The Evans manor had never been so loud.
Usually, the grand marble halls echoed only with the soft shuffle of servants, the faint chime of crystal against china, and the distant laughter of Tatiana Evans, the family's beloved youngest daughter.
But that morning, the air trembled with the shouting of a youngster.
"You guys never said I had a twin who was lost years ago in the hospital!" Carlos Evans, the youngest of the three brothers, roared, his voice bouncing off the vaulted ceiling.
"Why are you suddenly bringing some random girl home and calling her our sister? Have you ever thought about what we might think? What about Tiana?!"
The chandelier trembled slightly with the force of his voice.
His parents stood before him, Kevin and Zoe Evans, both dignified figures now wearing strained smiles that didn't quite reach their eyes.
"Carlos," Kevin began with the measured patience of a man who had dealt with one too many family outbursts, "we explained this to you guys already. It's a long story, and your mother and I will—"
"I don't care what the story is!" Carlos cut him off, fists clenched, his face flushed with red. "I only acknowledge Tiana as my sister, not some wild girl who came out of nowhere! I'll never accept her!"
His voice cracked at the end, a mix of fear and outrage only a twelve-year-old boy could carry.
Behind their parents stood her, the girl who had turned the Evans household upside down within a single day.
Esme. Esmeralda Evans.
She stood quietly, slightly behind Zoe Evans, a small lollipop tucked between her lips as if this entire uproar had nothing to do with her.
She wore a white collared shirt under a short black jacket, plaid skirt, and knee-high socks.
Her chestnut hair framed her round face, and her eyes that were a pair of deep amber marbles, seemed too knowing and calm for her age.
She didn't even flinch at Carlos's words, nor did she look at him.
Instead, she watched the grand hall like someone inspecting a stage.
Her gaze brushed over the rows of ancestral portraits, the polished staircase winding up to the second floor, and the massive chandelier dripping gold light.
If she noticed the hostility around her, she didn't show it.
The two older brothers stood to the side, quiet but observant.
Jurion, the eldest, leaned lazily against the railing near the staircase, his school blazer draped over one shoulder.
His dark hair fell into his eyes as he watched his youngest brother scream.
His expression was unreadable, he didn't seem angry or curious. he looked just… detached.
Beside him stood Ace, the second brother, tall and lean, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.
His face, sharper than Jurion's, carried an edge of impatience. His gaze flickered between Esme and his parents, studying her in silence.
To anyone else, the brothers' quiet would seem like maturity. To those who knew them, it was just the calm before they made their own judgments.
Neither of them had said a word since the "announcement" at breakfast, when their parents had walked into the dining room hand-in-hand, followed by a small girl they claimed was "family."
"Esme is your long-lost sister," Zoe had said with tears in her eyes. "She was taken from us right after birth. We finally found her."
It sounded ridiculous.
And yet… the resemblance was undeniable.
The same hazel hair, the same sharp curve of the jawline, even the same shade of green around the pupils that the Evans children inherited from their mother.
DNA tests confirmed it, too. The papers had come in a sealed envelope, placed solemnly on the marble table for everyone to see.
The proof was right there in black and white.
But a mere resemblance didn't make her one of them.
"Carlos!" Zoe Evans finally snapped, her voice breaking through the chaos. "Enough! This isn't the way to welcome your sister."
"My what?" Carlos shouted again, his chest heaving. "You can't just decide that for me!"
He looked at the girl, eyes full of anger. "You— who are you really? Why didn't anyone ever tell us about you before?"
Esme tilted her head slightly, pulling the lollipop from her mouth with a soft pop.
"Does it matter?" she asked softly, her tone polite yet distant.
Her voice was calm, too calm. "I'm here now. That's all that matters, doesn't it?"
Carlos blinked at her in disbelief. "You—!"
But before he could hurl another insult, a heavy hand came down on his shoulder.
"Alright, that's enough noise for today."
The voice came from the tall man standing near the door was their uncle, Dylan Evans.
Dressed in a simple black suit with a loosened tie, he looked amused rather than angry. In one swift motion, he slung Carlos over his shoulder like a sack of flour despite the boy's protests.
"Put me down, Uncle Dylan! She's lying! She's—"
"Sure, sure." Dylan's grin widened as he winked at Kevin and Zoe. "I'll take this little troublemaker out before he gives himself a stroke."
With that, he walked off, Carlos still kicking and shouting until his voice faded beyond the doors.
The grand hall fell silent, the kind of silence that buzzed in the ears.
Kevin exhaled deeply and turned back to the rest of his sons. "Jurion. Ace. You two have been quiet. Do you have anything to say?"
Jurion's eyes flickered once more toward Esme. "As long as she doesn't disturb my studies," he said simply, pushing his hair out of his face. "I don't care."
Ace shrugged, though his gaze hardened slightly. "Same as brother. But if she bullies or harasses Tiana, I won't stay still."
"Harass?" Esme murmured under her breath, her eyes lowering slightly, a small smirk ghosting her lips, so faint that no one noticed.
Zoe's shoulders sagged. "That's not the kind of attitude I hoped for, but… I suppose it's a start."
From the grand staircase, a soft voice called out, "Mommy?"