I sat next to mom and started digging in.

"Mom must be really excited about Max's visit, for preparing such a feast", I  thought.

As we ate, mom and Max were having small talks, she kept asking him about how his life has been and kept reminding him how good-looking he was. That kind of made me feel awkward.

While he, well he'd just laugh anytime mom says something like that. But his mood suddenly changed when mom asked about his mom, that flirty smile of his faded and was replaced with a deadly look, his face looked almost the same way he did when I saw him upstairs, only, this time he didn't look frustrated, just angry, and sad. And the way he held the table cloth tightly freaked me out more.

I guess mom sensed that he wasn't interested in the issue, so she quickly changed the topic and in a few seconds, his mood was back to normal. “wow" I said to myself, how can a person's mood change Soo quickly!  Then my mind went back to what happened earlier, "why did he behave like that, and what was he hiding, why did he say something about us suspecting him?. I can't understand anything, nothing makes sense, is his presence here going to get us in danger, or was he here to hurt us?  Does this have something to do with his mother?

Mom always called her a little witch, so maybe she's up to something and sent Max to do it. But the way he reacted shows that he's not on good terms with his mother. Or maybe he was just pretending.

Maybe I should inform mom about it, she might have a solution." But I thought against it, Mom's so happy to meet Max, I can't just ruin things for her, she deserves to be happy, and perhaps I am just being paranoid. He's probably a nice guy, and I misheard him!" I was still trying to convince myself that it wasn't a big deal when I heard him say " so how's high school Kara" mehn I love the way he calls my name, this is the second time. "It's great," I replied , trying to think of something else to say, then mom cut in; Kara is in her  final year, she's one of the top students in her school, she has received a lot of awards, she's a great dancer........" And she kept blabbering kinds of stuff.

Dinner was going well until we heard noises coming from the living room, we all rushed there and found Kendra.

Her friends brought her back from the club and she got into a fight with one of them for reasons God only knows.

When we got there they were so obsessed with fighting that they didn't even notice our presence. Kendra was  dragging the girl's hair and pushing her towards the wall, then suddenly **smash**

That's when everyone stopped.

Pin drop silence! 

We all stared at each other for a few seconds before I took the initiative to speak, " ehnnm I think you guys should go home" I said, directing Kendra's friends to leave.

***Slap***

Mom just slapped Kendra, something she has never done before. Although Kendra's naughty, mom has never slapped her, I'm the one who normally gets such punishments. But this, it's really surprising. I can't believe it. But what got my attention was Max's reaction, his face was stiff, and the mixture of anger, frustration, and anxiety was evident on his face, he was sending my sister death glares and it is really freaking me out.

I turned to face mom who was now on the floor, weeping, and picking the remains of what Kendra broke. It was some glass stuff that looks like a trophy with a little red crystal at the top, it has always been there on the shelf in the living room. Mom said it was given to her by her father and she seemed to treasure it a lot and I guess I can't blame her for her reaction. But then, why would she keep something she treasured in such an open place. plus, it's really fragile.

Mom picked up what she could and left still crying.

Now it's just me, Max, and Kendra.  I was about to leave when I saw Max hurriedly walking towards Kendra, he Put his hands around her neck, slightly strangling her then he yelled " how can you be Soo careless and thoughtless, do you know what you have caused? How can you be so childish, Kendra? ...." I quickly ran towards them, trying to process what was going on, I grabbed his hands trying to make him let go,  " let go of her Max you are hurting her" I said stammering "please let go Max you'll hurt her" I added, this Time, crying.  he finally let go, " you don't know what your sister has caused Kara, she has just risked many lives" he added bluntly before leaving.

I stared at him wide-eyed, I didn't blink until he left the scene, I looked at Kendra, moving towards her I opened my arms to hug her, but she pushed me and walked away. "I guess it's just me, I'm all alone, I've always been," I thought as I looked around the room how can things change just within a few minutes.

My mind went back to what happened earlier, how is that piece of junk important, and what was Max saying about lives being at risk, I mean, if you ask me, that stuff is just a piece of junk, and if my life depended on it, I don't think it's worth living it. But then why was mom shattered after the incident, was it because it's a gift from her dad or maybe there's more to it, Cause I've never seen mom this sad and broken , Even when dad left us, she was broken then, but it wasn't this bad. She's a strong lady and she doesn't cry over little things , and that's why I'm convinced that there's more to this than just a gift.

That's it, I can't take this suspense any longer, I need answers.

I was at Max's door and for the second time today, I heard him talking to someone. So I once again moved closer to the door so I could eavesdrop.  * I can't help it, I need answers *

He was saying something, and this time he was not alone, someone was in there with him and the voice didn't sound familiar at all.

" It's not that easy Max, I've been trying hard to act like one of them, you know if I make a little mistake they're going to find out that I work for you. And once they do, they'll hang my head on a fork and send it to you " the unfamiliar voice said.

" No you have to try harder to keep your identity secret I can't lose any more men," Max said, sounding really serious.

"I'll try my best. Anyway, how's your new home big man?" Mr unfamiliar asked

" No big deal, there's nothing much to worry about here, I can deal with it with a wave of my finger," Max said sounding even more serious. " I know exactly how to take care of the situation here, you just focus on destroying those people “he added.

"Okay, but max, your cousins..." Mr unfamiliar started " what about them," Max asked, cutting him short.

"Uhhhmmm I just want to know if they have any idea About the whole stuff" he continued.

" No, I doubt that,   and I think that'll make things easier for me, I'll just act normal, get the job done in a few weeks, and then disappear, they'll never find anything out. "  he replied   "But my aunt knows a lot, and  I'll need to shut her up ASAP. Especially after what happened today, she mustn’t let anything about the ancestral  crystal leak, if not, they'll be trouble." His final sentence sent shivers down my spine. What is going on? What is he planning to do to us, something is up and it doesn't sound good.