Magnus’s hand, mid-air and inching towards Everly, froze.
Her internal declaration of “Gossip!” reverberated through his mind, a blaring siren warning him that any physical contact with this girl would lead to immediate, profound regret.
His instincts screamed for retreat.
But before he could execute his strategic withdrawal, Alan’s hand shot out, clamping around his wrist.
Alan’s brow was furrowed, a rare expression of concern marring his usually placid features.
“Brother, what exactly do you intend to do to Everly?” Alan’s voice was low, laced with an uncharacteristic edge.
Magnus raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
The vice-like grip on his wrist spoke volumes.
It seemed Alan, the family’s resident agreeable enigma, had developed an unexpected fondness for their newly discovered sister.
This was truly a plot twist Magnus hadn’t anticipated from the brother who usually just… went with the flow.
With a sharp tug, Magnus yanked his hand free from Alan’s grasp, his eyes narrowing.
“I don’t want to do anything.
What’s wrong with you, Alan?
Didn’t you practically ignored her earlier?
And Sylvia—”
However, Alan wasn’t listening.
He cut Magnus off mid-sentence, rising to his feet with an almost imperceptible shift in his demeanor.
He turned to Everly, a small, almost shy smile gracing his lips.
“Since Uncle Zack has told the chef to make food for you, do you want to go to the dining room?
I’ll show you where it is.”
Everly’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.
Food!
She immediately sprang to her feet, her previous indignation forgotten.
Without a backward glance at the fuming Magnus, the two of them departed, leaving Magnus and Charles alone in the opulent, yet suddenly very quiet, living room.
Magnus stood frozen for a full minute, a silent storm brewing around him.
His aura, usually cool, now radiated an arctic chill.
With a huff, he spun on his heel and stalked towards the stairs, intent on checking on Sylvia, with Charles trailing silently behind him.
Meanwhile, as Everly and Alan walked down the grand hallway, Everly’s innate curiosity, temporarily sated by the promise of a meal, began to bubble to the surface.
“Don’t you feel the urge to dash off and check on Sylvia?
Everyone in this family seems to be in a complete tizzy over her,” Everly inquired, her tone a blend of genuine curiosity and barely concealed amusement.
Alan merely shrugged, his expression calm and composed.
“Our parents and brothers are already there.
Even if I joined the fray, I’d probably just be in the way.
Besides, guiding and feeding my newly arrived little sister takes precedence.”
Alan did have a soft spot for Sylvia.
After all, she’d been his only sister for nearly 18 years, and he’d grown accustomed to her delicate demeanor and constant need for attention.
But there were times when her perpetual fragility and insatiable hunger for care became overwhelming.
As someone who thrived on tranquility and detested unnecessary drama, people like Sylvia usually set his teeth on edge.
However, because she was his only sister and everyone else in the household seemed to think she was made of glass, he’d learned to keep his feelings under wraps.
And then there was Everly.
When Alan had first laid eyes on his long-lost sister earlier, he’d braced himself for the worst.
He’d expected a timid, insecure girl, perhaps even a bit uncivilized after spending 17 years in an orphanage.
But Everly had proven to be anything but.
She’d faced their parents’ and brothers’ cruelty with a nonchalance that bordered on indifference, as if their words and actions meant nothing to her.
If it had been Sylvia in her shoes, there would have been a symphony of wailing and gnashing of teeth!
As they walked down the hallway, Alan’s thoughts turned to his brothers’ abysmal behavior towards Everly.
He winced at the memory of their harsh words and cold stares.
“Everly…
Our brothers…
really crossed the line, talking to you like that.
But you have to understand, they’re just so overly protective of Sylvia that they don’t know how to act around you.
They’re all a bit…
awkward, I guess.
I hope you don’t hold it against them.”
Everly merely offered a small, enigmatic smile, her lips remaining sealed.
Yet, in the silent theater of her mind, a rather unfiltered monologue played out for Alan’s unwitting ears.
I don’t hate them.
If anything, I’m mildly entertained by my biological family’s spectacular blindness.
How did they even get rich with such a glaring inability to spot a theatrical performance?
Seriously, it’s a wonder they haven’t been swindled out of their fortune by a particularly dramatic street performer.
Thankfully, the folks at my orphanage were all rather lovely, and Mother June showered me with enough parental affection to last a lifetime.
So, I’m not exactly pining for their belated affections or expecting anything more from this biological circus.
