CHAPTER 67

Vera’s POV

The room still felt unreal.

Heavy with years of grief, shock, relief and emotions nobody in this house fully knew how to handle yet.

My mother still held my hand tightly on the couch like letting go would somehow make me disappear again. My father sat beside her silently, watching me with the kind of expression that made my chest ache every time I looked at him too long.

Like he was still convincing himself I existed.

Adrian stayed quieter than everyone else, but I caught him staring sometimes too. Small glances. Careful ones. Like he was trying to memorize every detail before reality changed its mind again.

Xavier was gone upstairs with Kael and Lucian.

Honestly?

That somehow made the entire house feel incomplete.

Aaron leaned back against the armchair before looking between all of us again.

“So… I feel like nobody appreciates how insane this situation actually is.”

Lina looked exhausted already. “Aaron.”

“No seriously,” he continued. Imagine explaining this to therapists.

“You assume we would tell therapists the truth,” Livia muttered.

“That is fair.”

My mother suddenly laughed softly through her tears.

Even my father looked toward her quickly like hearing her laugh again after years meant something fragile and important.

Her eyes met mine afterward.

Then slowly— she smiled.

Like she had spent years carrying grief and suddenly didn’t know where to put it anymore.

My father finally spoke again after staying silent too long.

“Come here.”

The words were quiet, but firm enough that everybody in the room looked toward him.

Including me.

For a second I froze.

Then slowly stood.

He watched every step carefully as I walked closer until I stopped in front of him.

And for a moment—

he just stared at me.

Then his hand lifted slowly toward my face.

Rough fingers against my cheek. Careful.

Like he was terrified I would disappear under too much pressure.

“You really are her,” he whispered softly.

That sentence hurt worse than crying did.

Because he sounded like a man finding oxygen after drowning for years.

I felt tears burn my eyes again immediately.

Then suddenly his arms wrapped around me tightly.

And just like that—

whatever control he had left broke completely.

My father held me against him like he had spent years grieving me already and did not know how to survive getting me back.

His breathing shook slightly.

My mother started crying again beside us.

Adrian looked away quickly before rubbing a hand against the back of his neck roughly.

Livia quietly wiped her face.

Aaron noticed immediately. “See? Everybody’s crying now.”

“Nobody asked you to announce it,” Lina muttered softly.

Even that somehow helped.

Because the stupid comments kept the room from completely drowning.

My father finally pulled back slowly after a long moment, both hands still gripping my shoulders tightly.

“You’re too thin,” he muttered immediately.

That surprised an actual laugh out of me.

My mother looked offended instantly. “Marco.”

“What? She is.”

“I cook perfectly fine.”

Aaron nodded once. “Actually she does.”

Lina sighed tiredly. “Please stop encouraging him.”

Adrian finally smiled slightly for the first time all night.

Then his eyes lifted toward me again.

“You still tilt your head when you’re confused,” he said quietly.

I blinked.

“What?”

“You used to do that when you were little too.” His expression softened slightly. “Mum said it made you look like an angry kitten.”

My mother laughed through tears immediately. “You hated that comparison.”

Something warm twisted painfully inside my chest again.

Brother.....

The word still felt strange inside my head.

My mother touched my hand again carefully. “Can I ask you something?”

I nodded slowly.

What name do you prefer now?

The room quieted slightly again.

“Vera,” I answered honestly. “I think… I still need time with Aria.”

Pain flashed briefly across her face.

But understanding followed immediately after.

“Okay,” she whispered softly. “Vera.”

And somehow that made me love her instantly.

Outside.....Balcony

Xavier leaned both hands against the railing while staring into the darkness outside.

The cold air helped slightly.

Because nothing about tonight felt survivable.

Behind him, Kael stood quietly beside the wall while Lucian leaned against the balcony door with his arms crossed.

Nobody spoke for a while.

Finally Xavier laughed once without humor.

“This is insane.”

“Yeah,” Kael replied calmly.

Xavier rubbed both hands over his face again roughly. “You all seem weirdly calm for people casually announcing my dead sister is alive.

Kael looked at him flatly. “I threatened three people before breakfast this morning

“That explains absolutely nothing.”

“It explains plenty actually,” Lucian muttered.

Xavier let out another tired breath before looking toward Kael again.

You really didn’t know?

“No.”

And you’re sure?

Kael’s expression hardened immediately. “Yes.”

Silence followed briefly.

Then Xavier nodded once slowly.

Because despite everything—

he believed him.

Maybe because grief recognized grief.

