, she picked white calla lilies in crystal vases, accompanied by delicate sprays of baby's breath for purity and new beginnings. Underneath the chandelier, she placed tall white candles on silver holders unlit for now. Later, their soft glow will warm the room once the evening settled over the mansion. In the kitchen, the chef worked through the courses Reina specifically selected. Nothing but prime cuts of beef, roasted lamb, and venison medallions for the Devlin men who never considered a meal complete unless something had bled for it. A strawberry shortcake rests inside the refrigerator too. It Scott's favorite that has to be in the menu. Lastly, on the counter at the bar, sits a bottle of aged Bordeaux. The timely jubilant elixir of the Devlins.
"You're early"
Reina told Lily without even looking at her. The dinner table hasn't even completely ready with all the white table setting, but the woman whom the dinner is prepared for have already arrived. "Scott isn't even home yet", she said.
"I know! But I wanted to help my sister-in-law with the preparations!", Lily exclaimed with much enthusiasm. "I brought gifts too", that's when Reina notices Lily has stacked presents in silky blue boxes with thick ivory ribbons tied over each of them around her arms. "I have one for each member of the fam!".
"Ahh.. You didn't have to. Really", Reina didn't like handing things to her, as she flick her hand in the air. "Please take it", she tells the butler.
Walking tall with long slender legs, hourglass body, blonde hair, and dazzling brown eyes, Lily Barlowe has it all to turn heads. It wasn't just about what she looks like. It was more of how she flaunts herself. Who wouldn't miss an eye on Lily, when she wears revealing clothes screaming boobs, ass, and skin. Her loud voice carried through the peaceful hallway the moment she stepped in. Every sentence has either half a shout and half a squeal.
The servants exchanged glances.
The Devlins household isn't particularly used to getting guests like Lily. Even the sound of the title Luna on her doesn't quite fit, as they all thought. Then they all remembered Diana, that the comparison happened naturally. It was unfair but, no one can't help it. They all loved Diana's softer facial features, or maybe it's because of the light makeup that compliments her face. Her quiet calming voice have always been soothing in their ears. Her quiet sophistication and refined elegance effortlessly fill the entire room without making an effort. And the respect. The respect she gives them despite they were all just... servants.
Diana was their true Luna.
Lily didn't like the glaring eyes on her but she still twirled around happily. She didn't let it come to her nerves. After all, she came here as the Luna of Scott Devlin, and they are only servants. The whispers behind her back did not stop her from donning her hair up, and give Reina a hand she didn't require. As she lay her eyes on the dinner table, a slight cringe curled her lip.
Lily then began to take control.
First, the flowers.
"Sister, you should've chosen flowers with pops of color. You know? Sunflowers, red roses. Oh! Purple dahlias!", she bursted. "Not white and boring lilies. This is not a funeral. No worries, I know someone who can replace them. I already called! Fernando will be here in no time".
One maid nearly dropped a serving tray. Reina folded her arms as the dahlias of purple, pink and coral replace her white callas.
Second, the candles.
"Sister, isn't it a little bit warm for candles? We're not going for a vigil like my grandma aren't we?", she laughed, but it didn't tickle Reina's funny bone. "You!", she calls a maid. "Take these out of here", Lily plucked one taper at a time and handed them over the maids following her around.
Third, the all white table setting.
"Does the Devlins not have patterned or any other vibrant dinner plates out there aside from these boring ones? I'm sure there are a lot of good ones somewhere in your cupboards", she icked. Reina nodded at the butler to give them a go. In a moment, floral patterned porcelain with gold linings were layered on the table, along with crystal glasswares and gold utensils. While it humbled Reina, it delighted Lily.
Fourth, the food choices.
"Well, this dinner is for me so why don't we shift to a better healthier meal plan, huh? I follow a very strict diet plan and I don't want to ruin it", she told the chef, who's glance at Reina seemed disagreeable to remove the red meats. Once again, Reina just nodded.