She then cast a sidelong glance at Alan, and her thoughts continued, now tinged with a flicker of something softer.
Even so, I’ll give Alan a chance.
I hope he genuinely sees me as a sister…
and doesn’t play favorites like the rest of this lot.
And if he proves himself, I might even open my heart to truly accept him as my brother.
The most favorite one, of course.
Because let’s face it, in this family of drama queens and kings, he seems like the only one with a modicum of sanity.
Alan’s internal landscape immediately became a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.
A wave of relief washed over him, knowing Everly had been well-cared for at the orphanage.
But then, a pang of disappointment, realizing that not only his family, but Everly herself, seemed hesitant to truly connect.
Yet, overriding it all, a peculiar warmth bloomed in his chest.
A sense of… pride?
His new sister, the one who saw through everyone else’s nonsense, considered him special.
The most favorite, no less!
Upon entering the grand dining room, Everly’s eyes widened.
A veritable feast lay before them: an array of dishes, each more enticing than the last, causing an immediate and undeniable drool to form at the corner of her mouth.
Alan quickly motioned for her to take a seat, but as he did so, his hand almost brushed hers by accident.
With the reflexes of a startled cat, Everly recoiled instantly.
“Ahh!!!
Noo!!!” she blurted out, her voice a little too loud in the cavernous room.
Alan startled, a flicker of hurt crossing his features at her abrupt avoidance.
Aaahh!!!
I almost touched him!
I…
I’d feel like such a traitor if I touched Alan now…
knowing his secrets makes me feel like I’m betraying his trust, even if he doesn’t know I know!
This is a moral dilemma of epic proportions!
How can I enjoy this feast with such a heavy burden on my conscience?!
Though Alan maintained a facade of normalcy, settling into the chair beside Everly, his mind began to race at warp speed.
Guilty about touching…
secrets…
A chilling thought began to form.
What if Everly, upon touching someone, can glimpse their deepest, darkest secrets?
He replayed the earlier scene with Anna.
Their mother had touched Everly, and shortly after, Everly had mentally mused about their mother being a “former thug.”
If this is true…
Everly isn’t just a walking, talking gossip column; she’s a veritable supernatural powerhouse!
She can see secrets, and inadvertently broadcast her own thoughts…
though she seems blissfully unaware of the latter.
Everly’s gaze flickered to Alan, a profound guilt clouding her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Alan…
I just…”
“It’s okay,” Alan interjected, snapping out of his internal spiraling.
He offered a reassuring smile, a practiced gesture that smoothed over the awkwardness and visibly relaxed Everly.
Huh?
Is he really not offended?
Is my brother really this nice, or is this just a sneaky tactic?
If he’s really this understanding, should I hug him to show my gratitude?
Or maybe do something else to show some sibling love?
But back in the orphanage, the way we showed love between siblings was by hitting each other until someone bled or cried!!!
Alan’s body went rigid as a board when he heard Everly’s thoughts.
He silently prayed that she wouldn’t decide to show her “love” in that particular way.Thankfully, Everly seemed to have her mind (and her appetite) firmly set on the food in front of her.
“Can I eat now?” she asked, her eyes already devouring the feast before them.
Alan chuckled, a genuine sound this time.
“Eat as much as you can.
Consider it a welcome feast.”
Ten minutes later, Alan found himself marveling at Everly once more, though this time his astonishment was directed at her truly prodigious eating capabilities.
Four plates of food had vanished into her seemingly bottomless stomach with alarming speed.
Just as he was contemplating the physics of such consumption, Daniel and another servant arrived, laden with even more dishes.
Their expressions, a mixture of awe and bewilderment, clearly indicated they, too, were impressed by their new mistress’s seemingly infinite capacity.
Alan turned to Daniel, who had just finished arranging the fresh plates.
“Daniel, where’s Uncle Zack?”
“Mr.
Zack departed shortly after instructing us to prepare Miss Everly’s meal.
He mentioned he wished not to intrude upon your family reunion…
and besides,” Daniel paused, casting a subtle glance at Everly, who was already enthusiastically digging into the newly arrived provisions.
“Mr.
Zack also suggested…
regarding Miss Everly’s bedroom…
that perhaps you should reconsider its placement.”
Alan froze, a sudden, uncomfortable realization dawning on him.
He’d completely forgotten about his mother’s rather… pointed instructions to set up Everly’s room on the first floor, right next to the servants’ quarters—or rather, in one of the servants’ rooms.
