Roselle’s POV
“Jasmine, wake up,” I whispered softly as I gently shook her shoulder.
She twisted in her sleep, an annoyed expression appearing on her face at the disturbance.
I would have loved nothing more than to let her sleep a little longer, but we needed to shower, get dressed, and make our way to the Belladonna estate.
“Jass,” I whispered again, giving her another gentle shake, this time with slightly more force.
Her eyes fluttered open.
She blinked several times, taking a moment to adjust to the morning light before finally focusing on me.
“Good morning, Mama,” she mumbled sleepily.
“Good morning.”
I couldn’t help but stare at her for a moment.
There was something so peaceful about her sleepy face that I almost regretted waking her.
“Ma’am, I’ve moved all your belongings from your room and loaded them into the moving truck,” Eva said from behind me.
“I left behind a piece of jewelry, a pair of shoes, and a dress for both you and Jasmine.” She paused.
“Should I tell the workers to go ahead of us, or should they wait so we can all leave together?”
“Tell them to wait. We’ll all move together.”
“Mama, where are we going?”
Jasmine suddenly sat up, rubbing her little hands over her eyes as she slowly adjusted herself into a comfortable sitting position.
It was only after she asked that question that I realized I hadn’t properly spoken to her about today.
Yes, I had told her I was getting married.
But I hadn’t told her that the wedding was happening today.
I glanced at Eva and gave her a small signal to leave us alone.
She immediately understood and quietly stepped out.
I turned my attention back to Jasmine and lifted her into my arms before carrying her toward the bathroom.
“Well…” I began, deciding to take things slowly.
“Do you remember when I told you that I would be getting married soon?”
She nodded sleepily.
We reached the bathroom, and I walked over to the bathtub.
I turned on the water and waited until it reached a comfortable temperature before bending down to check it with my hand.
Once I was satisfied, I carefully placed Jasmine on the ground and began helping her out of her nightwear.
“Today is the day,” I finally told her.
“The day you get to meet your new father and your new brother.” Her eyes slowly widened.
“We’re going to our new home, and once we get there, you’ll get to watch Mama get married.”
I finished helping her out of her clothes and reached for mine when her small voice stopped me.
“Mama…” I looked at her.
She was staring at me with an expression I couldn’t quite understand yet.
“I get to have a new brother?” she asked.
I guess, to her, the marriage simply meant moving from one home to another.
Perhaps the idea of a new family member was far more exciting than the thought of leaving everything she knew behind.
“Yes, you will,” I replied with a smile.
Somehow, her childlike spirit made me feel a little more at ease.
Maybe if I stayed close enough to her, I would eventually learn how to be that carefree too.
I bent down to check the water level and temperature before turning off the tap.
As I did, my mind wandered back to my first days in this strange world.
Back then, I couldn’t even turn on a tap without Eva’s help.
At the time, I hadn’t understood just how drastically my life was about to change.
“What if…” Jasmine’s voice pulled me back to the present.
“What if he doesn’t like me? What if he doesn’t ever want to talk to me? Or what if he doesn’t see me as his sister?”
I turned toward her.
Her little face was filled with genuine worry.
Yet because of her soft, childlike features, the concerned expression looked more adorable than serious.
I couldn’t help but laugh softly.
Shaking my head, I bent down, picked her up, and stepped into the bathtub with her.
“What is there not to like about you?” I asked.
I reached for the liquid soap, poured some into the water, then picked up a sponge and began gently scrubbing her arms.
“You’re beautiful.” I moved to her shoulders.
“You’re cute.” I glanced at her.
“And you’re completely irresistible.”
She immediately giggled.
“In fact, I have every reason to believe that he will be very happy to have a sister like you.”
Her giggles filled the bathroom.
I continued bathing her while she talked about all sorts of meaningless things, little stories, random thoughts, and whatever else came into her mind.
I listened to every word.
And strangely enough, it helped.
For those few minutes, I allowed myself to get lost in her innocent chatter.
I didn’t think about Silas.
I didn’t think about the Belladonna family.
I didn’t think about the wedding or what my life would look like after today.
I simply listened to my daughter.
By the time I finished bathing her, my mind felt considerably calmer.
I lifted her out of the tub, drained the water, and took her to the shower with me for a quick rinse.
Once we were done, I wrapped a towel around her before doing the same for myself. Get faster updates on g.com.
We returned to the bedroom and walked into the walk-in closet.
I set Jasmine down and handed her the clothes Eva had prepared for her while I picked up the dress waiting for me.
It was a simple white dress.
Nothing too extravagant.
I slipped it on and adjusted it before attaching the white veil to the back of my head.
When I was finished, I turned toward Jasmine.
She had already dressed herself.
For a moment, I simply stared at her.
“Ready?” I asked.
She nodded.
Together, we left the room and made our way downstairs to the grand foyer.
Everyone was already waiting.
All the staff stood patiently in the foyer, ready to leave.
I looked around at them before taking a slow breath.
“Let’s head out.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they replied in unison.
We quickly made our way outside and got into the cars waiting for us.
There were rows upon rows of vehicles lined up outside, enough to accommodate everyone.
Soon, the convoy began moving toward the Belladonna estate.
With every street we passed, I could feel the slightest bit of anxiety building inside me.
I tried to ignore it.
I had already made my decision.
There was no turning back now.
But no matter how prepared I thought I was, I couldn’t completely silence the uneasiness sitting in my chest.
It wasn’t until the familiar gates of the Belladonna estate finally came into view that my nerves began to settle.
The massive gates slowly opened, and our cars drove through.
As we approached the main entrance, the convoy came to a stop.
I stepped out of the car.
Almost immediately, the butler approached me.
He stopped a short distance away and bowed his head respectfully.
“Welcome, Madam. The Don is already in the wedding hall awaiting your arrival. I was instructed to escort you there.”
“Alright.” I glanced over my shoulder and saw Eva still standing near the car, waiting for my instructions.
I motioned for her to come closer.
Then I turned back to the butler.
“Lead the way, then.”