chapter four

It didn’t take long before the owner of the voice appeared in the living room.

The moment I saw him, my eyes widened in disbelief.

No way.

No actual way.

“Oh my God…” I whispered under my breath.

Standing there casually in black ripped jeans, dark shades, and a loose designer hoodie was none other than Liam Rise.

The Liam Rise.

The world-famous musician.

The same man whose songs had comforted me through lonely nights.

The same man whose concerts sold out within minutes.

The same man millions of people around the world dreamed of meeting.

And he was standing in front of me.

In my house.

No…

His house.

Our house.

For a second, I genuinely thought I was hallucinating from stress.

“Mom,” Liam complained dramatically while removing his shades, “I heard my sister came home, so I rushed back immediately to give her a gift. Hopefully this guarantees I become her favorite sibling.”

My mother rolled her eyes fondly.

“Oh, Liam, when will you ever grow serious?”

Then she turned toward me with a soft smile.

“Rosey, this is your fourth brother, Liam.”

Brother.

The word still felt unreal.

I stared at him blankly.

The famous Liam Rue… was my brother?

Life truly was ridiculous.

“Hello, little sister.” Liam grinned brightly before walking toward me. “I’m your amazingly handsome fourth brother. Please love me the most.”

I couldn’t help laughing softly for the first time in days.

He suddenly held out a small black box toward me.

“This is your welcome-home gift.”

He looked oddly shy while saying it, which was surprising considering this was a man who performed confidently before millions.

I slowly accepted the box.

Who would’ve thought that someone like me, the girl everyone looked down on, the girl no one wanted would someday have a family like this?

“Wait until you meet your other brothers,” Mom teased. “Then you probably won’t like Liam as much anymore.”

“Mom!” Liam gasped dramatically. “Why would you sabotage me like this?”

Chuckling softly, I opened the gift box.

And immediately froze.

VIP tickets.

Front-row VIP tickets to Liam Rue’s upcoming world tour concert.

My mouth fell open.

These tickets cost thousands of dollars online. Fans literally fought for them.

I had once stayed awake all night trying to enter a giveaway for one.

And now…

I owned them.

No.

My brother gave them to me personally.

“You like them?” Liam asked nervously.

I looked up at him quickly.

“Like them?” I nearly laughed. “People would probably sell their souls for these tickets.”

His face instantly lit up proudly.

“See? I told you I’d become her favorite.”

Before anyone could respond, another man entered the living room.

Unlike Liam’s loud cheerful energy, this man carried a calm and reserved aura.

He looked elegant.

Quiet.

Dangerously intelligent.

The silver-rimmed glasses resting on his nose somehow made him even more attractive.

“Mom. Dad,” he greeted politely before his eyes landed on me.

For a moment, he simply stared quietly.

Then his expression softened slightly.

“I believe you’re my sister,” he said calmly. “I’m Richard. Your second brother.”

He smiled gently.

Not as playful as Liam.

Not as expressive.

But somehow, his calmness made me feel comfortable instantly.

Mom immediately beamed proudly.

“Your second brother is the most renowned scientist in Country X.”

I blinked.

Scientist?

I didn’t know much about the scientific world, but honestly…

I didn’t care.

He was my brother.

That alone already made him important to me.

“I’m Roselyn,” I replied softly.

Before Richard could say anything else, Liam suddenly jumped in dramatically.

“Big bro, Roselyn clearly doesn’t know how famous you are. But she recognized me immediately, so I think it’s obvious who her favorite sibling is.”

Richard slowly adjusted his glasses before shooting Liam a cold stare.

Liam instantly pretended to tremble in fear.

The entire family burst into laughter.

And for the first time in years…

The sound of laughter around me didn’t feel painful.

It felt warm.

Safe.

Real.

“And what exactly is making everyone laugh this much?”

A deep cold voice suddenly echoed through the room.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Even Liam straightened slightly.

I looked toward the entrance.

And my breath caught.