The second floor housed the bedrooms of their parents, Magnus, Felix, and Nathan.
Meanwhile, the third floor was where Alan, Sylas, and Sylvia resided.
Originally, Anna had prepared a room for Everly on the third floor.
But then Sylvia had launched into a dramatic fit, claiming she feared Everly would sneak into her room at night to harm her.
And when the idea of Everly sleeping on the second floor was proposed, Sylvia had wailed, claiming that their parents were already showing favoritism by allowing their real daughter to be so close to them.
A wave of irritation, sharp and unexpected, washed over Alan.
He suddenly saw Sylvia’s theatrics in a new, rather unflattering light.
The hypocrisy of his “fake” sister, as Everly so aptly put it, was truly astounding.
With a sudden resolve that even surprised himself, Alan turned to Daniel, his expression uncharacteristically stern.
“Daniel, prepare Everly’s room.
Near mine.”
The third floor, indeed, boasted a plethora of empty rooms, though none quite as spacious or well-appointed as the one adjacent to Alan’s.
The only minor snag?
It was also perilously close to Sylas’s room, and their younger brother seemed to have developed an irrational aversion to Everly, despite their shared birthdate.
Daniel, a man accustomed to Alan’s quiet demeanor and his tendency to follow the established familial currents, blinked in surprise.
This was an unexpected display of initiative from the usually reserved young master.
Nevertheless, he bowed crisply.
“Yes, Young Master Alan.
We shall prepare Young Lady Everly’s room on the third floor immediately.”
With that, Daniel exited the dining room, leaving the siblings to their peculiar reunion.
Everly, whose cheeks were now comically puffed out like a hamster’s as she devoured her sixth plate, finally turned her attention to Alan.
“Aren’t you going to get into trouble for moving me?
I mean, for making me sleep in a room that isn’t the one our parents so thoughtfully prepared?
I’d rather you not be punished on my account…
though, to be perfectly honest, I’d rather not sleep in the architectural equivalent of a broom closet while everyone else gets a palace.”
She let out an exaggerated sigh.
“Let me guess – before you intervened, the room they had in mind for me was in the storage room or a servant’s quarters, right?
Haahh…
I get that our parents love Sylvia since they’ve raised her for years, but that doesn’t give them a free pass to act like their actual daughter is nothing more than a forgotten dust bunny.”
Alan opened his mouth to speak but hesitated.
He was just as bewildered by their parents’ behavior as Everly was.
But he also knew there was more to it than just their affection for Sylvia.
Ashamed that Everly simply didn’t measure up to Sylvia.
He’d overheard hushed conversations between his parents and Magnus, lamenting Everly’s abysmal school record and less-than-stellar reputation.
Of course, when pitted against Sylvia’s elegant charm, academic prowess, and dazzling artistic talents, they’d unconsciously gravitate towards the fake daughter who polished their public image, rather than the real one who might, shall we say, add a certain…
unpredictable flair to their reputation.
Alan sighed, offering Everly a weak, almost apologetic half-smile.
“Everly…
give them time.”
He knew it was a feeble offering, but for now, he’d attempt to play the reluctant diplomat.
Yet, a fierce resolve hardened within him.
He would defend his real sister, come hell or high water!
She wasn’t just cool, honest, and mentally bulletproof; she possessed supernatural powers!
Only a certified imbecile wouldn’t want to be her brother.
Everly clammed up once more, simply nodding as she zeroed in on her meal.
Yet in her head, it was a non-stop chatterbox extravaganza.
Time?
If I give them time, this entire family—or maybe just me—will be roasting in hell.
I mean, I might just bomb this manor out of sheer frustration with their broken logic!
Seriously, what kind of obscenely wealthy biological family shoves their long-lost biological child into a the servant’s room or a storage closet?
Though, I suppose in all those cliché stories, the storage room is practically the default bedroom for the real daughter.
Humph!
If Alan hadn’t switched up my bedroom, I was totally set on torching every bed in this manor’s bedrooms, except for the servant quarters.
That way, everyone could have a slumber party in there!
We’re family, so we should all share the same misery, right?
Muahahahahahaha!
Alan had to halt mid-bite when he caught wind of Everly’s thoughts.
The maniacal villain-style laughter echoing in his mind, combined with her increasingly ravenous eating style that resembled a T-Rex on a feeding frenzy, nearly sent him into fits of laughter.
