“This is my stepmother. Be quiet and let me handle it." He said and Danika nodded in agreement.

Cassius had said a few things to Danika about the Allaband family. And Danika remembered his words about Vera: Watch out! She is trouble!

The woman broke into a huge smile and glanced quickly over Danika and then her eyes landed on Hernan.

“My dear, you have come!” She said and Danika realized what her type was: those people who spoke kindly, sly, but in reality, there was a certain evilness behind the words.

"And why is it that you sound so surprised, Vera?" he asked her with a blunt expression.

"Well... you normally don't attend events, since the accident, and..."

“And why wouldn't I come to this specific event, Vera? It's my grandfather's birthday party and also the party of the company's anniversary, of which I am the CEO. After my grandfather, I am the person with the most right to be here and the most expected.”

Her smile faltered slightly, but she managed not to lose her composure.

"But of course!" She said and let out a giggle. Danika fought to keep from rolling her eyes. "And this beautiful young woman?”

Brennon had clearly already told her who the redhead accompanying Hernan was , and he knew it all too well.

“As if you didn't know. Excuse me." His voice was emotionless and Danika was amazed at how unaffected he was by that woman. He kept his neutral expression.

Danika nodded at Vera, as if to excuse herself, and followed Hernan away from the woman, who didn't follow them.

Vera clasped her hands together, trying to hold back her irritation.

'Calm down, Vera. What does it matter if he got married? He's still a damn cripple who can't have children!' she repeated mentally, dying with rage. 'Let the little cripple have a little happiness, won't you?', she mocked, after all, if he didn't work from the waist down, soon his beautiful wife would be cuckolding him!

More satisfied, Vera went to look for her son.

Hernan stopped by the table intended for him and Danika and waited for her to straighten the chair so he could park his wheelchair there. He was glad that at least he didn't have to tell Danika that. She had enough sense to act before he spoke.

“Hernan, do you need anything?” Danika asked, before sitting in the chair next to him.

"No, I'm fine." He said and looked around. “I hope they bring the drinks soon. I need something strong to withstand certain people!”

It didn't take long for Lazlo to get up on the platform installed there and give a speech, then calling Hernan to come up there. Danika went along to make way for his chair and she stayed on the bottom, not climbing with him as he hadn't informed her that she should.

She looked around and saw Xandros looking at his brother with a certain derision, while Catriona, she seemed to admire the handsome man speaking. Danika felt uncomfortable, but justified it because Hernan was her husband, and she didn't like what Catriona was doing. Only that. It wasn't jealousy.

Xandros pulled Catriona to him and, looking at his brother, he gave her a kiss. Danika then realized that apparently, Xandros knew of Catriona's interest in Hernan, but to act like that meant her feelings were reciprocated by Hernan. This saddened Danika.

“And I would like to call here my dear wife, whom you will now meet. Danika Allaband!" He said and Danika looked around, startled, as she heard her name echoing through the hall.

She looked at Hernan, who had his hand out to her, smiling. He looked like a gentleman from the books and movies she loved so much. He raised an eyebrow slightly and she realized she was embarrassing him.

Danika started up the stairs, but the spotlight left her a little bewildered and she ended up stepping wrong and fell down on the step of the stairs, hurting her knees. She heard some giggling and, looking up, she saw Vera and Catriona.

"Love?" Hernan said, next to her. A security guard helped her to her feet. Danika wanted to bury her head in some nearby hole, but she got up and tried to act with what little dignity she had left. "Are you okay?" Hernan whispered and she nodded in agreement.

He took the microphone.

“A doctor, please!” He said. “My wife is pregnant! I need to know if everything is okay!”

The silence that followed was incredible. The first thing Danika heard was the sound of glass breaking. She looked over and saw Xandros, whose hand was bleeding. He looked at Hernan as if he might kill him.

Lazlo walked over and whispered something in Hernan's ear, who nodded and took Danika's hand and pulled her towards him.

"Sit down on my lap." He murmured, indicating with his other hand his leg. Danika's eyes widened and she looked around. "Now!!

She didn't argue and, rather awkwardly, did what he asked her to do. Hernan's perfume penetrated her nostrils and made her dizzy. He smelled like Musk mixed with alcohol.

Hernan drove through the hall, people moving out of the way and Danika was very aware of his hand on her waist.

“You can rest your head on my shoulder.” He said and she did so she could not look at all those people, but it made her even more awake to his presence.

He stopped the chair after a while and lifted his head. Hernan sighed deeply. Danika's breath on his neck made him tense.

"Let me have a look at you, Mrs. Allaband." The doctor, a man in his early thirties asked. When he reached out to touch Danika, Hernan grabbed his wrist.

“Be careful where you put your hands on my wife.” He said and the doctor nodded in agreement. Danika looked shocked at Hernan, but then, she pushed the thought away from her mind. That wasn't jealousy. He was simply a man who didn't want to share what was his, whether he liked it or not. Also, they were faking for those people. Feigning jealousy would make the lie more palatable.

Danika sat on the couch and let the doctor check what he said was necessary.

“Mr. Allaband, it seems to me that everything is all right.” He said. “But if you want, you can take her tomorrow for tests. I unfortunately cannot provide that right now.”

"Right. Thank you, doctor. You may leave us now." He said and the doctor bowed before leaving.

Turning to Danika, Hernan looked her up and down.

"Are you sure you weren't hurt?"

“No, I wasn't hurt. I didn't hit my stomach or anything."

"I didn't just ask about the baby," he said and for a moment Danika thought she saw something in his eyes, but then it was gone.

"I am fine. I just knocked my knees, really."

"Let me see."