The Heiress Is Back!

“Sweetie, time to wake up now,” Amelia softly said as she lightly tapped Phoebe’s shoulder.

Phoebe groaned then covered her face with the blanket which made Amelia chuckle. “Five minutes more, mommy, please?” she asked.

“I apologize I can’t give you more time to sleep since we have so many appointments scheduled for today. We have to meet the wedding organizer at 8 AM for the venue and theme of the wedding. We also have a meeting with the photographer slash videographer team. Another one is we need to check on the gowns and suits of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. We also need to go shopping for your accessories for the wedding day. And the most important thing, today's fitting of your wedding gown!” Amelia exclaimed. “So get up there now and go take a bath! Don’t be late since Adrian promised me that he will accompany us today!” she added.

Her mommy’s last statement was the one that awakened Phoebe’s soul. Her eyes immediately opened widely as she turned to her mommy. “Can you repeat what you just said, mom?” she asked mindlessly.

Amelia’s forehead creased as her eyes narrowed. “Which one?” she curiously asked.

“A-About Adrian?” she hesitatingly answered.

“Oh! He called me last night and he told me that he would come with us today. Don’t you think that’s sweet?” Amelia teased her.

Phoebe almost puked for her mother’s question. “Sweet?” She laughed sarcastically. If only she knew, he just did that thing to annoy the hell out of her. She knew that he would not fulfill his promise just as he told her mommy. “What do you think of him, mommy?” she suddenly asked her.

“Hmm?” Amelia thought for a second before answering her. “I think he’s a great guy. He’s actually a jolly man. And I think it is a great personality of a man, especially a businessman like him. Because if you notice, businessmen tend to be serious all the time. No time for jokes and play around. But Adrian? I think he can manage a business without forgetting to have fun.”

The further her mommy went on with her sentiments, the more her face crumpled in cringiness.

Did her mother really think of him that way?

Or she was just charmed because of his killer looks?

"Oh...kay?"

Amelia laughed once more for her daughter's reaction. "How about you? What do you think of him?" she asked her.

"Mommy... " Phoebe called her with her tone implying that she did not want to answer her question.

"Do you regret being engaged with him?" Amelia asked once more.

Phoebe sighed in defeat. It seemed like she had no way to avoid her mother's question. Well, she was the one who started this. "Well, it's not that I am regretting being engaged to him. Maybe I just didn't like him as a man. Maybe because of our first meeting?" She groaned. "He is so arrogant. Before the announcement of the engagement, I accidentally bumped into him that night. And he thinks that I am like one of those girls who are after him, when it's not." She rolled her eyes after remembering the scene. Then she messed her hair up in frustration. "I-I don't know... But my blood automatically boils whenever I think of him."

Amelia was listening to her intently and was amused by how her daughter described a man that she was going to marry soon. "So you're thinking of him?" she unconsciously blurted out.

Phoebe's eyes widened in shock after her realization. "N-No. I didn't mean it that way, mommy!" she defended herself.

Amelia shook her head as she chuckled. Then she ran her fingers through her daughter's head. "Fine. Fine. I won't ask about him anymore."

Phoebe's cheeks blushed in embarrassment. "Thank you, mommy."

"Get up now and prepare yourself. I'll go downstairs to prepare breakfast."

"Hmm..." Phoebe nodded her head.

Amelia kissed her on the cheek before going out of Phoebe's bedroom.

Phoebe was left there pinching herself and throwing a pillow on the wall because of frustration.

***

After having their breakfast, Amelia and Phoebe bid goodbye to Leah before they went to their appointments.

They start off first by meeting with the event organizers. The day was almost near to its end but Adrian had not still appeared since the morning.

Phoebe could not help but to hiss as she rolled her eyes while staring at herself in the mirror. "I'm really right about him appearing today. He isn't really a trustworthy person," she murmured irritatedly.

Thank God she had a lot to do to forget about that arrogant jerk.

Phoebe tried on different gowns because her mommy told her that she was looking for the best gown that would perfectly fit her.

