Kidnapped to love

chapter 30

Dimitri's parents and his younger brother arrived at the house, filling the air with a mixture of warmth and tension. Dimitri called her  to meet them. As she came, his mother’s eyes lit up, instantly charmed by Crystal’s appearance.

“Oh, my, you’re an angel!” his mother exclaimed, pulling Crystal into a warm embrace. “Such a sweet girl, look at you!” Her words were full of affection, and Crystal found herself smiling despite the nervous flutter in her stomach.

Dimitri, sitting smugly nearby, introduced her with a casual, “This is Crystal, my girlfriend.”

Crystal shot him an angry glance, her eyes narrowing at his audacity, but Dimitri simply leaned back and enjoyed the show, clearly entertained by her reaction.

Suddenly, Dimitri’s younger brother, who was same age of Crystal, chimed in with a flirty grin. “Hey, Crystal,  what a beauty"

"Thank you" she said

"if Dimitri wasn’t around, I might’ve tried my luck.”He said

Crystal laughed lightly, enjoying the playful banter, but Dimitri's eyes darkened. 

The room grew silent as everyone sat down, the tension thickening. It was time for the real test. Dimitri’s mother cleared her throat, signaling the start of what Crystal quickly realized was an impromptu “interview.”

“Let’s begin,” she said, her tone suddenly businesslike. Dimitri, still smirking, settled back to enjoy the spectacle.

His mother eyed Crystal critically. “Well, in terms of beauty, you pass. But your body—” she paused, glancing at Dimitri — “don’t you feed her? She’s too thin!”

Dimitri chuckled, leaning forward. “She doesn’t eat much.”

“Well, she will from now on,” his mother declared with authority.

The questions started coming fast.

“How old are you?”

Crystal answered, her voice steady, but her nerves were building.

“Can you cook?”

Crystal hesitated, then admitted, “No, I can’t.”

Dimitri’s mother raised an eyebrow. “How do you expect to win Dimitri over if you can’t cook? Haven’t you heard, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

Before Crystal could reply, Dimitri jumped in, his voice laced with amusement. “She’s already in my heart.”

Crystal rolled her eyes, biting her tongue to keep from snapping at him.

“Do you know how to clean?” His mother’s gaze sharpened.

Crystal shook her head, feeling more embarrassed by the minute.

“Hmm,” his mother mused, waving her hand dismissively. “Well, it’s not like you’ll need to clean much anyway. Let’s move on.” She shifted in her seat. “Do you know how to take care of children?”

Crystal blinked, taken off guard by the question. She could feel Dimitri stifling his laughter next to her.

“Why are you asking me that?” Crystal asked, confused.

His mother gave her a knowing look. “Well, you two are doing a live-in relationship, right? Sooner or later, children will come into the picture.”

Dimitri almost lost it, but managed to hold his laugh. Crystal, on the other hand, glared at him, her eyes questioning just what nonsense he had been feeding his parents.

“No, I don’t know how to take care of children,” Crystal replied, keeping her tone polite but feeling increasingly out of place.

“Well, you’ll need to learn a lot, but never mind,” Dimitri’s mother said with a dismissive wave. “You’re still young. These things happen.”

Crystal let out a small sigh of relief, thinking the worst was over. But then, his mother’s next question landed like a bomb.

“What’s your surname?”

Dimitri, who had been thoroughly enjoying himself up until now, suddenly froze. His smile vanished, and his eyes narrowed dangerously as they met Crystal’s. It was a silent warning—Don’t tell.

Crystal, already frazzled from the questions, looked at him, confused. His eyes were practically begging her to keep it to herself, but her instincts told her otherwise. Without wasting any time, she blurted, “Maria.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Dimitri’s face darkened with anger.

“Maria?” his mother repeated, her voice serious now. “Maria, Drimti?”

“Mom, let me explain,” Drimti interjected, but his mother wasn’t having any of it. She rose abruptly , her expression a mix of disappointment and frustration.

“I’ve heard enough,” she said sharply, leaving the room without another word.

“What just happened?” his brother asked, bewildered.

Dimitri’s father stood, his face stern. “We’ll talk in private.”

Without another word,  his father left the room, following his mother.

As soon as they were gone, Dimitri turned on Crystal, his face dark with barely controlled anger. “I told you not to tell,” he hissed, his tone cold enough to make Crystal’s stomach churn with unease. He gave her one last furious look before storming out of the room.

Left alone, Crystal blinked, her mind racing to process what had just happened. “What did I say wrong?” she whispered to herself.

Dimitri’s brother, noticing her discomfort, gently touched her arm. “Forget them, Crystal. Let’s talk,” he offered with a kind smile. “Do you go to college?”

She nodded, grateful for the distraction. As they chatted, Crystal found herself liking his brother more and more. He was sweet, easygoing, and kind—everything Dimitri was not. Yet, despite the conversation, her mind kept wandering back to the tense exchange that had just unfolded.