Velvet Venom

FRAGILE THING

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A few songs later, I'm halfway through mixing the sauce when I hear heels. Not normal heels. Threatening heels.

I turn around slowly to see a beautiful girl, tall and extremely glammed out like she's on the red carpet, I mean slay ig. She kinda looks like she crawled out of a fashion magazine and a snake pit at the same time.

She's already staring me down when I look at her face, the look is so nasty it could curdle milk. I think about whether it's worth it for a second then I remember the level of hate and sass others give so I give her one stare down right tf back.

"Hi?" I say, because I'm polite... ish. Trust.

"And you are...?" she asks in a sugary, Fake-sweet, Rot-your-teeth sweet voice with her head tilted.
Yeah, nope.

"Working," I say, turning back to the stove. "Can I help you or are you just drifting around like a scented candle?" I obviously don't say the end part too loud but maybe she heard, I don't really care, I don't work for her.

Before any of us can say anything, the boys show up. Seb lights up like a Christmas tree.

"Hey, you made it!" Niko gives her a little wave while Lev just looks at her and does nothing. Yes, give us nothing King. She walks over to him, All hi babe but he looks at her like she's a mildly irritating ad on his phone he can't skip.

First of all, babe?! Theyre like so opposite in a negative way not a opposites attract way. Second, i just felt the second-hand embarrassment and lack of respect from that one reaction.

Still, he lets her hug his arm because rich family politics is a sport. I mean I'm not judging... Loudly.

"Dinner's in ten," I tell them, wiping my hands.

"Actually," Siena says behind me, "can you help with my schedule now?" Her voice is flat but not rude, i feel like shes pretending she doesn't care even though she does.

"Yep, come on," I say, grabbing my tablet. We sit at the counter, going through her equestrian practice, school assignments, and her insane sleep schedule that needs an therapy for itself. She actually listens.

Meanwhile the house is... silent or dead. Seb scrolling. Niko half-asleep. Lev staring at the news playing on the TV like he's trying to analyse every word from it. Fake Barbie is sitting next to him pretending to be pure and sweet.

Tiny footsteps patter across the floor and Aleyna enters the kitchen, My favourite tiny dictator. She zooms past me like a fairy on Red Bull and goes straight for Lev.

"Leksi!" she squeals, arms up and this stone statue of a man bends down and picks her up like she weighs nothing. His eyes soften a microscopic amount like 1% more human. I can't help but inwardly aww cause awwww. They're so cute.

Fake Angel watches like she's witnessing her boyfriend pet a stray dog he's allergic to. He is actually mildly allergic to animal hair if im not mistaken. Aleyna immediately snatches Lev's face between both hands like she owns him.

"Your hair's messy," she declares, fixing him up like he's her giant, dead-eyed doll and he lets her. Hes such a good older brother. Sasha leans in from the table.

"You're chopped, bro." Lev stares at him like he's deciding on which tendon to snap first. Sasha shuts up and Siena just hides a tiny smile behind her book.
Aleyna is basically the ONLY thing keeping this family from being fucking frozen.

Also, did I mention how much the parents LOVE the fiancée? As soon as they saw her they were all smiles and "Oh darling you're glowing!" and she was all sweet, and soft, like a Princess. The kids look like they're watching a circus fire.