The kitchen fell into an uneasy silence as Mrs. Henderson bustled through the doorway, her arms laden with grocery bags. Jack was at her side, his expression a mask of benign charm as he relieved her of the burdensome parcels.
“There’s my favorite sister,” he crooned, kissing her cheek. “Looking as radiant as ever, I see.”
Mrs. Henderson’s brow furrowed, but she mustered a tight smile. “Jack? What are you doing here?”
“Got out a few days ago,” he replied casually, shrugging as if discussing the weather. “Thought I’d stop by and spend some quality time with my beloved family.”
His gaze swept over the assembled Hendersons, daring any of them to contradict his blatant fabrication. When no one spoke up, his smile widened into a toothy grin.
I am thrilled to be back with the kids under one roof. “We’re going to be one big, happy family again—just like old times.”
Aiko felt a surge of revulsion as she watched the scene unfold. Jack’s oily charisma oozed from every pore as he attempted to ingratiate himself back into the fold. It was a masterful display of manipulation, each crafted word and gesture designed to disarm and lull his audience into a false sense of complacency.
But she could see the cracks in his performance, the subtle tells that betrayed the malevolent intent simmering beneath the surface. His pale eyes remained cold and calculating like a serpent sizing up its prey. The slight tightening of the muscles along his jaw whenever one of the Hendersons dared to challenge his narrative.
Most telling was the brief, loaded glance he shot in Aiko’s direction, a fleeting promise that she had become a part of whatever game he was playing.
A shiver of trepidation skittered down her spine, but Aiko refused to be cowed. She met Jack’s stare head-on, her expression impassive as she channeled her uncle’s teachings on inner fortitude. No weakness would she show to the bully’s intimidation tactics—now or ever.
What a delightful surprise!” Mrs. Henderson’s voice cut through the tension, laced with a brittle undercurrent of forced cheer. “We’ll have to set an extra place at the table for breakfast.”
She turned toward the kitchen counter, her movements just a little rushed as she unpacked the grocery bags. “Annabelle, be a dear and grab some more plates from the cupboard, would you?”
Annabelle opened her mouth, no doubt to voice her vehement objections, but seemed to think better of it at the last moment. Instead, she shot a venomous glare in Jack’s direction before complying with her mother’s request, her movements stiff and jerky with restrained anger.
An awkward stillness descended over the kitchen, punctuated only by the clink of ceramic plates and the rustle of paper bags. Aiko could feel the weight of Jack’s stare like a physical force, daring her to speak up and challenge the illusion he was constructing.
She remained silent, her jaw clenched, as she struggled to maintain her composure despite his blatant power play. Part of her longed to call out his manipulative tactics, strip away the veneer of false congeniality, and expose him for the toxic presence he was.
But a part of her cautioned restraint. This was not her family, not her battle to wage. To make an enemy of Jack Moran could have catastrophic consequences, especially with the unstable dynamic already fracturing the Henderson household.
So she held her tongue, focusing instead on the steady thrum of her pulse and the even cadence of her breathing—anchors to keep her grounded amidst the churning sea of tension.
At length, the plates and utensils were arranged on the table, and Mrs. Henderson began dishing out portions of scrambled eggs and toast. Jack inserted himself into the proceedings as if he’d never been absent, getting close and positioning his arm over Aiko to snag the platter of bacon. He gave her a wink that made her skin crawl.
“Don’t mind if I do,” he rumbled, piling his plate high with a gluttonous helping. “A growing boy needs his protein, after all.”
Annabelle made a noise of disgust low in her throat. A sharp look from her mother halted whatever biting remark she’d been prepared to release.
As they ate, an uncomfortable stillness settled over the table, the air thick with unvoiced recriminations and simmering resentments. Jack seemed unfazed by the hostility radiating from his audience. He dug into his meal, complimenting Mrs. Henderson’s cooking between messy mouthfuls.
“Just like I remember,” he proclaimed around a mouthful of half-chewed eggs. “No one makes scrambled eggs quite like you, sis.”
Mrs. Henderson’s smile became even more strained, a muscle twitching in her clenched jaw. “Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying them, Jack,” she replied, suggesting she was anything but glad.
Stolen novel; please report.
Aiko picked at her food, her appetite fleeing in the face of Jack’s overbearing presence and the mounting tension. She could feel the weight of his lingering stares, his pale eyes raking over her with undisguised appraisal whenever she dared to glance his way.
The others also seemed affected, their plates untouched as the pretense of a pleasant family meal devolved into a farce. Even Liam, who possessed a healthy teenage boy’s appetite, pushed his food around with a desultory fork, his brow furrowed in a scowl of consternation.
At last, Jack set down his utensils with a contented belch, leaning back in his chair as he surveyed the strained tableau before him. A slow, predatory smile curved his lips, and Aiko felt her pulse kick up a notch in instinctive trepidation.
“So,” he began his tone all false bonhomie as he settled his pale gaze on Aiko again. “I don’t believe I’ve had the chance to welcome our guest into the family.”
The words hung in the air like a lead weight, heavy with unspoken implications. Aiko tensed, bracing herself for whatever new game Jack had in store.