Last, the dessert and wine.
"There's this newly opened cheesecake store and I couldn't help but love it!! It wasn't too sweet, and my goodness! It's just the best!! I'm ordering now. We get discounts if we order three!!", Lily immediately makes a call as she closes the fridge. While on her phone, she goes over the bar and notices the butler wiping a bottle of red Bordeaux wine. "Red wine?", she looks at Reina. "Isn't this an old dads drink? No offense but, champagne suits my taste", she crinkled her nose, shaking her head side to side as she talk over the phone. "Hello? Hi, it's Lily! Can I order three boxes of cheesecake?". Reina squinted her eyes at the butler as he puts back the wine, and takes out a champagne.
Within half an hour, the dining area no longer gleamed with Reina's meaningful pieces. Everything was transformed into something more colorful. More Lily. Her presence there was not an insult, but more like a declaration that she is the Luna now and she will take over what Diana had emptied. "Oh! Thank goodness I came here early. Or else, it's going be a disaster. Right, sister?", Lily takes a selfie with the vibrant table setting she worked hard on, while Reina kept a straight face turning her back.
"I'm going to freshen up a bit", Reina didn't bother to wait for Lily's answer as she leave the dining area.
"Sure, go ahead! You need it", Lily says, taking more snaps of herself in different angles. "Maid, step aside, you're ruining my frame".
AN HOUR LATER
The grandfather clock sounded eight chimes. The dining room glowed brightly beneath its crystal chandeliers. Dahlias in three variants and streaks of olive green leaves spilled across the length of the 12-seater table. The gold linings on the patterned porcelains gleamed perfectly. The textured crystal glasses caught light like jewels. Every piece put together was beautiful.
Everything was wrong.
The Devlins mansion is a house full of men. They prefer quiet luxury and neutral simplicity. Stanley let Priscilla make her lashes bat in green feathers, or flaunt her curves in vibrant dresses, but never add ridiculous colors in his clothes and in his house that would stain his classic manly refinement. The table setting is bound to be a complete eyesore despite it was outstandingly beautiful.
The first to arrive was Damon.
He stopped at the entrance, blinking. Slowly, he entered the room looking around. The dining room looked as though a carnival have collided with a wedding reception. Damon stared... and stared some more. He may have said nothing to Lily that might offend her, but his answer is written all over his face. "You did this? It's...", he began, carefully. "... colorful", his eyes twitched. "Do we have wine?", he asked the butler as he hurried away a squealing blonde. The butler takes out a bottle of champagne, and with a single glare from Damon, it was changed to red wine.
The servants move around in silence, serving tea and truffle and citrus scallops.
Lily sits at the head of the table, with her phone held high as she snap another selfie. She angles the camera differently at every shot. Posts them on her 'gram, boasting 'Dinner with the In-laws'. A couple of seats from her is Damon swirling his third glass of red wine. His head hurt after the bright lights of the chandeliers and reflection of the glasswares flashing in his eyes. He had asked the butler to remove the ones in front him to at least lessen the harsh shimmers, and transfer the flowers near Lily. Across him is Reina, who leans back on her seat, observing... She glances at her wrist watch, and could hardly wait for the dinner to end despite it hasn't even started yet.
The clock ticked, then the doors open.
Scott enters with the sleeves of his black button-down shirt rolled up his elbows. His cologne overpowered the scent of the dahlias. The moment he stepped in, his eyes narrowed at the brilliance of the dining room. He never expected he'd see it in a whimsical way. And for a moment, he thought he have entered a different home.
Lily's face brightened instantly. A sigh escaped her red lips, loosing the tension on her shoulders. "There you are!", she says as she jumps out of her seat.
"Finally the man of the hour", Damon puts down his glass. Before he could greet his brother, Lily have already jumped on Scott , threw her arms around his neck, and planted kisses across his both cheeks.
