He didn't even hesitate. "No—I love her, not her status."
"Just like I once loved you."
My stomach turned.
"You've always said you wanted to be part of my family, haven't you?" He tilted his head, magnanimous. "Valerie is generous. She's agreed to let me take you on as my sworn sister. As long as you behave, my parents will accept you too. Getting you into the family registry might be difficult, of course."
"Unless you return the Starlight shares to Valerie..."
He stood there, looking down at me with absolute certainty that I would agree.
I laughed out loud.
I must have loved him too much, once. Enough to make him think I'd accept this absurd charity.
He mistook my laughter for joy. After all, the Gilbert family was one of the most prominent in Crescent City.
"Little sis, I knew you'd be sensible!"
He'd already changed what he called me before I could even respond.
The crowd around us erupted.
"Oh my God, even someone like Maureen gets to be the Gilbert heir's sworn sister? Does that mean we qualify too?"
A chorus of voices started calling him "brother."
Elwin basked in the adulation, chin lifted like a preening peacock. He gestured to his assistant, who handed me a document.
"Maureen, sign this agreement, and you can settle into your role as the Gilbert family's adopted daughter. With me and your future sister-in-law looking after you, you'll never want for anything."
The agreement stated in black and white that the Starlight shares were registered under my name.
But the actual shareholder was Valerie.
The date was three years ago.
Elwin was trying to use a forged proxy agreement to steal my equity.
Whatever love I'd once felt—that towering, overwhelming love—crumbled to ash.
I looked away and turned to leave.
Elwin grabbed my arm. "Little sis, where are you going?"
The seamless way he'd adopted that title made my hand move before I could think. My palm cracked across his face.
"Shut up. You think you're fit to call yourself my brother?"
He clutched his reddening cheek, disbelief written across his features.
"Maureen, what is wrong with you? Becoming a Gilbert daughter is something people would kill for. Why can't you just be grateful?"
"I suffered through everything to be with you. I thought love could conquer anything. But apparently, all my success was really because Valerie was secretly helping me behind the scenes."