𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋

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CHAPTER 4
item acquired : trust issues

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NOEMI

SITTING IN A LIVING room with a cotton swab in my mouth shouldn't be something people would be interested in watching, but the five pairs of eyes fixed on me told me otherwise.

"Could you at least pretend you're not looking hard?" I asked because their gaze started to bother me. I felt like a circus monkey performing while kids stared at it.

I finally put the swab in its dedicated tube and handed it to Nico who looked at it like it held the answers to all the universe's questions. Freak.

"I'll make sure we get the results as soon as possible," Noel assured as he took the tube and put it in a zip-lock bag.

"Wouldn't want to know what that entails," I mumbled.

Suddenly, I felt all eyes shift toward me again, and tense silence filled the room. "What do you know about our family, Noemi ?" Nolan asked, voice cold and gaze icy; his cheerful demeanor had evaporated.

"Other than the fact that you're crazy rich assholes? Nothing much. I was just guessing." And making innuendoes. But I didn't think that they'd catch on. This interrogation only cemented my suspicions even further; they're mafiosos at worst, some shady gangsters at best. Yet, the designer suits and the luxurious mansion lead me to believe this is much more than a small organization of outlaws.

Noel's icy blue eyes were harder than what I'd seen, calculating gaze sending shivers down my spine. "If you think you're talking to dangerous men, I recommend you watch what you say. They might shoot you." Noel's warning felt like a shot to the head. He knew that I knew, but I don't know much honestly. That might make the matter worse.

"I wouldn't mind," I simply said, and as soon as I muttered those words, I felt the stress and the fatigue of this day catch up with me. My breath quickened and I had to still my hands from trembling.

Life couldn't get worse, it would only get better. I tried to convince myself. But what hurts more than not belonging is finding where you're supposed to belong only to get rejected again. No matter how strong I pretend I am, I would never recover from that fall.

When I looked up, Nico's gaze was almost pitiful and soft. But his shield was still up, I could tell in the way he was sitting down.

I felt the twins that were sitting on my sides communicate with their eyes or what might be twin telepathy. Then, they got up and headed towards the flight of stairs without uttering a word.

Noel followed them.

"I have some work to do," Nico finally announces as he also gets up and leaves.

I ended up with Nolan. Him sitting in a green velvet armchair, me on the matching couch. He had his smile back, his features relaxed.

"You must be hungry. I'll make you something to eat." Before he also left the room, he turned on the TV, a gesture I appreciated.

He gave me a nod and a tight smile like he didn't know what to make of me then left too.

Alone in the ominous silence of the room, my worries overtook again. I shouldn't be left too much with my thoughts or I might spontaneously combust.

With the whirlwind of emotions going through my head, my lids grew heavy, and as soon as I rested my head on the couch, sleep overtook me, once again.

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NYE

ENVEN THOUGH Neo had his own room, he liked to hangout in mine. Most of the days I wouldn't mind, except now, I would sell his soul to the devil if it means I get to have some free time to be alone with my thoughts.