Freya Sinclair's eyes twinkled with mischief several minutes after Atlas left her alone with Aveline.
She straightened up, and stared directly at Aveline. "So you're really going to marry Atlas in two days?" She asked pointedly.
Aveline, who was still going through the motions in her head, looked up. "Sorry?" She blinked.
"Atlas. You two are getting married in two days?"
"Yeah we are," she replied in a less than confident voice.
"You know what? I'm not mad at it. When he sent me messages about assembling a fashion and decor team in such a short time, I thought it was a prank. But seeing you now? I would marry you in a heartbeat if I was a man," she laughed heartily.
Aveline watched her with a confused expression on her face.
Her silence made Freya pause. "Did I say something wrong?"
She swiftly opened her mouth to clarify her reaction when the sound of arriving footsteps stopped her.
They looked behind to see a girl open the door and step in.
"I knew it!" Freya blurted. "You've been around all this while, Riley." Freya pointed an accusatory finger at the girl who was now taking a seat.
"Of course, I have. I was never going to join what I predicted would be a disaster dinner. Was I wrong?" She lifted a perfect brow.
Aveline's eyes squinted. She hadn't noticed until that moment that all the Sinclair members had perfectly defined brows.
It was even more surprising because not all were Sinclair's by blood, yet they still possessed the same feature.
She started to feel more like an outsider again.
"You weren't. Aunt Nadia almost blew the roof off. And Aunt Sidney, she was in full poking mode tonight," Freya sighed.
"Glad I didn't waste my time then," she said, and then turned to Aveline. "You're Aveline?"
A shudder ran through Aveline. She wasn't expecting to be spoken directly to. "I–I am," she stuttered.
"Wait, What's the ruckus for? You're gorgeous!"
Freya banged the table in support. "I know right? When everyone kept yapping about Atlas suddenly getting married, I thought maybe she's a hideous girl with terrible teeth, but look at her. She could pass for a real life princess." Freya pointed dramatically.
"I agree. I'm already picturing her wedding dress. Something regal. And then an after wedding dress with slits that shows those long legs of hers. God, the makeup to project her freckles more. With the dimples being the star of the show? Look at you!" Riley bobbed her head like a proud mother watching her daughter thrive.
Aveline's confusion grew to the point of near explosion. She could not for the life of her understand who they were describing with such expensive words. It surely wasn't her.
"I know what it is then," Riley said.
"You're thinking what I'm thinking, because tonight's dinner pretty much confirmed the problem," Freya replied.
Aveline's neck began to hurt from moving back and forth. She could barely keep up with the conversation, yet couldn't help looking at the duo as they spoke.
"Ave darling, are you from a poor household?" Riley went straight to the point.
Aveline froze for a few seconds, shocked to her limbs.
"Riles! You can't ask people questions like that. Where's the tact?" Freya chided her.
"No one has time for tact. If we're going to defend her, we have to get to the root of the problem. You know if we don't step in, aunt Nadia and that witch Faiza will break her to pieces, and my mum will be aiding them by instigating."
"Aveline, she's Reese's younger sister by the way." Freya deviated to make a quick introduction.
Aveline could only nod in her state of dumbfoundment.
"So are you?" Riley pressed.
"No she's not poor, Riles. She's from a middle class family. Her family is into the arts like Theo's. She also speaks French perfectly. You should have heard her reply to Aunt Nadia tonight," Freya laughed.
"Damn it! I missed a lot!" She folded her fist regrettably.
Aveline let out the breath she had been holding in for too long. She was both overwhelmed, and overstimulated, yet weirdly intrigued and fascinated by the cousin duo.
"Ave dearest—" Riley held her arm. "Listen to me carefully. You're more than qualified to be a part of this family. Heck, if Atlas wants you, that's the only qualification you need. So henceforth, we're here for you okay? Anything you need, you hit us up right away. In fact, make a group chat, Frey, and add her to it. What's your number, sweetness?"
Aveline, whose eyes were already watering because of the kindness these strange women were showing her, when she had just been hurt by her best friend, jolted a little inwardly.
"Num-ber?" She asked as if it was the first time she was hearing that word.
"Yeah number, like your phone number. You have a phone right?" Freya asked.
Aveline's mind raced to come up with a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why she didn't currently have a phone.
Fortunately for her, someone else walked into the dining room at that same moment.
"Where is Atlas?"
Aveline's shoulders which were only just relaxing stiffened again on hearing Nadia Sinclair's voice.
"Aunt Nadia!" Freya and Riley called at the same time.
She paused, and eyed them. "Where is Atlas?" She asked again.
"Out," Freya replied.
"Good. You, come with me." She turned around, and began to walk away.
"Aunt Nadia, Atlas asked us to—"
"Now!" She emphasized, causing Aveline to jump to her feet.
"I'm sorry, I have to go," she said, running after Nadia.
"Oh we need to do something about that fast!" Riley said, and Freya immediately nodded in agreement.
Aveline took a deep breath, before walking into the same room she had just seen Nadia walk into.
The size of the room made her suck in her breath. Not only was it massive, it was designed to fit a queen.
"Close the door behind you," Nadia said to her.
She did, and stepped forward, shortening the distance between her and Nadia who was sitting on the bed.
"I don't like you," Nadia went straight to the point. "There's something about you that just screams poor and opportunistic. Now I'm not sure what you have on my son yet to make him want to marry you, but I can't allow that to happen."
Aveline felt her fingers begin to tingle. It was another sign of a mini panic attack.
"Ma'am—"
"Save your explanations. You'll never convince me. I know for a fact Atlas doesn't love you. This cannot be a union built on love. You want to know how I know that?" She lifted a brow.
"Perfect too," Aveline oddly thought.
"Because I'm the only woman he truly loves. He likes the other woman in his family. He tolerates other women. But the only other woman he has ever loved, maybe even more than he loves me, is Faiza. They've been sweethearts from birth. Even when they constantly grow apart, and break up through the years, they always find their way back to each other. Do you now see why I think you're a desperate, poverty stricken fraud that is definitely holding something over my son's head?"
Aveline's fingers dug into her palms, as her breath, her fragile heart, struggled to keep beating.