For whatever it worth, Juliette did not feel uncomfortable. In fact, this was the warmest dinner she had ever been to. Dinner at the Cai mansion was always too quiet or too intense. If it was not them being completely silent, then it would be Mr. Cai interrogating every single one of them. Especially Juliette.
Both Mr. Montagov and Mrs. Montagova were surprisingly welcoming of her. She thought because she was their rival's only daughter, she would be hated in the family. Everyone seemed well toward her, but not Roma. He had been showing his displeasure toward her, especially because she was the reason he had to stay proper for the night.
"You should eat more. Don't you like the food? I'll ask the maid to cook something else. What do you want, Junli?" Mrs. Montagova asked, concern lining her voice.
Juliette choked on her broccoli. "No, no. It's fine, I'm good."
"Don't be shy. All guests are welcomed in this house," Mr. Montagov said.
Juliette did not know what to say to that. Mr. Montagov did not exactly look like the friendly type of person, but he was quite well in communicating with outsiders. Especially considering the fact that Juliette was his enemy's daughter - one he had been going against for so long. She offered a little smile before returning her focus toward the food.
Juliette reached her hand out to pick a strawberry and Mrs. Montagova did not waste her time as she helped Juliette with the bowl. For some reason, she was familiar and foreign at the same time. Had they met before? Surely, they must have met considering her surprise upon seeing Juliette just now as well as the comment she made.
Juliette looked so much like her mother.
Juliette was aware of this. Her mother was very much not their chosen daughter-in-law for her father, but defying the family had always been the tradition. Her mother came from a wealthy family, and realizing the years she never got to spend with her mother, Juliette supposed she did not know much. But, there was one thing - her father's family hated her too, just because she was basically a copy of her mother.
Or, maybe they expected a male direct heir.
Being a girl really put a lot of burden on her shoulders.
"How have you been, Miss Cai? It seems you are raised well in the West."
"I'm fine. Still surviving, I suppose," Juliette said, stuffing a chocolate-soaked strawberry into her mouth.
She wasn't sure if the comment from Mr. Montagov was supposed to be a praise or a satire. But, she'd rather not dwell on that and finish all the strawberries in the basket. It seemed Alisa noticed her interest toward the strawberries, so she quickly handed her the untouched strawberries in the girl's plate.
Mr. Montagov, although friendly, was still keeping the line between them. Professionalism and business came first, she supposed. At least he was a good father, unlike her own. Sure, his business was his priority, but sending his daughter away just because she looked like his deceased wife? Well, sorry. She would have gotten sad at him if only the red room incident didn't happen.
Juliette shook her head at the sudden reminiscent. Don't ever think about it.
Roma was quiet in his seat, his eyes latched to his phone with the same arrogant expression he had when she went in his way just now. Smug bastard, Juliette thought. He looked like every typical white bad boy she'd seen in dramas on TVs. He looked every bit of those flirty delinquents in her school that would never stop their attempts at looking under the girls' skirts. Juliette was only lucky she had taekwondo that those boys didn't dare come close to her.
Oh, but those kind of boys were the best actors. The teachers would have suspected them to be involved in the biggest case, and they could somehow parade around the school, pretending as if they were innocent by putting on their flirtatious facades as if they were not about to be thrown into detention for the hundredth time after school finished. Yes, she knew it was normal, but there were times when they got on her nerves, especially when they started making noises at the back of the class.
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This Is Me Trying || romajuliette
FanfictionJuliette was only ever Juliette. Junli was long forgotten, forgotten among the sea of the pain and fear she left when she was forced to leave Shanghai. Left among the last memories she had before she left for New York. Left with the reminders the he...