Actually, she was really tired of wearing them then taking off the gowns. But she could not afford to complain to her mommy because she could see how she enjoyed dressing her. She did not want to spoil the fun. Besides, after this, they could already go home, and she could finally lay on her comfy bed.

She smiled widely when she wore the last gown that she needed to try on. And for her, this was the best among all of the wedding gowns in this boutique. She was sure that her mommy would also love this gown.

She blew out air before pushing the curtains aside to reveal herself. "Mom, I think this is the—"

And she almost tripped when she did not see her mom outside the fitting room. Instead, she saw Adrian intently staring at her.

***

"Dad, can't you just move this meeting to another day? I promised Aunt Amelia that I will accompany them for the wedding preparations today!" Adrian exclaimed in frustration.

It was just 8 in the morning, but he was already stressed out.

He had a very nice sleep, and even woke up early in the morning just to prepare himself for this day.

He was so excited to see his fiancee again.

But his dad stopped him and told him that he needed to meet with an important potential investor today.

"Just call them and tell them that you have a more important thing to attend to," Alfred responded.

Adrian hissed and did not bother to answer his dad. He just dismissed himself and stormed outside his office.

He was briskly walking back to his office. He angrily loosened his tie so he could breathe air.

Now, he was so sure that Phoebe had been thinking of him as an unreliable person.

He was left with no choice but to meet with their client. He was there with the client, but his mind was flying to where Phoebe was. He could not even listen well to what his client was saying. Luckily, he still managed to answer his questions and successfully convinced him to sign with them.

"Finally!" he exclaimed. He checked his wrist watch and flinched when he saw that it was already 5 in the afternoon. "Are they still there?" he asked himself.

Well, he should go and check for it himself. He was already shy to call and ask Amelia since he did not appear earlier. He also forgot to text her a while ago which made it worse.

As soon as he got out of the restaurant, he immediately went to his car and maneuvered it to the boutique.

"I'm really sorry, Aunt Amelia. Dad ordered me to talk with an investor so I wasn't able to come with you earlier," he immediately apologized as soon as he saw the old lady.

Amelia smiled at him, then tapped his shoulder. "That's fine with me." She suddenly glanced at the curtained fitting room. "But I think you need to apologize to my baby. She's been expecting you to come."

Adrian could not help but to scratch his head as he nodded at her. He suddenly heard his heart thumping for her statement. "Yes, Aunt Amelia. Thank you so much."

Amelia bobbed her head, too before gesturing that she would go and roam around the boutique.

Adrian was left there, standing straight, parallel to the fitting room where his fiancee was, waiting for her to come out.

"Mom, I think this is the—"

Adrian was automatically stunned after seeing Phoebe in her wedding gown. He almost did not blink as he gaped at her. It was as if his throat went dry.

"What are you doing here?"

Phoebe's sassy voice was the reason why he came back to his senses.

He blinked his eyes a few times before shaking his head to recollect himself. "O-Oh!"

Phoebe, who was trying to hide her shock, crossed her arms, then raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"A-Ahm.. I'm sorry if I wasn't able to come with you earlier. I just needed to attend an important meeting–"

"Who cares?" Phoebe cut him off and went back to the fitting room to remove the gown.

She wanted to rip off the gown. She kept on mocking him inside the fitting room.

'Needed to attend an important meeting? Then he shouldn't have promised to accompany us if that's so!' she exclaimed in her mind.

"Look, Phoebe, I really don't mean it. It was an abrupt meeting. And I couldn't postpone it!" Adrian tried to explain.

'Then you could have informed me!' Phoebe answered in her mind.

But instead of saying that, she turned her back to him, then picked up her purse on the chair before she faced him with her piercing gaze. "You don't need to explain, Mr. Evans. Besides, this is just an arranged marriage, right? No need to accompany me for the wedding preparations. I already have my mommy with me," she voiced before she turned her back on him.

While walking away from him, she could not help but to ask herself.

'Why did I seem to spit that out bitterly?'