"Things just got really interesting," Reese chuckled.
"What do you mean, Nadia? You don't believe your future daughter in-law?" Sidney asked instigatingly.
"I'm aware of all the big shots of artistic families, and Parker doesn't ring a bell. For your art to be displayed in an art gallery like the Louvre, you have to have a certain level of connections. I don't like liars, girl, so tell me who the hell you are?" She dropped her cutleries, and faced Aveline directly.
Atlas held his breath, fully expecting Aveline to fold under his mother's intense pressure.
She was going to. She thought, 'is all of this worth it?'
It was the answer that gave her the courage to speak.
"I'll admit my parents aren't nearly as wealthy as yours, ma'am. I mean everyone knows the Sinclair's. But my father was an excellent painter. His work was enough to send me to university where I got a bachelor of arts degree. You could say we were a middle class family," she explained.
Almost everyone else nodded in acceptance. Everyone except Nadia who was clearly not satisfied with her answer.
"So how do I know you're not with my son for his money? Where do you currently work?"
"She doesn't have to wo–"
"I wasn't talking to you, son. Où travaillez-vous?" She directed to Aveline.
"What's that?" A confused Freya asked.
"She says she lived in France for a while. Surely, she must know some French?" Nadia said.
Atlas began to fidget a little. He realized he didn't think this plan all the way through.
Picking France had looked like the safest bet. But in picking that option, he had completely underrated his mother's intelligence.
"Or don't you know any french, my dear? Was all of this a lie? A plot to trap my precious son?" She pressed.
Aveline looked at Atlas, but he wasn't looking at her.
"He throws me under the bus now? Leave me to take the fall? Wow," she thought.
"I think it's exactly like I've said. She's just an impo—"
"Je ne travaille pas en ce moment," Aveline replied, and once again, everyone's head tilted her way in shock.
Atlas' eyes widened, but immediately returned to normal when he remembered he had to keep his composure.
"Pourquoi?" Nadia fired back, not ready to back down.
"Ton fils ne veut pas que je travaille," she fired back.
"What?!" Nadia's head whipped to Atlas. "Is it true?" She asked.
"Is what true?" He asked back, completely confused.
"She said you don't want her to work. Is that true?"
Aveline held her breath, fully expecting him to continue to fuck her over.
"It's true. She doesn't have to until after the wedding and the honeymoon. Then she can decide what she wants to do," he replied, and Aveline released the breath she was holding.
"This is bullshit," Faiza cursed out, as she grabbed a bottle of wine and poured it into her glass.
"Why? I think it's romantic. Why does she have to work when her husband is capable of providing for her?" Freya added gasoline to the already lit fire, and followed it with a laugh.
Faiza ignored her attempt to further annoy her, and instead focused on Atlas. "So you're really going to hurt me this way?" She blurted.
Atlas completely ignored her, focusing on his food instead.
"You're not even going to be decent enough to look at me or actually speak to me? You have hurt me enough, Atlas Sinclair. I promise you, I will make sure you regret all of this." She rose to her feet.
"Faiza, please wa—" Nadia was trying to call out to her, but she sprinted out of the room.
"I'll check up on her," Reese rose to his feet. "Not cool Atlas. Not cool." He shook his head at him, and walked out of the room.
"Yet they say my son is the heartless one. Look at him picking up the shattered pieces of the heart your son so casually and carelessly broke," Sidney said.
"Do you just not shut up?!" Nadia fired back.
"Maybe if you learn to listen to tips on how to raise a child properly, you won't be getting defensive every time he disappoints you. Which is really all the time if we're keeping it a—"
Nadia jumped to her feet. "I refuse to sit here and listen to this bird-brained bitch insult me and my son. This is all your fault Atlas. When dinner is over, find me!" She ordered, before storming out of the room.
Sidney smiled victoriously, her success in getting under the great Nadia Sinclair's skin, was the major highlight of her week.
"Wow," Aveline thought.
She didn't think it could get more dramatic than her first night at the mansion. As it turned out, it had gotten even worse than whatever that first night was.
Grabbing her glass, she quenched the thirst in her throat, as she waited for the next scene.
"Son, let's talk later." Cane Sinclair followed his wife out.
"Well that was a burst," Cara Sinclair snickered.
"It wasn't. This is the best dinner we've had in a very long time. Welcome to the family, Aveline dearest." Sidney raised a glass to her.
"Thank you ma'am," Aveline replied.
She wasn't stupid enough to think Sidney actually liked her. It was very obvious she would do anything to get Nadia Sinclair heated.
It made her wonder if this unhealthy competition had been passed down to their children too.
In a way, she could feel some kind of tension between Atlas, and Reese.
Her eyes went to Atlas, he was scrolling through his phone, completely immune to the theatrics happening around him.
"He has to be used to things like this, right?" She thought, completely amazed that anyone could be unaffected by such engrossing theatrics.
"We need to talk," Chris Sinclair whispered to his wife, as he rose to his feet. "Congrats Atlas. Your woman is beautiful and intelligent." He walked out of the room immediately after.
"I guess that's my sign to retire too," Sidney stood up. "Cara baby, Lets leave the younglings alone. I'd like to have a word," she said to her sister in-law.
"What do we possibly have to talk about?" Cara asked, but was already rising to her feet.
Soon, it was just Freya, Aveline, Theo and Atlas left in the dining room.
"I know what to paint next!" Theo snapped.
"Really?" Freya's eyes bulged in anticipation. "What?" She clasped.
"Come here," he gestured towards Freya.
She leaned in closer to him. "You'll have to wait to find out," he whispered into her ear.
"You prick!" She pinched his cheeks, causing Theo to let out a yelp.
Aveline watched them with fascination. It was obvious the younger ones were all close to each other.
From the corner of her eyes, she looked at Atlas. He seemed so engrossed in whatever was on his screen. It made her really curious.
Suddenly, he rose to his feet. "Theo, we're going to the hotel," he simply said.
"Say no more." Theo rose to his feet too.
Aveline wondered if he was even going to acknowledge her presence.
It wasn't as if he had been supportive all night, so she didn't expect him to respect her enough to at least look her way before he left her alone with the monsters.
"Should I tag along?" Freya asked.
"No," they both chorused, but Atlas took it a step further.
"Stay with Aveline. She'll need your help," he said to her.
"Yeah, she will." Freya nodded in understanding.
"At least he thought of you enough to give you some help," Aveline was thinking when she felt someone behind her.
Startled, she looked up to find Atlas staring down at her.
"You did really well tonight. Well-done," he whispered into her ears. "But we need to talk right after I come back." He pecked her on the cheeks.
Aveline's face went completely pale, and remained that way, even after Atlas steps faded away.