Mia made her way to the kitchen hearing shouts.
"Make sure the plates are extra shiny!"
"Don't put the spoons together!" Rozelle commanded one of the servants.
"Mum?" Mia called and Rozelle turned her attention to the voice.
"Miranda! My baby, how are you" She asked engulfing Mia in a hug.
"Mum I'm good, how are you?" Mia asked smiling.
"I'm alright dear" Rozelle returned the smile.
"Care to fill me in on the menu?" Mia asked watching the servants move quickly, the aroma of the food wafting to her nose.
"Coconut cream pie for dessert, enchiladas dessert Chile ajo…"
"Mum, aren't enchiladas too much for dinner?" Mia asked raising a brow.
"This family doesn't find anything heavy, although they behave positively, they are big eaters" Rozelle laughed.
"Alright mum, if you say so" Mia said licking her lips slightly remembering the taste of her mum's enchiladas.
"Then the appetisers?" Mia asked.
"Quesadillas" Rozelle smiled.
"The kitchen already smells wonderful, I can't wait" Mia cheered kissing Rozelle's cheeks before leaving the kitchen.
She pushed through the crowd before bumping into Catherine.
"Cathy?" She called trying to recall if it was her 'twin' sister.
"OMG! Mia?" Cathy asked hugging her.
Catherine had grown but was a little immature back then, since Mia was born a few months before her, Cathy was treated like a baby and was spoilt.
"Did you bring Jr. Martinez?" Cathy asked as she finally released Mia.
"No, he's at a camp" Mia replied.
"You still considering being a nun?" Mia asked.
"No, but I might just never marry" Catherine shrugged.
"Just looking to get my share of the property and invest it and become a rich independent woman and maybe join the army" Catherine shrugged.
Though she was younger than her, Mia had always admired Catherine's way of planning ahead and having backup plans.
"I can definitely imagine you in the army" Mia smiled.
"Of course, who says you need a man to live a fulfilled life?" Catherine laughed and Mia laughed a little her mind drifting to what Catherine had just said.
Mia took a seat on one of the empty chairs nearby already tired of walking in her heels.
Her thoughts remained with what Catherine had said. Of course she couldn't work in a bat forever, she needed something to keep her running without having to depend on the Martinez riches.
She was so deep in thought she didn't notice that someone was calling her until he tapped her and she turned to see one of her uncles.
"Uncle Ferdinand"
"Mia dear, why are you sitting here all by yourself, when you have your entire family here?" Ferdinand asked turbine her to face him and he squatted beside her.
"You're right" she faked a smile.
"You sure there's nothing wrong?" He asked.
"I'm fine I promise" she lied. There was something definitely wrong, the life she was living wasn't one she wanted and this whole damn Martinez family, she really didn't want to be here or get involved with any of the family issues.
Sure she was once a proud Martinez and everyone envied them thinking they were the perfect family until the death of her father.
She wanted to scream and cuss. She didn't want the property but she couldn't keep living like this. Of course, she could get a better job but she was damn too lazy and actually wanted to get married so she wouldn't have to work but she also didn't want to be a housewife.
She was so confused. Mia was cut off from her thoughts as she heard the clanking of glass and looked up to find her mum on the third step of the center stairs.
"Good evening everyone from the Martinez clan, I'm sure you are all doing great…" Rozelle paused. She was never really good at doing this type of stuff.
"We are gathered here today to discuss the current issue at hand, the death of my husband Edward Antonio Martinez and how his property would be shared as there was no will written…" Rozelle paused as someone had raised their hand and everyone turned their attention to the person.
"Sorry to interrupt you Rozelle" Mrs Celia Garcia said, She was Rozelle's older sister.
"I do not see a reason for this meeting, you are Edward's first wife and Juliet is dead so right now you are legally the owner of all his assets and properties, do with it as you please and I advise you to share it among your children" Mrs Celia said and some people cheered in her support while some didn't.
Soon there was an argument going on at every corner of the room.
"Everyone please calm down" Rozelle called but the crowd continued with its noise.