Maybe because Kael looked just as wrecked underneath the calm.

I buried her, Xavier admitted quietly after a while. “I watched them lower the coffin.”

Kael looked away briefly before answering.

“I know.”

And now she’s inside

“Yeah.”

The word sounded almost disbelieving even coming from Kael.

Lucian studied both men quietly before speaking,

You don’t have to process this tonight Adrian.

Xavier laughed tiredly, That’s convenient because I physically can’t.

For the first time all evening, Kael almost smiled slightly.

Xavier noticed immediately.

“You still look emotionally constipated.”

Kael looked offended. “That’s rich coming from you.”

Lucian snorted softly under his breath.

Then Xavier looked toward Kael again more seriously.

“She trusts you.”

Kael didn’t answer immediately.

But the silence itself already confirmed enough.

Xavier noticed too.

And strangely—

that seemed to settle something inside him slightly.

Inside again.....

Aaron sat beside me on the couch while the adults spoke quietly nearby.

“You know,” he said thoughtfully, technically your life is now internationally dramatic.

I looked at him flatly. “You’re exhausting.”

Thank you.

My mother watched all of them quietly before leaning slightly toward Kael’s mother.

You live with this every day?

Kael’s mother smiled tiredly. “Unfortunately.”

Aaron placed a hand against his chest dramatically. “And yet this house would miss me terribly.”

Nobody argued.

Which honestly surprised him more than anyone else.

“Wow,” he muttered softly. “That felt supportive.”

Adrian finally looked toward me again. Do you remember anything from before?

I hesitated before answering carefully.

“Not clearly.”

My mother’s expression softened immediately.

“That’s okay.”

I remember feelings more than memories,” I admitted quietly. “Small things, Warmth, Voices sometimes.

Nobody interrupted, So I continued.

“I remembered a kitchen earlier

My mother froze instantly.

A kitchen?

I nodded slowly. “Flour. Laughter. Someone teaching me something.”

Tears filled her eyes immediately.

“You used to bake with me every Sunday,” she whispered.

My father noticed my expression instantly.

It’ll come back slowly, he said gently.

How do you know?

“Because you’re still you.”

Then the front door opened again.

Everyone looked up immediately.

Kael walked in first with Xavier behind him and Lucian after.

The atmosphere shifted instantly, because Xavier looked different now

less angry

His eyes landed on me immediately

Then away again

Like he still didn’t fully trust himself with this situation yet

Honestly?

I understood that

Kael’s father walked in behind them calmly before stopping near Marco

The two men exchanged a quiet look filled with years of history and guilt neither spoke aloud.

Then Sebastian finally said quietly, “You should all rest tonight.”

My mother laughed softly through tears. “You think any of us are sleeping?”

“That’s fair.”

Xavier laughed

And the second he did, everybody noticed

Including him

His expression shifted slightly afterward before his eyes slowly found mine again

Then finally—

carefully—

he walked closer

I stood automatically without meaning to

Neither of us spoke immediately

Because honestly?

What were we even supposed to say after years of believing the other was gone forever?

Xavier stopped directly in front of me before looking down briefly

Then quietly—

“You still hate strawberries?”

That caught me completely off guard.

“What?”

His expression softened slightly for the first time all night

“You used to cry every time Mum forced you to eat them.

A strange feeling hit me instantly

Not a full memory

But enough emotion to make my chest tighten painfully

And before I could stop myself—

I laughed softly.

“I still hate them.”

Xavier froze completely

Then suddenly his eyes shut briefly like hearing that almost hurt him physically

Because that tiny detail—

that stupid little detail—

was familiar.

His sister.

But then his expression changed slightly again.

Like another thought suddenly hit him.

Slowly, carefully, he stepped even closer.

“What?” I asked quietly.

Xavier hesitated for a second before speaking.

“You had a birthmark.”

The room quieted immediately.

My mother looked up fast.

Adrian straightened slightly too.

Xavier’s voice became rougher now. “Near your shoulder.”

I blinked once in surprise

Then slowly pulled the edge of my sleeve aside just enough, but not enough to reveal the tattoo down beneath it.

The small crescent-shaped mark rested exactly where he remembered.

The second Xavier saw it—

he stopped breathing for a moment.

Adrian moved closer immediately afterward, staring at it silently before dragging a shaky hand through his hair.

“Oh my God,” he whispered.

My mother broke into tears again instantly.

And Xavier?

He looked completely shattered now.

Like every wall inside him collapsed all at once.

Then finally, he hugged me—

he didn't even hesitate.