Chosen By My Mate's Father-in-law
Chapter 40: Approval

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Approval

After Jasmine left, Isabella sat with her father and Michelle in one of the sitting rooms. Butler Jones lit the fire, and once her father had his final glass of red wine in his hands, their butler retired for the night.

“Michelle, why don’t you get your short story so your sister and I can read it?” her father suggested from his favorite maroon chair by the fire.

Michelle blushed. “Okay...but you guys have to promise not to laugh. Remember, it’s supposed to be creative, and it’s about time traveling, so don’t expect the writing to be all academic or anything...”

“I’m sure it’s very well written,” Gareth said, causing a shy grin to bloom across Michelle’s face.

Isabella’s heart warmed as she watched their interaction. It seemed that Jasmine’s arrival hadn’t just helped boost Michelle’s grades. Ever since Jasmine came, her dad and Michelle seemed to be growing slowly closer each day.

After they read the story, both of them praising her captivating writing, Michelle went to her room.

Isabella stayed in the room with her father, trying to concentrate on the book she had just started. But her eyes kept straying to her phone in her lap. When she talked to Elliot earlier, he had promised to call her when her dinner ended. She had texted him right after Jasmine went home.

But now, an hour and a half later, her phone remained silent. Elliot texted thirty minutes ago, a short message telling Isabella he was busy, but she was a little hurt because her fiancé always kept his promises.

There was a voice in the back of her head that was telling her something wasn’t quite right with Elliot. Isabella had written it off as pre-wedding jitters, but she’d been noticing that her future husband seemed to always be busy. And whenever she asked what he was so occupied with, his answers were pretty vague. Since their wedding was drawing closer, this made her stomach knot with anxiety.

Not for the first time, she wanted a close girlfriend whom she could talk to about problems like this. But the sad truth was, Isabella didn’t have any friends. She knew that the ones she did have were only spending time with her because of her high status, or because they wanted to gain her father’s attention.

There had been countless times when a ‘friend’ had tried to use Isabella’s name to get into an exclusive club, or they always demanded Isabella cover the bill when they went out. It always crushed her deeply when that happened. No one ever wanted to seem to get to know her for who she was.

The only girl her age that she met who was different was Jasmine. Isabella had enjoyed talking with her today and had considered pulling Jasmine aside before she left to ask her opinion on her worries about Elliot. But Isabella didn’t want to burden her further since Jasmine had enough to worry about with her father’s complicated situation.

Gareth lowered the report he was reading for work and noticed her worried expression.

“Is everything alright, Isabella?” he asked.

She sighed. “Yes...it’s just Elliot promised he would call tonight. It’s getting late, and he still hasn’t called.”

As soon as she mentioned her fiancé, her father frowned, narrowing his eyes. It was the same expression he wore whenever she mentioned Elliot. She wondered why he didn’t seem to like her future husband that much. Elliot was always respectful to her dad and went out of his way to earn his approval.

“Isabella,” her dad said, and sighed. “This isn’t the first time Elliot has left you waiting by the phone. Why do you settle for this kind of treatment when you deserve the world?”

She raised her chin and looked her father in the eyes. “Elliot loves me, Dad. From the first moment we met at Alpha Rafael’s funeral, I knew he was different from all the Alpha candidates.”

When Ashborne’s former leader passed away, she and her father attended his wake. Isabella had been drawn to Elliot from the moment their eyes met. He was confident, handsome, and regal.

“Do you know why I knew he was different?” she added.

Gareth let out an even bigger sigh than before, but motioned for her to continue.

Isabella smiled fondly, a reminiscent twinkle in her eye. “During the reception, when all the other Alpha candidates were trying to talk your ear off, Elliot came over to me.” A deep blush crept across the young woman’s face. “Do you remember how we talked nonstop? Do you remember how you had to practically drag me away from him when it was time to leave?”

“Vaguely,” her dad muttered.

But Isabella didn’t allow her father’s sullen mood to dampen her trip down memory lane. “When Elliot and I talked that night...I’d never felt so seen and special. He never mentioned you or my high status. Talking to him was so...refreshing.” A wide grin bloomed across her face. “He seemed to actually want to get to know me. Not Isabella, the Lycan King’s daughter. And well, you know the rest...”

“I do,” Gareth said with disapproval seeping through his voice. “Elliot proposed to you a month after that.”

“Yes, because we fell in love,” Isabella explained. “After we met, we were inseparable. Elliot swept me off my feet, and I never want him to put me down.” Isabella’s eyes shone with happiness. “He’s perfect for me. We just...fit. I’ve never felt so connected to another person before. I love him, Dad. Why can’t you be happy for me?”

The only answer her father gave her was a nod at the silent phone in her lap.

Isabella sighed and gave up trying to convince her dad that her and Elliot’s whirlwind courtship wasn’t a mistake. She was convinced he would never approve of him. On more than one occasion, he had called Elliot untrustworthy. When she pressed him as to why he felt this way, he always remained quiet.

Her father’s disapproval of Elliot had been so extreme that he had forbidden her to marry him. But when Isabella threatened to elope and never speak to him again, Gareth reluctantly agreed to her upcoming nuptials.

Isabella closed her book and put her phone to the side, sick of looking at the black screen. Why hadn’t Elliot called yet?

“Dad...did you love Mom?” She glanced over at her father, who seemed lost in thought.

Gareth’s head whipped to the side, and he looked at her with astonishment in his eyes. He sat up straighter and placed his empty wine glass on the table beside him.

“Of course I loved her.” There was now a faraway look on his face. “How could I not? She was my fated mate.”

She frowned.

This was not the answer that Isabella was hoping for. She didn’t want to hear that her dad loved her mom because he had to. Isabella wanted her father to say that he had loved her mother more than anything. That he had loved her because she was kind, smart, and beautiful. Not just because the Moon Goddess had destined them to be together.

“But did you love her because of your mating bond, or did you love her because of...her?”

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.