Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
Steward cautiously changed the subject, “I meant her features, her face.”
Sean did think there was a slight resemblance between her eyes and his mother’s, but his supposed sister had reportedly grown up in a humble home. It seemed unlikely that she’d have such looks and presence—probably more plain and unrefined.
Besides, she was the same age as Serena, just eighteen. At that age, she probably hadn’t even gotten her driver’s license, let alone touched a steering wheel. It was unlikely for a girl from a modest background to learn to drive so quickly, let alone to reach such a skilled level.
So, he dismissed the thought as quickly as it had appeared.
His own sister, driving better than him? That was just ridiculous.
“Should we ask Mrs. Collins to send over a picture, just to be sure?” Steward suggested just in case.
There had been something about the girl that reminded him of Sean—perhaps it was a certain swagger, or a touch of arrogance.
Seeing her face tonight only reinforced his hunch—”She’s got to be Sean’s sister.”
A picture?
When Sean’s sister came home, Louisa had called Sean to let him know. She mentioned that his sister was back, but as for what she looked like or what her character was like, well, he’d have to see for himself.
But Sean, tied up with one thing or another, and true to his character, hadn’t made the trip back home.
Now, he pulled out his phone and shot off messages to Hans, Chase, Clark, and David, asking them the same question: What does sis look like?
Replies soon popped up on his screen.
Hans: [Don’t even know where to start.]
His sister was stunning—a natural beauty with a grace that made her stand out in the simplest of ways.
From her eyes, nose to her lips, she was flawlessness incarnate, and her demeanor and style were something you could talk about for days without exaggeration.
Chase: [It’s complicated.]
It was tough to sum up her beauty in a few words. She had the ethereal glow of moonlight, the delicate allure of a blossoming flower, and the pristine clarity of a mountain spring. Just one glimpse of her in acrowd was enough to take your breath away.
Clark: [It’s hard to put into words; you’d know if you see her.]
Her beauty was the kind that would astonish anyone, the sort that needed to be witnessed firsthand to be truly felt. No words could capture even a fraction of her charm.
David: [Why the sudden interest in our sister? Been away for so long and now you’ve grown a conscience?]
David had deliberately left Sean out of the sibling group chat. He’d hoped it would pique Sean’s curiosity, making him want to come back and see his sister for himself. Of course, David had his own ulterior motives, thinking it was better to have one less competitor for his sister’s affection.
Seeing the lukewarm reviews, Sean figured she must be quite unattractive, not someone to show off.
Reading David’s sour grapes of a message, Sean replied, [Ran into someone today who sort of looked like her, pretty annoying. Lucky for me, she’s not my actual sis.]
David shot back quickly, [That’s definitely not our little darling then. She’s adored by all who meet her, a real heart-breaker. Whoever you saw must be someone else.]
If she wasn’t his real sister, that made things easier.
“Keep looking; we need to find out where she is,” Sean ordered.
“Yes.” Steward perked up, thinking that if the young girl wasn’t Sean’s sister, then he could proceed without worry.
“But who’s this person that’s got you so riled up? A girl? I’m quite intrigued to know who could get under Sean’s skin.”Ignoring David’s nosiness, Sean went back to sipping his red wine.
Meanwhile, Ophelia was having a blast with Mirabella, eating and drinking merrily when her phone rang.
It was those friends again.
“They were asking about you again, intending to take you out for a meal to express their gratitude properly. I’ll make arrangement to gather them all together to really show you their appreciation.
Securing the Kowloon Bay track tonight was huge, and you played a major part in it!”
“Aren’t you already hosting?” Mirabella smiled lightly, gesturing towards the lavish spread before them, “I’m going to burst if I eat any more.”
“Come on, we can’t miss out on the barbecue!” Ophelia sent off a quick message before pressing on, “You still haven’t spilled the beans about you and that Romeo. Have you guys held hands yet? Any kissy-kissy?”
“What’s it to you?”
