Irene stood at the estate entrance, watching a fancy car approach the security gate. Her stomach tightened as she recognized Rose, but her face remained impassive. Five years of practiced composure didn’t desert her now.
The security guard stepped forward as the car stopped. “Ma’am, do you have an appointment?”
“I’m Irene Sterling’s mother!” Rose’s voice carried that familiar note of entitlement. “These are items from the Sterling Manor for my daughter. And this-” she gestured to the quiet teenager beside her, is her brother.”
The guard remained unmoved. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but without prior authorization-*
“Authorization?” Rose’s voice rose sharply. “You have the audacity to question my right to visit my own daughter?”
Irene stepped forward, her heels clicking softly on the pavement. “It fine. Il handle this. Her voice was cool, controlled. “You can
leave the items here.”
Rose’s eyes widened slightly at Irene’s appearance. Though she had heard that Irene lived here before, seeing her step out of the Emerald Estate with her own eyes was still hard to believe. The daughter she had always looked down upon now seemed to have risen to a position higher than her own.
It was Ethan who drew Irene’s attention. Her younger brother stood awkwardly by the car, nearly a head taller than she remembered, his familiar features now stretched into those of a young man. He hung back, uncertainty written across his face. The elegant woman before him seemed worlds away from the sister who’d once shared their modest home–her refined presence and graceful bearing made him doubt whether he still had the right to claim her as family.
Seeing his hesitation, Irene felt her heart clenched. She recognized that look–the same one she’d seen on countless faces since her return. But this was Ethan, her little brother who’d once followed her everywhere like a shadow.
“Ethan,” she called softly, deliberately using the gentle tone she’d reserved just for him in their childhood. His head snapped up, eyes wide with surprise and hope.
She still knows me, he thought, relief flooding through him. She’s still my sister.
“How did you suddenly decide to visit your sister?” Irene’s voice remained warm, inviting.
The familiar acceptance in her tone broke through his final reservations. His eyes welled up instantly. “Sis! I heard you were back… I’ve missed you so much!”
The words triggered a flood of memories: A much younger Ethan, hiding behind her after neighborhood bullies had chased him. His fierce declaration that he’d protect his sister, even as he clutched her sleeve. The way he’d always trail after her, like a devoted puppy…
His sincerity and concern were exactly as she remembered, like he was still that little boy who used to follow her everywhere. The recollection made her throat tight. This brother of hers, who’d always stuck close to her side, who’d try to stand up for her even when scared himself–he was still that same earnest boy at heart.
“Come here,” she said gently, reaching up to wipe his tears. She had to stand on her tiptoes now–when had he grown so tall? “Still crying like a baby even at this height?”
Ethan’s face broke into a watery smile, and he nodded vigorously. “Mim!”
“Come on,” Irene said, turning toward the entrance. “Let’s go inside and talk.”
As she swiped her access card, Rose stepped forward–only to be blocked by the guard. “Ma’am, only authorized visitors may enter.”
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“You’re keeping a mother front her child?” Rose’s voice took on a shr edge. “How can you treat family this way, Irene? Don’t you
fear karma?”
The guard’s expression hardened. “Ma’am, if you continue to make a cene, I’ll have to call the police.”
Rose’s face flushed with humiliation. Without another word, she stored back to her car, the engine roating to life as she sped
away.
Irene watched the departure with detached calm, one hand resting otectively on Ethan’s shoulder. The contrast couldn’t have been starker–Rose’s desperate grasping at old authority versus Irene’s quiet confidence in her new life.
As they walked toward her home, Irene squeezed her brother’s shoulder gently. Some things changed with time–but not everything
had to.
Some bonds, she thought, grow stronger even in absence.
Ethan’s earlier emotional state gave way to childlike wonder. His eyes widened as he took in the manicured gardens, the singing birds, and the magnificent houses that lined the private roads.
“Oh my God, sis,” he breathed, his head swiveling to take in everything. “Do you actually live here? These houses… I’ve only seen places like this on TV shows!”
Irene couldn’t help but smile at his awestruck expression. “Yes, I do.
“You’re absolutely incredible!” Ethan’s admiration was genuine and pure. All this time I’ve been worried about her struggling alone, he thought, but I should have known better. Sis always shines wherever she goes.
Inside her home, Irene led him to the living room and poured him a glass of water. “Tell me about yourself,” she said, settling beside him. “How’s school? You must be in high school now, right? How are your grades?”
“I’m doing okay,” Ethan replied, suddenly finding the ground fascinating. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’m at Silver City Experimental High. Grades are… well, above average, I guess? Definitely room for improvement though.”
Silver City Experimental? Irene noted the school’s name. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked softly, “And… how are Mom and Dad? Are they doing well?”
Despite everything that had happened, they’d still raised her for many years. She couldn’t bring herself to harbor real resentment. Life had its own way of working things out.
“Oh, they’re just fantastic,” Ethan’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Healthy enough to chase after their precious Anna everywhere. You should hear them bragging about their well–bred daughter from an elite family who’s going to marry into another fortune. He scoffed. “They’re trying to get involved in the wedding preparations, but the Sterlings basically treat them like embarrassing relatives no one wants to acknowledge.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Ethan’s face fell. “Shit–I’m sorry, sis. I shouldn’t have-” He bit his lip, realizing how his words might have hurt her. The contrast between how their parents had treated Irene versus how they now fawned over Anna was stark and painful.
“But listen,” he rushed on, his eyes intense and earnest. “You’re my only sister–my real sister. She’ll never be that, n anyone says. She doesn’t deserve to be!”
matter what
Looking at him–so fiercely loyal, so desperately afraid of losing her again–Irene felt her heart warm. His expression reminded her of a puppy afraid of being abandoned, but there was also that pure, vibrant energy of youth that made his declarations all the more touching.
At least, she thought, reaching out to ruffle his hair like she used to all those years of loving this little brother weren’t wasted.
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Chapter 46
I know,” she said softly, “I know.”
