Chapter 31. Meeting

**31. Meeting**
***RAFAEL'S POV:***
She looked beautiful, yet simple. Dressed in jeans and a tank top, her fresh face exuded a sense of relief that made all the difference. It was evident she was content in her own skin, and her minimal makeup only enhanced the natural glow of her skin.
"Let's go," she said, smiling for the first time. My heart started pounding rapidly inside my chest. I was well aware she had the potential to be my undoing—not in a lethal sense, but a genuine threat to my carefully guarded emotions. What am I talking to myself about? I mentally smacked myself to break out of the trance I was in.
"Let's go," I said, motioning for her to follow me.
I warned Bryan and Eva not to cross our paths. I want to be alone with her so she can get more comfortable with me. That is my life objective right now: to make her feel at home in my arms. Maybe she's feeling strange this time seeing the path we took because the last time she did it, she was blindfolded.
"Stay right here," I told her, and she nodded.
I went to the garage and took my child out. Despite the fact that I have a large collection of cars, I exclusively drive my black BMW Z4 or my black Porsche, which Eva had set ablaze. I drove it out of the garage and went to open the door for Astrid. When Astrid was comfortable in her seat, I began driving.
"Ummm...." She began, but stopped without saying anything and began fumbling with her hands.
"Would you like to tell me something?" I asked, encouraging her.
"Yes... Umm, you have a great car," she responded. I think that this was not all she wanted to say.
"Thank you, and..." I prompted her to continue.
"I... I'm suffocating; could you... please open the roof?" she requested.
Oh, that was only a small thing, and she is nervous about it. As I pressed the button, the roof began to retract. "Is it better now?" I asked.
"Yeah, thank you," she replied.
"Astrid, I've told you many times that you can say whatever you want when you're with me, and from now on you can open the roof yourself and I won't mind," I informed her.
I wanted her to become comfortable with me and tell me anything and everything she had on her mind, and she should understand and believe that I would not do anything she did not agree with.
When we arrived at my office, I began walking in front of her, and she quickly followed.
Upon reaching my office, I walked ahead, and she followed. I could sense her hesitation as we approached the doorway.
"What happened?" I asked as she paused. "Just a second." She excused herself, took a deep breath, and refocused. "Yes, I am ready," she stated.
I fidgeted with my hands, debating whether or not to take the next step, but chose to follow my emotions. Taking her hands in mine, I reassured her, "Trust me, everything will be well; I expect you to stay relieved and worry-free."
I could feel her anxiousness, and I could tell that everything was incredibly stressful for her, but even so, I was glad that she chose to stand by my side.
I turned around, walking with Astrid holding one hand while the other rested in my pocket. Resuming my stern demeanor, we strolled inside together.
Upon opening the door, all eyes at the table were fixed on us. Astrid tightened my fist, my thumb soothingly stroking circles.
I made my way to the far end of the table and took a seat, which forced Astrid to sit directly next to me. "Hello, everyone," I greeted, and peculiar stares met me. I know it's unusual for them to see me all perked up; it's natural for them to see me with a stern expression.
I'm curious how they'd react if they saw Astrid and me alone and the way I behave in front of her. I see that I am a completely different person when I am with her, and these individuals are used to seeing me yelling and giving orders to everyone.
"Good morning, Mr. Delmar," they all said in unison, rising to show their respect.
"Please take your seats; I have some things I should address with you all as soon as I can," I urged. They promptly sat, fixating their gaze on me, waiting for my announcement.
I took Astrid's hand in mine, drawing her closer. Her restrained posture betrayed the nervousness she was attempting to conceal.
"So, as I promised you all, I will put an end to my father's tyranny once I find my mate, and the time has come," I declared. Everyone fell silent and looked at me as if I had just made a joke.
"Please tell me you're not joking with me." Ace, Who is Bryan's assistant asked.
When I say Bryan's assistant, I mean it. They're both like 'Brother from Another Mother,' and they're both annoying to the core.
I shot him a menacing glare, silencing him. Erin, responsible for handling my legal matters in the human world and the one who manages my subjects' needs, approached Astrid. She clasped her hands in front of Astrid. I could see her eyes almost completely filled with tears.
"Thank you for coming into our lives," Astrid said proudly. Erin's gratitude, however, stemmed from the relief that my mood might improve. Erin isn't doing this because she admires me or because she is overjoyed that they have found their queen. Yes, it is present, but the source of her delight is something else.
"Thank you. At least we now have someone who can help us," Erin expressed, twirling in excitement. "Yay, I'm not going to die this soon." She exclaimed
Astrid passed me a puzzled look about Erin's cryptic statement. I shrugged and grinned. God knows what Bryan has been teaching everyone, but I'm sick of these brainless jerks in my life. My anger, simmering beneath the surface, erupted at the mere thoughts racing through my mind.
"Erin!" I bellowed, my fist clenched, ready to unleash my frustration. Erin trembled, terrified.
That's why most of them are terrified of me and haven't spoken out yet since they know I lose my sh*t very easily and my rage has no boundaries, which is unusual for me and only happens at certain times of the month. But what I'm experiencing right now has gotten the best of me. That's why all twenty individuals in this room think I have mood swings, but it's out of my control. Its a sudden thing, and I can't even explain how I feel right now. I was so enraged that I forgot I had Astrid with me.
Astrid observed that I was shivering from rage. "Hey, she was only joking." She tried to save Erin, but her words did not reach my ears.
"R... Raf... Rafael" I heard her shout my name and tightly grip my hand, and hearing her call my name did something inside of me that caused me to get out of the frenzy I'd gotten myself into.
"What happened to you, Rafael?" she asked meekly in my ears.
I shook my head once more and turned to face Astrid, but she gasped and backed away.
Shit! I was successful in ruining things that were running smoothly for me. 'Good Rafael that was quite an impression in front of your mate'
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