"So, Samuel, where are the kids?" I asked, my curiosity piqued. Samuel had two children, both adorable in their own ways. One of them had inherited his lovely hazel eyes, with a faint hint of sunshine yellow, a unique trait that made him stand out. The other child, a daughter, had eyes like Anne's—deep brown, sharp, and penetrating.
Samuel was standing casually, his warm smile ever-present. He had the same hazel eyes, a lovely face, and was around 5'8", leaning toward the leaner side of average build.
"He has kids?" Sasha asked, her eyes sparkling with shock and excitement.
"Quite lovely ones," I replied, smiling as I thought of them. "One has eyes just like his."
Sasha grimaced a little at the thought of their shared traits. She was probably imagining the mix of their beauty.
"Only the eyes," I clarified, "The beauty comes from Anne, though."
Sasha raised an eyebrow. "Anne? Then they must be very cute."
"They're sleeping upstairs... got tired with all the Christmas thing.," Samuel said with a mischievous grin. "I'm handsome myself. What's with the face, Sasha?"
Sasha immediately flushed, her expression sheepish. "Sorry, that was rude, Sam."
"I'm just messing with you," he laughed, clearly unfazed.
The tension lightened as we all moved toward the living room, the kids' absence making the evening feel quieter, but somehow more relaxed.
As Samuel's mischievous grin faded, I caught the soft laughter of Sasha, trying to regain her composure. She smiled at Samuel, though still looking a little guilty.
"Sorry about that," she added again, her tone now more relaxed. "You know how I get when I'm surprised."
Samuel shrugged, his laid-back demeanor always soothing any tension. "No harm done. But just so you know, the kids are my pride and joy. Wouldn't trade them for anything," he said with a proud glint in his eyes.
Sasha's curiosity didn't fade. "How old are they?" she asked, leaning in slightly, genuinely interested.
"Well, Emily is two and Liam is three." Samuel replied. "They're a handful, but the cutest troublemakers you'll ever meet."
"Must be a fun house," I commented, my thoughts wandering to how different their family dynamic must be from the rest of us. I could see the genuine love Samuel had for his kids, something rare in the world of high-society and appearances.
Sasha gave a small chuckle, clearly visualizing the chaos. "I can only imagine. The hazel eyes are definitely an upgrade though," she teased, nudging Samuel playfully.
He laughed again, clearly enjoying the attention. "Well, they take after me in more ways than one."
"Don't get too cocky, Samuel," Sasha teased back, her grin widening. "You might have the eyes, but we all know it's Anne's beauty they inherited."
The playful banter filled the room, and I couldn't help but smile at how effortlessly the conversation had turned into something comfortable, even amidst the tension I'd felt earlier.
As we settled in, the faint sounds of children sleeping upstairs reminded me how real and warm their family life seemed, even with all the drama swirling around. It was a curious contrast to the cold perfection I had come to expect from Anne.
Sasha held up her palm in friendly defiance, her smile polite but firm. "I'm not that good with hard drinks," she said, shaking her head.
Anne raised her glass with a knowing smirk. "Oh, come on, it's New Year's Eve! If anything happens..." She paused, her sharp gaze settling on me. "We have our martial artist to handle you, don't we?"
The deliberate emphasis on "martial artist" made me chuckle nervously. "Well, I'm not exactly Bruce Lee, but sure," I said lightly.
Anne's eyes sparkled mischievously as she leaned back slightly. "Incidentally, don't you think, Hoffman and Sasha...?" She trailed off for a dramatic second.
"Campbell," Sasha corrected her quickly.
"Yes, Mr. Hoffman and Miss Campbell make a good pair," Anne declared with a laugh that was too orchestrated to be genuine.
Sasha stiffened, her body language betraying a sudden wave of nervousness. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her frock, crinkling the fabric as her expression grew uneasy.
"Anne, that's... a little awkward," she said with an overstretched smile, her voice soft and hesitant. "I have a boyfriend, you know."
Anne's eyes widened in mock surprise, her hand waving dramatically in the air as if swatting away her own faux pas. "Oh, sorry! Of course, you do! I didn't mean anything by it!" she said, her tone shifting into a hurried desperation. "I just meant... you two make quite a pair—a smart pair!"
The room fell into an awkward silence for a moment, and Samuel cleared his throat, trying to defuse the tension. "Alright, Anne, maybe lay off the matchmaking, we all know how skilled you are in that field, maybe you can open a matrimony site in future." he said with a chuckle.
I glanced at Sasha, offering her a small, reassuring smile, and she relaxed slightly, though the faint blush on her cheeks didn't fade.
"Well," I said, trying to lighten the mood, "it's nice to know I'm being appraised so highly tonight."
Anne laughed again, though this time it sounded more natural, and the moment passed. Sasha, however, avoided Anne's gaze for the rest of the evening, clearly still unsettled by the comment.
"But hey, they made a good pair... a match made in Criminology," Samuel quipped with a grin. "Our Sasha even has a secret boyfriend."
Sasha rolled her eyes, her smile strained. She had always found Sam's remarks both immature and witless, but now was definitely not the time for one of his smarty-pants jokes.
"Yeah, I might've misjudged the timing," Samuel added with an awkward chuckle, glancing at Sasha, who now looked both grumpy and, oddly enough, adorable. Her baby-like face only made her frustration more endearing.
"Let's focus on dinner," Anne interjected, attempting to steer the conversation away from the awkwardness.