Serendipity

4

(talk)

As he listens to the guards on the other end of the line, his face crumples in confusion and frustration.

Rubbing a hand down his face, he finally replies, "отлично. впустите их. Я хочу поговорить с ними."

(fine. Let them in. I want to talk to them.)

"There are some government officials here." He announces, "Find your siblings and keep them in line for the next 30 minutes."

Andrei and I nod, immediately standing up to go find the others.

"I'll grab Levi, go get Maxim and Car from the kitchen." Andrei commands, to which I mock salute him and he flips me off in return.

I hurry down the stairs and jog into the kitchen, ready to tell them to pause their cooking, but when I get inside all that's left of them is a spot of flour on the floor.

Did they disintegrate? The fuck?

Shrugging, I make my way back to the foyer where dad, Andrei and Levi are waiting.

"Did you find them?" Dad asks calmly.

"Nah, they're not in the kitchen anymore." I reply casually, tucking my hands in my trouser pockets as I lean against the stair banister.

"Fuck, okay. Let's just hope they don't embarrass us." He replies frustratedly.

Levi lets out a laugh at that, shaking his head slightly, muttering quietly, "Wishful thinking dad."

I slap him upside the head, which he then proceeds to rub looking at me innocently. I give him the 'don't do anything stupid eyes' and he mouthes 'what? me?'.

Rolling my eyes, we hear a knock on the door indicates whoever was by the front gate has arrived at the house. Dad steps up and opens it widely, yet not allowing them entrance to the house immediately.

"Good morning, you must be Mr. Vasiliev I assume?" The woman extends her hand which my father apprehensively shakes.

"Yes, what do you want." He replies stoically.

Both the man and woman pull out a badge, "We're with the Child Protection Service, we're here on an anonymous tip that there have been acts of domestic violence committed within your household. Specifically on your adoptive daughter, Carlotta Angela Vasiliev?"

All our eyebrows dart up, taken by complete surprise with the accusation made.

Andrei visibilly losing his patience, steps up towards the door, "And who the fuck told you that bullshit, huh?" He asked threateningly.

"I'm sorry sir, but the tip was anonymous." The man responds. "We have warrants to enter your house, can we come in and have a look around?"

Gripping the door tightly, his knuckles becoming white, our dad begrudgingly opens the door wider and steps aside, indicating for the pair to come inside.

They close the door behind them and turn to face us. I didn't miss the gulps they took when looking around the inside of our impressive mansion.

"Where-" The woman began, but was cut off by the sound of shouting, and heavy footsteps coming from the lounge.

"CAR!" We hear Maxim's voice shout from the longue, followed by a loud crash.

The CPS officers look at one another worriedly, taking a quick note of something on their pads of paper.

I narrow my eyes at them, warning them not to make any assumptions just yet.

Just then, an out of breath Carlotta comes bounding into the foyer, panting heavily whilst looking surprised by the extra company in the room. She visiabally squints at the pair, trying to figure who they are before her eyes widen at a certain voice.