For half a second, Scott froze before awkwardly accepting the attention. Damon decidedly returns to his wine, while Reina forgot how hot her tea was. The servants suddenly became very interested on the carpeted floor, as they keep it tight and professional. With the Alpha and Lily going PDA, the room became painfully silent.
Scott cleared his throat, and pulled Lily's arms down. "Where are the others?", he said, as if summoned by the question as another set of doors opened.
Stanley Devlin rolled into the dining room.
Almost immediately as his wheelchair was pushed in, he was dazzled at the excessive brightness of everything shiny combined in there. He covered his eyes with his quivering hand, cursing. "What the hell, Priscilla!! How many times do I have to tell you no bright lights! No bright colors!", his voice thundered in the room.
Reina stood on her feet, alarmed at the discomfort of the old man, telling the servants to hurriedly dim the lights. Scott's broad back shifted subtly covering Stanley's eyes. He stood between his father and the glare hurting his eyes. Damon sat back on his chair, completely unhelpful. He watched everyone's panic, drink his fourth glass of wine, and judged Lily's annoyance of the situation.
When everything was ready, Scott stood aside. "Better?", he asked.
Stanley lowers his trembling hand, and lifted his eyes slowly. As soon as Stanley's vision adjusted to the light, he carefully catches a glimpse of everyone with narrowed eyes. Lily looked annoyed rather apologetic, thinking these people have not proper taste at all. Worried but eager, Lily had no plans to ruin the night more. She approaches the old man, bending over. "I'm Lily Barlowe, the new Luna", her smile widened.
Stanley looks at her, and his frown melted into a warm smile. "Welcome to the Devlin's mansion. Please sit down".
The crisis was averted. Everyone settled down. Relief visibly swept through the room. Stanley took his seat at the head of the table, as the servants filled his wine glass. He raised his glass full of champagne as he run his eyes in every face around the table. Naturally, everyone followed. "A toast", he began. "To Diana".
Scott's glass stopped halfway to his lips, while Lily laughed nervously. "It's Lily", she corrected. However, Stanley didn't respond. "It's Lily", she repeated, louder than before. Still, no response from Stanley. Only a dazed smile.
Meanwhile, Damon inhaled wine directly to his lungs. He erupted into a violent coughing fit. Reina froze. Even the servants froze. Their eyes scanned from Stanley to Scott, then to Lily. In that order. Stanley remained completely unaware. "To Diana", he repeated warmly.
Lily looked like she's going to burst in her seat. Apparently, Scott didn't do anything about it. Reina leans to her and whispered, "His sickness may have come to his head. He meant you".
Red as a plum, Damon, still choking, weakly lifted his glass anyway. A grin that he cannot contain spread across his face. "To Diana", he says. He glances at Scott who drank his glass, bottoms up. Reina pinches the bridge of her nose, as the servants look away to hide their expressions. "To Diana", she says too. Stanley happily clinked his glass against Damon's, then to Reina. The smile on Lily's face strained. Beside her, Scott looked away one second from ending the toast himself. Before he could, the doors opened once more.
Sebastian arrives fashionably late.
He speaks on his phone as he enters the room. "Got it. I'll see you again tomorrow at Diana's", he hangs up and flinches at the dining room's shimmer. "Geez! Why is it too bright in here?", he goes over to plant a kiss on Stanley's forehead before sitting down beside Reina. Scott tries to read him, knowing who Sebastian was with today. He looked tired, but clean. No traces of sweat in his skin. With a line formed on Sebastian's forehead after that call, Scott knew his brother haven't found her.
"Ahhh Sebastian, you missed the toast!", Damon said, with dismay.
"Unfortunately.", he answers, asking the butler for a glass of iced water. "We can do it again, Damon."
"Family is important" Scott says, as if such statement felt deliberate.
Sebastian gulped a load of water. "I agree", he meets Scott's eyes. "That's why I was a late", those words landed like stones. His gazes shifted on Scott's hand interlaced with a blonde woman beside him. He couldn't hide his hardened expression. "Sebastian Devlin", he introduces himself.
