"𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐀 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥"

XXX/Fragments of Mystery

Amelia's Point of View:

The restaurant was steeped in a soft, warm glow, but no amount of gentle lighting could hide the tension that stretched between us. As we moved closer to the table, I could feel my pulse quicken, the air around us thickening with a sense of foreboding. The faces staring back at us were so familiar, it sent a chill down my spine. We hadn't expected this—I hadn't expected this. It was as though we were walking into a room filled with mirrors, each one reflecting parts of us we hadn't known were there.

Beside me, Ray cleared his throat, his hand resting subtly on Marcelo's arm as though grounding himself. They exchanged a brief, intimate glance—a soft touch that spoke of comfort, of connection, but the weight of the moment still hung over them. Ray's voice, when he finally spoke, was filled with nervous energy, his smile faltering at the edges.

"I... I wasn't expecting the resemblance to be this intense," Ray said, his laugh awkward, almost forced. "I knew there was some similarity, but this? This is something else."

He squeezed Marcelo's arm a little tighter as he spoke, as though seeking reassurance from the man beside him. Marcelo, in return, placed his hand gently on Ray's back, his fingers spreading wide in a silent gesture of support. There was something unspoken between them, something that made their connection even more apparent in this strange, tense setting. Ray seemed to draw strength from it.

Marcelo stood, his presence commanding yet calm, and extended his hand to Ray before addressing us. His voice was smooth, deliberate, but it held an edge, like there was something he wasn't saying.

"I'm Marcelo," he began, his tone steady as his gaze swept over each of us, lingering just a moment longer on me, Ares, and Taiga. "It's good to finally meet all of you."

Marcelo's dark eyes settled on mine for a beat too long, his expression unreadable, though not unfriendly. But behind his calm exterior, I could sense something deeper—a guardedness, a curiosity that made me feel exposed. Ray stood beside him, his hand still lightly on Marcelo's back, his posture more relaxed now, but there was an undercurrent of nerves buzzing just beneath the surface.

"And this," Marcelo continued, turning slightly toward the man sitting next to him, "is my brother, Rosario."

Rosario met my gaze, and the feeling of unease crept further into my bones. His resemblance to Ares was uncanny—the same sharp features, the same dark, intense eyes—but Rosario's presence was different. He was quieter, more withdrawn, and when I tried to get a read on him, it was like hitting a wall. His emotions were completely locked down, hidden behind an impenetrable barrier. That never happened to me—I could always feel people, sense their thoughts. But with Rosario, there was nothing. It was unsettling.

Marcelo's voice remained calm but carried a subtle weight as he continued introducing his family. His hand lingered on Ray's back, a small gesture of intimacy that grounded them both in the tension-filled room.

"And this," Marcelo said, motioning to the man seated next to him, "is my brother, Andrei."

Andrei nodded stiffly, his expression cold and formal. His dark eyes swept over us, but there was a distance to him, something almost calculating. "Nice to meet you," he said, his voice clipped and cool, barely disguising the authority he carried.

Beside him sat a woman with an elegant but reserved demeanor. "This is his wife, Anya and their lovely daughter Luna," Marcelo continued. Anya gave us a polite smile, though there was a certain quietness about her, as if she was watching us closely, calculating just as her husband did.

Their daughter, Luna, leaned forward in her seat, her eyes wide as she took us all in. But it was Maddie and Mia who caught her attention the most. "Oh my god," Luna said with the innocent excitement only a child could muster. "You two look like Barbies—just like the ones I have at home!"