A tall man dressed in a perfectly tailored four-piece suit walked inside with calm powerful steps.

His aura was overwhelming.

Cold.

Dominating.

Untouchable.

I recognized him immediately.

Rowan Rue.

The terrifying young master of the Rue family.

The man feared throughout the business world.

The same Rowan Rue who took over the family empire in just two years and expanded it so aggressively that even powerful corporations feared offending him.

Only the Smith family could barely compare to the Rue family’s influence now.

Countless rumors surrounded him.

Some said he was ruthless.

Some said he destroyed competitors without mercy.

Some even claimed he smiled while ruining people’s lives.

Yet now…

That terrifying man was staring directly at me.

“I heard my sister came home,” he said calmly. “So I came to see her personally.”

My heart skipped nervously.

Then he handed me a document file.

“This is your welcome-home gift.”

Confused, I slowly opened it.

And nearly stopped breathing.

Property ownership papers.

Riverlight Housing Community.

One of the most luxurious residential properties in Country X.

An apartment there cost more than entire companies.

And according to the documents…

It belonged to me now.

I looked up at Rowan in shock.

“I… I can’t accept this.”

“You can,” Rowan replied simply.

His voice wasn’t harsh.

But it carried the kind of authority that made people obey naturally.

I swallowed nervously.

Truthfully…

I was scared of him.

Maybe because of his reputation.

Maybe because he looked too powerful.

Or maybe because I wasn’t used to people giving me things without conditions attached.

Rowan seemed to notice my nervousness immediately.

His expression softened slightly.

“Don’t be scared,” he said quietly. “You’re a Rue now. If anyone troubles you, come to your big brother.”

Something warm spread through my chest.

I nodded slowly.

“Thank you…”

A small smile appeared on his lips before disappearing just as quickly.

The day passed peacefully afterward.

Rowan and my father eventually returned to the company.

Richard went back to his laboratory.

Meanwhile Liam and Mom stayed behind to keep me company, constantly making me laugh.

At noon, Mom personally led me upstairs.

Her expression turned emotional as she opened a large white door.

“This room…” she whispered softly, “…has always been yours.”

I stepped inside slowly.

And froze.

The room was breathtaking.

Elegant chandeliers.

Soft cream walls.

Massive windows overlooking the gardens.

Shelves filled with books.

Fresh flowers.

Luxury beyond imagination.

Yet despite all the expensive decorations…

The room somehow still felt warm.

Loved.

Mom’s eyes turned slightly red as she looked around.

“We kept it exactly the way it was after you disappeared,” she said quietly. “We only changed the bed and redecorated a little after realizing our daughter is an adult now.”

Her voice trembled slightly toward the end.

“I hope you like it.”

Like it?

This room alone was nearly twice the size of the bedroom Edward and I shared after marriage.

No…

Correction.

The room Edward slept in.

Because that place had never truly felt like mine.

I looked around nervously, almost afraid to touch anything.

Everything looked expensive.

Fragile.

Back at the Miller mansion, my mother-in-law constantly criticized every little thing I did.

Don’t touch this.

Don’t sit there.

Don’t break that.

Eventually, I learned to move carefully.

Quietly.

Like a guest in my own marriage.

Mom noticed my hesitation immediately, and pain flashed across her face.

She gently cupped my cheek.

“You don’t have to be careful here, Rosey,” she whispered. “This is your home.”

My throat tightened painfully.

Home.

What a beautiful word.

After talking for a while longer, Mom finally left to let me rest.

The moment the door closed behind her, silence filled the room.

I sat slowly on the soft bed, lost in thought.

Everything still felt unreal.

A family.

Brothers.

Love.

Warmth.

Things I had spent years convincing myself I didn’t need.

I was still deep in thought when my phone suddenly rang.

The unfamiliar peace inside me instantly disappeared the moment I answered.

“You ungrateful girl!”

A furious female voice screamed through the phone.

“How dare you abandon us after getting married?!”