Chapter 3: A Brother’s Promise

He pulled her into his arms without thinking. The weight of her trembling body sank into his chest. “My dear sister,” Sheldon whispered, his voice thick and unsteady. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for failing to protect you.”

Julia’s breath caught. She clung to him tightly, her tears soaking into his coat.

For a moment, neither of them said a word; only the sound of their heartbeat filled the cold evening air.

When they finally released each other, Julia lowered her gaze, her voice quiet but firm.

“No, Sheldon,” she said softly. “You don’t owe me anything. I owe you and Mum and Dad an apology. I shouldn’t have gone back to the Reynolds. I should’ve known better.”

Sheldon looked at her, his eyes full of sadness and guilt. “Julia…”

But she didn’t let him continue. She shook her head and smiled faintly. “I left the people who truly loved me, thinking blood meant loyalty. But I was wrong.”

*********************

Sixteen years ago, when she was just three, Julia wasn’t a Reynolds at all. She was just a quiet girl from the orphanage, thin and shy, but with eyes that carried warmth.

One bright morning, Oslo Hurst - Chairman of Hurst Corporation, walked into that orphanage with his wife, Margaret. They wanted to adopt a child.

Margaret’s eyes stopped on Julia immediately.

Something in her face - fragile, hopeful, pure, melted her heart.

They adopted her that same week.

Julia grew up in their mansion like a princess. She had a piano teacher, art lessons, and a garden where she’d spend evenings with Sheldon, her new big brother.

She was never treated like an outsider. Oslo and Margaret made her feel like she truly belonged.

On her fourteenth birthday, the truth came out. Her biological parents - the Reynolds, had found her.

Julia had sat in the big living room, trembling. Her real mother and father stood at the door, pleading with her to come home.

The air was thick with emotion.

Mr. Hurst smiled faintly. “You can go if you want, Julia. Don’t feel like you owe us anything. Blood is thicker than water, they say. We only want you to be happy.”

Margaret had taken Julia’s small hand in hers, squeezing it gently. “You’ll always have a home here, no matter what you decide. We’ll always love you.”

Julia looked up at her with teary eyes. “I love you too, Mum,” she whispered.

Then Sheldon, who was seventeen then, reached out and placed his hand over hers. “Listen, silly girl,” he said with a grin. “No matter what happens, I’ll always be your brother. For life. And I’ll always protect you.”

Julia had smiled that day, though tears filled her eyes. She had no idea how much those words would mean to her later in life.

****************

Now, standing on the lonely road three years later, Sheldon’s voice broke through her tears again.

“Silly girl,” he said, wiping the side of her face. “I already told you, we’re siblings for life.”

Julia’s chest ached as she sobbed harder. Sheldon pulled her closer. “We heard about your imprisonment,” he continued, his tone hardening. “We believe you’re innocent. Those Reynolds—” his jaw tightened, “—they’re heartless. How dare they bully you like this? I’ll make them pay. Don’t worry, okay? They may not want you, but we do. I’ll take care of you.”

Julia smiled weakly, her voice cracking. “Thank you, Sheldon.”

He looked down at her, his eyes softening. “You don’t need to thank me. You’re family.”

He lifted her gently from the ground, wrapping his coat around her shoulders. The night wind was cold, brushing against her pale face.

As she stood, a folded paper slipped from her bag and floated to the ground. She bent to pick it up. It was her pre-entry HET result slip, slightly crumpled but still clean.

The pre-entry test was taken two weeks before the main test which she took two days before the accident.

Sheldon glanced at it briefly, assuming it was nothing. “It’s okay if you didn’t do well this year,” he said quickly, not wanting her to feel bad. “You’ve been through a lot. You can always try again. I believe in you.”

But Julia looked up at him with a faint smile, her lips parting. “Actually, Sheldon… my results are very—”

Before she could finish, her phone rang inside her bag.

She froze for a moment, then reached for it. The caller ID showed an unknown number.

“Hello?” she answered quietly, her voice still trembling.

“Hello, are you Miss Julia Reynolds?” a cheerful male voice came through.

“Yes… this is she.”

“Finally! You picked up!” he said excitedly. “This is Michael Clint, from the Federal Ministry of Education. We’ve been trying to reach you. I’m calling to inform you that your HET score is among the top in the country!”

Julia blinked, confused. “Wait… what?”

“Yes, ma’am!” he laughed warmly. “You’re one of the top scorers, and we’d love to invite you and your family to the celebration party tonight at Olive Hotel. It’s at 8 p.m. sharp. We’ll be announcing the city’s best students publicly. Would you and your family be available to attend?”

Julia could hardly breathe. “Yes—yes, of course! I’ll be there,” she said, her voice rising with excitement.

“Perfect! We’ll send you a confirmation text shortly. Congratulations again, Miss Reynolds.”

“Thank you, sir. Thank you so much,” she whispered before ending the call.

She stood there for a moment, her heart pounding. Then she looked up at Sheldon with wide, watery eyes and a trembling smile.

“Sheldon… they just called me. I’m one of the top scorers!”

His mouth dropped open. “You’re joking.”

She shook her head eagerly, her joy almost childlike. “I’m serious! They said I have to come tonight to Olive Hotel, for the celebration. Sheldon, they want my family there too!”

Sheldon’s face lit up, a proud grin spreading across his lips. “Julia, that’s incredible! You did this while living under those wicked people?!”

She laughed softly. “See? I told you, I’ve been studying hard even when it felt hopeless.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder, eyes full of admiration. “You’ve outdone yourself. Only fifty top students get invited every year. I can’t believe it, you made the list despite everything they put you through.”

Julia’s eyes softened. “I told you before, I let you down by leaving home. But now, maybe I can make it right.”

Sheldon sighed, looking a little worried. “The invitation says only top fifty students and their immediate family can attend. The Ministry is very strict about that.”

Julia reached for his hand and squeezed it gently. “You guys are my immediate family, Sheldon. From now on, you’ll be my only brother.”

Her voice shook with emotion, but her smile stayed bright.

For a moment, Sheldon didn’t speak. His eyes glistened as he looked at her, proud and protective. Then he nodded, smiling. “Alright. Then we’ll go together.”

Julia’s face lit up completely. “Really?”

“Yes,” he said, chuckling softly. “But first, the driver will take you home to freshen up and prepare. I’ll go pick up Mum and Dad and meet you there.”

Julia nodded happily, wiping her tears one last time. “Okay. Thank you, brother.”

As she turned toward the waiting car, Sheldon slipped his phone from his pocket.

His heart was racing, his voice trembling slightly as he dialed his father’s number.

The moment Oslo Hurst answered, Sheldon’s words rushed out in excitement.

“Dad! You won’t believe this. It’s Julia, she’s one of the top HET scorers this year. The Ministry just called. They’ve invited her and us to the official celebration tonight at Olive Hotel. It’s finally time, Dad. It’s time we show the world who she truly is. It’s time we stand up for her.”