"Everyone please calm down!!" Rozelle screamed at the top of her voice and everywhere became quiet.
"Please let us all be calm" she called her voice cracking because of the way she had shouted.
"I'd like to call my children to come and stand with me" Rozelle announced.
"Unfortunately my eldest child is indisposed so ilk Neal, Andrew, Jeffrey, Miranda and Catherine Martinez" she announced and everyone clapped.
"These are the Heirs to the Martinez property" she declared.
●●●
After the introduction and tiring dinner, Mia sat on her car's bonnet staring at the sky and enjoying the cool night breeze. Her eyes turned to the mansion staring at the huge house that she had once dwelled in.
She jumped down from the car when a waiter passed by and took a drink from his tray.
Before she could turn, two hands closed her eyes relieving her of her vision. So childish.
It could only be one of her siblings that would be guilty of the act as she barely knew anyone here and only two of her siblings had the time to do such. Either Catherine or Jeffery.
But the callousness of the hands confirmed her theory. The fool loved his workouts.
"Jeffery" she called chuckling and he pulled his hands back appearing in front of her with a smile before pecking her cheeks.
"How is my favourite sibling doing?" He asked a smile plastered to his handsome face.
"I'm good Jeff, how are you?"
"I'm good Mia___but not that good" he sighed and she watched his expression.
"Why lady problems?" She laughed.
Although he was handsome, he always had lady problems, he never did know how to decide on something and was always surrounded by drama.
"No…
"Come back home M, we miss you" he turned to face her with a serious expression. He was not joking.
"You know why I can't come home, I don't want to get involved in the property fight" She sighed sipping from her glass.
"I know M and you don't have to get involved. Just come back home and live with us, the house is so dull without you. Neil and Andrew have been competing on who the best businessman is, Catherine is buried in her cosmetic business and unfortunately, I have joined our brothers in office duties at the other companies" he said running his hand through his hair. He looked frustrated.
"Jeff, you know I also have a job which I'm quite far from here. I'm also trying to live outside this 'fame' but I may return when the chaos is over?" Mia reasoned with a smile but his smile faded.
"Jeff, is everything alright?" Mia asked and Jeffery immediately pushed her away.
There was a loud shot heard and Mia turned to find Jeffery clutching his shoulder which was dripping blood onto the cold floor.
The next thing, shouts were heard and people screamed.
Mia stared at Jeffery, the bullet had been meant for her. She looked up in the direction she had heard the shot from and noticed two metals shining from a building diagonal to theirs. Snipers. Two snipers.
The people screamed and pushed at each other not knowing where the shot had come from.
She quickly pulled out her phone and called for an ambulance.
"Jeff" she rushed up to him helping him to his feet.
"You're going to be alright" she assured them while he groaned and collapsed on the floor near her car. He was bleeding copiously.
"You'll be fine Jeff, The ambulance is on its way" Mia grabbed his face. Catherine rushed over to where they were and screamed.
"Oh my God, Jeffrey!" she knelt beside him.
"Stay with him, I'll be back" Mia said and ran to alert the security that there were two snipers on a building close to theirs.
She raised her head to the sky stylishly watching the snipers. They weren't done.
She noticed the metal no longer reflected the light to her eyes. It had changed its focus, it had chosen a new target and that target was
Andrew.
She didn't want to alert anyone nearby and sipped from her glass, cat-walking towards Andrew who was with Beverly. She stood in the sniper's shot.
"Andrew, at the count of three, you and Beverly bend down" She said with a bright smile, pretending everything was alright. But she also knew she was a target.
"One
Two
Three" she counted and the three of them bent to the floor and the bullet hit a glass window causing it to shatter.
Andrew's gaze immediately followed the shot and found the snipers. He quickly drew a gun from his pocket and started shooting at the snipers, he ran towards the gate hoping to catch the assassins.
Mia ran into the house, opening a drawer in the living room where her father had always hidden a gun. And as always it was there.
She followed Andrew's suit and the crowd stared confused as the sibling rushed outside the house.
An ambulance pulled into the mansion followed by the police.