Chapter 16

The dinning room was aglow with warm light. Emma and her family gathered for dinner. The faint clinking of cutlery echoed off the polished table. 

Emma sat stiffly in her chair, her fingers curling around her spoon, trying to ignore the persistent glance from her sister. 

“So, Emma, what is been keeping you so busy these days?” Ever asked  her voice breaking the grace silent. 

Emma did not bother looking at her. Instead, she focused on her dad, offering them a small smile. “The usual,” she replied. 

“Mom,” she called turning toward her mum “I have decided on something,” she said with a large smile.

Her mother dropped the fork in her hand and focused her attention on her. “Decided on something? Which is?” she asked.

“I have decided that I will attend the festival, you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

The words came as a shock to her parents.

“Really? I thought you weren’t interested,” her mother said, turning to her with evident surprise.

Emma shrugged, her expression unreadable. “Things changed,” she said.

“That’s great news. But are you sure? You’ve seemed distant lately,” Mr. Sinclair muttered as he leaned forward, his brows furrowed.

“I’m sure,” Emma replied firmly, ignoring the weight of Ever’s gaze boring into her from across the table.

Ever was clearly unimpressed by being sidelined. “And what exactly changed your mind?” she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm.

“Why does it matter to you?” Emma turned to her, her eyes narrowing. 

“It matters because you have been acting like you are too good to talk to me,” Ever didn’t give her question a second thought before she replied. 

“Maybe because you keep trying to involve yourself in things that don't concern you,” Emma jaw tightened in frustration.

The conversation between them crackled like a live wire as their voices grew sharper. Their parents exchanged worried glances, clearly sensing the brewing storm.

“Girls,” their mother interjected, her tone fading. “Please, let’s not ruin dinner. What is going on between you two? And you, Ever, can’t you keep quiet for your sister?”

Emma inhaled deeply, willing herself to stay calm. “Nothing is worth discussing here,” she said evenly, though her hand trembled slightly under the table.

“Nothing?” Ever scoffed. “You’ve been avoiding me like the plague and acting like I don’t exist. That’s nothing?”

“If it’s not important to my life, I don’t see why I should bother,” Emma replied with a sharp look.

“Ever, what’s gotten into you? You should be more careful with yourself. Don’t take your sister as an enemy unless you want me to take you back to your place,” their mother gasped softly, her hand flying to her chest.

The words hit Ever harder than she expected. She glanced at Emma, whose stoic expression faltered for a split second before hardening again.

“I don’t know,” Ever admitted quietly, her voice tinged with uncharacteristic vulnerability. “But something is not right,” she added.

“Whatever it is, you two need to figure it out. This animosity is not good for anyone,” their father said, clearing his throat gently.

“I’m done eating, I’ll be in my room,” Emma said, her gaze falling to her plate before standing up. She murmured something under her breath before leaving the dining room.

She went to her room, pacing up and down, the tension from the dinner table still weighing heavily on her chest. Her parents’ words echoed in her mind. 

She pulled out her phone and checked the time, it was just past 8 in the night.

She walked to Damien’s room and knocked twice gently before the door opened.

“Oh, what’s up,” Damien said, opening the door widely. Emma stepped inside.

Immediately, she noticed the luggage on the bed and directed her attention back to Damien.

“Damien, don’t tell me you’re already planning to leave,” she said.

Damien closed the door and walked back into the room. “Of course. As you can see, this is not my house. I have to go back to my place,” he replied simply, walking to the luggage and packing the remaining clothes.

“Oh, not now. Not now. I need your help. Something’s been bothering me, and I don’t know who else to share this with. But I think I should tell you,” Emma said, her voice trembling as though she might burst into tears.

“Bordering you?” Damien echoed, and Emma nodded quietly.

“Yes, something is bothering me, and I don’t know how to bring this to you. I just think Ever is up to something. I don’t know why, but she is up to something—something no good, she just… she doesn’t seem normal to me,” Emma proclaimed, trying to patch up the misinterpretation, hoping it would make sense.

The call she received yesterday the audio message she heard, the document she scanned with her eyes, everything seemed to buckle up and stay at the top of her mind.

“Oh, so you mean Ever is up to something?” Damien asked, unable to comprehend what Emma meant by that.

“Yes, she is up to something, but I don’t know what,” she replied.

“You don’t know, but would you like to look into it, or do you just want to let it slide?”

“For real, I like your question. I would like to look into it,” Emma snapped, standing up and pacing around the room. “I would love to look into it and know what is wrong. But I can’t do this alone. I need somebody who can stay beside me. And now you are leaving. I don’t… I’m tired. I’m just fed up,” Emma complained as she walked up and down the room.

“Okay, you know what? I can postpone my leaving. We can both work on this together. You understand? and I’m going to find out some things about her. You just have to give me the details of what you think she is up to and leave the rest to me.”

“Really?” A smiled tugged at the corner of her lips. 

“Yes, that’s a promise,” Damien answered.