Where have you been? Where did you go?

07: Mapo Tofu

⚠️⚠️Trigger warning: very little mentions of child negligence/abuse

Adellai was giving up. She has one week left and has only covered a quarter of the syllabus.

She never felt like this before. Homeschooling always came easy to her. The courcework, homework, assignment, tests, everything. She could do it all. But right now all she felt was how stupid she was.

On top of all that, she had done everything in her power to avoid leaving her room. She only left if she was hungry or thirsty. Or if she needed to do her laundry.

Gabriel or Levi checked on her occasionally, clearly worried about her but what did they expect? The initial excitement of moving here had worn out and now she was just a kid mourning her dead parents.

Gabriel knocked like he always did, two raps and one tap, and spoke in the same posh accent "Miss Zhao, supper is ready."

She stretched as she walked away from her desk and opened the door "Could you please bring it to my room." She made the same request as she did everyday for the past week.

Normally if one person from the family wasn't present, the children (Oliver and Adellai) were allowed to eat in their respective rooms.

"I'm afraid I can't to that, Mr. Pierce has specifically asked for you to join him"

This confused her "But Declan and the others aren't home" She narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not sure either, Miss." He looked at her apologetically. "Right, sorry. I'll be right down." This was going to be so awkward, she internally groaned.

She shrugged on her cardigan lazily and made her way downstairs. Over the week she was here, she learned where the kitchen and the dining area were, and that was about it. Adellai hadn't made any other effort to explore the colossal mansion she was in.

She entered the dining area, and sure enough her brother was sat at the head. She would've sat a seat away from him, but her plate and utensils were already in the place next to Sebastian.

He nodded at her in acknowledment "Good Evening." He said in an a way that made her feel like she was in an office setting and was being interviewed for a job she desperately was under-qualified for.

"Good Evening" She mumbled back and took a seat next to him, tucking one of her legs under her. She looked at the dish being presented.

It was Mapo Tofu!

She carefully glanced her brother in curiosity. How did he know? His face gave away nothing. All he did was reach towards the dish and scooped a portion out for Adellai and then a bigger portion for himself. He then did the same with rice.

"Feel free to get second servings. There is more in the kitchen if you want leftovers for tomorrow."

"Okay, thank you."

"Hmm."

They sat in awkward silence for about 15 minutes.

Adellai could've started the conversation. But she was too stuborn. He should be the one to start it. Not her. He is the adult here. It was his choice to take her in.

And then 5 more minutes. All that could be heard was the clacking of the metal chopsticks and the plate.

Sebastian glanced towards her subtly and saw she was almost done eating. "How is your preparation going?"

Adellai internally groaned. With the unbearable awkward silence, she had completely forgotten about it. "It's going fine" She mumbled.

"Just fine?" He raised an eyebrow.

Her jaw ticked. She slowly raised her head to the side and looked straight at him in defiance. "Yes. 'Just fine'" She was annoyed. She was trying her best. She was mourning. Yet he still expected her to do better.

Sebastian didn't like the look of defiance on her face. At all. "Why 'just fine'? Are you not trying hard enough?"

That sentence was enough to make her regret ever even meeting him. When she puts her mind to something, She gives it her best. And this man who doesn't even know her was implying her 'best' wasn't enough.

" 'just fine' is what i can give you when all i've had is a weeks notice to study enough to get into an elite private school with only public school education prior to that!"

She tried to keep her voice emotionless and intimidating but it was evident it broke due to anger, frustration, and sadness.

"You want to try saying that again, politely this time?" His voice was even and still yet somehow conveyed he wasn't to be messed with.

However, Adellai was a tween girl going through a million emotions all at once, so obviously she didn't care about the repercussions of her actions.

"No." She snarled.

"Oh really? Then what is it that you want." Sebastian eyes darkened two shades, his voice deathly still. He was glaring her down.

"I want to go back to California. I want you to never have met me! I WANT MY MOM AND DAD BACK!" She yelled, and dramatically stood up and stomped away to her room.

Unwelcomed tears fell from her eyes as she made her way to her room with only one thought going through her head 'I hate him. I hate him. I hate him'.

Sebastian watched the tween run away amd sighed. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and loosened his tie "Thats probably not the best way to deal with her" Declan strolls in and leans on the dining table "You were listening?" He looks up at him.

"Of course I was listening in." Declan grabbed the back of Sebastians neck, tilting it, as he leaned in for a kiss. "Wanted to see how you would handle everything. It didn't go well, hmm?" Declan took a seat beside him.

Sebastian shook his head in disbelief.

"The difference of how mom- Elizabeth raised both of us is so harrowing. Adellai knew the woman who stayed up with her all night to have movie marathons while I knew the woman who didn't acknowledge me unless I was crying of hunger"

"I don't know how to talk to her, because even though i would die and kill for her, a small part of me resents her for growing up with a mom that I always begged and prayed for. And I hate myself for it" His hands trembled with anger and self hatred.

Declan looked at him with a loss of words. He was supposed to comfort his husband right now but he was at a loss for words. All he could do is firmly hold sebastian and say "I'm sorry my love." It hurt him that he couldn't say or do anything to take his pain away.

Declan held him and looked at him firmly "What that woman did to you is disgusting. And Yijin ignoring it even when you went to him crying for help is equally harrowing. They didn't deserve to see the light of day, they didn't deserve their medical license, they didn't deserve happiness, they didn't deserve Adellai. They didn't deserve you."

It pained Declan that he couldn't do anything else for the man he loved.

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All eyes on Rafah 🍉

Sebastian lore goes hard 🫡