Judas kiss novel Chapter 9

"Is it really necessary for me to come along?" Della asked her father with a sincere expression. "I mean I love working extra shifts and this gala is a great opportunity for that." She explained as Garreth continuously typed on his laptop. After sometime he looked up and gave his new long lost daughter a smile.

"Adela, i want to introduce you to all my close friends and everyone else who needs to know you are my blood and heir. I will not allow my only daughter to be cleaning up tables while I dine with the upper crust." He said giving her an assuring smile.

"This is to make up for lost time, my darling you are a McCarthy." He said with a grin on his lips and a glimmer in his grey eyes.

"I have already sent for Donato Vivaldi to have your outfits for tonight set." Garreth said in an excited tone. Della looked rather confused maybe because she didn't grow up with the beau monde moneyed class. She had always longed to be wanted and loved, of course her abuela gave her that but this was different because the very same man whom she thought abandoned her was here making her feel like a priced ruby.

"Who is Donato Vivaldi?" Della asked anxiously. He had to be one of the upper crust people she thought to herself.

"That's one of the best designers in the business, he usually makes me custom made tuxedos whenever I am to attend a pretentious event like the one happening to night." Garreth said proudly.

"Oh but you don't have to spend alot of money-"

"No no Adela, do not worry yourself money is not a problem and you shouldn't have to ever worry about that okay?" He asked a hint of his British accent coming into play. It amazed Adela, she never thought that her father was from Britain. She always imagined he was some Mexican mechanic who wore blue work suits and had a mustache. That was initially the idea her mother gave her whenever she described him with the worst Mexican insults.

"But I don't want to stop working, I mean I enjoy being occupied." She composed herself.

"Yes yes dear but I want you to focus on your writing. I know you have a few drafts planned out, have you thought of finally looking for a publisher." He asked.

"No, i felt like it wasn't ready to be published yet." She said with a hint of doubt in her voice.

"Your work is excellent my dear. How about you continue working seeing as you don't want to stop but also let me help you look for a publisher. Your story could help other people out there suffering from depression." He told her with a genuine smile making her feel a certain feeling that she had always longed for. She always wanted her mother to say she was proud of her and now it was even much better because her father was the one who was saying it.

"Not to cross the line or anything but what about Leo's father.. Is he maybe around?" Garreth had been meaning to ask but didn't want to push any boundaries. He knew this was something that really hurt Della. Remembering the first time she told him about it, how she cried showing how broken she was. Allowing him to see her at her weakest.

"He is —uhm— he is around." She said looking away. She didn't want to ever think about Andre, he made her feel dirty, stupid and above all worthless. She didn't want to be reminded of the hurt that he made her feel, she didn't want to feel whatever she had felt back then. She just wanted to move on and that was far from impossible considering that he had started asking questions. What relieved her was that he had stopped, she had not seen him ever since their encounter at the park.

"I always thought Andre Levetté was a well respectable young man until I realised what he put your through." Garreth said in deep thought.

"No, he is a respectable person. Don't let my view about him change the way you see him." Della didn't know why she was defending him but she just wasn't the type of person to purposely hurt others because of bitterness.

"I can't help but be maddened by the way him and his family treated you. I read the papers and when you told me your side of the story... I finally understood what type of vultures those French imbeciles are." Garreth was beyond angry, he was a down to earth person but when anyone crossed the people he loved, he became the worst.

"Don't mind them, it's in the past." Della said putting a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I can't help it my dear but I won't let that ruin my night." He said grabbing his glass of whiskey and gulping the rest down. Della had never felt so appreciated... this was different. Garreth had told her that he wanted to introduce her to his world but it didn't mean she should stop being herself because he had grown to love her the way she is.

-

"You have nice curves, yes?" Donato said in a deep Italian accent. Mila wanted to laugh hysterically at his behavior because he would jump back and fourth with a dress in hand then wonder around for the jewellery that matched with a certain dress. He was certainly serious about his line of work.

"I'm jealous of that ass too." Mila pouted making Donato give her disapproving look.