The Missing Princess Of Hearts

Chapter 5

Rowena was about to make her way into the building, when a voice behind her stopped her from making her way inside.

"What business do you have hanging around my family's restaurant," the man asked causing Rowena to turn and face him.

"I was exploring my new home, looking for a place that reminded me a bit of home," Rowena replied.

"So, you're not here to sabotage a 'big' moment that my sister Shelby has been planning for months now," the man asked.

"No," Rowena said while keeping her guard up.

"Damn. I was looking forward to a good time watching my idiot sister lose her cool over something that she loses control over," the guy said. "I'm Derek. You are?"

"None of your damn business," Rowena replied.

"That's not nice. What if I want to help you out," Derek asked.

"I wasn't born yesterday. And you know nothing about me and what I am capable of," Rowena said.

"Ease up will you? I hate my sister and all that she stands for. She's the reason why my father cut our older brother off the family money. Because Shelby got mad at Augustus for falling in love with a woman who wasn't always trying to kiss her ass. Shelby is a control freak, who also likes to have eyes and ears everywhere," Derek explained. "So, care to help me piss my sister off some more?"

"How would I do that, other than me walking in there and telling her what a piece of shit she is," Rowena asked.

"Oh, you can still do that. Just be my date and you will get better results," Derek said.

"Fine," Rowena said. "Rowena."

"Bless you," Derek said to be funny.

"No, you idiot. My name is Rowena. Can't go as dates if you don't know my name," Rowena explained.

"Well Rowena, you leave all of the talking to me. I will be sure to get under my sister's skin in no time," Derek said while holding his arm out for Rowena to take. Rowena looped her arm through Derek's and allowed him to lead her into the restaurant.

The moment Derek walked in Shelby glared at him. "Not only are you late for our reservation, but you didn't bring Brit along with you as your date. Care to explain why?"

"Because Brit is an airhead who completely believes that this dinner is taking place next week at this time. And you already know that I love making an amazing grand entrance to wherever I go," Derek said.

Shelby forced a smile before speaking up. "Your date is not dressed properly for this dinner. Didn't you give her the memo of how she was supposed to be dressed?"

"She didn't have time to get the memo, because I literally met her five seconds ago, while she was walking by my car to get where she was going. I asked her to be a doll and attend this dinner with me, that way I wouldn't be dateless," Derek said.

"You brought a complete stranger to this family dinner," Shelby began fuming.

"Now I wouldn't go as far as calling your brother and I strangers. He promised me a good time, and by the end of the night, I'm hoping to call him father to his and my future child," Rowena said placing a hand on her stomach.

"You slept with her," Shelby screamed.

Derek shrugged playing along with Rowena. "Guess the cat is out of the bag and you won't be the center of attention any longer. I didn't want you to know what I was doing before I got here."

"What on earth are you two fighting about," Betty Anne asked before turning her attention to Rowena. "Welcome to the family dear. You make a beautiful couple with my son. Much better than the other girl that he was going to bring along with him."

"Mother, how can you condone this," Shelby asked.

"Easy, this is what love is. And I can already see it in your brother's eye when he looks at this young woman. Stop trying to get your brother to date your bimbo friends, because it's not going to happen," Betty Anne said. Betty Anne then turned to her son. "I'm truly proud of you for going and finding yourself a girl who is worthy of your love. You do what you have to do to keep making you happy. Don't allow your pain in the ass sister to tell you how to live your life or tell you how to be happy. You do what you feel is right."

"Mother! You can't be serious talking about me as if I'm not here listening to the insults that you throw at me," Shelby said.

"Hush pain in the ass. This moment simply has nothing to do with you. This moment is about your brother doing what makes him happy," Betty Anne said.

"Mother this is my moment. I'm the one who made the reservations for this place, so we could celebrate our soon to be victory of gaining the apartment building that Augustus owned. Then we can remove that good for nothing Mae as well as her bastard son," Shelby snapped.

"I may not know your brother's wife or son personally, but I hate how you are speaking so low of them. Your brother's wife lost a husband, and her son lost a father. Yet you have the nerve to go and say all of those terrible things about her. How can you go and say such things about them. They are your family, yet all you're worried about is making money as quickly as you can, with as little work as possible," Rowena snapped on Shelby.

Shelby's jaw dropped as Rowena snapped on her. "How dare you snap on me as though you know me. You don't know a damn thing about me. Which leaves you no room to go and pass any judgement on me. Not that your damn opinion matters to me anyway."

Rowena rolled her eyes at hearing Shelby talking to her, making an attempt to be little Rowena. "Let me make this clear. If you know what is good for you, you will stop running your mouth, as well as leave your brother's wife and her son alone. You will stop making any attempt to take your sister-in-law's apartment building away from her. You take that building away from her, you won't like the consequences that follow. Stop making any attempt to take away the only means that she has to make a living to support herself and her son. I won't repeat myself again. If you are smart, you will leave your sister-in-law alone and allow her to make a living to support her son and herself. Allow her to live her life to the best that she can," Rowena said before turning to Derek. "I'm done with this dinner. Thank you for having me. But I should be going before things get even more damage is caused."

Rowena got up from her seat before walking away from the table leaving a dumb founded Shelby, watching as Rowena walked away from the table.

"I happen to like that little firecracker of a woman. Son, you better not let that one go. I think she is a good match for you. If you let her walk away, then you are a dummy," Betty Anne said.