Liars in A Row (Book 1, 2 & 3)

f i f t e e n : sacrifice in the eden

dedicated to @BitchICameToComment because your comments always make my day!

"So what did you love so much about Paris that made you delay your arrival?" Julia slid a ricotta ravioli in her mouth, savoring the heady scent of the black truffle. It had a subtle earthy crunch to it that made her reach for her spoon again.

Julia and Chuck were on the sunken terrace, close to the indoor pool. Julia hadn't seen the renovated ceiling above the pool but she loved the brand new sunken seating area. There used to be an ancient pedestal fountain in here with rusty metal benches. Her father used to say that it was full of character, so vintage and all.

Now, her mother's influence was written all over it. At the opposite side of the seating area, there was a timber-decking terrace including built-in-timber seating for what looked like a dining space. The pleached Photinia Red Robin trees on the left made this more attractive. Red tabasco bricks were used for the boundary walls. Sandstone-paved paths were there to lead inside the house and outside to the lawn. The versatile planting scheme was of course, Liv's mother's idea. Overall, it was a good change.

Chuck now sat on the sofa across her with his feet on the nearest table. Mary Shelley's bowl was sitting next to his plate.

"You're not going to tell anyone, right?"

Julia made a face at her brother's words.

"I went to South of France."

"I have heard, Chuck. Then you returned to Paris."

"No, I was in South of France this whole time." At Julia's expression, he grinned, "I know. I know. I had to pay the caretaker to not tell dad." Chuck reached for the grilled salmon, with his glass of coke suspended in the mid-air. Finally leaning back in the sofa, he declared, "I ran into Eduardo in Saint Ephrem. Did you know he likes Bach's music too?"

Eduardo was their mother, Narcissa Eden's second cousin who used to stop by whenever he was in London which was a rare case. There were very few people Nicholas Eden liked from Narcissa's side and Eduardo was one of them.

"Eduardo is a member of this sailing club, called Centre Nautique Bauduen. You have no idea what those sailing enthusiasts are capable of!"

"I would have if you had told me, Chucker!" Julia rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coke.

"I went sailing with Eduardo." Chuck gave her a proud smile, his blue eyes glinting as he continued, "It was a 15 metre sailing boat. Named Tamara. Julia... she's beautiful. She took us to Antibes and then Cannes. We were literally living on takeaway pizzas from this catamaran pizzeria. Also, I was sharing a cabin with a girl. Her name was Mary Shelley."

"And here I was thinking you named your goldfish Mary Shelley because you love Frankenstein," Julia snorted. "Not because your fuckbuddy's name was Mary Shelley."

"Both of them, Jules. Both of them," the boy grinned and ran a hand through his trimmed platinum blonde hair. "I learnt the ropes, by the way. After Cannes, we headed south-west towards Saint-Raphaël. Imagine each evening in a new location!"

Julia sighed. She had been in Paris very often until just last year. If it hadn't been for the pressure of her study, she would've been there with her brother. Instead, she had to be in Los Angeles because her father had a case to solve there over the Summer.

"It's like I wake up every morning and just sit there, drinking my coffee, looking out into the med sea and I just know it's going to be a great day," Chuck sighed, his pale face flushed with excitement. "And I just sit there, Jules and think that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life."

Julia understood him well but couldn't resist the temptation of breaking his bubble. After all, she was always the one to show him the cruel world since he could understand things. Despite knowing he would be hurt, she smiled, "Say that to dad, Chuck and you'll see what happens."

"No, Jules, I'm serious. I didn't spend all those money after Tamara for nothing."

"What?!" Julia's blue eyes went wide at the information. She cleared her throat slightly to gain some composure and then muttered ever so slowly, "You bought a boat?"

"Yes. And I..."

"You bought a fucking boat, Chuck. Does dad know?"

"Yes, he gave me the money when I told him I was just visiting the South of France. Besides, it wasn't that expensive compared to other yachts."

"And if he asks why, what will you say?" Julia scolded, feeling worse. She was perhaps being too harsh on him now that she knew their father was fine with it.

"I'll tell him what I want to do." He shrugged so easily as if this was the easiest thing ever. His father, however, wouldn't be fine with the reason.

"I'll apply for a number of cadetship schemes and if I'm accepted it will take usually 3 years of study and work experience on the sponsoring companies' vessels. You know I'm good at Math." Chuck smiled because it was true.

"I can try for Marine engineering. Once the certificate is in hand, I am considered suitably qualified and experienced for junior engineering officer roles on large yachts. And if I have a cadetship, seatime is gained quickly and on vessels over about... say 3000 GT, allows for a ticket which is unlimited by amount like all yacht engineering certificates. This opens the door to working on the world's largest mega and superyachts, Jules. Do you understand what I'm talking about?"

"I do. But... do you think dad will pay for the training bursary? And who will run the firm when dad's gone?" Julia didn't know how to react. She knew Chuck had the capability to do what he wanted and be successful someday. Besides, it looked to her that he had thought this through. But it was their father she was worried about.

"You, Julia." He sounded so casual as if that was the easiest solution. "Where will he find a better lawyer in his family when it's time? If he ever saw you debating, he'd be sobbing like a baby."

"You know that's not possible." Julia downed what was left of her coke and looked away towards the pool. She could really use a dip right now. "If it is then," Julia couldn't finish when one of the maids interrupted, "Miss Julia, this came for you."

Julia, not even mildly curious, took the parcel from her hand and dismissed her.

"Have you and your Romeo got together over the summer?" Chuck wiggled his bushy golden eyebrows.

"It's not from Noah."

"Ooh. You found somebody else?"

Julia ripped open the envelope to discover a black velvet box with brass trim. Inside, there was a rose gold choker; its chains braided with colored thread, finishing with metal beads and tasseled ends. A small customized card lied between the chains, saying,

Thank you, daddy xo.

"It's from daddy," she sighed, showing Chuck the card.

"Let me guess he made you do something he was supposed to do again."

Julia didn't say anything. Because as always, her brother was right. But in the end he probably had to run their father's law firm KRJC Edens, sacrificing his dreams of sailing.