The Nanny // Faye Yoko AU

Chapter 35 Art and Red part 2

"Which plans do you mean, cousin?" Faye's voice was steady, but the tension crackled in the air between them like electricity. Her eyes were narrowed, and her posture was rigid—every muscle drawn tight in barely contained frustration. "Think carefully before you answer," she warned, the icy edge in her tone unmistakable.

Cassiel's smile only widened, his arrogance oozing from every word. "The inroads you're making with the Triad," he said, a dismissive wave of his hand suggesting he saw through her intentions as if they were nothing more than a child's game. "What else could I be talking about?" he added, his voice carrying a mocking undertone.

Yoko's gaze flicked between them, her stomach knotting as she felt the intensity of the exchange. This isn't just family rivalry, she realized. There's bad blood here—something deep and raw. She bit her lip, noticing the way Cassiel's casual words had landed like a blow. Faye's eyes flashed, the kind of fury that suggested this was more than just a cousin meddling in her affairs.

Others are going to notice soon, Yoko thought, feeling the weight of the room's gaze start to shift. There. Her eyes darted to the Bratva matriarch, Yakovlevna, who was making her way over to them with a determined stride.

Yoko cleared her throat softly, sensing the need to defuse the situation before it spiraled out of control. "Ah-hem, incoming," she said, trying to inject a lightness into her voice to warn Faye and Cassiel without attracting attention.

Cassiel stepped back slightly, his smirk still in place as if he relished the interruption. Faye, however, turned toward the matriarch with a graceful smile that barely hid her unease. "Madam, you're looking well," she greeted warmly, though Yoko could hear the tightness in her voice.

"Don't lie to an old woman," the Bratva matriarch chided with a bemused expression. She stepped closer, scrutinizing Faye with a shrewd gaze that made Yoko's stomach twist with nervousness. "You should have told me you were out of mourning, Faye," Yakovlevna said bluntly, her tone almost reproachful.

The unexpected comment caught Faye off guard, her eyes widening. "I beg your pardon?" Faye managed, clearly thrown. The surprise was plain on her face, a rare moment where the mask she wore slipped, revealing a vulnerability she rarely let anyone see.

"Hmmm." The matriarch's eyes shifted to Yoko, sizing her up with a long, appraising glance that made Yoko feel suddenly exposed, as if the old woman could see straight through her. She felt a prickle of anxiety but forced herself to hold the matriarch's gaze without flinching, her heart pounding.

She can't mean... Yoko thought, a blush creeping up her neck. She doesn't think Faye and I are... Her mind reeled, and for a split second, she wondered if that's exactly what the matriarch was implying.

"I've two granddaughters with better bust," Yakovlevna continued, her voice as casual as if she were discussing the weather. "And a grandson. They'd give your daughter a proper upbringing, whichever you choose." Her tone was almost flippant, but the steel in her eyes suggested she was completely serious.

Yoko's jaw dropped slightly, her brain struggling to catch up. Is she joking? she wondered, but the matriarch's face was impassive, a small, almost teasing smile on her lips. Yoko felt a wave of embarrassment and confusion wash over her, unable to determine if the woman's words were meant to be humorous or if she was actually proposing a marital arrangement.

Faye opened her mouth to protest, her composure slipping. "I'm not—" she began, but the matriarch cut her off with a dismissive wave, not even bothering to let her finish.

"Think it over," Yakovlevna said with a sly, knowing look. "I've got a minister to hook," she added, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous light as she turned away, her skirts sweeping dramatically behind her.