Everly’s thought process was far more amusing than he’d anticipated!
Though he was actually tempted to let her know that her plan wasn’t half-bad.
But for a wealthy family like theirs, if that ever went down, their parents would just whisk them away to a swanky 5-star hotel.
Thank goodness Everly didn’t follow through with that plan.
Otherwise, she might have set their entire manor ablaze too!
Roughly ten minutes later, Everly finally shoved away her eleventh empty plate, looking as satisfied as a T-rex that devoured an entire buffet.
Though her stomach could undoubtedly accommodate more, she noticed the deepening twilight.
Dinner with the entire family loomed, and after the day’s theatrical performances, she wasn’t quite in the mood for an encore.
Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she turned to Alan.
“Hey, Alan?
Could you show me to my room this time?”
Alan nodded eagerly.
The past twenty minutes of watching Everly inhale food had led him to a groundbreaking discovery.
During those eating minutes, he’d felt a sudden silence in his head—no more of Everly’s thoughts floating around.
That could only mean one thing: Everly’s mind-reading abilities, or rather, the ability to hear her thoughts, had a temporal limit!
After some intense mental gymnastics, he’d finally pieced it all together.
People could only hear Everly’s thoughts when they touched her.
So, whether it was uncovering secrets or mind-reading, the key was physical contact!
Before long, they found themselves on the third floor, standing in front of Everly’s new room, a quiet anticipation hanging in the air.
Alan gestured to the door directly beside Everly’s.
“That one’s mine.
If you need anything, just knock.” Then, with a slight grimace, he pointed across the hall.
“And that one…
that’s Sylas’s room.”
Everly bit back a snort of laughter.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall when Sylas discovered his new neighbor!
As if on cue, the very subject of her amusement, along with Nathan and Felix, emerged from Sylvia’s room at the far end of the corridor, clearly having just concluded a session of comforting their “fragile” sister.
They froze, eyes widening, as Everly’s hand reached for the doorknob.
“You!
Why are you going in there?!” Sylas shrieked, launching himself forward like a miniature, enraged missile.
Everly, though tempted to deliver a well-placed kick to her irritating twin, opted for a more theatrical approach.
She slipped into the room, closing the door almost completely, then reopened it just a crack, allowing a supremely smug expression to peek through.
“Well, brother, from now on, I’ll be your charming new next-door neighbor.
And do try to behave.
Wouldn’t want anything…
unfortunate…
to befall your dear Sylvia, now would we?”
With a triumphant click, Everly’s door shut and locked, her peals of laughter echoing through the hallway, mingling with Sylas’s enraged curses.
She pictured Alan valiantly attempting to rein in his fuming brothers.
A yawn escaped her.
Despite the early hour, the day’s events, coupled with her late-night, cheesy romance novel marathon with Olivia at the orphanage, had left her utterly drained.
She mused that while her life had undeniably veered into cliché territory, Alan, her delightfully anomalous brother, was certainly adding some unexpected twists to the classic “fake vs.
real daughter” narrative.
She hadn’t anticipated that within mere minutes of meeting her supposedly cliché-bound family—the kind that typically falls head-over-heels for the fake daughter—she’d find one anomaly.
One brother, Alan, who actually chose her, the real daughter, and seemed to genuinely care!
While Everly was still trying to decipher the enigma that was Alan, a quiet gratitude settled over her.
She held no grand expectations for this new family, but if someone offered sincere affection, she certainly wouldn’t refuse it.
After a lifetime spent without a family, she now had a doting brother!
Who knew?
Everly surveyed her new room, a vast expanse of luxury.
A contented sigh escaped her, but sleepiness, a persistent companion, was winning the battle.
Too tired to explore, she made a beeline for the en-suite bathroom, shedding her clothes for the familiar comfort of her old orphanage pajamas, which the diligent staff had already placed near the sprawling closet.
As she sank into the plush mattress of her new bed, a wide grin spread across her face.
She hoped her parting shot at Sylas had effectively laid the groundwork for tomorrow’s dramatic festivities.
Before drifting off, she pulled out her phone, making a few strategic online purchases with her meager orphanage savings.
One couldn’t face the impending family chaos unprepared; a girl needed her “weapons,” after all.
Finally content, she succumbed to sleep, a smile still playing on her lips, clearly anticipating the delightful mayhem the new day would surely bring.