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He clears his throat before setting down his napkin and saying, “The rules we set for you, daughter, are meant to be followed, not ignored so carelessly. I expect you won’t be late to dinner again. We may be a different kind of family, but we always eat dinner together. Do you understand?”
“Understand?” I repeat. “Yeah, I’m not a complete idiot.”
Now stop acting so butthurt about those couple of minutes, I add silently in my mind.
I dig into the food and am pleasantly surprised by the wonderful taste of it all. Whoever’s doing the cooking here is doing one hell of a job.
One look at my overly primped stepmother reveals she is definitely not the one working her magic in the kitchen – not with those nails. Besides, I have a feeling doing something as plebian as cooking would be beneath her.
“Great grub,” I say after a couple more moments of silence.
Of course, I’ve been taught how to act properly at St Cecile, but I’m not going to give the Oakes the satisfaction of being polite and well-mannered just yet. I love defying their rules to see them displeased, and I grin at them one after the other.
“My compliments to the chef.”
My father doesn’t react. My brother rolls his eyes, my stepmother gives me an encouraging smile, and my sister just stares at me blankly.
I take the chance to inspect them all further. I’ll be spending a long time here – there are still a few weeks separating me from my eighteenth birthday, and I have a feeling they won’t just let me walk away after that’s over and done with. Not that I won’t do my best to try.
My stepmother is in her late thirties, a gorgeous former model who traded in the glitz and glam of the fashion world to be with my father – the powerful, handsome and older Emilian Oakes. Bryony’s beauty may be fading, but she and her surgeon have worked hard to maintain that youthful look. Although to me it seems more than a little fake – probably because she’s trying way too hard.
Her daughter Tatianna, however, must look just like her mother did when she was her age. She’s heartbreakingly pretty, with a mischievous glint in her eyes and a pouty mouth that makes me think she can get whatever she wants from our father.
Brazen, who was born only nine months after me, courtesy of father dearest’s sordid affair, is handsome in a preppy way that I never liked. He’s plainly showing his distaste for me and has thrown me more than a few nasty looks since I sat down at the table.
Oddly enough, it seems as if the person who’s most interested in me is my stepmother.
“Well, this was just wonderful,” I finally say as I finish up my food, sarcasm dripping from my voice. “I’m gonna head out. Explore the house a bit.”
I get up and smile at my new family, but everyone just stares at me in disbelief.
“We’re not finished.” My father’s voice is cold, cruel. “Sit down.”
“Oh no, I’m full, thank you,” I retort with a tight smile.
“Sit. Down,” Brazen speaks up, glaring at me from across the table. “Father doesn’t let us leave until we’ve all finished.”
“As is proper and polite,” Father reminds him, shooting me a displeased glance, as if he’s smelled something rotten.
I sit back down, my cheeks burning as I turn to look at my father.
“That reminds me. When am I getting a phone? Maybe a laptop for school as well? Or a tablet?”
It doesn’t seem like this will be a problem, given how loaded this family is, but my father stares at me coldly when I bring it up.
“Anything else?” he asks, mocking me. “Or are you done making requests at the expense of this family, just hours after arriving here?”
“I also want my luggage back,” I remember. “I didn’t give you permission to–”
“No.”
His answer is obviously final.
I’m too stumped to offer him a proper response. My half-sister snickers from the other side of the table, and I glare at her. Spoiled little bitch.
“I need to speak to my friends at home. After being at St Cecile’s for four years, I think I deserve some contact with them. Or do you keep all your children here like prisoners?”
My father sets down his knife and folds the damask napkin on his lap. “You went to St. Cecile’s because you were sorely underprepared for your role in Eden Falls, daughter. You are a Firstborn. Are you aware of all your duties here?”
