The Royal Contract

"Dani, come on, join us. We are going to the beach." Jacky called to her as soon as she saw her walked into the house with Alex at her side.

"I'll just change and will follow you soon." She replied to her friend, accompanied by Lance.

She wondered what was happening with Marcus. She noticed that he was a bit silent earlier. Her spider-sense was telling her that something was not right. But she still could not figure out what was the deal between Marcus and Jacky.

She was so preoccupied with her issues that she rarely had a chance to talk to Jacky. She got herself thinking if Jacky was using Lance to make Marcus jealous or she was genuinely working on moving on as far away from Marcus as possible.

"Ok. Don't take too long," Jacky shouted back at her as she continued to walk towards the exit, giving her a wink and a wave before she was out of sight.

"Ok." She answered back, but she doubted if Jacky ever heard her response as she continued to walk away with Lance. She just hoped that Jacky knew what she was doing, and she did not end up more hurt.

"Let's go see our parents first before we changed into my room," Alex told her, guiding her to the receiving room where their parents were having some tea time.

He knew that her mother would never approve that he changed his plans to join them in the house, but he knew that it would be better to keep their distance from their family until they sorted out what was happening between them.

He never wanted any other woman as he craved Dani's attention. He wanted her by his side at all times. He felt she belonged with him. However, he was not sure if Dani felt the same way with him. 

"That's a good idea." She agreed with him. 

She did not want her mother to worry about her, especially after being sick these last few days. But she was glad that Alex decided to move them into the villa. It would give her the space she needed to figure out if she was ready to accept Alex into her life.

"Good morning, Dad." She greeted her dad, who was the first one to see them when they entered the room.

"Good morning, Princess. I trust that you had a good flight." Her dad raised one of his brows, indicating that it was a question.

"Yes, it was. Alex is a good pilot, Dad. You did not need to worry." She assured him. She figured that her dad had heard about Alex's stunt of flying the helicopter. 

"I'm sure that Alex will never put our daughter's life in danger." Laura intervened in the conversation, not wanting her husband to make a big deal out of it. Besides, she liked Alex for their daughter.

"I assure you that my son had learned from the best. He could even fly a fighter jet if needed." Fred spoke up, proud of his son's capabilities.

"Well, enough about me. I hope everyone is enjoying the day so far." Alex directed his statement to his mother and Dani's mom. He wanted the attention out of him.

"I think this is the best vacation I have had so far," Laura spoke up, smiling happily at Alex.

She was glad that they took this vacation. It had been a long time since they were together with their Dani, even if just for a few moments. She was also happy to see that their daughter looked so happy and in love. She could only hope that Alex would be able to make her happy when they were finally married.

"Well, I hope you won't mind if we make our excuses. We like to hit the beach and get some tan." Alex told both of their parents, dragging Dani away from the room.

"You owe me one," Alex whispered when they were out of their parents' earshot.

"No, I don't." She looked at him, wondering if he was joking. When he smiled at her, she could not help but smile too. "Ok, fine." She finally conceded that she was glad to be out of her parent's sight.

"I will collect my payment later." He led her to the second floor on the far side of the house. When he opened the door, he allowed her to enter first. "This has been my room since we started coming here." He told her.

"This is a nice room. Too girlish for my taste, but it suits you." She teased him. But she wondered why the room did not look like a bachelor's pad.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. That's very funny. My mom decorated the place. I don't have the heart to change it. Besides, I was rarely here." He explained why the decorations were a bit feminine.

"I was joking, but I like it. It looks comfortable and relaxing. I could sleep easily in this room." She walked further inside the room and came closer to the window.

Looking outside, she could easily see the quaint garden. It was a very majestic view to look at from their angle. She would never mind staying in this room, she thought. It was a beautiful room.

"This is my favorite part of the house. You have the view of the garden and the ocean on the other side." He walked to the double doors on the other side and opened them to a balcony.

He waved his hands to follow him outside so that he could show her the magnificent view of the beach and the ocean.

"It does look beautiful here." She said as she stood beside him, looking onto the vast ocean that spread before them.

She continued to gaze at her surrounding, feasting her eyes to the color of nature. Enjoying the morning breeze at it blew on her face. She wanted to take advantage of this moment. Because once she was back in the city, she would never feel this again.

"Nothing is as beautiful as you." She did not realize that he was already standing very close beside her. But instead of looking at the ocean, his gaze fixed on her. 

She was more beautiful than anything he had ever seen. If only he could have her, he would never want anything else.