Evaline:
I simply stared at Charles.
His words hung in the quiet study room like something fragile and heavy at the same time.
He had a sister.
That alone surprised me.
In all the months I had known him, he had never once mentioned her. Every time his family came up in conversation, he always said it was just him and his grandmother.
But now…
Now I didn't know what to think.
Because the way he spoke about her didn't sound like someone talking about a distant relative.
It sounded like someone talking about a wound that had never healed.
My gaze stayed fixed on him as I tried to understand.
I didn't know his full story. I only knew pieces.
But this?
This part of his life had never come up.
And I couldn't imagine what kind of circumstances could make a sister hate her brother so much.
Charles looked up at me again. His eyes were shining. Unshed tears glistened there as he held my gaze.
"Why didn't she love me?" he asked softly.
