Chapter 8

Aviena's POV

"Huh?" My mouth fell open.

“I’ll wait for you here. We'll buy your gown. You're invited on my Auntie's birthday. ” My jaw dropped even more as I looked at him.

“Huh? I was invited to a party and you just informed me right now? ” I couldn't believe I looked at him so he frowned at me.

"They just told me earlier," he said so my brain just kept on overthinking. I don't even know if I can attend that party. It's embarrassing to show up all of a sudden.

"They're already calling you," he said pointing to my Big Sister who was already waiting for me.

Even when the shoot for the first scene of my teleserye started, I wasn't being myself because I was thinking about getting to know his family. Their family is known as the sophisticated family. They're kind of elegant. I can mix with them but of course, it's still different when you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth.

Everyone was confused when they saw River heading towards us. Even though Direk was serious about their work, they suddenly approached River just to sit in a comfortable chair while we artists and staff were soaked in the sun.

River just sat in a chair looking like a king who's watching all his servants right now. I tried not to notice his presence. I already have a lot of things to think about. I don’t want to include him.

His grandfather must also visit that party. I don’t know if I’ll be able to act well.

I don’t know if River was bored or what. I didn't bother to pay attention to him because of the number of lines I needed to memorize.

“Aviena, you can go. Your scenes are over,” Direk told me when I'm done with my scenes. Tessy and I looked at each other. Usually, Direk gets angry with the artists who suddenly leave. He always wanted to finish and go home together. So it's amazing that he's sending me home now. Why am I still wondering when they know I'm the one River visiting here?

I don't know if he's bragging now about the way he looks.

"Let's go?" He doesn't even try to contradict Direct's order. I just kept quiet as I looked at him. Aside from making the staff uncomfortable, he was also very comfortable sitting there.

I just smiled softly at him because the people around us were looking at us.

River already did what he wanted to do. We headed to the mall to buy a gown.

I was looking around, I couldn’t help but grin as I watched some stitch as we walked in the mall.

"What do you think about this?" River asked turning to me. He saw me smiling so he tried to glance at what I was looking at. His forehead immediately furrowed. I just pretended to be looking around.

In the end, his assistant chose the clothes I would wear because I was distracted by what I saw and he seems busy talking with someone on his phone. I stopped when I remembered. Right. His maid said that he's seeing someone right now.

"I'll see you soon, Marissa." I stopped because comparing when he was talking to other people, his voice was mixed with tenderness as he spoke to her. Marissa. I think I heard it somewhere. Right. That's the name I always heard from his maids.

I shrugged my shoulders. We aren't in love with each other to ask for our whereabouts. And we also agree that we can date as long as we don't ruin each other's names.

I'm thinking about our setup as some business. For me, we are just business partners.

"Have you made up your mind?" he asked as the phone hung up. I nodded. I'm always confident that I can always rock any outfit they want me to wear. As long as your body is beautiful, everything will be pretty I think. I think it's unfair. I know someday my beauty will fade. And it's also tiring too. You always need to make an effort to look presentable while some don't need to do so.

The type of person who will just wear clothes and they can be pretty.

We went to a salon near the mall. People are always happy when they see me. I just smile at them. People are rich here. Some are able to talk with River.

After we got ready, we headed straight to River's Auntie's house. I was kinda nervous, which I shouldn't feel.

When we go inside, some eyes are looking at us. I acted like the crowd didn't affect me that much. I just kept walking while my hands were on River's arm. Many people greeted him while I just smiled.

My eyes immediately widened when I saw the Governor’s wife. I want to leave for fear that she will suddenly rush at me. She even seems scandalous. She's looking at me right now while raising an eyebrow. She even smiled at me so I slowly frowned.

I didn't even pay attention to her eyes looking at me and just followed River.

We stopped in the crowd. My lips trembled slightly as the women in front of us now smiled and glanced at me. Based on their appearance, I knew immediately that River was family. I am also familiar with some because we are often at the same party.

"Mom, Auntie, this is Aviena, my wife." They were not surprised. I can see the look of some who look younger than us for a few years. They looked at me from head to toe. I didn't budge there and just remained confident while standing.

“Oh, the girl that Mrs. Del Monte keeps on talking about. The Governor's mistress. ” A young woman look at me while she was judging. My mouth immediately fell open.

