Forbidden Affair with My Mafia Stepbrother R18-Chapter 144: Lost Opportunity

That night, when I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling in the dark, my phone suddenly buzzed on the nightstand as its screen lit up. My heart jumped because I knew exactly who it was even before I reached my hand for my phone. The message was a harsh reminder from Rosabella.

’Tick tock, tick tock. Four days left, my dear Abigail. Will you tell your mother, or shall I do it myself?’

A shiver ran through me before an ugly cry escaped my lips. I flung my phone onto the bed and curled up under the blankets as my stomach twisted so badly I thought that I might become sick.

Four days. It felt like my world was about to come to an end.

I had made up my mind because I didn’t have any other choice but to tell my mother. I kept telling myself that sooner was better than later. Now that my time with Raphael was running out, I wanted to enjoy every moment with him. Every second became even dearer than before-and unbearably sweeter.

I convinced myself that if I were to tell my mother, perhaps Rosabella could help us control the extent of the damage so that Raphael would not be impacted. I wasn’t sure about many things, but I knew that Rosabella loved Raphael as well and that she wouldn’t do anything to hurt him or his relationship with his father. If I didn’t go through with Rosabella’s plan, I wouldn’t just be destroying myself, but I would be destroying him too.

Time was running out.

...

The next morning, it took all of my effort to crawl out of bed. My mind felt clearer than before, and I gave myself no excuse to postpone what I had to do. I went through my morning routine quickly before heading out to find my mother in the mansion. I suspected that I could find her in the living room, and then all I had to do was ask to speak to her in private. The sooner I got this over with before I lost my nerve, the better.

My mother was sitting leisurely on the sofa, seemingly reading something on her phone.

"Good morning," she said in a sweet voice when she spotted me entering the room.

"Good morning," I greeted her casually. My mother probably never suspected how nervous I felt under the calm demeanor that I tried to put on.

"What are you reading?" I asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

"Just some skincare tips that this influencer swears by," my mother replied before rolling her eyes upward.

I laughed along with her for a moment before collecting myself and zoning in on my real goal.

"Actually, I have something that I want to tell you. Can we have a little chat in private?" I asked invitingly.

My mother gave me a funny look as if she wasn’t sure what to expect, and I couldn’t blame her for it. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for her response. This was the moment, I told myself. There was no more delaying it-now was the time. Now or never.

"Of course," my mother replied.

Just as she stood up from her seat, Bennett suddenly entered the room. He looked slightly flustered and somewhat excited.

"I forgot about this gala event that I need to attend this evening. Did I tell you about it?" Bennett asked my mother suddenly.

"I don’t think that you did," my mother replied with a slightly confused look on her face.

"I really don’t want to go, but business calls. We all have to be there-Raphael included. Abigail, you should come with us. It’s better for our entire family to be there," Bennett said as he turned his attention to me.

"Oh wow! You look so excited. Why do I get the feeling that this is supposed to be a big thing?" my mother said.

"This charity event is supposed to be somewhat of a big thing. Our company has been supporting this cause, and it’s best that we all show up. It’s going to impact the credibility of our business and also how seriously our company is contributing to CSR," he explained.

"I guess if it’s this evening, that means that we still have time. Do we need to prepare something special? Like, is there a dress code or something else that I should be aware of?" my mother asked, sounding slightly overwhelmed.

"It would be better to dress up a little for this event. Why don’t we all go out to get new outfits? I’m sure that you and Abigail can use new dresses," he suggested with a playful wink.

While all of this was going on, all I could think about was the fact that this was such bad timing. I was just about to take my mother to a private room where we could have a private conversation so that I could tell her the truth. But then Bennett had to turn up, and with all the talk of the upcoming gala, my mother’s attention had clearly been redirected elsewhere.

"I’m sure that we can wear a dress that we already have. We got so many dresses last time; I’m sure that we can find one that suits the occasion," I quickly jumped in.

"I don’t want you recycling any dresses. Let’s turn up in something new and fashionable. Our photo is going to be featured in many magazines and across multiple media outlets, that’s for sure," Bennett said firmly.

"We’ll do as you say, honey," my mother quickly agreed.

Just like that, I lost the opportunity to talk to my mother. Bennett was with us the rest of the day, and before I knew it, we were already on our way to the gala in the evening.

...

"Raphael, make sure to escort Abigail well," Bennett instructed.

"I will," he replied shortly.

And that was how I ended up dressed in a pale blue gown, my hands slightly trembling as Raphael helped me out of the car. We entered into a glittering hall with chandeliers sparkling above us.