REBORN My Second Life I Became The Villianess (Nyxara) novel Chapter 87

He grabbed his watch from the nightstand, fastening it around his wrist with a sharp click. "As ready as I'll ever be. Come on. If we stay up here much longer, your dad is going to send a tactical team to kick the door in." he said.

We walked down the hallway together, the house was quiet as we made our way back toward the main dining room on the main floor, where the long timber table was already set for dinner.

When we walked in, the rest of the table was already seated. Elena and Vincenzo were talking quietly end of the table, while my dad sat at the head of the table reviewing a stack of paperwork. The second we walked in, Grandmother looked up, a knowing smile touching her face.

"Glad you two decided to join the living," she said, her tone light and dry. "We were starting to think we'd have to send up a search party."

"We were just discussing the party," Dario said smoothly, pulling out a chair for me before taking the seat right beside mine.

I settled into my chair, reaching for my water glass as the kitchen staff started bringing out plates of food. The conversation drifted naturally over the first few courses, moving from local trade routes to the upcoming events on the weekend schedule.

My dad cut a piece of steak on his plate, looking across the table at me before glancing up at Dario. "The guest list for Saturday night is fixed. I'm formally introducing Nyxara as my daughter to every boss and captain on the coast." Dad said.

He paused, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked at Dario with a raised eyebrow. "And I expect you to keep your hands to yourself long enough for the guests to realize she's part of the family, not just your shadow."

Dario let out a short, dry scoff, shaking his head. "Of course I'm going to make it known that she's my wife. You think I spent the last few weeks putting up with her attitude just to let some idiot from the southern crews think he has a chance?" Dario asked.

I caught the sharp smirks passing between them and just smiled into my water glass, not bothering to argue.

Vincenzo leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table as he looked between the two of us. "Speaking of making things official, have you two figured out a date for the wedding yet, or are we planning on waiting until we're all retired?"

I let out an immediate, heavy groan, dropping my fork onto my plate. "Dad please, you guys decide on it."

"It needs to happen before the end of the quarter," Vincenzo countered smoothly, refusing to back down. "The alliance needs to be locked in on paper before the winter shipping contracts drop."

Dario glanced over at me, watching my reaction for a second before looking back at his father. "Two weeks out. That gives us enough time to get the invitations sorted and clear the calendar." Dario said.

I stared at him for a second, then let out a slow breath, realizing arguing about it would just drag out the conversation. "Fine. Two weeks. But I'm picking the venue, and I don't want a circus."

"Two weeks works," my dad said, tapping his finger against the table once in agreement. "It keeps the pressure on and sends a clear message. Nobody's going to mess with a joint operation that's already putting rings on it."

Grandmother nodded approvingly, taking a sip of her wine. "Good. A quick wedding cuts out half the pointless drama anyway. Now eat your dinner before it gets cold." She said.

The rest of the meal passed easily, the tension of the city and the docks melting away into familiar family banter. Sitting there between my dad, Uncle Pascal, Elena, Vincenzo, Dario, Bianca, and Ella the heavy reality of where I came from didn't feel like a trap anymore. It felt like an empire we were building from the ground up, and by the time two weeks were up, nobody especially Nysa and Caroline would dare challenge us.

The plates were cleared away, and the house slowly quieted down as everyone headed off to their rooms for the night. Walking back down the quiet hallway, I kicked off my shoes the second I stepped inside my room, pulling my hair out of its tight band and letting out a long breath. The day had been long, moving from the industrial docks to family dinner, and my bed looked like the best place on earth. I changed into a simple cotton tee and sweatpants, sliding under the heavy blankets and turning off the bedside lamp. The room went pitch black, cool air drifting in from the cracked window.

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