“Miss Takahashi, was it?” He didn’t wait for her response before plowing ahead, that unsettling smile never wavering. “I must say, it’s been an absolute delight making your acquaintance these past few hours. The Hendersons are lucky to count you among their circle of friends.”
His gaze sharpened, becoming laser-focused in a way that made the fine hairs on Aiko’s nape prickle with a warning. “In fact, I’d go so far as to say you’ve become part of the family already.”
The undercurrent of threat was unmistakable, a reminder that he considered her just as enmeshed in his sick games as the Hendersons themselves. Aiko felt her throat constrict, her pulse thundering in her ears as she struggled to maintain her composure under the weight of his intense scrutiny.
“That’s... very kind of you to say,” she managed at last, proud of how steady her voice remained despite the turmoil roiling within.
Jack’s smile widened a fraction, becoming all teeth and no warmth. “Oh, I mean it as high praise, believe me. This family has been through a lot, and we’ve endured our share of hardship and... unpleasantness.” His gaze flickered toward Annabelle, who met his stare with undisguised loathing. “But we’ve always knuckled down and gotten through any obstacles. That’s what family does, after all.”
An uncomfortable silence descended over the table, thick and oppressive. Aiko could feel the weight of the Hendersons’ scrutiny, their apprehension a living force blanketing the room.
Annabelle’s derisive snort cut through the tension, giving voice to everyone’s unease.
“Is that what you call it?” she spat, her voice laced with venom as she pinned Jack with a look of utter contempt. “Sticking together?”
Jack’s affable mask slipped, a flicker of something cold and dangerous glinting in his pale eyes. But just as fast, the veneer was back in place, his features settling into a look of mild reproach.
“Annabelle,” Mrs. Henderson chided, her tone a warning. “That’s enough of that disrespectful attitude. Like it or not, your uncle is a part of this family.”
But Annabelle was undeterred. Her hands clenched into white-knuckled fists atop the table as she leaned forward, her eyes blazing with righteous fury.
“He’s no uncle of mine,” she bit out, each word a scorpion’s sting. “Not after everything he’s done—everything he put us through with his lies and his schemes and his—”
“That’s quite enough, young lady!” Mrs. Henderson’s voice cracked like a whip, startling them all with its sudden ferocity. “I will not have you speaking about family matters before our guest. Whatever disagreements we may have had, your uncle is still blood. You would do well to remember that.”
An uncomfortable silence fell, heavy and oppressive. Annabelle seemed eager to unleash her outrage. Still, something in her mother’s expression seemed to give her pause. She regained her temper with visible effort, settling back in her chair with a mulish set to her jaw.
Jack, for his part, appeared unaffected by the outburst. He shook his head with an exaggerated sigh as if disappointed by a child’s tantrum rather than threatened by the blistering onslaught of Annabelle’s fury.
“Kids these days, am I right?” he quipped, flashing a conspiratorial grin toward Aiko that made her stomach churn. “So much fire and passion—it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important.”
His gaze swept over the assembled Hendersons, an unmistakable challenge glinting in those flinty eyes.
“Like family,” he continued, his voice taking on a silky undertone that set Aiko’s instincts jangling with a warning. “Blood is thicker than water. We may have disagreements from time to time, but we’re still bound by those unbreakable ties.”
Jack leaned back in his chair, rubbing his fingers across his midsection with a satisfactory grin.
“I know you’ll make me feel right at home during my... extended stay.” His lips curved in a thin, razor-edged smile as his pale eyes found Aiko’s once more, holding her immobile in his sight like a snake mesmerizing its prey. “After all, we’re family now, aren’t we?”
Jack’s smile widened into a cruel, menacing grin.
“Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but all this family bonding has me feeling right at home already.” He let his words sink in, his pale gaze holding Aiko’s with unmistakable weight. “Which reminds me—Annie, you wouldn’t know where I’ll be bunking during my stay, would you?”
The question seemed to catch Annabelle off guard, her expression flickering between outrage and resignation before settling into a mask of sullen resentment.
“In the gutter as far as I know or care—”
“Actually,” Mrs. Henderson cut in before her daughter could unleash a torrent of hostility, “I was thinking you could bunk with Liam for the time being, Jack. At least until we get the spare room sorted out.”
A chorus of dismayed protests erupted from the Henderson siblings. Still, their mother raised a quelling hand, her expression brooking no argument.
“It’s only temporary,” she insisted, her tone making it clear the matter was not up for debate. “And Liam, you’ll just have to make do and be a good host to your uncle. It’s the right thing to do.”
Liam looked as though he wanted to protest, but something in his mother’s resolute demeanor seemed to give him pause. At last, he inclined his head in a tight nod of acquiescence, his jaw clenched in mute frustration.
Jack, meanwhile, appeared delighted by this turn of events. He flashed Liam a wolfish grin, all teeth and veiled menace.
“You hear that, kid?” he said, smiling.
Liam shot him a look of annoyance.
“Looks like you and I are going to be bunkmates,” Jack said, throwing back his head and laughing.
Aiko cringed as an icy shiver of premonition rolled down her spine. She could see it in those harsh eyes, a promise of something dark and terrible yet to come.