Chapter 9

Minerva felt like she had been trapped in a dream for far too long. In that dream, she returned to the day of her coming-of-age ceremony. A 19-year-old Frederick stood beside her, and under the watchful eyes of everyone present, he fastened his family's heirloom necklace around her neck. She looked down, hoping to see what the necklace looked like—but there was nothing there, just an empty stretch of skin. When she reached up to touch it, her fingers brushed against something wet and cold, like the trace of a tear. The startlingly real sensation pulled her scattered consciousness back together, piece by piece. In the darkness, a voice broke through—shaky and choked with tears. "Minerva, please wake up. Don't scare me like this. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone in the hills…" That familiar voice guided her toward a glimmer of light. With great effort, she forced her eyes open. The first thing she saw was Frederick's face, his eyes wide with disbelief and joy. But within seconds, every trace of emotion vanished from his face. His expression morphed back into that casual indifference he now always wore. Seeing him switch so suddenly, Minerva almost believed she was still dreaming. But then he spoke, his words cutting through that illusion. "You're awake? My parents said your injuries were serious and insisted I check on you, but you seem fine to me." If she hadn't already learned the truth, his dismissive tone might have fooled her again. She looked at him in silence. "Frederick, I never knew your acting skills were this good," she thought. But Minerva no longer had the strength or patience to be part of his performance. It didn't matter how long he planned to keep up the farce. Soon enough, they would officially become siblings. She parted her dry lips, her voice hoarse. "If you've got things to do, go and take care of them." Frederick froze for a moment, unsettled by something in her voice. Whenever she got hurt or upset, it used to take him a long time to talk her down. But now, it was like she had become someone else entirely. Just as he was about to press further, a text from Yolanda popped up on his phone. Glancing at the message, he shrugged and forced a lazy smirk. "Yeah, I've got stuff going on. I'll have my mom look after you." He stood and headed for the door. Just before stepping out, he turned back, his voice carrying something unreadable. "Oh, by the way—don't forget my birthday's the day after tomorrow. Make sure you come. I'm planning to propose to Yolanda that day." Thinking of the diamond ring Yolanda had flaunted, Minerva could already picture Frederick on one knee, asking her to marry him. She managed a faint smile, her voice barely audible. "I'm leaving. I won't get to see the grand finale of the show you directed yourself." Of course, Frederick didn't hear her. He had already disappeared down the hallway. The doctors diagnosed her with a mild concussion. After she stayed one more night at the hospital, Algernon and Maxine came to take her home. Back at the Davison residence, they handed her a paper envelope. Inside was the revised birth certificate showing her name filed under their family, legally making her Frederick's sister. Maxine's eyes softened as she looked at her. "Minerva, everything's been finalized. You've just been in an accident. Why don't you delay your trip a few days until you're feeling better?" Minerva stared at the document in her hands, where the line now officially labeled her and Frederick as siblings. She exhaled quietly and shook her head. "It's better to leave today. My friend has already taken time off to pick me up. I don't want to trouble them again." Hearing that someone would be there to meet her, Algernon and Maxine looked a little more at ease. They helped her with her luggage and drove her to the airport soon after. On the way over, the older couple started talking about Frederick again. "I've no idea where your brother ran off to. We haven't been able to reach him. We were hoping he'd come home for his birthday, and we'd tell him then that you've officially joined the Davison family as his sister." Seeing how frustrated they were, Minerva quickly tried to calm them. "He's probably hanging out with friends. It's fine if he doesn't come to see me off. Dad, Mom, can you please hand him the gift I left in my room?" They nodded and continued fussing over her with heartfelt reminders and last-minute advice. Minerva listened carefully, committing every word to memory. When the boarding announcement echoed through the departure terminal, she waved them goodbye and walked into the security checkpoint without looking back. Just before boarding the plane, she tried calling Frederick's number. She wanted to tell him herself that she was now legally part of the Davison family. But the call rang endlessly, and no one picked up. Just as the line disconnected, a message came through. It was a photo from Yolanda, taken at a party. In it, Yolanda was kissing Frederick. Minerva glanced at it, but not a flicker of emotion stirred within her. Quietly, she typed out a text and sent it over. "Frederick, from today onward, we are officially siblings. I wish you and your fiancee a lifetime of love and happiness." As if on cue, the plane began moving down the runway. Without waiting for a reply, Minerva powered off her phone completely.