CHAPTER 38 – CALLING THE SHOTS

Riley and Maeve are in the library. Maeve was reading a book while Riley was looking at a lovely

artwork depicting different colors that hung on the wall. Close to the artwork is a frame holding a picture

of Evolette.

“It is beautiful” Riley muttered.

Maeve who had not heard Riley clearly replied “Yes, of course, she is beautiful”

“No mum, I was referring to the piece of artwork over here,” Riley said.

“And of course it is beautiful,” Riona said.

“Rio” Riley turned to see Riona standing by the door and she wondered when she entered the room.

Riona walked towards Riley “That piece of art that you see there is one of Brice Marden’s best

collections”.

“It is quite lovely” Riley responded innocently.

Riona placed her right hand on the piece “This is not a common piece Riley. It is from Brice Marden. I

know that you don’t know much about artworks, but what does it matter?”

“You have to be kind with your words” Maeve cautioned.

“I will Maeve. I am only trying to make her understand the value of what she is looking at as I would not

want her to mess with it” Riona said.

“I have heard you, Rio. I will be careful with it” Riley was trying to avoid having any trouble with Riona.

Riona on her part was not ready to give up “And you should be”

“Just stop it Riona, what is up with you?” Maeve screamed.

Riona smirked “And what if I don’t, what can you do?”

Maeve was beginning to boil inside of her and she was fighting so hard to stop herself from literally

exploding.

Riona loved the tension that she was creating and how her actions were making Maeve react. She

vowed to herself that she would stir Maeve’s reaction.

“It is okay Rio. I will not touch anything” Riley said.

“You don’t have to Riley. That piece over there is worth millions of dollars. So tell me, do you now

understand why you must be careful around it? You don’t go about touching just anything that you see”

Riona said.

“Stop it, Rio, just stop it already” Riley screamed.

Riona smirked once again. She loved to see Riley react the way she did.

Maeve dropped the book she was holding and went to hold Riley “It is okay Riley, we can leave now”

“Leave? Please not just the library, leave my house and never come back” Riona spat.

Maeve and Riley ignored Riona and were about to leave the room.

“Are you running away, for how long are you going to continue to run? You cannot run away from your

shadow. I am your karma Maeve” Riona said.

Maeve turned to Riona “You are still a child”

“I agree I might still be a child, but I don’t allow my desperation to cloud over my sense of judgment”

Riona replied.

“You see Riona, I don’t know who brought you up this way I know it is not Wright and it is definitely not Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Evolette” Maeve said.

“You have no right to talk about my mum, Maeve, you are not up to her standard by any justification”

Riona retorted.

“What do you want Riona? Just the other day, your dad talked to you about this but you would never

listen. What does it take to be nice to people? Maeve flared.

“You know what I want. Just go and never come back” Riona retorted.

“This is our home Rio and we are not going anywhere” Riley retorted.

“And it will not remain your home for long. I promise you that” Riona replied.

“I dare you to, Rio. I dare you to take us out. At first, I thought that you were only being petty as a result

of your grief. But right now, I beg to think otherwise. You are just a spoilt brat Rio and even though I still

want to see you like a sister but right now sincerely I am ashamed of you. Your attitude disgusts me”

Riley said.

Riona tried to say something only to realize that her throat was dry. She went to the fridge in the library

room and took a bottle of water. She gulps it down a throat.

After she was done with the water, she decided that it was time to properly respond to Riley.

“You better keep shut Riley. You aren’t part of this so remain in the low where you belong” Riona spat.

“I may belong to the ‘low’ as you call it. But just so you know, we are family now and there is nothing

you can do about it. And to say my mind, looking at you right now, I am very happy for my humble

background because I would let go of anything just so as to be different from you” Riley replied.

“It is enough now dear. Let us let her be because I don’t think there is anything that you can say to her

to make her understand” Maeve said.

“Make me understand?” Riona asked Maeve. “You are the only one that needs to be made to

understand her position in this house. It is my house and once I come of age, the very first thing that I

will do would be to throw you both out” Riona challenged.

“And I do hope that once you come off age, you would be a better person” Maeve replied.

“And nothing is going to change even then. You both deserve your place among filths. There would

always be no room for you here” Riona retorted.

“And to think that you go about in the eyes of people claiming to be a philanthropist when right under

your roof, the only thing that you are good at is to distribute and dish out hatred,” Riley said.

“Is that what you think?” Riona asked.

“I would have loved to say otherwise, but that is what it is” Riley responded.

Riona chuckled and she went and stood by the doorpost. She stared at Maeve and Riley and she

shook her head and laughed aloud.

“And do you for once think you were going to get away from it?” Riona asked.

“Get away from what?” Riley asked. She looked from her mum to Riona and back to her mum.

“Yes Maeve, your daughter wants to know, answer her,” Riona said.

“It’s nothing Riley, do not pay any attention to her,” Maeve said.

“Mum” Riley whispered.

Riley hated to be kept in the dark but she felt that whatever her mum’s reason might be for not telling

her about whatever it was that Riona was talking of is okay with her.

“You said what?” Riona asked Maeve. “You still pretend and live in denial even to your own daughter?

This is amazing” Riona said.

“You must stop whatever it is that you are trying to do right now Rio. This will not be good for any of us”

Maeve cautioned.

Riona ignored Maeve and looked at Riley “Your mum is right here with us and she knows enough even

more than any of us here. She can tell you everything”

“Stop it right now Rio” Maeve screamed.

“No mum” Riley cuts in. “Please do hold on for a while. Just so you know Rio, if there is anything that I

don’t know about, I would patiently wait for my mum to tell me about it herself. I trust her and I am

ready to wait until whenever she deems it fit to let me in on it”

Riona laughed scornfully “I said it, like mother like daughter”

Riona stared right into their eyes with disdain written all over her “Opportunists” she spat.

In her disparagement, she walked out on them.