The Family Buisness

Chapter 34

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"Laurence you come over here and help me with the vegetables"

Laurence listened and couldn't help but feel tense. He didn't like it, not knowing why Zianna wanted him down here. Around the knives. He moved over and held out a bowl and he took it resisting sighing.

"Aph, you go with Kc to the pantry and see if you girls can find some pasta for us. You might have to look a little for it." She added looking around Laurence to Kc. Laurence turned as Kc nodded something flashing in her eyes the girl grabbing Aphmaus hand to lead her. That wasn't right.

He gulped swallowing the knot in his throat turning back around slowly as Zianna reached for a knife. She brought it down slowly but began cutting vegetables skillfully and quickly. The knife itself was pretty sharp.

"What happened between you and my sons" She spoke not looking at him but down at the board.

"I'm sorry?" Laurence faked a shocked expression mixed with disgust. Hopefully enough "You mean other then us hating each other and dealing with Vylad's death, or you know being kidnapped by them and tortured?"

"Please" She snorted "I raised those boys I know when something is going on under my nose." She turned placing the vegetables she was cutting into the bowl looking at him for a second with a sharp expression. "I did know you pretty well back then too. You haven't changed that much you know."

"You did know. Not anymore" Laurence huffed sourly looking away "I've changed a lot more then you think"

"Really? Because I see that tired sad look in your eyes as well" She spoke softly catching him off guard as he kept his eyes trained on the window refusing to look at her. "Look at me Laurence"

"No" He huffed "I don't want to. I may be tired and there's a lot of things that weigh on me but you dont know what they are and I wont tell you. You wouldn't understand"

"I understand something happened to Jenna that wasn't an accident. My Husband wont tell me that it was anything other then the knights. I know it had to be something more. They wanted Ein. There was no way there that we wouldn't have found out about them being there in time." She said sternly calmly glaring at him. "Tell me what happened Laurence."

". . . . No." Laurence looked down at her stubbornly "I wont. It has nothing to do with you. Jenna was killed by Gene that's it" He repeated the lie Garte told her as Zianna suddenly gripped the knife.

"Tell me or I'll stab you" She hissed leveling the knife at him as Laurence froze before taking a defensive step back.

"What . . are are you serious?" He said slowly in disbelief "Look I'm not telling you! The knights killed Jenna and locked us out there was nothing we could do!"

"Tell me what happened! There has to be something" She hissed glaring at him "I'm not stupid I know the knights cant just be a normal cult. There has to be something different about them. The relics exist. That means Shad does."

"That's not true" Laurence shook his head maybe a little too quickly and instantly he knew he messed up his heart starting to pound. "I would know"

"Is it because of Vylad?" She whispered dropping the anger melting it into sadness as she sighed "I'm not so fragile. I might hate what I hear but I prefer it to a lie"