Shattered Pieces

CHAPTER. XL. I KNOW YOU

"So you guys lived with Vanessa and her husband, David?" Eric asked pointedly.

"Yes," Violet answered simply.

"And where do you guys go to school?" Luis inquired.

"We were homeschooled most of the time," Violet replied.

"Why?" Camilo interjected.

"Because Mother believed we could receive a better education outside of the normal school curriculum," Violet explained.

"Vanessa? The woman couldn't even do long division without getting a headache," Camilo remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Scarlet, have I seen you before?" Miguel said, his tone more of a statement than a question. He was an intimating man and for some reason Scarlet couldn't shake off the feeling that he was inspecting her.

Scarlet stiffened and gave Miguel a long look. She noticed the huge scar across his face, much like her own, except hers was across her eye.

"No, unless you lived in Texas before," Scarlet replied trying to lighten the suffocating mood. Miguel nodded but gave her a sidelong glance, inspecting her closely.

"You know, it's funny. I could have sworn I've seen you before," Miguel remarked, a curious expression crossing his scarred face.

She let out a nervous laugh, her eyes drawn to a tattoo on Miguel's arm-an intricate snake that she remembered all too well.

Her heart dropped to her stomach. Shit. Scarlet's eyes connected with Violet's, panic coursing through her veins. But Violet didn't seem to understand what she was trying to say.

Scarlet felt her hands tremble under the table but tried to keep her expression composed, hiding the turmoil raging inside her.

"Nope," she said, forcing a tight-lipped smile.

"Leave the girl alone, Miguel. You'll scare her," Janis scolded her son, sensing Scarlet's discomfort.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Miguel said, his tone seemingly apologetic. However, Scarlet had a feeling he was not at all sorry. The way he looked at them, as if she were prey and he was the predator ready to attack, made her uneasy. It felt like he wanted to play with his food first before striking.

Dante gave Miguel a long, intrigued look, sensing his interest. Miguel was known to be just as intimidating as Dante himself. However, Miguel was also a calculating man, and Dante knew he wouldn't have mentioned anything if he didn't already know something.

The conversation continued as various family members asked questions, with the girls answering as best they could. This went on for a while until Fernando, with a piercing gaze, looked straight at Juliet and spoke in a low, commanding voice.

"Why hasn't she said anything?" he said, his tone firm. Juliet trembled under his intense gaze, her anxiety rippling like waves.

Dante observed Juliet's shaking figure as she clenched a napkin tightly under the table."Juliet doesn't talk," Dante stated.

Fernando raised a single eyebrow. "And why not?" he interjected before anyone else could respond. "Is she physically unable to speak? Or is there a mental issue preventing her from doing so?" he asked, his tone flat.

"Well, she-" Rafael began to answer, but Fernando cut him off. "Because if she's not, I don't believe there should be a reason to allow this behavior and disrespectful act to continue."

Rafael exchanged a glance with Dante, feeling the weight of Fernando's words. He took a deep breath before responding.

"It's not that simple, father," Rafael explained, his tone measured. "Juliet... she shouldn't have to be forced to speak if she's uncomfortable. I don't want to force my children."

Fernando was about to protest, but Vivian shot him a stern look "If you don't shut up, you will regret it." she hissed beside him.

"This food is so good!" Oliver groaned trying to lighten the tense atmosphere, he stuffed his face with food. The meal at his cousin's house was always delicious, but this year it seemed even better, if that was possible. "What did you guys do? This is addicting."

"The girls helped with the food," Rafael replied.

Nicolas scoffed. "Help? Scarlet nearly burned the whole house down!"

Scarlet narrowed her eyes at him. "Excuse me! I was trying to cook the chicken faster."

"Adding more heat doesn't equate to cooking the chicken in half the time," Nicolas retorted.

"And how the hell was I supposed to know that? I added more heat so it would cook faster!"

"That is not how cooking works!" Nicolas shot back.

Scarlet rolled her eyes, feeling a bit defensive. "Well, maybe if someone had offered to help instead of just criticizing, things would have turned out differently," she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Rafael laughed at their banter and turned to his family. "And how long are you planning to stay?"

Fernando was about to answer when Vivian cut him off. "Only a week or two. We don't want to bother you too much."

Luis nodded in agreement. "Yes, we have some other commitments to attend to, but we wanted to make sure we spent some quality time with all of you while we're here," he explained warmly.

Vivian smiled, her gaze softening as she looked around at their gathered family. "After all, family is the most important thing," she added, her words echoing with sincerity.

"Yes, you know what else is important? Sleep. Is my room ready?" Erik asked, not waiting for a response as he headed towards the stairs.

"I don't know what to do with that boy," Nadia said, shaking her head at her son's behavior, a mixture of exasperation and affection in her voice.

"Yeah, but he's right. I'm gonna pass out from exhaustion. Goodbye, see you tomorrow," Harvey said, also standing up and heading towards his room.

AUTHORS NOTE

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