Gian watched her silhouette vanish into the stairwell before he finally started the car and drove away.
-
The next morning.
The rain had stopped.
Kirsten was jolted awake by the insistent ringing of a phone. The caller ID showed it was the landline from her family home.
“Kirsten, come back to the Delaney estate at once. There’s something important I need to tell you.”
On the other end, her mother’s tone was commanding, laced with a seriousness Kirsten had never heard before.
She rubbed her bleary eyes, feeling a pang of confusion. She had gone to bed late and was still groggy, hoping to sleep in, but her mother’s voice left no room for delay.
“I know. I’ll be there soon.”
Hanging up, Kirsten quickly washed up and changed into some comfortable clothes. She happened to have left a few things at home anyway, so this was a good chance to retrieve them.
By the time she drove back to the Delaney estate, it was already after ten in the morning.
The Delaney estate was a stately, traditional mansion.
As Kirsten walked into the grand foyer, she immediately saw her entire family sitting on the sofas. The atmosphere was heavy, and sitting with them was a strange girl.
The girl looked to be in her early twenties, dressed in a simple, elegant dress. Her expression was timid and uneasy, and with her fair skin, she seemed quiet and withdrawn.
Kirsten didn’t pay her much mind, assuming she was a distant relative or a friend of her parents.
She let out a yawn, her voice lazy. “I’m back.”
“Mom, you said there was something important. What is it?”
“She was stolen shortly after she was born. We searched for her for years but never found a trace. We never thought we’d see her again.”
At these words, Gladys quickly stood up from the sofa and gave Kirsten a slight, nervous nod, her voice soft and anxious. “Hello, Kirsten. I’m Gladys.”
Kirsten was speechless.
She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
It was all too sudden, like an absurd dream. A sister, lost for two decades, had just materialized in her life, and she couldn’t begin to process it.
She steadied herself, pushing down the shock and confusion. “Well, you all can talk,” she said flatly. “I’m going upstairs.”
She needed a moment to digest this news and was in no mood to make small talk with a stranger who was supposedly her “sister.”
As she turned to leave again, her mother’s voice stopped her, sharp and unyielding. “Stop right there! That room of yours… it’s your sister’s now.”

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