Seeing all those things being moved inside, Sophia was eager to check them out. She said, “Let’s not just stand here. Zachary and Roxanne are probably waiting inside. Let’s hurry up and go in.”
With so many things, Sophia thought maybe Zachary and Roxanne, in a good mood, might gift her a few items. Sophia made plans quietly in her mind.
Xyliana nodded, and they both went inside together.
As they passed by the designer handbags, Sophia instinctively picked one up, admiring it. While examining it, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Xyliana, this bag is gorgeous! Don’t you already have one like this?”
Xyliana paused and looked at Sophia, who was clearly envious. “Yeah, I already have one. Do you really like it?”
Hearing Xyliana’s question, Sophia quickly nodded and said, “Yes, I love it! I’ve always wanted this bag, but I’ve never been able to buy it.”
This kind of limited–edition luxury item wasn’t just about having money. At Skyline Castle, it could be delivered with just a phone call, but outsiders rarely got the chance to buy it.
“Then I’ll give it to you as a reward for this competition,” Xyliana said with a smile. Not only did she come in first, but seeing the pile of gifts waiting for her at home made her even happier.
Since Sophia liked the bag so much, Xyliana decided to give it to her.
Sophia was overjoyed and exclaimed, “Really? Thank you, Xyliana! You’re the best!”
Seeing her so happy, Xyliana said, “Alright, it’s yours now. Take your time admiring it when you get home, okay?”
As they continued walking inside, Xyliana heard lively chatter coming from the dining room. It sounded like dinner was ready and they were waiting for
her.
Xyliana happily walked into the dining room and said, “Mom, Dad, I’m back! And Zaki’s here too!”
Hearing Xyliana’s voice, Zachary and the others turned to see her. With a smile, Zachary said, “Xyliana, you’re back! Why didn’t you call to let us know after the event? I would have arranged for someone to pick you up.”
“I’m grown up now; I don’t need anyone to pick me up. This time I came back with Sophia, and knowing you’re all busy, I thought it would be best not to bother you,” Xyliana replied understandingly.
Then Xyliana noticed a stranger sitting next to Roxanne. She thought, ‘Who is this girl? She does look a lot like Mom!?‘
Sophia greeted them warmly.
“Sophia’s here! You probably haven’t eaten yet, have you? Please sit down and join us for dinner,” Zachary invited them, noticing Sophia had arrived with Xyliana.
After sitting next to Xyliana, Sophia whispered, “Xyliana, who is that girl?”
“I don’t know her either,” Xyliana whispered back.
Initially, Roxanne planned to introduce Rosalie to Xyliana when Xyliana returned. Today, she just wanted to celebrate Rosalie’s homecoming. But unexpectedly, Xyliana came back without any notice, so she figured she might as well introduce them now.
Thinking of this, Roxanne smiled and said, “Xyliana, you’re back just in time! Let me introduce you to your sister, Rosalie. She just returned today.”
“Rosalie, this is Xyliana. She’s a bit older than you, so she’s your older sister,” Roxanne gently told Rosalie.
Hearing Roxanne’s words, Xyliana and Sophia both looked shocked. Xyliana thought the unfamiliar girl in front of her was a distant relative, but it turned
1/2
ou 12 QUE
Chapter 9
out to be her sister.
77%
“Mom and Dad, what’s going on? When did I get a sister? How come I didn’t know anything about this?” Xyliana asked, puzzled. She had never heard her family mention a sister while growing up.
Sophia, also shocked, glanced at Rosalie with curiosity. She had never heard the adults mention that Xyliana had a sister. But looking at Rosalie, she felt that Rosalie did indeed resemble Roxanne. For a moment, she was so confused that her mind was overwhelmed by the situation.
Roxanne, seeing that Sophia wasn’t an outsider and Xyliana looked completely puzzled, realized that if she didn’t share the truth, Xyliana might start imagining the worst. After some thought, she decided to tell them the truth.
Roxanne said slowly, “Xyliana, we only found out recently that years ago, our family and the Moreno family took the wrong babies home. Rosalie was taken by the Morenos and lived with them until now.
“While you were abroad for the competition, the Morenos contacted us. Once we learned the truth, Zaki, brought Rosalie back home.”
“Switched at birth? Mom… you’re joking, right?” Xyliana found it hard to accept, thinking Roxanne was just teasing her.
Seeing that Xyliana couldn’t accept it right away, Roxanne softly added, “Xyliana, it’s true… but don’t worry. Even though you were mistakenly taken by us, we’ve always raised you as our own daughter. The love we’ve shared all these years won’t change.
“As long as you’re in this family, your dad and I will treat you like our own child until you find your birth parents.””
Roxanne’s words hit Xyliana hard, leaving her mind blank and speechless.
Seeing Xyliana struggle with the truth, Roxanne felt a pang of heartache. She gently took Xyliana’s hand and said, “I know this is tough to swallow, but we didn’t want to keep it from you. We didn’t want you to hear it from someone else and feel like we weren’t being straight with you.
“Xyliana, you’ve always been such a level–headed girl, and being upfront is the best way to go, don’t you think?”
After all, Rosalie was already back, and even if they wanted to keep this under wraps, it wouldn’t stay hidden for long.
Xyliana was in shock, and Rosalie was just as surprised. She had thought Xyliana was her sister, but now it turned out Xyliana wasn’t even a daughter of the Yoder family.
2/2
