Chapter 4 Four

" Every cloud has a silver lining. "

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On the outskirts of the city, a quiet tension filled the air.

" Brother. " A young girl, around sixteen, entered the room. Her skin was porcelain white, her blue eyes piercing yet soft, and her long golden-brown hair cascaded down her back, swaying gently as she walked.

" Maria. " The man by the window of the penthouse turned to her. His Rasputin-blue eyes were as calm as a still lake, framed by wavy black hair and strong brows. His skin was the same pale hue as hers, but he stood taller, his physique athletic. Even in a plain shirt and blue jeans, he looked effortlessly handsome.

" What's wrong? " He pulled her into his embrace, as he'd done countless times since she became his responsibility years ago.

" I heard the mayor is getting married tomorrow, " She said, her voice quiet, laced with an unexpected sorrow.

"Hmm... Do you want to attend?" His tone was gentle, knowing how sensitive his sister could be.

"No... I don't want it to happen at all." She pulled away from his arms, crossing the room to settle on a loveseat, her hair falling haphazardly around her shoulders.

"Why?" He moved to stand behind her, watching her closely.

"The bride-she's only eighteen, Brother. Just a girl." Her voice quivered, disbelief and frustration evident. "Can you imagine that? Eighteen!"

He sighed, unsurprised by her empathy. They had both lost their parents young and endured the hardships of the foster system. Unlike other children, they hadn't been adopted. Maria clung to him, her only constant, while he was already eighteen, too old to be chosen by a family. The years of rejection had made her tender-hearted, her compassion for others deepened by their shared struggles. Even when he turned twenty-two and finally adopted her as his own, her empathy remained strong.

"Do something, Brother. You have to."

"What exactly are you asking me to do?" He chose his words carefully, not wanting to leap to conclusions.

Maria didn't answer right away. She rose and moved to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the sprawling city that still felt foreign to her, despite the time she'd spent here. It was nothing like Paris, where she had grown up, but she was slowly adjusting-after all, she was Aiden Evans' beloved sister, and he was the CEO of the largest tech company in Europe.

"I saw her the other day," Maria said finally. "At the market, buying groceries. She didn't seem like she belonged here. She spoke differently, almost like a foreigner. And I couldn't help but wonder why."

She paused, then continued. "Then I saw her purchase a copy of Harry Potter."

She turned, kneeling in front of her brother. "I know you'll say I'm being too emotional. But I felt something when I saw her, like we were meant to cross paths."

Aiden gently ran his fingers through her hair, his favorite feature of hers. "What are you suggesting, Maria?"

"Marry her instead, Brother." Her words, though expected, still caught him off guard.

"Marriage?" He hadn't thought about that in a long time. While he was certainly old enough, it wasn't something he had considered seriously. He always believed he wasn't ready.

"I know you'll say you're not ready," Maria continued, her eyes searching his face. "But you've sacrificed so much for me, Brother. So much that I feel guilty sometimes. When will you have a life and family of your own?"

"You are my family, Maria." He cupped her face, gazing at her as if she were the most precious thing in the world-because to him, she was.

"I know, but it's not the same." She sighed, knowing she had won the argument before it even truly began.

"This isn't our world, Maria. We don't belong here."

"I know... but you can do anything if you set your mind to it."

"You really believe in me that much, don't you?"

"More than I believe in myself," she whispered, her gaze flickering with memories of the times they had struggled together, scraping by to survive. That life felt like a distant dream now, didn't it?

"Alright. I'll have my assistant look into it." He exhaled, giving in.

Her serious expression softened into a radiant smile. "I love you, Brother." She hugged him tightly.

"I love you more, Maria," he replied, his voice filled with warmth and sincerity.

---

The name on the document seemed to leap off the page.

Malisa Bree.

In that instant, Aiden knew opening it would lead him on an adventure that would change his life forever. Still, he couldn't resist. He turned the page.

Name: Malisa Bree.

Age: 18.

Height: 170 cm.

Skin color: Brown.

As he scrolled through her details, he froze at the sight of her face.

No... it can't be.

Brown skin.

Dark brown eyes.

A slightly pointed nose.

Plump lips.

He remembered it vividly. The girl from he'd met online.

Without needing to read another word, he knew what he had to do.

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A/N: What do you think, guys?