[BL] A Marriage Ruled by Family, Saved by Desire-Chapter 97: The Wedding Is Finally Coming

~Alistair’s POV~

As the car pulled up in front of the house, Alex rushed outside.

He walked straight to my side, his eyes searching my face.

"What happened?" he asked quickly. "Are you okay?"

"I’m fine, Alex," I said, but he wasn’t really listening.

He didn’t even spare his mother a glance as he took my hand and led me straight into the house.

He didn’t slow down until we reached our bedroom, only stopping when the door was closed behind us, shutting the rest of the world out.

The second the door clicked shut, the questions came one after another.

"What did she say to you? Did she threaten you? Did she say something bad? Did she try to make you promise to leave?" Alex didn’t even give me a second to breathe. He kept firing questions, one after another, his hands gripping my shoulders as if he were checking me for invisible wounds. "Did she tell you I’m better off without you? Did she—"

"Alex!" I finally cut him off, placing my hands over his. "Can you just let me speak first?"

He stopped, his chest heaving, a look of pure desperation in his eyes. "I’m sorry, baby. I’m just... I need to know what she said. I’ve been sitting here imagining the worst for the last two hours."

"Calm down," I said softly, pulling him toward the bed so we could sit.

Once we settled, I looked at him and spoke gently.

"Nothing went wrong. Everything actually went fine. We went shopping for things for the house... and that was it."

"No, I don’t believe it," Alex snapped, standing back up and pacing. "I don’t believe it was just about shopping. What did she say to you when the two of you were alone? Please, Alis, tell me the truth. Don’t let her words get in your head. I don’t want to wake up tomorrow and find you gone because she convinced you to leave. Tell me, please!"

Seeing the raw fear in his voice, I realized I couldn’t keep the details from him. I pulled him back down and held his hand.

"She begged me, Alex," I said quietly.

Alex froze. "She what?"

"She begged me to take care of you. She told me how much she worries about you because you’re gentle and soft-hearted. She apologized for everything she did in the past, saying she was just a mother trying to look out for her child’s happiness. She told me that she gives us her blessing and that we should look after each other, no matter where we decide to live."

Alex stared at me, his mouth slightly open. "Are you sure? That’s all she said?"

"Yes, that’s all," I said, a smile tugging at my lips. I couldn’t help it; a laugh escaped me.

"What? What’s funny?" Alex asked, looking confused.

"I just remembered... while we were at the store, a young man tried to approach me."

Alex frowned. "What?"

"Wait," I said, trying not to smile. "That’s the same reaction your mom had."

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

I shook my head, laughing softly. "He barely said ’hello’ before your mother came out of nowhere. She chased him off like a hawk, telling him to stay away from her son-in-law."

Alex blinked, a look of pure shock crossing his face. "Seriously? My mother did that?"

"Seriously," I laughed, shaking my head. "I couldn’t believe it. She just looked at him and said, ’Leave my son-in-law alone.’ I was stunned."

Alex laughed. "Wow... that’s unbelievable. I hope she really meant everything she said in the car."

I looked at him. "Which part?"

He shook his head slightly. "All of it. Everything she said to you. Every promise she made... I just hope she means it."

We spent the rest of the afternoon joking and relaxing.

But as evening approached, a knock sounded on our door.

"Master Alis," the maid said politely, "Madam would like to see you."

Alex frowned and stood up to open the door. He looked at the maid, then asked,

"Why is she calling for him?"

The maid explained, "Madam wants to cook something special for the family, so she asked that Master Alis join her in the kitchen."

Alex frowned. "Why? We have plenty of staff. Why Alis?"

The maid shook her head. "I don’t know, sir. She only asked me to call him."

Alex sighed. "Alright. Tell her he’ll be there soon."

The maid nodded and left.

Alex closed the door and walked back into the room.

My heart immediately started to race.

"Alex," I said quickly, "what if your mother finds out I can’t cook? What is she going to say? You’ve spoiled me, you do everything for me. This is going to be a disaster." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

I ran my hand through my hair, already panicking.

"She’s going to think I’m a useless husband."

"Baby, calm down," Alex said, gently rubbing my arms. "It’s not like you can’t cook at all. You know the basics. Just do what you can."

