Chapter 2 Reunion With Her Brother

"It's really you..." The man's voice quivered, not from fear but from an overwhelming rush of emotion.

"Don't you recognize me? It's me, your brother, Carl Murray! You disappeared when you were three. We've been searching for you ever since. The only reason I'm standing here now is because the national information system got upgraded, and your name came up. Our other family members weren't sure if it was really you, so they sent me to check."

His words spilled out in a hurry, but Eliana's face stayed unreadable, her eyes carrying a guarded edge. Considering she'd barely escaped being sold off minutes ago, blind trust wasn't on her list of options.

"I don't care who you are. Turn around and leave, or I'll make you regret staying," she said coldly.

Her rule had always been simple-if no one raised a hand against her, she wouldn't strike first.

The disbelief in her expression only made Carl more desperate.

"Lia, I'm telling you the truth. I'm your elder brother. Our family is the wealthiest in Qidence City. On Christmas, when you were just three, there was a huge celebration. So many people were there that we lost sight of you. We never stopped looking."

Eliana's gaze swept over him, slow and deliberate. "The wealthiest family shows up on a rusted bike?"

He glanced down at himself as if just noticing, then blurted out, "My car broke down on the way. I borrowed the bike from a villager just so I could get here faster. I swear, our family really is the richest in Qidence!"

"Save it. I'm not buying any of your stories. Leave," Eliana snapped, not softening in the slightest.

He looked like a man trapped in a burning house, searching for a way out.

Then his face lit with sudden inspiration. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fish-shaped jade pendant. "Here. This is half of the pendant Dad had made for you. When you vanished, you were wearing the other half around your neck."

The moment her gaze landed on the fish-shaped jade in his palm, something flickered in Eliana's eyes. Her grip on the sickle eased until the blade dropped to her side.

From beneath her collar, she pulled out the pendant she'd worn for years. Its other half fit perfectly with the one Carl carried.

That single sight made his conviction unshakable. She wasn't just a lookalike; she was the sister he'd been searching for all these years.

Before now, he'd only trusted the resemblance to their mother. But the pendant left no doubt.

"The back of yours has your name 'Eliana Murray', doesn't it?" he asked quickly, leaning forward.

Her eyes narrowed a fraction. That tiny engraving was so subtle. Was he telling the truth? The thought made her waver for the first time.

Lowering her guard only halfway, she asked, "Where exactly did you leave your car?"

"Parked at the main road of the neighboring village," Carl replied without pause.

"Fine. Take me there. And hear me clearly-if this turns out to be a trick, you won't live to see another sunrise," Eliana warned sharply.

"I get it, I get it," Carl replied quickly, fumbling onto the battered bike parked at the door. He motioned for her to hop on.

Eliana was ready to tell him to forget it when a sudden wave of dizziness swept through her.

A few seconds passed before she steadied herself and swung onto the seat behind him.

Carl said, "Sit tight and..."

"Quit talking. Ride. Follow that path ahead," she ordered.

"Got it," he said, pushing the bike forward.

Still, the thought nagged at him-this wasn't the soft, delicate little sister he'd pictured. This was a woman who could handle herself.

With a deep breath, he pressed on toward the neighboring village, the pedals moving faster beneath his feet.

Following her lead, the ride passed without crossing paths with a single familiar face.

Nearly half an hour later, the neighboring village came into view.

During the ride, Eliana had tried her best to push the drug's effects deep enough to keep them at bay.

The moment her feet hit the ground, her eyes locked on a sleek black luxury car by the road. Its front end dipped noticeably-the left wheel was mangled beyond use.

Carl hurried to ease her concern, saying, "Lia, it's fine. I already called the nearest repair shop. They'll get here in two hours, maybe less-"

Before the words could land, Eliana was at the trunk, pulling out a spare and a set of tools like she'd done it a hundred times. Without a word, she strode to the damaged wheel.

"What are you doing?" Carl started.

"Fixing the damn tire," Eliana responded.

Two hours of waiting wasn't an option.

The people from her old village had never been worth trusting, and standing around here would just invite trouble.

"You actually know how to do that?" Carl asked, disbelief creeping into his tone.

