lovely | thirteen reasons why

(16) only love can hurt like this

Libby was frozen. Quite literally frozen to her spot as she made eye contact with the family she hasn't seen in ten years just sitting in her kitchen.

Giles started. "I imagine you have some questions about why we are here. I'm sure Millicent simply forgot to inform you."

She gave him a smile that said nothing but malice. "Like I'm sure your father forgot."

He glared at his sister. "As you know, Libby, my men have been instructed to keep an eye on you as you come of age to be a valuable asset to this family. Let me cut to the chase, Douglas Banks, where is he?" Both Millicent and Libby were silent. "He went missing eight months ago, my men have been searching and have come up short. Are you seriously telling me neither of you have any idea what happened to him?" Again, silence. "I know one of you is hiding something. Perhaps both of you women are conspiring against me. That is why I'm here. To see for myself where my useless employees continue to fall short and make a mockery of my name. Where. Is. He?"

Millicent swallowed hard. "You expect us to house a man with no prior warning and like him. That's too much. If he disappeared, I'm sorry to say neither of us were too concerned. Next time warn us before you purposefully spy on us."

Giles grit his teeth. "Millicent, I gave you this house. I pay the bills for this house. I can let whoever I want stay in this house, and I expect you to treat them with the best hospitality. Because you are a Clarke! We are expected to act a certain way for the benefit of our legacy. But what do I find? A missing informant and a delinquent daughter."

Libby stayed calm. "I'm......I'm not on trial. I've been asked to testify as a witness to a crime."

Mortimer snorted. "You little minx."

Giles' eyes finally snapped towards hers as he looked her deep in the eye. "Libby, where is Douglas?"

She kept her breathing regular as she did not back down. "I have no idea. Perhaps he abandoned his mission and went AWOL? Why do you assume it's our fault?"

"Because you are notorious for breaking the rules." Viktor pointed out.

That confused her. "When have I been? When I was seven and traumatized into submission? I haven't seen you since."

He smirked. "But we've seen you."

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Giles sighed. "A few years ago I had an informant do some background checks on you. What we found was relatively boring. However, we did find you had made......connections with the riff raff."

She rolled her eyes. "They're my friends. Normal people have friends."

Angelica scoffed. "We are not normal people. And when we act as such it makes us weak. You have always been the weak link."

"Ange, that is not constructive nor relevant." Alden scolded his sister.

She snorted. "Isn't it?"

Viktor spoke up in her defense. "She has a point. Libby has always been a liability."

Libby couldn't stop herself. "You want to talk about liabilities? You?" It turned dead silent before it was broken by Mortimer.

He was cackling. "She's got you there, Vik. Friend of the poors or druggie. Which is worse?"

Viktor clenched his jaw in anger as Giles nodded. "I suppose you have a point, girl."

Viktor's eyes darted to their father. "Father, she's deflecting. She's obviously hiding something-"

Giles raised his hand to stop him. "Envy is an unattractive look. What would your wife say?"

He froze and shrunk down. "Sorry, father."