Chapter 10 - The Brother's Arrival
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The kitchen was a disaster zone of flour, spilled milk, and sticky syrup by the time the front doorbell rang loudly through the estate.
Nathan was wearing a bespoke apron over his dress shirt, flipping a slightly burnt pancake, while June sat on the counter, swinging her legs, laughing quietly at his terrible culinary skills.
"I'll get it," Nathan said, turning off the stove and wiping flour from his forehead.
He walked to the foyer and pulled the heavy door open.
Standing on the porch was David Cole, Nathan’s younger brother. David was thirty-five, dressed casually in jeans and a sweater, looking frantic. He was the emotional opposite of Nathan—loud, expressive, and deeply empathetic.
"Laura called me," David gasped, pushing past Nathan into the foyer. "She said you canceled the Tokyo merger and told the legal department to file emergency kinship papers. Nathan, what the hell is going on? Did you adopt a kid?"
"Keep your voice down," Nathan ordered, closing the door. "Yes. I did."
David stared at his older brother in absolute disbelief. "You? You don't even own a houseplant because you said it was inefficient to water it. Why would you adopt a child out of nowhere?"
"Because she's not out of nowhere, David," Nathan said, his voice dropping into a heavy, solemn register. "Come to the kitchen."
David followed Nathan down the hall. When they stepped into the kitchen, David froze.
June was still sitting on the marble counter, holding a sticky fork. She looked up at the new man, her laughter dying instantly, reverting back to her guarded, wide-eyed stare.
David stopped breathing. He dropped his car keys onto the floor. They hit the hardwood with a loud clatter.
He didn't need to ask who she was. The pale brown hair, the sharp slope of her chin, and those unmistakable, haunting gray eyes. He was looking at a miniature version of the sister he had lost a decade ago.
"Oh, my god," David whispered, his hands flying to cover his mouth. Tears instantly sprang to his eyes. "Sarah."
June shrank back slightly. "My name is June."
David fell to his knees right there in the kitchen, completely overwhelmed by the crushing wave of grief and miraculous joy. He didn't care about the flour on the floor.
"Hi, June," David sobbed, forcing a wide, wet smile as he looked up at his niece. "I'm your Uncle David. You look exactly like your mom."
June looked at Nathan for reassurance. Nathan nodded gently.
May you like
"She had a brother?" June asked quietly.
"She had two," David laughed through his tears. "And we are never going to let you out of our sight again."