“You’re blushing.” Ophelia teased with an excited chuckle, “So that’s a yes? Things are moving along nicely, huh? He must be quite the catch.”
Otherwise, how could he ever hope to steal the heart of our very own Mirabella?
“He’s alright,” Mirabella admitted with a hint of warmth in her voice.
She wasn’t aware that a gentle smile graced her lips whenever she spoke of Romeo.
Ophelia beamed like a doting elder, being too thrilled to play it cool, “When do I get to meet this charmer who’s stolen our Bella’s heart?”
“Soon. In a day or two.”
Ophelia couldn’t contain her excitement, “Well, I just can’t wait to see who’s managed to climb to the top of our Bella’s favorites list.”
That’s when Mirabella remembered she had forgotten to tell Romeo about staying at Ophelia’s place.
Just as she pulled out her phone, Ophelia leaned in with curiosity, “Let me see what cute nickname you’ve given him.”
“What nickname?”
She’d always just saved him as Romeo.”Why not something like ‘Hubby’, ‘Sweetheart’, or ‘My Better Half’?”
“Having his name there is enough.”
To Mirabella, Romeo used to be just a long string of unfamiliar digits.
She dialed his number, but the call went unanswered and eventually disconnected.
“If he’s in the country, he’s probably still asleep. It’s almost one in the morning here, so it should be close to eight there.”
“He’s in Dawnstar.”
“Then he’s definitely asleep,” Ophelia explained. “Dawnstar is an hour ahead of us. It’s two in the morning there. Who else would be up snacking at this hour like us? He must’ve been knocked out after a long day. Romeo’s a busy guy; he’s got a ton of stuff to handle during the day. He probably crashes the minute his head hits the pillow.”
Just then, Mirabella’s phone buzzed with a video call request.
Ophelia’s eyes bulged, “No way, he’s up at two in the morning? This is true love!!”
Mirabella answered the call, only to see the cozy hotel lights and the freshly showered Romeo in his robe, with his hair still damp.
The bathroom door behind him was ajar, steam spilling into the room.
Romeo quickly explained, “I was just taking a shower and missed your call.”
He was about to ask if she had made it back to her hotel when he noticed someone else was there.”Hey there, I’m Ophelia, Bella’s good friend. Nice to meet you, and might I say, you’re a real looker! You two make such a stunning pair!”
“Thank you.” Romeo was nothing but courteous to Mirabella’s friend, “Hello, I’m Romeo, Bella’s fiancé.”
“I know, I know, nice to meet you. Bella and I haven’t caught up in ages, and I wouldn’t want her traveling alone so late. I’d offer to escort her, but I’ve hurt my foot, so I was hoping you would give his blessing for her to stay over. I promise to take good care of her.”
So that was why she called?
Romeo’s gaze shifted tenderly toward Mirabella, as if he was reading her thoughts, “Then I’m grateful to Ms. Almond for looking after her.”
“No trouble at all, I’m happy to have her. You two chat away; I’m off to grab a bite.” Ophelia left them to their privacy.
“Get some sleep soon.”
Mirabella was about to end the call when Romeo spoke up, “It’s getting colder over there; make sure you bundle up at night, don’t catch a cold.”
“I will.”
“If the blankets aren’t enough, ask Ms. Almond for more. Keep the heating on, and don’t stay up too late. Get some rest.”
“Got it.”
“And if you can’t sleep, or anything else comes up, just call me. I’m here for ya.”
“Alright.”
Romeo gazed at her with that adoring look of his, “Goodnight, I’m gonna miss you.”
Off to the side, Ophelia’s grin was threatening to split her face in two. Mirabella caught her fighting back laughter and said coolly, “Goodnight.”
Romeo knew she was about to hang up and felt a twinge of disappointment. Tonight, she hadn’t noticed his wet hair.
“Don’t forget to blow-dry your hair.”
Suddenly, Mirabella’s caring remark cleared the clouds from Romeo’s eyes, his gaze warming, “Will do.”
She cared about him! She still had him on her mind! She noticed he hadn’t dried his hair!