"Lily Barlowe", she chuckles, wrapping her hands around Scott's arm.
"Barlowe?", Sebastian tilted her head, recognizing the family name.
No one talked after that. Meanwhile, Sebastian notices an empty seat for the famill matriarch. "Isn't mother coming?", he asked.
"She's on a friends trip", Damon answered immediately.
"At a time like this?", Reina cringes on the bowl of green soup that smells of coconut and kale placed down by the maid.
"She has a life too, Rei", Damon, then, whispers at the maid that he'll pass the soup this time, seeing the bowl of greens approaching him. "Go straight to the main course. I'm famished".
"She can catch up soon", Stanley coughs up a spoonful of the soup. "What the crap is this?", he wipes his mouth with a cloth. Everybody else didn't touched their appetizers. The farro and roasted mushroom salad rested on the side as if it didn't existed. The main course was served. One by one, silver covers where lifted. And more eyes gawked at the minute servings of oysters in vinaigrette, gougères with salmon, shrimp cocktail and crispy rice cakes with spicy tuna. Sebastian looks over Reina's and Damon's plates.
More oyster.
More fish.
More vegetables.
Then, he stared at Damon who was already gazing back at him. He wasn't seeing things. His brows twitched, as Damon looks at his wine as if it seemed it'll be the only thing he'll be stuffed with. Even Stanley looked confused. His plate had not a single piece of meat.
"Reina", Scott called his sister's attention before anyone else could say a word. "Where's the food?", he asks, perfectly calm while everybody looked at her. The servants nervously place another platter of butter poached lobsters, which somehow made it worse.
"That's your food, Scott", Reina wipes her mouth, staring back at her brother's piercing stares without flinching. Damon lowers his head, to hide a grin. Sebastian tosses the table napkin, as the smell of the fish made him lose his appetite.
Lily tittered, reaching for Scott's distant hand. "Oh dear, how do I explain this.", she says, eyes now shifted toward her. "I asked Reina to let me manage tonight's menu and I wanted to make dinner a little bit lighter and gastronomic", her smile wavered, seeing their empty gazes after hearing her excuse. "Reina approved it! So.. that's that".
Reina's eyes slowly moved toward Lily. It was brief, but sharp enough to send her shivers. Nevertheless, Reina remained... still. The people around the table thought it was nothing, because they already knew. Reina Devlin would never make such a clumsy mistake. "Next time, darling. Let Reina handle the order of the things. She knows it well", Scott leans back in his chair. He was not angry. Not even gentle, but firm. The servants held their breaths. The family dinner with Lily Barlowe has been the most aching one they've ever served.
Flushed, Lily blinked, as the smile on her face withered. "Of course", she briefly said. It may sound forgiving and sweet, but it was actually a line Scott drew reminding her of her place.
The conversation stumbled awkwardly from then. From what Lily does, to her family in the trading industry, Lily bragged so much about random things about her. Her lifestyle, her upbringing, her desperate dreams invading the fashion industry, and the world that revolves around her. She made gambling sound normal as what her father does, and even made a stealth remark on her mother's bootleg deals from across the country. It wasn't serving TMI. She just laid how many connections her family has to survive, and how their life boosted being associated with the Devlins.
For an hour, it was all about Lily Barlowe, who mostly did all the talking.
Sebastian couldn't help but get swallowed by a heavy lingering mix of unrequited longing and frustration. This was something the Devlins never had a chance to do with Diana. Ever since the imprint, Scott monopolized her, and kept her for himself. The imprint made him unshare the Luna with everyone. He claimed her smiles, her eyes, and her attention. A kind of obsession that literally took possession of every part of her.
