The One

The Randale meet The Salvatore

While their parents basked in the hilarity of the situation, Karol and Sharon struggled to grasp the turn of events, their confusion evident. Jason shifted uncomfortably as Sharon distanced herself, leaving him baffled. Karol, in disbelief and frustration, paced the room, left and right in front of the fireplace.

Amidst their antics, William and Anna chuckled at the trio's reactions. Meanwhile, Jason's parents observed the unfolding chaos, ready to intervene if necessary.

Moments later, the bell rang, signalling someone at the front door. Jason moved to answer it, but upon seeing who stood there, he froze. Karol continued her pacing, and Sharon leaned against the wall, gazing at her parents with wide eyes.

As Jason stepped back, allowing the couple—around the same age as William and Anna—to enter, he trailed behind them. The newcomers promptly shared warm hugs with Karol and Sharon's parents.

Anna smiled as she clutched the woman's hands. "We thought you two would be late, but you've arrived just in time for the party!" she chuckled, as everyone took their seats, their children still rendered speechless and frozen in disbelief.

Karol halted mid-step, her heart racing as she turned to face the newcomers. "You?! You two!" she exclaimed, pointing at the stranger with disbelief.

The duo smiled in perfect unison, their cheerful voices ringing out as they greeted her, "Hi, Karol." Stunned, she responded with a robotic wave, still struggling to comprehend their presence.

The lady tilted her head, her tone warm. "Sorry for dropping in unannounced, but we simply couldn't wait to meet you and your sister." She gestured to Karol and Sharon, who stood frozen, captivated by the unexpected guests.

The man beside her chuckled as he caught sight of the sisters' bewilderment. "Looks like we might have overwhelmed the kids a bit," he said, prompting laughter from all four.

Karol, ever the dramatic one, strode over to Sharon, pulling her down to sit beside her, deliberately distancing themselves from their parents and Jason. "Oh my sweet devil, I need to sit," she muttered, her voice tinged with urgency. Jason followed suit but chose a seat farther away, mindful of Sharon's piercing glare.

They all settled, facing one another, the tension crackling in the air. Karol, the family's self-appointed chatterbox, broke the silence, her expression shifting to one of faux neutrality. "Mr and Mrs Salvatore, what a surprise!"

Realising the sudden shift, Sharon turned to her sister with a questioning look before returning her gaze to Jason's parents. Jason Senior smirked, a twinkle of amusement in his eye. "Oh my, it seems you know us," he remarked playfully.

"Of course! If it involves family, I'm in the know," Karol shot back confidently.

Anna, fully aware of her daughter's penchant for drama, interjected, "Karol, mind your manners with your sister's parents-in-law." With an eye-roll, Karol slumped back into the couch, feigning innocence.

William, taking the lead, announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your future parents-in-law, Mr Justin Salvatore Senior and Madam Emily Salvatore."

Sharon greeted them stiffly, "Hello, Mr and Mrs Salvatore."

Emily returned her greeting with a sweet smile. "Just call us Mama and Papa." Sharon merely nodded in response, still on guard, while Karol continued to scrutinise the couple.

Jason, seemingly caught in a time warp, finally spoke, his voice laden with disbelief. "Is this real?"

Karol narrowed her eyes at him, thinking to herself, 'Is he serious?' She replied sarcastically, "Yes, Don, this is as real as your racing heartbeat right now." A playful glare passed between them, leading Karol to stick her tongue out childishly before returning her attention to the adults.

The word "Don" caught Sharon's attention, and she looked from her sister to Jason and then to their parents, muttering, "Don?! Like Mafia Don?!"

Karol's eyes widened as she glanced between her sister and the rest of the group, before declaring, "Okay, I'm outta here!" But before she could escape, Sharon seized her arm, yanking her back.

With a teasing smile, Karol complied and sank back into her seat as Sharon insisted, "You need to explain."

"Alright, I'll break it down, and feel free to correct me," Karol said, surveying the eager faces around her.

Taking a deep breath, she began, "So, as I understand it, Mr Jason Salvatore Senior and Madam Emily Salvatore are ex-Mafia Don and Donna of the Salvatore clan, which used to be one of the largest clans in El Salva. Jason Junior here and his crew took down the other two clans and became the King of the Mafia or something like that. I don't have all the details, but that's the gist of it," Karol explained, skimming the surface of what she knew, withholding the deeper secrets for now.

Jason Senior nodded in acknowledgement, adding, "What she's saying is true. We're indeed the ex-Dons of the Salvatore Clan, and my son has taken over the mantle."

Sharon turned to her sister, her eyes wide with astonishment. "Where did you find all of this?"

Karol reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out her phone, scrolling through her recent pictures to reveal a screenshot she'd saved. "Just some research," she replied, trying to brush off her detective work while covering her tracks.

"Now, before you jump to conclusions, I only searched for information about him on the day we met, and all I could uncover was this basic stuff," Emily said, raising her hands defensively.

"Alright, you can both freak out later," she continued, glancing at the lovebirds before her. "Right now, we have something important to discuss. Are you two okay with this arrangement?"

Jason Junior nodded eagerly, a wide grin spreading across his face. "I'm all in, 100% okay with this!" His enthusiasm sparked laughter from the group, but soon all eyes shifted to Sharon, who was left to give her answer.

Sharon smiled, her voice steady but slightly uncertain. "I'm on board too. It feels sudden and fast, but if it's fate, then I'm willing to go along with this arrangement." At that, Jason Junior pulled her into an embrace, grinning with delight. The mothers smiled and clapped for them, while Karol, unable to hide her sarcasm, feigned gagging noises.

"Yeah, let's throw some confetti for this 'party'," she quipped, drawing mock expressions of annoyance from Sharon and Anna.

As everyone turned their attention back to Anna, who had clapped her hands to gather focus, she declared, "It's about time you two settle down and build a family together! The Salvatore Clan needs its future leader!" Her words hung in the air, eliciting incredulous glances from Karol and Sharon, while the rest nodded in agreement.

With a flush creeping up her cheeks, Sharon mumbled, "What on earth, Mum?" as she glanced away, trying to hide her embarrassment from her sister, who was grinning mischievously.

"That's not a bad idea. You're not getting any younger, so you'd better make a baby while you still can!" Karol laughed, darting away just in time to avoid her sister's playful attempt to grab her.