Chapter 215 He and His Sister Are So Similar
Of Amelia's five brothers, only Ryan and Tobias were the ones that could be described as truly close to her.
When Ryan was home, he had a habit of pulling her into easy hugs or ruffling her hair until it was a mess, grinning as he called her "Little Cutie."
Tobias's affection was quieter but deeper — his constant presence, his willingness to spend every free moment at her side, made it seem as if he would give up the rest of the world just to keep her near.
Kevin was the steady, mature one; Chris, detached and often away, rarely shared moments with her. Zander was much the same.
Amelia had long noticed that Zander was not good at showing emotion. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say he had learned to keep his feelings locked away, hidden beneath layers of composure. Between them, there had only been two moments that could be called intimate — once, when a fever had dropped him unconscious; another, when shattered glass from a fallen chandelier had cut him.
But just minutes ago, when Zander had seen her injured, even though he kept his face calm in front of her, Amelia could feel the worry in him... and the ache.
On the walk toward the school gates, he carried her without shifting his grip, his grip steady yet gentle, every movement angled to avoid the places that hurt. When he flagged down a taxi, he was meticulous in settling her inside, adjusting her position until she sat comfortably. Then he leaned forward and told the driver their destination — Central Hospital.
In truth, she did not need a hospital to know the extent of her injuries. She knew her own body well enough. The fall had left her with scrapes across her face and forearms, a likely hairline fracture in her calf, and bruising along her lower back. Painful, yes — but she had managed to absorb most of the impact when the horse threw her, sparing herself anything worse.
It had been intentional.
She could have feigned exhaustion and waited for Lon to rein the mare in. Instead, she had chosen the more dramatic route — allowing herself to be thrown hard, ensuring visible injury.
Two reasons.
First, to prove she had no mysterious "soul power" to control the animal, removing Lon's suspicion. Second, to leave him with guilt for his test, so much so that he would stop troubling her.
When she remembered the way he had said "I am sorry," she knew she had succeeded.
As the taxi pulled away from the curb, the pain dulled slightly. She glanced at Zander, whose expression was still taut.
"Zander," she asked, "were you not in the classroom with Asher? How did you end up at the riding arena?"
He looked at her. "Dorian came to find me. She said you were in the arena, racing Kelly over the jumps. Then the horse bolted after the finish and you were thrown."
So he had run from the classroom to the arena in the minutes after her fall. No wonder he had been out of breath when he arrived, and a fine sheen of sweat had clung to his hairline.
And he had asthma. He had sprinted like that for her.
"I see," Amelia said lightly. "Do not worry, Zander. At worst, it is just a minor fracture in my calf. Nothing serious."
His eyes flicked to the cuts on her face, and he drew in a slow breath. Most girls would cry over a sprain, yet she spoke of a fracture as if it were nothing. His chest felt tight.
After a pause, he asked, "You have never taken a riding lesson before today. Why did you agree to compete with Kelly? Do you realize how dangerous that was?"
She blinked at him. "Zander, it is true this was my first formal lesson, but I have already learned the techniques from the instructor."
"And I did fine. I beat Kelly. If the horse had not suddenly gone wild, I would not have been hurt."
"What if?" as you lifted your gaze, it met hers. "Did you think about what could have happened if you had fallen during the jumps?"
She hesitated. "Zander..."
He closed his eyes briefly. "I know you have a gift for picking up skills quickly. But knowing the technique is one thing — performing under real conditions is another."
"Jumping obstacles requires more than skill — it demands experience. Yet you accepted Kelly's challenge, cleared a single rail, and went straight for the double."
"Did you consider the possibility that the horse might not make it? That you could get hurt?"
"I..." She wanted to say that even the double rail was not that high, and that her helmet and protective vest would have kept her safe in a fall. But the words caught in her throat.
Because his eyes had gone faintly red.
"It was for that herb, was it not?" Zander asked quietly. "The one that helps with asthma. You did this for me."
So Dorian had told him that too.
Amelia had not planned for Zander to know about the herb. She understood something about love between family — sometimes, sacrifice made out of care could weigh heavily on the one receiving it.
She cared for him, so she was willing to take the risk. And because he cared for her, hearing that she had done it for him would inevitably bring guilt.
She drew a breath. "It was not just the herb. Kelly challenged me in front of everyone, and I could not stand her arrogance."
Leaning slightly toward him, she added, "Zander, today's injury was an accident. I agreed to compete because I knew I could win."
"And because I am like you," she said, taking his hand, her voice steady. "I am like you — born for this. I do not lose."
He stared at her, caught by the certainty in her eyes.
Born for this.
His sister was like him — a natural.
For the first time, Zander felt, with startling clarity, that he was not alone.
Just then, his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket, the screen lighting up with Kevin's name.
"Kevin?"
The moment the call connected, Kevin's voice was urgent, spilling through the speaker. "Zander, Donny just called me. He said Amelia fell off a horse during riding class and got hurt. How bad is it? Is she alright?"
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