Page 7 of Speak No Claim

I already knew so much about this property, and I had yet to walk into it. Although it wasn’t the estate that worried me, it was the people who lived in it that had me hesitating.

Squaring my shoulders, I climbed the uneven stone steps, each one echoing beneath my feet, mimicking the beat of my heart. The massive iron doors loomed over me, framed by battered columns covered in ivy that had withstood centuries. Before I could second-guess myself, I reached for the cold brass handle, but it opened for me.

I didn’t make sense of the massive foyer as voices exploded from somewhere beyond the grand staircase.

They yelled, “SURPRISE!”

And damn was I…

I flinched, and my hand flew to my chest as a chorus of cheers boomed through the walls toward me. Strangers spilled into the foyer from every direction, smiling, laughing, and raising their glasses like they’d known me forever.

My pulse hammered against my ribs, and I quickly realized this party was for none other than me. Everyone was dressed to the nines, wearing gowns and tuxedos with expensive jewelry that cost more than anything I’d ever seen. It seemed as if the entire Academy was in attendance, including its students, families, and faculty.

It was the group of girls gathered around the bar who caught my attention first. There were five of them, beautiful in the kind of way that was effortless. They stood in a circle as if they owned the room without ever asking for permission.

Yet despite the gossip spilling between them, none of them looked relaxed. Every pair of eyes was on me. One of the girls, a stunning redhead with green eyes, was absentmindedly tracing the rim of her champagne flute as she studied me with quiet curiosity.

Another one, the blond-haired girl with blue eyes, had her arms crossed over her chest with an unreadable expression beneath a perfected smile.

The redhead tilted her head ever so slightly, reminding me of how you’d look if you were trying to solve a puzzle, one you’d been waiting years to finish.

Does she know me?

The other two girls looked amused, like they’d been placing bets on how long I’d survive there.

The redhead never smiled at all. She simply held my gaze, unwavering, making my pulse flutter a little faster with her intense composure.

They weren’t exactly hostile, but they weren’t welcoming either. It felt less like a greeting and more like an initiation.

To what exactly?

They knew something I didn’t. And somehow, I had an unsettling feeling they weren’t the only ones.

“Hennessy,” Tío Luis exclaimed, snapping my attention to him. He appeared from within the crowd, pulling me into a tight hug, firm against his chest as he kissed my cheek. “Mi niña,” he whispered, “my girl,” in my ear. “I’ve waited a long time for this moment. I’m so happy you’re finally here.” He hugged me as if I belonged there with him, embracing me as though he meant it.

It immediately reminded me of my family, making me miss them more than I already was, especially at that moment. If I were home right now, I’d be out with my friends and not in this disaster of what-ifs. I felt like a fish out of water. This wasn’t my scene. I had nothing in common with these people. That much was obvious to me. Not because there was wealth beyond comprehension, but because they all seemed to speak an unspoken language I hadn’t learned yet.

“Look at you,” Tío declared, holding me at arm’s length with a smile that softened the sharp lines of his face.

His stare explored mine, visibly trying to find the pieces of my mother hidden somewhere inside me.

Understanding my reaction, he admitted, “You look so much like your mom did when she was your age.”

I didn’t hold back. “You stuck around that long?”

The tension was abrupt, and his eyebrows pinched together. I wasn’t going to make this easy on him. I didn’t appreciate being used for his redemption. By the looks of it, he was doing more than fine for himself, only confusing me further on his true intentions.

I didn’t want to be there, and it was completely his fault that I was.

Warm laughter rippled through the room as guests watched our reunion that I had no idea wouldn’t be private. The last thing I wanted was to walk into a stranger’s house to celebrate my arrival at a party I didn’t want to attend to begin with.

This couldn’t have been his idea. He had to be smarter than this. This reeked of desperation. A pathetic performance of whatever illusion they were trying to portray. I wasn’t raised to be ungrateful, but this party had nothing to do with me and everything to do with appearances.

The second I heard a screeching voice shout, “There she is!” I found the culprit.

“Ah!” she beamed, throwing her arms around my neck. “You’re more beautiful than your pictures!”

I stood there, frozen.