A Shotgun Wedding with the Mafia Don-Chapter 34: A real, happy family

"Despite what the tabloids said about them, Sir Max and Madam Dianne are the nicest people I know." Maria proudly said, not just blindly loyal but clearly an admirer of the couple.

"Their kids are very kind and generous, too, especially our Don, Oliver." Maria obviously adored the Morton kids as she sang them with high praise. "I remember when my family was in crisis, Oliver never had a second thought of helping us."

The Oliver she knew was exactly what Maria had described.

However, the Oliver that she married was not. As far as she was concerned, her husband might look like a saint, but he was the devil himself.

"I’m just curious, but what’s the deal with..." But before she could finish her inquisition, Dianna appeared unexpectedly by the door.

"What’s with the flour and all this? Can I help?" Dianna pointed to the counter, which was filled with her raw ingredients. "What do you want me to do?" Her mother-in-law offered, giving her an overly enthusiastic smile, as she joined them in the kitchen.

"Me, too." Even Oliver’s sister, Marianne, chirped in as she followed closely behind her mother.

Frankly, after what happened between her and Oliver, she thought his entire family would be like his father. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

His mother would be a snobbish socialite, while his siblings would be spoiled snots who used bullying as sports.

Surprisingly, she was wrong as she had gotten to know Dianne and Marianne.

"Oh, I’m just baking some homemade cookies." She said, finding it awkward to accept their help.

It was a simple family recipe that was passed down through generations. Her grandmother taught her mother, and then to her.

"Well then, we’ll just have to make cookies for everyone," Dianna announced, pointing to Maria to start getting all the ingredients from the pantry.

For more than an hour, they had worked on several batches of cookies, but she made sure to make the last batch extra special.

It was for Caleb.

"This is absolutely amazing." Oliver’s sister said as she munched another mouthful of the soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies that were cooling on the rack.

"Oh, what’s happening here?" Then, another voice interrupted them. "Oh, I love chocolate chips." He announced, striding toward them or at the cookies, grabbing one in each hand.

It was Oliver’s brother, Benjie, followed by Maximus. But the older gentleman remained silent, keeping his thoughts to himself, as he greeted his wife with a kiss.

"Damn, that’s fucking delicious." Shoving one cookie after another into his mouth.

"Benjie, watch your language." Maximus smacked his son on the head, reminding him to mind his foul mouth in front of his grandson.

"Sorry!" He immediately covered his full mouth. "But seriously, Dad, you have to try this." Handing his father a piece.

"Hey, save some for me," Caleb shouted as he marched toward the table and then mimicked his uncle, taking one mouthful after another.

"Easy there. sweetheart. There is plenty for everyone." She patted the boy on the head, afraid that he might choke on the delicious treat.

"Am I missing something? What’s all this fuss?" Finally, his familiar condescending tone echoed in the spacious kitchen.

But honestly, she felt his presence even before she heard his voice. His footsteps alone, most specifically, the way his shoes clicked on the floor, were a dead giveaway.

"Dad, you’re finally here," Caleb shouted, and then he rushed to his father’s side, jumping instantly into his arms. "Dad, you should try Mom’s chocolate chip cookies." The young boy shoved a piece into his father’s mouth out of excitement.

"Aren’t Mom’s cookies the best?" Caleb asked while Oliver chewed the sweet confection.

"Mmm!" Oliver mumbled, sounding as if he truly liked it.

Nevertheless, something in his expression made her uneasy. It was as if he were trying to solve a puzzle. Then, his gaze turned from the batch of cookies on the counter to her as if his mind was trying to connect the dots.

Damn! How could she forget such an important detail?

Oliver had always loved those cookies when she and her mother baked for him.

Quickly, she looked away, pretending to be busy finishing the last batches of cookies on her tray.

But her mind was already working overtime, wondering if he had finally discovered her secret.

"It’s delicious," Oliver said after swallowing the cookies in his mouth. "...but I had better." The way he said that last phrase felt like he was saying it directly to her face.

Even though curious, she never dared to look his way, afraid that he would see through her lie.

"Stop being a dumbass, Oliver." His sister said. "Just admit it, you really like her..." She teased her brother. "Okay, okay, I mean the cookies." She corrected, lifting her arms in the air, when his brother looked at her threateningly.

"But honestly, Ms. Sophia, I think this is the first time that the entire Morton family assembled in the kitchen like this. It’s very nice." Maria whispered beside her.

Really?

"And it’s all because of you." The cook continued. "Although my words don’t mean much, I think you’re good for this family."

Seeing the bright smiles on their faces and hearing their laughter, she had to admit, she liked it.

After years of being alone, it finally felt like she belonged to a real, happy family.

"Come on, Amelia." She couldn’t fall for this lie. Because at the end of the day, this would all end.

"I am not here to become one of them." She silently reminded herself. "I am here to ruin the Morton name."

"I think we could all enjoy these cookies with a delicious lemonade while cooling by the pool," Marianned suggested, taking some of the cookies with her.

"Yeah!" Caleb agreed excitedly. "Come on, Mom, let’s swim."

After finishing all the cookies and drinks, she also went into her room to change into her swimsuit. This time, she was not embarrassed to flaunt her sexy figure, unlike before.

A few minutes later, except for Oliver and his father, everyone assembled around the Olympic-sized pool, with a kiddie slide and various extravagant amenities.

Caleb jumped immediately into the water, followed closely by Benjie.

While she and her in-laws lounge on the chairs under the large umbrella, away from the slightly scorching sun.

"Where did your father and your brother go?" Dianne asked Marianne when the two didn’t show up.

"You know those two..." Marianne answered with an open-ended statement.

"You need to control your husband when it comes to his work, or else you’ll be competing with the business for his attention," Dianne told her as she started giving her marital advice.

If only this marriage were real, she might actually listen to her mother-in-law’s piece of advice.

"I don’t think I can easily tame Oliver." She jokingly said. "But I would certainly like to try."

Thinking about last night, she suddenly wondered where her husband had been.

Was her husband out all night because of business?

Or did he sleep in someone else’s bed with some woman?

"Oh, what’s happening here? Is there a party?" A quite familiar face appeared before her, standing just a few feet from her position.

"And who’s this?" The woman looked at her from head to toe, as if sizing her up.

"Sophia... Sophia Morton."