Chapter 40 Girls Are All Trouble
"Sister?"
Orval's eyes widened even more. "You only have one sister, Rachel. Did Rachel get plastic surgery or something?"
He leaned closer to examine Amelia's face and remarked seriously, "You know, it turned out pretty well. She looks a lot prettier now."
Chris spoke with a blank expression, "This is my dad's illegitimate daughter. She just got to River City a few days ago. I ran into her outside a convenience store."
"So what happened to her? Did she faint on the street?" Orval asked, full of curiosity.
"You might not believe it," Chris paused for a second, "but she just fell asleep."
"She fell asleep while walking? And just happened to bump into you?" Orval was incredulous.
"She seems interesting and she's pretty," Orval glanced at Chris. "So what are you planning to do now? Take her back to The Martinez Mansion?"
Chris frowned at the suggestion. He didn't want to go back to the Martinez family, nor did he want to bring Amelia to his apartment, but he couldn't just leave her on the street.
"No, not The Martinez Mansion," Chris said.
"Then your apartment?" Orval asked while starting the car.
"No, we're going to your place," Chris replied from the back seat.
"What?" Orval muttered from the front, "I must really owe you. Getting dragged out of bed in the middle of the afternoon to play chauffeur is one thing, but now I have to take care of your sister too."
"But since she's so cute, I guess I can manage," Orval conceded.
Chris was the second eldest in the Martinez family, twenty-three years old. A year ago, he returned from studying abroad and started working as a surgeon at Central Hospital in River City. It was rare for heirs of noble families to pursue such demanding careers, especially when they could easily inherit the family business.
Chris, however, had no interest in the Martinez family enterprises. No one at the hospital knew he was from the Martinez family. He despised the so-called high society, finding its sycophancy and power plays utterly hypocritical. He preferred to live alone in an apartment he bought and rarely returned to The Martinez Mansion.
Among his siblings, he only occasionally contacted Kevin and barely interacted with Ryan and Zander. Tobias was the one he was closest to, mainly because Tobias was lively and didn't mind Chris's aloof nature, often visiting his apartment.
As for Rachel, who was adopted, they shared no blood relation. Chris's interactions with her were minimal and indifferent. He felt neither affection nor dislike for her.
Amelia was no different. Despite sharing half his blood, her status as an illegitimate daughter meant little to him.
Amelia slept soundly beside Chris in the car. When the car hit a bump, she slumped to the right. Before she could lean on his clothes, Chris, with a look of disdain, pushed her back towards the window, clearly unwilling to touch her.
Thirty minutes later, the car pulled up in front of a standalone apartment building. The sky was already darkening.
Chris got out first and said to Orval, "Didn't you say she was cute? You carry her inside."
"Fine, I'll carry her," Orval sighed, clearly used to Chris's demeanor. He went to the back seat and picked up Amelia.
She was lighter than he expected. Orval had only seen her from the driver's seat, but now, looking closely, he was struck by her beauty. Even asleep, with her eyes closed and a pale complexion, her delicate skin was like peeled eggshell, and her long eyelashes fluttered with her breathing.
Orval wondered if she would look even prettier awake.
"You don't know how lucky you are," Orval said, carrying Amelia inside. "Having a sister is great. I only have brothers, so I don't know what it's like to have a sister. I don't like Rachel, but I already like this one."
"You probably didn't even talk to her, did you? When she wakes up, try to be nice and show her some family warmth," Orval suggested.
Chris bluntly refused, "No."
Sisters were troublesome, and he didn't want any trouble. Once Amelia woke up, he planned to call her a cab and send her back to The Martinez Mansion. Not leaving her on the street was already fulfilling his brotherly duty.
Orval carried Amelia inside and laid her on the couch. She instinctively curled up, whether from cold or lack of security, making Orval feel a pang of sympathy. He fetched a blanket from the guest room and gently covered her.
Chris, meanwhile, sat at the coffee table, engrossed in a medical journal he had left there, acting as if Amelia had nothing to do with him.
Orval, used to Chris's behavior, didn't bother to comment.
Amelia slept deeply, her soul's energy slowly recovering. Orval thought she might sleep until the next morning. To pass the time, he dragged Chris to play video games. Suddenly, Orval's phone rang.
He answered it casually, balancing it between his shoulder and cheek while focusing on the game. "Hello? What's up, Mom?"
Within seconds, Orval dropped the controller onto the carpet, exclaiming, "What? Rex almost got hit by a car?"
Chris heard and was equally shocked.
"Okay, Mom, I'm heading home now. Wait for me there," Orval said, hanging up. He quickly explained to Chris that Rex had run into the street to retrieve a toy and was nearly hit by a truck. A girl had risked her life to save him and then left without giving her name, only that she was from the Martinez family. Lila wanted to find the girl and asked Orval to come home.
Neither Orval nor Chris connected the dots that the girl who saved Rex could be the frail Amelia sleeping on the couch downstairs.