Cherished By Seven Sisters by Melvin Houle

Emrys could feel the fury rising within him, like a storm building in the distance. His torrent of emotion was waiting to be unleashed. Sensing his wrath, Walter gently caressed his cheek to console him. “I’m telling you this so I can be honest and not hide anything from you. I don’t want you to do anything foolish.” He had been afraid to tell Emrys the truth, fearing he would cause trouble for Prime Realty. There was no point in doing so because the forces behind the organization were terrifying. Emrys was pulled back to reality when the old man’s wrinkled palm stroked his cheek. “I’m sorry for giving you a scare, Mr. Olman.” “Promise me you’ll let go of the past, okay?” Walter pleaded. “Don’t worry, Mr. Olman. I won’t do anything foolish,” Emrys said, suppressing his anger. “You’re a good kid.” Walter sighed in relief. Suddenly remembering something, he smiled. “The girls will be overjoyed if they know you’re still alive.” Emrys’ heart lurched as he asked, “Are they doing fine?” “They’re doing well. They have their own careers, and they send me money every month. I have their photos here too.” Photos? Emrys’ eyes lit up. It had been fifteen years since he had seen them. He wondered what they looked like now and whether they had grown even more beautiful. Of course, no matter how they looked, they were the women he loved most in his life. Walter entered the house and carefully retrieved a stack of photos from the drawer. Filled with anticipation, Emrys eagerly spread the photos out and took a quick glance. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets. “T-They’re really my sisters?” The man could not believe his eyes, not because his sisters were ugly, but because they were too beautiful. Each one of them looked like a goddess. Walter grinned and remarked, “Your sisters are not only beautiful but also highly successful.” Somehow, Emrys believed the old man’s words. As the two were chatting, Gavin, who had caught his breath, suddenly crawled miserably to Walter’s feet. “Mr. Olman, please give me two hundred thousand. I really need the money,” he begged. Clearly, he was preparing to play the sympathy card. Walter had been chatting happily with Emrys, but Gavin’s words instantly ruined his good mood. “You unfilial child! How dare you ask me for money?” “It’s not like that, Mr. Olman. It’s because I… I—” “Hurry up and speak your mind,” Walter interrupted before Gavin could think of an explanation. “Did you get into any trouble outside?” Seeing that he could not hide the truth, Gavin bit the bullet and confessed, “I owe the casino money. They threatened to cut off my hand if I didn’t pay back within a week.” “What! How dare you go to the casino? I’ll kill you, you b*stard!” Walter was enraged when he heard that Gavin owed money at the casino. He grabbed a broom and started beating him with it. Instead of dodging, Gavin pleaded, “I must have gone insane, but it has already happened. I honestly can’t come up with a solution, which is why I’m asking you for money.” “You damn thing! Are you trying to drive me crazy?” Walter bellowed. Just then, a clear and cold voice came from afar. “Gavin, I warned you not to make Mr. Olman angry again. Why do you keep disobeying my instructions?” A tall and slender woman walked over from outside the courtyard. Her long, shiny hair was coiled high behind her head, exposing her grace and poise. She had stunning features and a cold and sophisticated attitude. The white and elegant clothing could not hide her curvaceous figure. She exuded goddess-like grace. She’s so beautiful! At first glance, Emrys was deeply attracted to the mysterious woman. His eyes glistened as he admired her good looks. That’s my eldest sister! The woman was none other than Emrys’ eldest sister, Cordelia Youngblood, whom he hadn’t seen in fifteen years. Compared to the photo Emrys had seen earlier, Cordelia was even more beautiful in person, but she was also more aloof. Cordelia and Emrys looked at each other at the same time. In that moment of eye contact, Cordelia’s delicate b*dy trembled slightly. There was a hint of surprise in her beautiful eyes. However, she quickly recollected herself as if nothing had happened. “For Mr. Olman’s sake, I’ll help you for the last time. If you dare to cause trouble again, I’ll break your legs.” In order to prevent Walter from being upset, Cordelia wrote a check for two hundred thousand and threw it at Gavin. Gavin was wild with joy. “Thank you, Delia.” “Don’t call me that. It disgusts me,” the woman spat. “Haha…” Gavin smiled shamelessly. It didn’t matter how he was treated now that he had the money. Unable to contain himself any longer, Emrys uttered, “Delia, it’s me.” After five years of military service, the man’s iron-blooded character had already been forged. Even when facing a million-strong army, he had never shown any fear. However, at that moment, he felt jittery having to face his eldest sister. Even an iron man could be tender. Emrys’ weak spot was his seven sisters. Cordelia froze as she recalled memories of her beloved younger brother from fifteen years ago. She stiffly turned to look at the somewhat familiar face, her voice trembling as she spoke. “You are… You are…” Cordelia could not believe her eyes. When she first entered and saw Emrys, she immediately felt that the young man resembled her brother, who had died in a fire. However, she didn’t dare to acknowledge him, as she was afraid of being disappointed. Even though Emrys called her “Delia” with such a similar tone and expression, she still couldn’t believe the man was her brother. Walter smiled and said, “Cordelia, he is your little brother, Emrys. He has returned.” “Emrys…” The woman was lost in her thoughts for a moment. Is my little brother, Emrys, really back? “Delia, it’s me. I’m back.” Emrys smiled warmly and stepped forward to give his eldest sister a hug. Cordelia’s b*dy instantly tensed up, and a hint of resistance flashed through her cold eyes. However, her actions were subtle and not particularly obvious. “Emrys, you’re finally back! I’m so happy!” Despite her celebratory words, she stepped back and broke free from Emrys’ embrace. Emrys was stunned, as his eldest sister’s reaction was somewhat unexpected. She wasn’t as excited as he had imagined, nor did she ask how he survived the fire. Instead, they were like two old friends greeting each other respectfully, having not seen each other in a long time. Have we really grown apart after fifteen years? Emrys frowned as he thought of a serious question. He wondered if Cordelia had already started her own family and was trying to avoid complications. After all, even though they called each other siblings, they didn’t have any blood relation. If that were the case, Emrys could only sincerely wish her well. Walter, who was oblivious to the tense mood, enthusiastically escorted them to a seat so they could catch up on their lives. Throughout the conversation, Cordelia did not ask Emrys anything about his life. The bitter sensation in Emrys’ heart grew stronger. Maybe we have really grown apart!