Substitute Wife for the Mafia King R18-Chapter 452: The Call

The waves of celebration followed along with an endless stream of food and alcohol. I was certain the hotel was going to make loads of money that night. However, just as everyone was so absorbed in celebrating, Bradon seemed to tense at my side. I watched as he silently stared at the large screen as if he couldn’t quite believe the result of the election.

"We did it," he whispered into my ear as he leaned in close.

"You’re right, we made it. We finally did it," I replied as I threw my arms around him and held him tight.

Many emotions swelled inside of me into a strange mix. It was an odd mix of relief, triumph, and a sense of achievement that I had never felt before.

"You deserve this," I told him honestly, repeating the words that he had said to me before.

That night we didn’t celebrate alone; the important people in our lives were with us. Anthony walked up to us before pulling Bradon into a tight brotherly hug.

"I’m so proud of you, brother," Anthony said. "You’ve done something extremely unbelievable and remarkable tonight. You’re marking the start of a new history."

"Thank you, but I think you’re overdoing it on the praise," Bradon replied with a smile.

The two of them looked like they truly understood each other, and I wondered if everything was healed between them. I didn’t want Bradon to lose the only brother that he had, especially since Anthony had come back from his long slumber.

I watched the two brothers engaged in conversation. The way both of them smiled and laughed as they shared jokes brought a smile to my face. I couldn’t help but think that perhaps not all broken bonds were irreparable.

"Hey there! Congratulations on becoming the next first lady of the country!"

A familiar voice sounded from behind me at exactly the same moment that I felt an arm around my back.

"Thank you, and yes, you can be my stylist," I replied to my sister with a laugh.

Diana squealed at the top of her lungs before pulling me into a tight embrace. She hugged me so tightly for a moment I couldn’t breathe. Diana was beaming with excitement, and I could tell that she was already envisioning fun days ahead with me being the first lady.

"What mischievous plans do you have up your sleeve?" I asked as I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Oh, nothing. Just a long list of how we can both abuse your position of power and influence," Diana replied with a straight face before breaking out into a wide smile.

As always, her laughter was contagious, and I found myself laughing along effortlessly. Bradon and Anthony joined us, and it felt like the four of us were reunited once again. For the life of me, I wanted to bask in the glory of that moment for even just a moment longer, but it was not to be.

Our celebration of four was cut short when one of Bradon’s close advisors came to his side.

"Who is it?" Bradon asked as the man handed him a mobile phone.

The man didn’t answer, but the way the smile on Bradon’s lips faded away told me exactly who it was.

"Who is it?" I asked as I pulled on Bradon’s sleeve. I could tell that he was ready to leave the ballroom to find some privacy.

"Desmond," he whispered into my ear.

My heart leapt into my mouth when I heard Desmond’s name. It should have been obvious that at the end of the election, the one pulling all the strings would be giving Bradon a call.

Bradon excused himself and made his way out of the ballroom, and since he didn’t stop me, I quickly followed him outside.

...

Bradon had his phone pressed to his ear as he quickly made his way out of the ballroom. Given our recent victory, I guessed it wasn’t unusual for Desmond to call, but the way Bradon was reacting told me that there was something more he needed to talk about beyond basic congratulations. I followed him down the corridor as my heels clicked softly against the marble floor.

Bradon entered a room, and just as he was about to close the door, his eyes landed on me.

To my surprise, all he did was nod his head once before heading into the room while trusting that I would follow him. I entered the room and quickly closed the door softly yet firmly behind me before locking it.

"Yes, she is right here with me. I’m going to put you on speaker," Bradon said as his eyes landed on my face.

I knew right away that Desmond had asked him whether I was present. Whatever Desmond had to say, he wanted to say to both of us.

"Hi Dahlia. It’s great that you are here because I want to speak to you both," Desmond began before taking a pause.

I stood next to Bradon as it seemed that both of us were too anxious to hear what he had to say to take our seats.

"We’re listening," Bradon said, urging Desmond to continue.

"I won’t take long, I promise. First of all, congratulations on winning the election, although it is not unexpected. I’m sure you two put a lot of hard work into it, and I thank you so much for that," Desmond said before letting out a low chuckle.

"You’re right about it being expected and also about both of us working hard," Bradon replied flatly.

"Congratulations again on your wedding, and as I promised, this is the wedding present that I have prepared for you. Despite what you might think or feel, I want you to trust me that this is the best for all of us. I thought long and hard about this, and I know that this is the best for the two of you," Desmond continued, and I could hear the true congratulations and celebratory note in his tone.