"Ocean." There was a threat in River's voice as her name was pronounced.

“What? I'm just telling the truth?” She even grinned.

"You know that I won't tolerate you being rude–" I just cut River's words.

“To set the record right, I’m not the governor’s mistress, Miss. I don't like men who have a manhood that already have wrinkles. ” I even laughed to ignore her insult even though my chest immediately tightened at what I heard.

They were silent and couldn't believe they looked at me as if my mouth were too vulgar.

"Come on." When I looked at River. He was glaring at me. I couldn't help but frown secretly. His family's insulting me but I'm trying to defend myself.

It was as if I had done something wrong. His relatives don't think he's good either.

"This is the sexy star who's everyone's mistress." Someone was still laughing behind me. I knew immediately that it was Mrs. Del Monte. We were still really able to follow through.

“We didn’t come here so you can easily insult my wife, Auntie, all of you. You know that I can easily make this party a hell. ” River said so they stopped. They could not speak when he said that.

"Happy birthday but we will go now," River said, so his mother stopped him immediately. She's just watching us.

“I’ll make sure that all of them will shut up their mouths. Eat first. You just arrived. The evening is too early for you to go out,” she said. Everyone was silent. If River looks like a king, River's mom looks like a tyrant mother who the king can't ignore.

We decided to eat but far from them. River still frowned even though many approached him to talk. I smiled at everyone who greeted me while eating quietly.

I raised my brow when I noticed that River was looking at me, some of the people he was talking to had left earlier.

"So you're going to be a mistress if their manhood doesn't have wrinkled?" River gave me a bad look so I couldn't help but choke on his sudden question.

“What the heck, River?! Stupid! ”

“Is that what you keep on thinking? I won't be someone's mistress! I'm so pretty to be one!” I don’t know if I’ll laugh there or get irritated.

“And have you fucking seen his manhood? How do you know that he has wrinkles?” I couldn't swallow what I was eating because of him. I couldn't stop laughing because of it.

"What's with your logic, huh?" What's with this guy's mindset?

"What made you even think about that?" I asked him.

He did not speak and his face slightly look fine now. But he still has a frown on his face.

“Eat. You have been starving yourself,” he said, ignoring me.

We were busy talking about random things when I heard someone calling me.

"Vena!" a shout of a boy gets my attention. A smile immediately curved on my lips when I saw who it was. Sert, the boy also took a picture.

"Hi, how are you?" I asked him with a smile.

“I’m okay! How about you, Vena? How are you? ”

"It's Tita Vena for you now, Sertio," River told him but Sert ignored what he said and looked at me again.

"I'm doing good too." I messed up his hair and wanted to pinch his cheek but he took my hand.

“I’m not a baby anymore, Vena. I'm old now! I'm going to marry you soon! I got you a promise ring. ” He even showed me a ring that I don’t know where he got.

"Is that your Mom's ring?" River laughed as he was by my side.

"And your Tita Vena's already married to me so stop asking her to marry you," River said. He even put his arm around me before showing the ring from our fingers. Sertio stopped because of that. He was too stunned by what River said.

"Sertio!" a man called him. He looks like River. I think it's River's brother.

“Where’s your Mom’s ring? I haven't even proposed yet! I'm going to get older each day because of you, Kid!” he complained to him.

Later on, they were followed by a beautiful woman who I think Sert inherited the color of his eyes.

Things were moving so fast, that we just realized that Sertio's Dad was already on his knees while proposing to the woman.

“I thought I'd never see a sunset as beautiful as that, but you showed up... and made me realize that I'd like to spend each and every day's end with you… Would you want to see the sunrise with me every morning, Love? Seeing it after a long tiring night. ” He even grinned as if he had a mischievous thought. The woman immediately hit him while some who were watching them were laughing.

“What you have in mind is pure stupidity! But… I do want to spend every single morning with you, Love… Let's do that… ” the woman said with a smile. The man slowly placed the ring on the woman's hand before hugging her tightly.

"Let's give Sertio another younger sibling, Love!" The man was still teasing so he immediately received a pinch from the woman.

I couldn’t help but smile as I stared at them. How does it feel so? Falling in love and being in love in return.

I just didn't realize that I was looking at someone who was also looking at me now.