Moira

31.

"You know what," Eniola began, sprawled out in the corner of the large couch facing the top to bottom windows in front of us. "I have to say... I'm glad I saw what I saw."

My head shot in her direction abruptly, brows furrowed as she gave me an amused grin. Her eyes darted over to Esmond giving Aiden and Aude a walk-around through the apartment; my sister's eyes probably never having been wider.

"Elaborate?" I almost pleaded, my cheeks a light pink at the memory of the encounter. "Because I'm not," I went on, amusement lingering in my voice now.

She scoffed, waving me off with a smile that made her dark skin crinkle around her nose and eyes, toffee brown eyes twinkling in amusement.

"No, it's just—" She cut herself off, raising her wine glass filled with water up to her lips to take a sip before she continued. "You two seemed kind of... strange around each other, you know?" She shrugged, eyes diverting back outside of the window.

The words almost made me choke on my own drink, eyes widening slightly as she went on as if nothing happened. "Kind of, I don't know how to say this, forced? My god, I sound stupid," She huffed, then. "I was just a little worried about you, is all," She concluded, a small pout on her lips as I tried to give her the warmest smile I could.

"Really?" I asked, hoping the caution in my voice wasn't noticeable. "No idea why you'd pick up on something like that," I went on. "You know... The System never—"

"—Fails. Yes, of course I know," She cut me off in light amusement. "I know, it was stupid of me to think," She admitted, when in reality, she wasn't stupid for it, at all.

Maybe even too smart for her own good.

The sound of the front door loudly falling into its hinges kept me from replying. And before I saw who entered it, I was a little grateful for it, even.

"Are you expecting anyone else?" She asked, her tone softer and her voice a little quieter.

Everyone seemed to still in their movements; even Ellis looked up from the screen in her hands as Esmond made his way over to the entrance at a relatively fast pace. His brows were furrowed, his jaw clenched in... anger?

Before he managed to leave the living room into the entrance corridor, though, the uninvited guest stepped through the organically arched doorway.

My eyes widened — just like everyone else's must have — and my breath hitched painfully obvious. Enough so to make Eniola's eyes snap away from Monroe stood in the living room and onto me.

Behind him, two men in suits just as white as his, their arms crossed in front of their chest and faces blank, while Monroe gave all of us a wide smile.

Esmond came to a halt as soon as he recognised the man, though he didn't falter in his obvious displayed anger as his presences only seemed to fuel more of it.

"Well, I have to admit, I didn't expect to see you here, my dear," He said calmly, then, his attention on Esmond's sister. Her eyes were wide, phone dropped onto the table she was still sat at.

His eyes darted over in my general direction afterwards, taking in Eniola first before ultimately landing on me. "Can't say the same thing for you—" He began, head tilted slightly before Esmond cut him off.

Out of habit, I went to protest; knowing nobody should be interrupting Monroe, though dropped it as soon as Esmond's eyes darted over to me; a kind of hatred in them I don't think I've ever seen, despite our history.

"How did you get in here?" He seethed, attention on the man again and voice dangerously calm. I wondered why that was his first question.

Monroe scoffed, his brows rising in amusement. "Well, it's mine, after all. Isn't it?"