Enraptured

Chapter 36

"Are you feeling better now, Theo?" A hand smoothed over his head, eliciting a soft hum from the said boy. "You know that she didn't mean you any harm, right? She was just very happy to meet you."

Theo let out a clearly disgruntled but incoherent muttering before turning his head away from his mother.

Belle sighed and continued to calmly stroke his head. "Cheer up, honey. I don't like seeing you upset."

She really was such a good mother, even if she was a bit too nice for her own good at times. She always listened to Theo's side of things and tried to understand him before saying anything.

Trying to take his mind off my mother's overly friendly and nearly deadly display of affection toward her first grandchild, I lightly nudged Theo's cheeks and offered, "If you want, I can tell my mother to not bother you because you want want to stay by Belle's side tonight. She can be a bit overbearing at times, but she'll still at least respect your wishes."

He looked up at me hesitantly before glancing at the partition separating us from the driver and then up at Belle before diverting his eyes again. "It's not that I hate Mrs. Nikolaos... I'm just not used to people being so unconditionally loving..."

I nodded understandingly and hummed, "I'll at least tell her to give you some room until you're ready then."

Theo nodded quietly as he wrapped his arms back around Ms. Belle, "And I was going to stay glued to Ms. Belle without you telling me."

"Ah, you noticed." I chuckled lightly. He was honestly just too clever and observant. I explained, "I would've stayed by Belle's side for the entirety of the night if it were up to me, but I'm sure that many of my investors and competitors will be trying to pull me aside. I don't want to leave her alone, so the next best thing is to make sure the two of you don't get separated from each other."

Belle looked up at me worriedly, "Why would people try something? It's an event you are personally hosting. Wouldn't they expect you to be on high alert already?"

I engulfed her trembling hands into my own warm hands and reassured her, "I already have my best guards assigned to the two of you for tonight, following you from the shadows, but I still worry because you two are too important for me to be careless. I would like to believe that people would know better than to try anything, but this is the first time I am introducing anyone as my partner. People will see you as my weakness and try to hurt me through you. I just don't want anything to happen to you, okay?"

She nodded shakily and reflexively squeezed my hands for reassurance.

Noting his mother's wary expression, Theo piped up, "I'll won't let anything happen to Ms. Belle, and even if something does happen, Mr. Nikolaos will come to save us like always, right?"

"Honey... we can't always burden him like—"

"Arabelle." I firmly refuted, "I told you this last night and so many other times before, but you and Theo would never be a burden to me. If anything, all of this power of mine is only useful when I can use it to protect the two of you. It would've been a worthless power otherwise."

As the car slowed to a stop, the side door opened up the venue's entrance, revealing the paparazzi line waiting for us to step out.

I turned toward Belle and pressed a soft kiss against the side of her temple. "You're already strong enough the way you are, so feel free to lean on me whenever you need me because I am here to fill in the your gaps when you need it."

She nodded timidly and gave a reassuring squeeze to my fingers.

Without another word, I stepped out of the car and nodded at my driver, who was holding the door open. Ignoring all the camera flashes, I turned back around and stepped aside, letting Theo hop out of the car and wait next to my side.