"You know how she is," I panicked. "One mistake and she’ll have a reason to judge me again."

"I’ll follow you," Alex promised. "If she asks you to do something, I’ll be right there to help you or distract her. We’ll do it together."

"Okay, baby," I said quickly.

We walked down to the kitchen, but just as we reached the door, Alex’s father called out from the living room.

"Alex! Good, you’re here. Come here, please—I need your help with some estate documents. It’s urgent."

Alex looked at me, torn. He couldn’t say no to his father when it sounded that important. I gave him a shaky nod, telling him to go. I had to face this on my own.

When I stepped into the kitchen, Alex’s mother was already there, sleeves rolled up, alongside his sister. The atmosphere was busy, and I felt like a deer in headlights.

"Alis, good," Alex’s mother said, pointing to a station. "I want you to handle the seasoning and the reduction for the main dish."

I felt myself start to shake. Alex’s sister gave me an encouraging look, but the pressure was still there.

I took a deep breath.

If she had truly accepted me... then she had to accept the fact about me too.

"Mother," I said softly, stepping forward. "I need to be honest with you. I only know the basics when it comes to cooking. I’m not... very good at it. Alex usually handles the kitchen at home."

I braced myself for a sharp remark or a disappointed sigh. Instead, she paused and looked at me, her expression surprisingly calm.

"It’s okay," she said calmly. "If you don’t know how to do something, Alis, you learn. That’s how life works. If you can’t cook, then you learn."

I blinked, shocked by her lack of judgment.

"You should be able to cook for your husband," she continued, guiding my hand as she showed me how to hold the knife. "It doesn’t matter how many maids you have or how much money is in the bank. Sometimes, a husband just wants to eat something made by his partner."

She glanced at me briefly, then added,

"In my marriage, sometimes my husband cooks for me, and I cook for him. That’s how it should be. It keeps the marriage sweet. It’s an act of love."

She didn’t raise her voice or mock me. She was patient. "I want you to be attentive and active today. Watch what we do."

For the next hour, the kitchen was a place of teaching. Alex’s mother showed me how to prep the ingredients, while his sister stepped in to guide my hand when I was unsure. It was peaceful, a family working together toward a common goal. I wasn’t being tested; I was being included.

By the time Alex finished with his father and hurried into the kitchen, his face full of worry, he stopped dead in his tracks. He saw me expertly tossing vegetables in a pan under his mother’s watchful, nodding approval.

"Babe?" he said, a stunned laugh escaping him. "When did you learn to do that?"

I looked at him with a proud, playful smirk. "I had a very good teacher, baby."

His mother smiled at the exchange. Alex immediately reached for a towel, intending to step in and take over the heavy lifting, but his mother held up a hand to stop him.

"No, son," she said. "Allow him to do it. He’s a fast learner, so let him find him figure it out."

I glanced at Alex, feeling a new sense of confidence. "It’s okay, babe. Don’t help me. I really want to learn this."

Alex’s expression softened into a proud smile. He stepped back but stayed right beside me, watching with fascinated eyes as I worked through the rest of the meal.

When the food was finally ready and served, the dining room filled with the soft clinking of cutlery and quiet, appreciative murmurs.

Alex’s father took a bite, then smiled at his wife.

"Honey," he said, "this is delicious."

Alex’s mother smiled back. "Thank you, love."

Then he took another bite before turning his attention to me. He nodded slightly, a look of approval on his face.

"This food has something extra tonight," he said. "I think it’s because you joined in the kitchen, Alis."

I beamed, my heart swelling at the praise. That bit of encouragement was all I needed; it made me want to master every recipe so I could surprise Alex with his favorite meals back at our home.

We ended the evening in high spirits, eventually retreating to our rooms as the quiet of the night settled over the house.

The next morning, it was time for us to leave.

We said our goodbyes to his parents and his sister, carrying with us a sense of peace that hadn’t been there when we first arrived.

Then we got into the car and headed back home.

A few days later, the phone rang.

It was Alex’s mother, her voice crisp and full of excitement. The invitations were ready, and she said they would be delivered to us the next day.

"Alright, Mother," Alex and I said.

When the call ended, Alex turned to me, his eyes filled with emotion.

"The invitations are out, Alis," he said. "It’s finally happening... our wedding day is close."