Eliana didn't bother answering. The jack slid into place, the car lifted, and within minutes, the spare was bolted on tight. With the bad tire kicked aside, she yanked the driver's door open and slid behind the wheel.

Carl was still frozen where he stood when she snapped, "Stop standing there. Get in."

"Right. Yeah." Carl snapped out of it, scrambling into the passenger seat.

He broke into a grin and exclaimed, "Lia, that was incredible. You can change a tire like it's nothing. I can't even manage that. Oh-speaking of which, what was with the sickle earlier?"

"To cut grass for the sheep," Eliana answered flatly.

The simplicity of her reply hit him harder than he expected. "I had no idea things were this rough for you. Listen, once we're back home, you'll never have to do chores like that again... Ah!!!"

Before he could get the rest out, the car shot forward like a loosed arrow. His voice cracked in panic. "Slow down! You're going too fast! I'm serious-slow down!"

"Shut it," Eliana snapped, her voice cold enough to cut. His constant noise made her ears throb.

When his shouting started again, she didn't hesitate. Her right hand came down in a sharp, decisive strike, and the noise died instantly.

The engine roared louder, and the car surged ahead, zigzagging along the road as horns blared from every direction.

......

Inside a plane waiting for takeoff, Janessa ended the call with a grim look, ripping Neal's eye mask away. "We have a problem," she said crossly.

Neal cracked his eyes open in annoyance. "What problem?"

"Brianna's house burned down. Everyone inside died in the fire."

The weight of her words made him sit upright at last. "And Eliana?"

"Isn't it clear? She went up in flames with the rest of them!" Janessa's gaze carried not a shred of grief-only irritation. "You haven't laid eyes on her in years, but she turned into quite the beauty. Selling her for thirty grand felt like a loss! We had a deal-after checking whether she's still a virgin, they were supposed to hand over the remaining fifteen grand. Now that money's gone up in smoke too!"

Neal let out a breath of relief and said, "That fifteen grand is the last thing we should worry about. Once I marry Khloe, fifteen million will just be the cost of a single day."

In his eyes, Eliana-skinny and forgettable back then-couldn't possibly measure up to Khloe Clarke, the indulged daughter of the Clarke family and the woman set to be his wife.

"Still, fifteen grand doesn't just grow on trees..." Janessa muttered, her lips twisting in regret.

Neal explained with a shake of his head, "You've got no sense for the bigger picture. If she were alive, I'd never sleep easy. Imagine if Khloe found out I was once engaged to Eliana-she'd lose her mind. Now that Eliana's gone, there's no chance of Khloe ever learning she existed."

That thought seemed to ease Janessa's annoyance, her lips loosening into a half-smile. "I guess you're right. When we get back to Qidence, I'll stop by the church. Maybe light a candle for her, just to settle my conscience."

His expression hardened in disapproval. "And risk Khloe or her family catching wind of it? Pointless. Eliana's already gone, and whether you mourn her or not changes nothing. Her death has nothing to do with us-it was just bad luck chasing her to the grave."

Janessa's agreement was cut short by a loud rumble from her stomach.

The thought of the pastries she had packed from home came to mind, and she dug quickly through her bag.

A bank card slipped free from between the wrappers and clattered onto the floor.

"You dropped something," Neal remarked, gesturing toward it with little interest.

Bending down to pick it up, Janessa paused, recognizing the card. "Eliana's been putting money into this account ever since she started working. She knew it took over an hour to get to the bank, but she still refused to send cash. She did it just to annoy me. Once we're in Qidence, I'll see how much she's stashed in here."

Neal looked disdainful. "She stopped going to school when she was twelve and went straight to work. Do you really think she's saved up much? If the Clarke family learns about this card, you'll have more than just a headache. Get rid of it."

Before she could respond, he tried to snatch the card from her hand.

She quickly shoved the card back into her bag. "Money is still money! Even if she only put in a grand a month, over the years that's more than a hundred grand."

Neal leaned back, pulled down his eye mask, and shut her out with silence.

He would have to deal with Khloe once they got to Qidence. She never appreciated him bringing his mother along.

Elsewhere, Carl, still sore from the blow Eliana had given him, came to his senses and realized he had already arrived in Qidence.