Page 59 of Monster in Disguise

"Shut up!" Venezia replies, lifting her hands and blocking her ears so she can't hear anything.

"But he doesn't give you any attention, no matter what you do." Catalina stands up and takes a step towards Venezia.

"No... I won't hear what you have to say!" Venezia throws her hands in the air and makes to leave the room.

Catalina moves even faster and in less than a second, her arms come around Venezia and she tugs her forward in a hug.

"It's ok, Venezia." She says, her voice lower than before and I strain to hear.

Catalina pats her back, and Venezia stands still for a few moments. Her hands are still frozen in the air, her body stiff. It's as if she doesn't know how to respond. Catalina's hand goes to her head, and she pats her slowly.

"It's ok to feel that way. But I'm not the enemy. My daughter isn't the enemy. We will not take your brother away from you. I'm your sister now too, you know." Catalina's words seem to be a balm for Venezia because I hear a few stifled sobs. Venezia's hands slowly come down, but still, they're not touching Catalina.

Catalina, seeing that this is working, continues with her soothing voice. Even I, from the sidelines, feel more relaxed just listening to her melodious tone.

"I..." Venezia starts, but before she can continue, she lets out a loud wail. She then sobs her heart out, finally returning Catalina's hug. She cries and cries, and Catalina continues to comfort her.

I feel like I've seen enough, and I try to stealthily leave before I'm seen. I head to my room and close the door. If I didn't already know what Catalina was capable of, now I knew... After how Venezia's treated her these days, I'm amazed she had such patience with her. She's been nothing but lovely. A smile plays on my lips. She's something else... Catalina... Lina.

Sometimes, in the hidden depths of my thoughts, I like to call her Lina, the familiarity of the nickname warming me up. And once again, I wish things were different. Oh, Lina... in another life... maybe.

I shake my head, dispelling the hopeless thoughts, and I go back to work.

The abrupt rattlingof the doorknob startles me, causing my brow to furrow in annoyance. I had given Amelia strict instructions not to disturb me while I worked in my study.

After a moment, the rattling stops.

I shake my head and return my focus to the pile of documents on my desk. Our merchandise has been facing obstacles at every entry point, resulting in significant losses. I had made a promise to fix this issue, but now it seems the problem goes beyond just lifting an embargo. I must find a way to compensate for our losses as well.

The mere thought of it elicits a groan from me. This is not my area of expertise, and it's causing me a headache.

As I delve deeper into the numbers, the doorknob begins to move again. But this time, it slowly tilts downwards before the door is pushed open. My gaze shifts to the intruder, a small figure peering through the slightly ajar door.

She seems unsure as she looks at me, her wide eyes filled with curiosity and perhaps a hint of fear.

"Please, come in Claudia," I say with a gentle smile.

She hesitantly steps inside, her posture stiff and self-conscious.

"May I?" The slight wavering in her voice betrays her underlying nerves.

I nod, indicating that it is okay for her to join me.

As she takes a seat and folds her hands in her lap, I can see the weight of her worries resting heavy on her small frame. She seems so mature for her age, especially when she talks withCatalina. But now, in this moment, I can see that she is still just a child, trying to make sense of things far beyond her years.

"What brings you here?" I prompt gently, sensing that she is hesitant to start the conversation.

Truthfully, I haven't interacted much with Claudia before now. I've always felt unsure of how to act around children. But seeing her here now, I am reminded of how much she resembles her mother.

"I..." Claudia begins, lifting her emerald eyes to meet mine. "You don't want us here, do you?" Her words catch me off guard, and a frown creases my brow.

"What do you mean?"

She lowers her gaze, her lashes casting soft shadows on her cheeks. "You always seem to avoid us," she admits quietly. Her observation makes me pause. I hadn't realized she was paying such close attention.

"I'm not," I deny quickly, the lie slipping easily past my lips. "I've just been busy."

"Oh," she whispers, looking down at her fidgeting hands. "I thought..." She starts but ultimately shakes her head.

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