The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover - Chapter 278

Chapter 278: The Doorbell They’re Waiting For
Pearl Garden Apartment.

Stella was utterly speechless as she watched her mother march back and forth like a stressed general. From the dining room to the living room, then to the door, and repeat. She had been doing this for five whole minutes.

She was genuinely worried her mother might faint before Dylan even showed up.

“Oh my God, Mom, can you stop pacing?” Stella finally says, showing her concern.

Alicia halted in her steps and hurried to join Stella in the seating area. She dropped herself onto the single sofa, looking far too anxious for a woman waiting for a guest who wasn’t even her date.

“Can you check on him? Is he going to be late or something?” Alicia demanded. “It’s already six thirty. Why isn’t he here yet? Are you sure you told him?”

Stella exhaled silently. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Her mother was acting like a teenager waiting for her crush.

If anyone else walked in, they might genuinely mistake the situation and think her mother was the one secretly in love with Dylan.

“Yes, I told him,” Stella answered. “And he also said… okay.”

Alicia narrowed her eyes, “Did you tell him what time?”

“No. But I told him dinner.”

Alicia clutched her chest as if she had been personally attacked. “There, there… silly Stella. You must tell him we usually have dinner at seven. Maybe he didn’t know.”

Stella silently prayed that Dylan would suddenly remember a meeting, a project deadline, or, better yet, a spontaneous trip to the moon. Anything would be better than him coming here tonight.

Because looking at her overly enthusiastic mother right now, Stella felt a shiver. If this continued, her mother might start planning a wedding theme before the appetizers were served.

“Stella, hurry, call him. I am worried he might forget.” Alicia urged again.

“Mom…” Stella took another deep breath. “Maybe he is busy at the office. You know he is Axel Knight’s secretary, right!?”

“Should I call Axel to let him go—”

“No, mom! Please, no!” Stella shot up in a panic, hands raised as if to stop a crime in progress.

The last thing she needed was her mother calling her billionaire brother-in-law to personally request that her possible future husband be released from work. That would be a humiliation she would never recover from.

Alicia crossed her arms. Her eyes narrowed, “Then call him now. Do not make my cooking cold.”

Stella slumped back down, defeated. Her mother was unstoppable tonight, and she had reached the point where resistance was useless.

With a heavy sigh, she grabbed her cellphone.

As she searched for Dylan’s name in her contacts, she couldn’t help but vent her frustration silently, “Why do I feel like I’m the one being forced into an arranged marriage…”

Alicia tilted her head. “Did you say something?”

“No, Mom,” Stella said with a bitter smile. “I’m calling him now.”

Her thumb hovered over Dylan’s name as her soul quietly left her body. This was going to be the longest and most awkward dinner of her life.

However,

Before Stella could scroll further in her contacts, her phone suddenly vibrated. Dylan’s name flashed on the screen.

Her heart tripped over itself.

She stood up from the couch and hurried to stand by the window, far away from her mother’s ears.

“Hi, Dylan…” she greeted softly, trying her best to sound like she wasn’t internally waiting for his call.

“Hi Stella,” his calm voice was enough to make her heart even more chaotic. “I’m sorry to call just now. What’s your house number?”

“Oh! Sorry, I forgot to tell you. It’s 101.”

She slapped her forehead silently. ‘Nice, Stella. How could you forget to tell him the house number? Brilliant.’

“I’m heading to your house now.”

“O-okay… I’ll wait.”

The call ended. But her heart was still making strange, squeaky noises.

“Who’s calling you?”

Alicia’s voice popped up right behind her enough to make Stella almost trip on her feet.

“M-Mom! You scare—” Before she could finish her words, the doorbell rang.

Stella looked at her mother in sheer panic. “He’s here. Please. Mom, I beg you… Please act casual. Don’t look at him like you’ve already chosen tuxedos for the wedding. It’s embarrassing!”

Alicia’s entire face glowed. Hands clasped in front of her chest, eyes twinkling like Christmas lights.

“Of course, dear. I will be very casual and won’t embarrass my own daughter. Now go! Open the door. I’ll heat the dinner!”

Stella stared at her.

That smile…

That sparkle…

That suspicious enthusiasm…

Yeah. There was no way her mother would behave casually.

With a doomed sigh, as if accepting her fate, Stella rushed to the front door.

She opened the door to find Dylan standing there, still dressed in his light gray suit, his hair neat and his expression calm. It seemed he had just returned from his office.

“Hi,” Stella said, trying to ignore the sudden swooping in her stomach. “Sorry for making you come all the way here from your office…”

“It’s fine,” Dylan replied smoothly. “I just happened to not have work… And came to my own house early.” He pointed to the top floor to remind her he also lives in this building.

The tiny pause told her… he was absolutely lying.

She stepped aside, lowering her voice. “Before we go in… Please ignore my mom. She’ll… overreact. She might try to set us up or call you her future son-in-law. Just pretend you don’t hear anything.”

“I know,” Dylan nodded calmly. “No need to worry.”

“Thank you.”

They walked inside.

Alicia was already waiting for them in the dining room, smiling like she’d won the lottery.

“Dylan, welcome, dear. Come, come…sit. Dinner is ready.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.” Dylan bowed slightly, respectful as always.

Stella sat down, bracing for impact.

Alicia set dishes before them. Then fix her attention on Dylan.

“Dylan, I still haven’t thanked you properly for saving my daughter from those awful gangsters. You are our family’s savior. We owe you—”

“Mom,” Stella said under her breath, cheeks heating, “please—”

But Alicia continued, eyes shining with gratitude and excitement. “We owe you a lot. If not for you, I don’t know what would’ve happened to her. You’re such a good young man.”

Stella just wanted to crawl under the table.

Dylan, on the other hand, was chill, giving a polite little smile and totally unfazed by Alicia’s intensity.