Chapter No. 4

Cecelia/Anna's POV:

It has been almost a week since I have been shifted into my new or old home which more of a mansion than a home. Today, though I feel a little under the weather because it is my sister's birthday, I have tried to call her, but her number is switched off.

"What's the matter, baby sis?" Zack asks, coming nearby the window and taking a seat next to me.

It's still taking me time to adjust to all of this, and I smile up at him, "You weren't there at the breakfast with us all like usual so Mom was worried, I told her I'll check on you."

"I know you don't want to hear this but it's Estella's birthday today and I was trying to call her but her number is switched off..." I sigh looking at the look on his face but he still signs for me to continue.

"Each birthday, I would bake a cake for her in the shape of a star and wish her happy birthday with the brightest smile. She would say that is the only present she wants. Even though it would be her birthday, she would literally do all of the things that are my favorite." I smile at the end at that.

My brother just looks at me with no emotion on that, "Did you try to contact her again?"

I shake my head, "I tried almost an hour ago but she hasn't picked up."

"Maybe, you should try with another number... Use my phone." Zack says, almost unwillingly.

I smile up at him and kiss his cheek at the idea, "Thank you so much!"

He looks at me surprised but gives me a small smile, I dial the number on his phone, after 4 rings she picks up, "Hello?" She sounds very different almost as if she's sick.

"Happy birthday, sissy!" I say, happily.

The line goes silent for a moment when I say hello twice, then she responds, "Ce- I mean Ms. Anthony, I am sorry but I think you contacted the wrong person."

"No, I contacted the right person! You are my sissy, even now! I know you had a reason to keep it all from me."

By mistake I put the phone on speaker, "I am no one's sister or daughter. I killed my own parents. I don't have anyone to call my own. So don't ever dare call me again! I died for you the day your brother found you. Goodbye."

She hangs up the call, I repeatedly call her but she already blocked the number, I look at Zack, petrified, "Estella is falling back into depression! I need to go see her!"

Zack looks at me anger coming to his eyes but before he has a moment to say anything, "Zachariah! Please, I am not in the mood to hear anything. Whatever happened is due to her parents. Not her! Please I need to see her, right now! You have no idea what happened to her."

"Sweetie, I will take you myself, I want to talk to Ms. Faith as well," Dad says entering the room.

I nod and quickly wear my shoes, and head out. By the time we make it to my old home the gatekeeper greets me sadly, "Ms. Faith, you came really late... She is not here..."

The gatekeeper has been with us for a long time, "Please, Danny tell me where my sissy is... She sounded very off on the call."

"She tried to kill herself many times, and today when I finally took my eyes off of her for a couple of moments she tried to take her life... Thankfully, Dr. Adrian came over to visit her as she wasn't in the best state of mind... She is at the moment at the hospital."

My hands reach up my mouth to stop myself from crying, I knew something was not right. I run inside the house, only to find everything shattered, the home that I once called home now nothing. Then I spot it... Blood, a lot of blood... "I see you finally got the courage to come here, Ms. Anthony." I turn around to see Adrian standing in the doorway looking at me with cold eyes.

My eyes tear up and he coldly laughs at my face, "Please save your tears for someone who cares! Estella, you knew of her state but still up and left her. Without even bothering to find out why she did what she did. Did you ever imagine the tears she shed when you left her?!" He closes his eyes and I can clearly feel the 

My brother grabs his collar, "I dare you to speak with my sister like that again."

At that Adrian punches, Zack on his nose, making him lose balance, "Don't think I would be threatened so easily, I can easily outpower you in strength and status." He speaks so coldly.

"Don't you ever try to contact Estella, again. This time is the only warning you are receiving since she loves you so dearly. I am taking her away from here, forever, she deserves the happiness you stole from her."

Zachariah's POV:

I never thought that I would be reunited with my sister and only due to my cousin who I consider my brother. Looking at the state of the house has me grimacing. What happened over here? Then the way Adrian reacted and the cold warning was clear that he isn't kidding.

"Please! Adrian, let me see her. I will explain everything to her. She'll understand..."

He roughly pulls at his hair, "Don't you understand, Cece?! I mean Ms. Anna! Estella's mental capacity wasn't just that was disturbed it was her heart as well. When she attempted to kill herself, I stopped her, and then she had a heart stroke and now she's fighting for a reason to even live! The doctors are not very positive about anything!"

It's then I notice he hand bandaged arm and hands, meaning the blood that was spilled wasn't of that girl's but his, but I am not able to contain the retort that slips my lips making me regret it, "She should've thought of that before, keeping my sister hidden from me." I say coldly.

"Keep her? You have got to be kidding me. She tried to find her birth parents but then finally gave up and gave her a new name! Anna was her rock. She was shaken to the core when you suddenly came and took her! Thanks to you, Estella is now fighting for her life. Also, here's the proof to it all that she had nothing to do with the kidnapping 10 years ago. Now leave the premises till I come back otherwise, I will have to ask the guards to throw you out."

With that, he leaves and throws the file on the floor. My little sis picks up the file with shaking hands and cries her eyes reading each page. Unable to look at her tears I snatch the file and hand it over to Dad and pick her up but she pushes me away and runs over to the mess.

I follow after her and she picks up a bloody pendant and clutches it to her heart, "Sissy always used to say, the day this comes off means that we have forever been separated... I didn't know how true it was going to be... I always thought it was a bluff..."

That is when I realize it is the same as the one she always kept clutching onto...

That moment I realize in my anger and hatred, I never once stopped to think about the bond my little sister has with her... The way she was happy and the way she responded to Mom when she woke up, should've been enough of a hint. But I failed to realize it. Now, my little sister is paying the price for my error.

She turns around and seeks comfort, not in my but Dad's arms... I look at the file and am truly horrified at what I find out.

She killed her own parents because they were trying to sell my little sis, to the human traffickers and they almost killed Estella due to it but instead she killed them... After that, she tried to find her identity but wasn't able to and since she was already signed off for the bidding she changed her name entirely, only to make sure she stayed safe... Oh, Lord... What have I done? Everything she did from the start to the end was only keeping my sister in mind. To her, only Anna's happiness mattered. Nothing more than that.

                      *******

Today would mark the 4th year since my sister lost her smile. She tries her best to smile but it's not what it used to be. True to his word, Adrian removed all signs of Estella ever even existing. I am tired of trying to search for that girl... But I know one way or the other I will find her.

A knock comes on the door, making me come out of my thoughts, "Come in." It's my assistant, whatever her name is.

"Sir, the candidates are all here. Do you wish to start the interviews?"

I nod, and send her off, one by one the candidates come and go and I really want to cancel it altogether, none of them are qualified for the position. This drags on till lunch when I finally call it a day and let them know not to let any more candidates come in.

"So, big bro, how the interview so far?" Anna asks me and immediately I smell the muffins she definitely brought most likely know what my mood is going to be.

"Come on in... I was just thinking of heading out for lunch. Why don't we go together?" She giggles and nods.

"I will-" before she can finish there is a knock on the door, I sigh, "Come in."

Without looking I say, "I thought I said I don't want any more interviewees..."

Anna gasps and drops the box she was holding. Making me look up as well. What I see shocks me to the core.