Chapter 27(part 2)

HAZEL'S POV~



"Okay," I nodded deciding to leave the conversation at that. I watched as he opened the door of the room but paused to stare at me.
"Anyway, nice tattoo back there. Although a much clearer view would be appreciated next time," with that he walked out leaving me a blushing mess. I stood there stunned for some time until Byron came to inform me that breakfast was served. I followed him through the large hallways until we came to a huge dining room. Everyone was already seated but they weren't eating I'm guessing it was because they were waiting for me.
"Come, Hazel, come and sit down beside me," Nikolai greeted waving me over. I took a sit on the open chair beside him which was also close to Matteo. I saw him smirk when my hand accidentally brushed his.
"Is this the woman you told me about?" An older-looking woman asked from the other side of the table, her eyes scanning me in distaste. She had glassy green eyes and Chestnut colored hair. I felt she was beautiful and didn't need all that makeup she wore. Her face was covered that I could barely make out her true complexion.
"I was expecting someone more classy, maybe someone with a bit of fashion sense but she will do. That's only if she has the brains to understand the training," I didn't like the way she sounded one bit but I chose to keep quiet for now since I didn't even know who she is to them.
"Tesoro, you have to take it easy on her. She's new to this," Nikolai groaned turning to her before he smiled warmly at me "Sorry about her, she has her way with words but allow me to introduce you to my wife Matteo's mother, Valerie," I nodded in understanding trying to appear unaffected.
"Stepmother," Matteo corrected almost immediately from beside me. The whole room fell into complete silence except for the sounds that were coming from Dimitri who was already eating. I wonder what he was still doing here, doesn't he have a home to return to?
"Matteo," Nikolai warned glancing at Matteo who only shrugged his shoulders.
"What? It's not like I told a lie or anything, she's not my real mother now is she?"
"Okay, okay, let's eat remember we have a guest" Mikhail smiled from the other side of Matteo trying to lighten up the mood. I sent him a grateful smile before picking up the spoon that lay beside the dish in front of me.
"So Hazel right?" The woman started and I nodded swallowing the food in my mouth "How did you fall for my grumpy son over there? Because nothing was appealing about him aside from that fancy face and oh the number of zeros in his account," I knew she wasn't being friendly at all.
Not only was she insulting me by insinuating that I am a gold digger, but she was also indirectly calling Matteo useless.
I felt his breath heavily beside me so I took his hand on mine under the table squeezing it tightly. His face didn't give off any emotion but I knew he appreciated the effort because of the way he held it back tightly, he gave me a small smile before turning back.
"I don't think you understand what's going on here," I said smiling at her. "Matteo is the one pinning over me not the other way round, who wouldn't fall for such a pretty face and multiple zeros? That's asides from his great performance in bed," from the corner of my eye I saw Mikhail choke on the food in his mouth, he wheezed out trying to control his laughter.
"Come to think of it, I feel we both have that in common, you know," I smirked.
"Good-looking men with fat accounts. Don't you think so?" I gestured to her and Nikolai who I noticed was smiling behind the rim of his glass. She didn't say anything only going back to her food, I watched as Coda, her son and Matteo's stepbrother who sat beside her pour some juice into her empty glass. Yeah, she needs to cool off from all that bad energy she was giving off.
"Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Hazel Woods soon to be Mrs. Castello," I was addressing everyone in the room now even the maids had stopped whatever they were doing to listen. "I hope you all treat me with respect especially as I will get married to this pretty face over here," I said caressing Matteo's cheeks. Whose face was emotionless the whole time asides from the cheeky glint in his eyes. He immediately shifted the chair back getting up and dragging me along with him.
"Excuse us," he announced not waiting for a reply. I tried keeping up with his fast strides not saying a word until we came to a stop somewhere unfamiliar.
"Where's this..." I didn't get to finish my words before he slammed his lips against mine stealing my breath for the third time. He pushed me to the wall as we made out uncontrollably, my hands running through his hair while he pulled me closer.
"You are so fucking gorgeously stubborn it hurts," he voiced out between kisses. He slipped his tongue into mine deepening the kiss. I don't know how long we stayed there but we were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throats. We pulled away to see a frowning Dimitri and a smiley face Mikhail looking at the both of us.
"You gotta be kidding me," Matteo groaned, resting his head on my shoulder before leaning back. "What is it?"
"As much as I would love to unsee what I had just seen earlier, I need to talk to you," Dimitri stated unamused his face twisting in disgust like he had been caught doing something unholy or something. I mean we were only kissing weren't we? Why did he have to make it sound as if we were eating raw meatballs or something?
"Can't it wait?" Matteo tried protesting but stopped when he saw the serious expression on Dimitri's face. Meaning whatever he wanted to say was important. I watched him walk off with Dimitri following closely behind him. He turned and gave me a look that held so many promises of later before he disappeared from the hall.
"So I guess you guys are more than okay?" Mikhail asked with a childish glint smirking at me.
"Mind your business!" I scoffed turning away from him.
"Yeah I will mind my business and not tell you that you need to clean up," he said waving a hand in front of his face before pointing at me "your face".