Catching My Queen

||LOST FRIEND||

Zara POV

Talking with a stranger is easier than with the people who are known. As an adult, it doesn't make a lot of sense for people to carefully avoid talking to strangers, because there is not much to fear. It's easier to identify whether a person has malicious intentions and then avoid them. Moreover, having a nice conversation with them would not hurt because they don't know your weakness, your fear so they won't be using it against you anytime soon. They won't hurt you, well not intentionally.

While on the other hand, some of the most poisonous people are disguised as family. They know your weakness and they will make sure to strike there and you won't even know what happened. They will sink claws there in your soul and rip you apart. That is what family does.

The people sitting in front of me were the snakes. They have ripped my whole family apart. Their poison was running in my veins, sufficiently damaging my soul and heart. A dog will look down when they have done something wrong while the snakes will look right in your eyes. That is exactly what my uncle was doing. Looking right into my glittering eyes.

I was comfortably seated at the corner with Aliyah right beside me while my Uncle, Aunty, and their older son were sitting in front of me with the extension of one more snake that came to meet me. Aunty Rebecca.

It was hard to maintain the fake smile that I have plastered for last week while all I wanted to do was punch them all in their faces. But I maintained my calm. My posture was stiff and my face expressionless. My gaze locking with everyone sitting in front of me now and then.

"So Zara, did anything interesting happen while you were back in States?" Aunt Rebecca questioned. A coy smile was plastered on her lips indicating that she was either pissing me off or she wanted to insult me. She wanted to push my buttons to know why I came back.

"No aunty, same usual. Work and work." I replied smoothly and continue eating my dinner. I looked at aliyah and she smiled at me, encouraging me to stay calm.

"Well, you never told us why you were back Zara?" Uncle Taylor cleared his throat and asked me. He was eying me curiously. Examining me, reading me for answers but I smirked inwardly. I won't be that easy to crack.

Uncle Taylor was a con artist. He loves to con people, and it has been his profession for most of his lives. Conning people, robbing them and then leave them hanging. To say he was smart was an understatement. He was the cleaver. While my dad was nothing like him. He was sweet and kind-hearted. He cared for others. Uncle Taylor lived two things, money and power, and right now he had both.

"No particular reason Uncle. I just had some loose ends to tie down." I answered truthfully. I had many loose ends that needed to be tied down, but he doesn't need to know about them.

"And what might that loose ends be?" Aunt felicity questioned and I shrugged.

"Is this interrogation?" I asked and Uncle smiled evilly. "No darling just curiosity."

"It sure looks like an interrogation Uncle. You don't have to worry if you don't have anything to hide, now do you?" I retorted and for a moment I saw panic in his eyes while his wife's face paled but both of them composed themselves. He smiled sweetly and shook his head.

"Why would be there anything to hide sweetie? We are not the one to hide stuff now are we?" He took the glass of wine placed on the table and gulped it, smacking the now empty glass on the table. "Now how are we doing with that lover of yours?" He asked.

My hand instantly froze and my heartbeat harshly in my chest. I carefully looked at his innocent expression and curse under my breath. He was striking my nerves, but I wouldn't let him get away with it.