With Lily, it's different. He chose her. A total opposite of Diana - blonde, loud and messy. He specifically and carefully chose a Barlowe, a family that comes with an uproar of scandals, dirty money and illicit fame. Far too different from Diana Woodsworth. Lily Barlowe, a woman who doesn't need more spotlight when attached to Scott's name. Scott lets it be known to everyone that she is the new Luna. He shows her in public, and make sure everyone sees. She even landed the front page in a magazine being tied to the Alpha of the Grayback Clan. Whether it is an act, or something that Scott is forced to do, Sebastian thought it is a mistake.
"So, when's the wedding? Are we hearing wedding bells soon?", Sebastian suddenly asked.
"Uhh.. Definitely!", Lily wet her lips as she gaze at Scott. Her face lit up like fireworks."It would be like the wedding of the century! I'm sure you're excited to see your grandchildren soon before you pass, right Father?", she looks at Stanley, who's trying so hard to stop the hand tremors by clasping his hands.
Damon dropped his jaw at Lily's remark. He pulled his mouth close, as he wipe his grin. "Better make it soon then", he replied, with a laugh.
"Wedding, nice..", Reina sips her wine. "You know, we gave Scott a hand to get out in his first. I don't mind doing it all again the next time".
"You can try, but I won't let anyone ruin my Luna's dream wedding", Scott snapped back. "How's a wedding after the full moon?".
"This full moon?", Sebastian asks, with knitted brows. He sees no engagement ring on Lily, aside from the stackable rings on each of her fingers. "With no ring?".
"She's my Luna", Scott answers immediately, as if it was more than a ring itself.
"That's in three days", Reina figured.
Lily was distraught in her own glittery world. She was already imagining wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, saying I dos and even honeymoons in a brief moment she heard wedding in Scott's lips. She flew all the way to seventh heaven along with the unfathomable future of marrying the Alpha. A chance of a lifetime she will grip hard on. That no matter what happens, she will make sure that he will cling to her with all the strings attached. "Three days...?", she muttered.
"Why wait? We're sure of each other anyway.", Scott said, firmly.
"Then maybe, we can have the wedding here at the mansion", Stanley thought. "Damon, call the Woodsworths. Inform Alva about the preparations. I don't want to put pressure on Diana".
Sebastian's eyes lifted, not on Stanley but on Scott. Fascinated, he observed at how her name makes him grip his glass so hard, and drink the champagne that he hates. He curved his lips up, thinking how long will Scott fight the urges of the imprint and how well would his brother would keep up with his unbroken focus beneath his guarded expressions.
"He meant the Barlowes", Reina nods at Lily, then to Damon.
"Wow! That's great! Wow...", Lily couldn't even form a sensible sentence. "So hmm I'll have to choose a dress, the suit and the food.. The decorations and flowers and all!!", Lily said with tender excitement. "Three days, honey? Wow! I'm so excited!!", she squeals in red.
"Yea, you look excited too, Scott", Sebastian lifted his wine glass. He flashes a gold band wrapped around his middle finger.
Before Scott could snap back at his brother, Damon have instantly reacted on Sebastian."Hey!", Damon points to the ring. "That's mine. Where did you get it?".
Sebastian was flustered, tilting his hand with the ring. "I-It's yours?".
"Yea, do you mind?", Damon lifts his hand across the table, reaching for the ring. "Where did you get it?".
Sebastian's expression tightened. Scott caught it unlike everyone else in the room. "Found it in the... office", he tosses the ring to Damon."I didn't know it's yours".
"Don't you recognize the marks? Heirloom. Mother gave it me", Damon puts on the gold band in his ring finger. "Didn't know I left it in the office".
Suddenly, a loud clang of metal disrupted the table. Stanley dropped his fork as the metal clattered against the porcelain. His hand moved to his chest. "Dad?", Reina called, as she watch the color on her father's face drain. Everyone else moved at their own impulse from then. Damon catches Stanley, Reina holds his hand. The servants rushed forward, and the maids were gasping in the side. The butler called for medical assistance ordered by Scott, while Lily let out a startled squeal.