Tatiana appeared, descending gracefully with her golden hair tied up in ribbons and a soft pink dress fluttering around her knees.
She was their darling daughter, bright, cheerful, and adored by everyone in the Evans family.
"Tiana," Zoe said warmly, "come meet your new sister."
Tatiana hesitated halfway down the stairs. Her wide blue eyes met Esme's. For a long moment, neither of them said anything.
Esme smiled, slow and almost mischievous. "Hi," she said simply. "You must be Tiana."
Tatiana blinked, then nodded politely. "Nice to meet you… Esme, was it?"
"Yes," Esme replied, her tone light. "Esmeralda Evans."
Tatiana smiled awkwardly and turned to her mother. "I'll be in the garden if you need me," she said softly.
She gave Esme one last curious glance before hurrying out, her delicate shoes tapping faintly against the marble floor.
One by one, the brothers followed. Jurion went first, already reaching for his phone. Ace trailed behind him, his expression unreadable.
And then, the grand hall was empty, except for Kevin, Zoe, and the girl they had just brought home.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Kevin looked down at Esme, studying her carefully. She looked back up, expression mild, lips still faintly stained red from the lollipop.
"I'm sorry about that," he said quietly. "They just need time to adjust. The boys are… strong-headed."
Esme tilted her head. "It's fine," she said. "I didn't expect them to like me right away. And also, as long as the work is done, I don't care whther they like me or not."
Zoe's eyes softened. "You're very understanding, dear."
Esme smiled politely. "I've been told that before too."
But deep in her gaze, something flickered, a glimmer of calculation, it was faint but real.
Her mind wandered as Kevin and Zoe exchanged sighs and gentle words about "family bonding" and "starting fresh." None of it mattered. The way Carlos had shouted, the way the brothers had stared, all of it had told her enough.
'They won't accept me easily.'
Her eyes moved toward the tall family portraits hanging over the staircase.
The Evans lineage was powerful, respected, and untouchable within the business world.
And now, they had invited her into their perfect little world.
'How interesting.'
Later that night, when the house quieted and the servants retreated, Esme sat on the edge of the bed in the room they had prepared for her. It was too beautiful to use it just as a bedroom. White lace curtains, soft lighting, a canopy bed, and a wall filled with books and toys chosen for a child much younger than her.
Her gaze drifted to the mirror across the room.
A same lookinh girl stared back at her.
She tilted her head and whispered, "Lost twin, huh?"
Her reflection smiled back, not kindly.
"They really believe that."
She slipped the lollipop stick from her mouth and placed it on the bedside table. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small silver coin, it was old, scratched, and engraved with an unfamiliar symbol. She turned it over in her fingers, watching it glint faintly under the lamp.
There was no trace of a child's innocence in her eyes anymore.
Only quiet amusement.
"Let's see how long this game lasts," she murmured.
Downstairs, Zoe and Kevin sat in the living room, the day's exhaustion finally catching up to them.
"Do you think we did the right thing?" Zoe asked softly, stirring her tea.
Kevin sighed, leaning back in his chair. "She is family, Zoe. The tests already proved it."
"Yes, but the boys—"
"They'll come around," he said firmly. "Now that they know Esme is their sister. It's time they learned what family really means."
Zoe nodded weakly, but her gaze lingered on the window, where the reflection of the grand hall chandelier shimmered like a thousand tiny flames.
Upstairs, in another part of the house, Jurion sat at his desk, pretending to study. But his mind wasn't on his books.
That girl's eyes that were too calm, and too sharp, replayed in his head.
Something about her didn't sit right.
"She's just a kid," he muttered to himself, brushing it off.
But the unease wouldn't leave.
Meanwhile, Ace lay in bed, headphones on, staring at the ceiling. "If she hurts Tiana," he muttered under his breath, "I'll make her regret it."
And Carlos, who was still sulking in his room after his uncle finally dropped him off, sat on his bed while hugging a pillow, scowling at the memory of her smirk.
"Wild girl," he grumbled. "Who does she think she is?"
But in another room, Esme lay awake, eyes wide open, gazing at the ornate ceiling.
The Evans family.
Her lips curved slightly.
'I wonder which one of you will break first.'
The moonlight cut through the curtains, falling across her face, a face too serene to belong to the storm she carried within.
And just like that, the first night in the Evans manor began, quiet on the surface, but trembling underneath with the first ripples of something far darker than anyone could see.
***
Morning light spilled through the tall, arched windows of the Evans manor, bathing the grand dining room in soft gold.
The clinking of silverware echoed gently against the white marble walls, accompanied by the faint hiss of the coffee machine and the flutter of napkins.
The Evans family had always prided itself on its discipline, breakfast at eight, tea at four, dinner at seven. Yet, today, the rhythm was off.
One chair at the long table sat empty was of Carlos's.
Kevin Evans glanced at it briefly as he buttered his toast, but he didn't say anything. Zoe, on the other hand, sighed softly, reaching for her coffee cup.
"Still sulking," she murmured under her breath. "Dylan, didn't you check on him this morning?"
"I tried talking to him," Dylan replied from across the table, flashing his usual carefree grin. "But our little volcano refused to erupt."