Chapter 64
64:
As evening settled in, Ernst returned home early. After a quick shower, he made his way to the dining room.
The Harper family gathered around the dinner table. The meal was still lavish, but compared to the previous night’s feast, it was simpler. Rosie descended the stairs with Ernst, then made a point to sit beside Brenna. With a bright, almost exaggerated enthusiasm, she said, “Ernst, let me introduce someone to you. This is Mom and Dad’s real daughter—your sister, Brenna. She grew up in the Barrett family and had a difficult childhood. Now that she’s back, we need to make it up to her.”
When Ernst heard the words “make it up to her,” his lips curled into a mocking smile.
So what if Brenna had suffered outside the family before? Did that mean everyone at home was supposed to bend over backward for her now? Did it justify Brenna bullying Rosie? Brenna had even refused to let Rosie have some clothes she liked. That was outrageous!
Brenna glanced at Rosie, puzzled. They had argued that afternoon over clothes, yet now, Rosie acted as if nothing had happened. Not only was she sitting beside her, but she was also introducing her to Ernst warmly.
Could Rosie really be this kind?
Brenna pushed her doubts aside and offered Ernst a polite smile. Then, she greeted him.
Rosie turned to Brenna with the same enthusiasm. “Brenna, this is our older brother, Ernst. He oversees hundreds of companies under the Harper Group. He is always busy and rarely comes home, but he made the effort to come home these days just to see you. See how great he is to you?”
Brenna glanced at Ernst and caught the unmistakable coldness in his gaze. There was neither warmth nor joy at reuniting with his real sister. Instead, he was studying her, as if sizing up a stranger. Then, out of nowhere, Ernst spoke. “You look great in that outfit.”
𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨: 𝙜Ɐ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⸬𝙘𝙤𝙢
Brenna was caught off guard by that. She didn’t understand what he meant by that.
Brenna studied Ernst, noting the coldness in his expression and the clear sarcasm in his eyes. He wasn’t offering a compliment—if anything, he seemed to be mocking her for being materialistic. She couldn’t fathom why Ernst harbored such dislike for her, especially since they had barely spoken.
When they met for the first time yesterday, he had been dismissive, and today, although he spoke to her, his words were laced with sharpness. Compared to Rosie, this vice president of the Harper Group was far more difficult to deal with.
Brenna’s eyes dropped to the outfit Giselle had chosen for her earlier that day. The casual yet slightly hip-hop-inspired T-shirt and jeans gave her a youthful, almost high-school-student appearance.
Feigning ignorance to the sarcasm in Ernst’s voice, she smiled lightly. “Mom picked it for me. Not bad, right?”
Ernst scoffed inwardly. Brenna was too naive and stupid to catch onto his sarcasm. But her response left him with nothing more to say. Dropping the topic of the money spent on her clothes, he turned his attention to her past with the Barrett family.
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