The Royal Contract

Chapter 831

Chapter 831: Eternal love

Everything looked amazing, from the chandeliers hanging down the ceilings to the elegant colored curtains hanging on the walls and the splendid mini orchestra playing in the background.

Laura believed her daughter and her husband, with their friends, had outdone her and her late husband in preparing this Annual event. She could not be prouder of what her daughter had done.

She was also sure her husband would be proud of her for taking his place as the new hostess of this Annual Charity Event that her father started decades ago. A tradition that she promised to continue in memory of her father’s memory.

“Do you like it?” Someone sneaked behind her back, hugging her while resting her chin on her shoulders. She was slightly startled, but she recognized her voice immediately. “Do you think I did a good job?” Her daughter asked, but she could hear a bit of doubt in her voice.

She could not blame Dani for her fear. It was only natural since it was her first time. But seeing what her daughter had accomplished in her debut, she could only imagine what else she could do in the future.

She remembered last year, the last time she did this with Ethan. She believed she was shaking with anxiousness, wondering if she had done anything wrong. To think she had been doing this for decades.

But for her daughter to do this for the first time at this level, she could only clap her hands and sing her praises. She believed her daughter should be proud that she had successfully pulled off an event of this magnitude.

.....

She took her hand that was dangling before her and kissed her knuckles. “You did a marvelous job, my Princess.” Her eyes roamed again around the room, inspecting every crook and cranny of the place.

Honestly, she could not find anything that would not satisfy her fancy. She was a terrible critic because she loved perfection in everything she did.

She only wanted the best because she only wanted to give her best for her husband, who had always given her more than his hundred percent. She loved it when Ethan would praise her final work. It made all her effort more valuable and worth her while.

“You know you should stop calling me that. I am already a full-grown woman.” Dani interrupted her thought, bringing her back to the present.

She looked at her daughter with her stunning gown and could not agree with her more. She had grown up to be a fine young woman, a respectable lawyer, and now the leader of his father’s empire.

Soon, she would dominate this industry with her husband, running it just like her father. But still, it would not stop her from treating her like her little Princess. Nevertheless, something else could change her mind.

“I will only stop calling you my Princess once you give me a grandchild that I can call my new Princess or Prince.” Laura countered, spoking what her heart most desired. “Please, do it soon because I am old and tired of waiting.” She pleaded with her eyes.

She might have lost her husband, but, in the meantime, she was looking forward to meeting her future grandchildren. Losing someone did not always mean the end of the world. That life should stop existing.

She just had to refocus her energy on something else until the time came that she would be reunited with him again. There was no rush, just anticipation. But she believed it would be one happy reunion.

“You are not yet old, Mom, and you are not even sick. So, you can still wait.” Dani also teased her.

She faced her daughter and tended a soft kiss on her cheeks. She certainly missed her company, but she knew her daughter was now a busy woman. She could not hug her time.

“Where are Alex and your friends? I also want to congratulate them for doing a great job.” Her eyes scanned the room, finding Alex walking toward them.

Looking at his son-in-law, with his dashing and genuine smile, she suddenly remembered the first time she saw him with her daughter. She always knew that he was the one for her. She had seen it in his eyes, how much she loved her. And she was right.

“Hello, Laura. I hope you are having a great time.” Alex greeted her, hugging her before planting a kiss on her forehead. “You look stunning as always. Are you ready for the party of the year?”

“You look quite a debonair yourself, Alex.” She appraised him from head to toe while he paraded his tux before her. “Well, you should watch this one. Many would surely be eyeing him tonight.”

She playfully bantered with Dani and Alex, enjoying the youthful conversation she had as the other organizers joined them as they waited for the official start of the celebration.

“Don’t you think this party will be better with children running around?” She turned to Alex, who had a naughty glint in his eyes. Well, she knew he got her message, loud and clear.

“Mom, they will come when it is time. Stop pressuring Jacky and Marcus.” Dani was good, placing the spotlight on her friends.

“First, we had to get married before talking about babies.” Jacky countered. “And stop pointing fingers.” Jacky turned to her daughter.

Everybody was laughing, and that was all that mattered.

She knew that her daughter had many surprises stored for the event. She could not wait for its revelations. She had asked her about it, but she was tightlipped about some. Although, she did share a few where she would be participating.

“We still believed that you could have outdone us if you had arranged this celebration. You are still the best in organizing big events like this.” Jacky interjected, praising her for all her past works.

Having no job and staying at home had given her the luxury of time. Organizing for birthdays, anniversaries, and other celebrations had become a passion for her.

“Well, I appreciate the praises, but I will soon have to pass the crown to you guys. I think all of you are doing a great job of following in my footsteps.” Her hands waved in the air, pointing to the beautiful ballroom around her.

She could already picture the hundreds of people filling this room, in awe just like her. For the first time after all those years of attending this event, she would be like them, not the host but just a spectator, a guest in this glorious gathering.

“We have to go, Laura. But we will be seeing more of you later.” One by one, they left her as they attended to their obligations to this party.

She could only wish them good luck because it would be a long night for all of them. Handling a crowd this size would not be a piece of cake. But she was glad that her daughter had people to support her.

“I love you, Mom. I did all this for you and Dad.” Dani hugged her again, whispering in her ears.

She believed she did, and she loved her more for it.

“I know. I love you too, my Princess.” She stepped away from her daughter before they started crying, seeing the tears forming in her daughter’s eyes. “Now, make this party a night to remember.” Pushing her daughter away to go with her husband.

It was time to cut the string and let her daughter soar to greatness. She and her late husband had done their job. Now it was her turn to create her new legacy.

“You look lovely, Laura.” She turned around and found some old friends who were early to the event. She guessed it was time to entertain their guests. Well, it was her honor to be part of this celebration.

“You also looked lovely, my friend. And thank you for joining us today.” She began, hugging her friend and ushering her and her companion to a nearby table where they could talk much better.

“You know we will never miss this event. We will continue to support your daughter.” Her guest tapped her hand as concern covered her friend’s face. “But we all miss him.”

She knew some of them would not understand how painful it was to lose a loving husband and a great partner, but it was the hardest thing she had to face throughout her life.

But Ethan would never like her to mourn for him. He would rather see her celebrate life because she was still here with their daughter. She could still create memories with her and their future grandchildren.

“Yes, we all miss him.” She genuinely smiled at her friends, showing them that it might be difficult. But she would survive this. She would live for him.

Her eyes automatically searched the room for his presence. She did this every time someone mentioned his name in a conversation. However, she knew she would not find him anywhere.

She recalled in the past that she never had to search long when looking for him. Her eyes could easily spot him in the crowd, and her ears could recognize his voice in the short distance, either talking or joking with their guests.

Ethan was a presence that was hard to miss, not because he was a big man but because everyone loved him. But tonight, her eyes would not see him, neither her ears hear him speak or laugh again.

But her heart would continue to sense his presence. He would always be here with them. She might not be able to touch him physically, but her body could feel him in the air. His voice would float in the wind, whispering in her ears.

So, she would smile because she knew he was smiling with her. She would enjoy this night because someday, she would be telling him all about this magical night that her daughter prepared, honoring his life.

It might all sound crazy, but her heart begged to disagree. For her, this was what eternal love was all about.