SAMANTHA’S POV

The side comments, the stares heck the way they gaped at me with a snicker on their faces. Even if I wanted to ignore it, it was damn too obvious they were all about me. I tightened my grip on Lucas' wrist for two reasons; I didn't want him to cause a scene at a freaking family brunch and I didn't want to be the cause of a further rift, given the tussle he had with Andres.

"Oh come on son, your uncle was only joking," Magrete's eyes held a hint of sincerity as she spoke.

Nothing much happened afterwards as everyone seemed to be at ease, sharing pleasantries while carrying glasses of wine on their fingertips, and lots of deserts to fill twenty people for ten days straight.

I tried my best not to focus on the whispers and the blade-sharp glances that were thrown at us at intervals. Having been with Lucas for a while, one of the things I'd noticed was the strained relationship within Lucas's family– his relationship with Andres was more than enough to tell me what I needed to know.

Every