I waved my phone, smiling as I spoke.

"Oh, by the way, Brother Holt, I just got back from Meridia and I haven't had the chance to meet your Saozi. Aren't you going to introduce me?"

I tilted my head, accepting the role of the so-called "sister" without a shred of guilt, and asked Sean Holt with smiling eyes.

"Well now, this must be the little sister. And drop-dead gorgeous, too. President Holt, you never mentioned having such a beautiful sister. Keeping her all to yourself? Not cool, man." A guy with a devil-may-care attitude chimed in, sizing me up before turning to tease Sean Holt.

"Fuck off. She's not someone you should be joking about." Sean Holt's face was a mask of irritation as he snapped at the guy who'd spoken so rudely to me.

Everyone finally realized something was wrong.

Hannah slowly sat up, disentangling herself from Sean Holt. Julian Sterling was watching me, a glint in his eyes.

"Weren't you supposed to be back in six months? Why are you back early? You should have told me—I would have sent someone to pick you up."

Sean Holt took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled a plume of smoke, trying to feign composure as he spoke.

But the hurried pace of his words betrayed his unease.

I pocketed my phone, walked over to the table, picked up an empty glass, and poured myself a drink.

Glass in hand, I watched the muscles in Sean Holt's body tense and stiffen, and I suddenly broke into a smile.

'It was so hilarious, I was laughing until I cried.'

"How could I possibly dare to disturb you, Brother? I just happened to be worried you'd have no one to celebrate your birthday with. Who knew you'd already found such an understanding flower to keep you company? But really, you're the one in the wrong, Brother. Even if I wasn't due back for a while, you should have told me you were getting a Saozi. Otherwise, how could I have possibly prepared a gift?"

I gave Sean Holt a dazzling, theatrical smile, then downed the drink in my hand in one go. Turning to Hannah, I said:

"So you must be Saozi. You're absolutely gorgeous. My brother really lucked out. I'll have to ask you to go shopping with me some time, Saozi. Let me buy you a gift as a little thank-you for taking my brother off my hands."

No one said a word.

'How boring.'

"You're not well enough to be drinking. This is no place for you. Go home. I'll have someone take you."

Sean Holt tried to snatch the glass from my hand, but I wouldn't let go.

"Whoa there, Brother, let go. If you keep this up, Saozi might get the wrong idea, and that would be all my fault."

I pried Sean Holt's fingers off my hand, one by one.

When I was done, I rubbed the spot he had touched, as if trying to wipe away something unclean.

I looked up, my face fixed in a perfectly composed smile.

"My apologies for the poor timing; I didn't have a chance to bring gifts for everyone. Please, put everything tonight on my tab. The next time we meet, I'll be sure to properly make it up to all of you."

I turned and left.

The moment the door to the private room clicked shut, I heard Sean Holt's voice:

"The little sister gets spoiled rotten sometimes. Pay her no mind. Let's continue."

The sounds of clinking glasses and merry chatter resumed, as if my appearance had been nothing more than a trivial interruption.

My fingernails dug into my palms, and a dull ache clenched my heart.

"The little sister gets spoiled rotten sometimes. Pay her no mind. Let's continue."

'Little sister?'

In a daze, old memories began to surface.