Chapter 5: Can only be siblings

Just because of her status as a step-sister, Celina has to take care of Joyce, staying by his side all day long. Whenever he needs to call, she has to be present. It seems like she'll never be free from this step-brother's grip.

After finishing the meal, Celina tidies up and, as a habit, prepares coffee to bring to Joyce's room. The frequent comings and goings have become so familiar that she doesn't even need to knock; she simply pushes the door and enters.

To her surprise, when the door swung open, Celina saw that Joyce's hand had been functioning normally all along. Startled, she instinctively asked, "Your hand is better now?"

Unable to hide it any longer, Joyce admitted, "Just recovered."

"Recovered just in time for me to take care of you, huh? Do you think you can keep fooling me forever?" Feeling frustrated by Joyce's deception, Celina set down the coffee and walked out.

Just as she reached the door, Celina was stopped by Joyce. He explained, "I didn't intend to deceive you. It's just that being taken care of by you made me hesitate to speak up."

Having spent more time together, Joyce had managed to somewhat win Celina's favorable opinion, but her aversion to lies made it difficult for her to easily forgive. She pushed his hand away, not looking back, and said, "I'm tired, so I want to go to my room to rest."

However, Celina's body was embraced by Joyce's strong arms. He rested his head on her shoulder and whispered, "I don't know when your image filled my heart."

Celina's heart skipped a beat, but she knew that their relationship could only remain as siblings, and it couldn't change no matter what. Her mother had never been truly happy until she met Joyce's father, so Celina couldn't bring herself to jeopardize her mother's happiness for her own sake.

Celina gently pushed Joyce's hand away, slowly turned around to face him, and said, "I don't know what you're trying to do, but please remember that we're family. Even if we're not biologically related, you're my brother and I'm your sister." Celina firmly established the boundaries of their relationship.

As Celina averted her gaze, Joyce's expression suddenly turned cold and ruthless.

In the days that followed, Joyce found it difficult to encounter Celina frequently. He had been promoted to a director position in the company, and he understood that in order to achieve his goals, he needed to establish a solid position. With a firm footing, everything would become easier for him. Therefore, he had no reason to meet Celina privately. In public, she always avoided him, keeping her distance as much as possible.

Even at home, Joyce couldn't manage to meet Celina. He heard that she was working late-night shifts at a café, and he purposely waited for her, but when she finally arrived, she only exchanged a few words with him before retreating to her room.

Just as Joyce was about to change his plans, an unfortunate incident occurred involving Celina.

The place where Celina worked part-time was always bustling with customers, and there were only three staff members. Navigating through the crowd felt like swimming in a pond, and she had taken the job to avoid encountering Joyce. With no breaks throughout the day, Celina's body began to protest, but she still needed to carry drinks to the customers. Just as a customer was about to take a sip, Celina stumbled and the tray she was holding went flying, spilling liquid onto a woman who was walking by.

The woman erupted in anger, demanding compensation for her outfit and potential medical expenses, given that she might need to see a doctor for any possible injuries caused by the accident.

Celina was far from wealthy, and she managed her money meticulously, scraping by with every bit. She didn't have much saved up either, and there was no way she could afford to replace a designer outfit. Celina apologized and suggested paying back the amount in installments, but the woman refused. Instead, she even mentioned involving a lawyer in the matter.

While many people were present, no one seemed willing to step in and help Celina. She stood there feeling lost and unsure of what to do. Joyce witnessed the whole situation, his gaze inscrutable, before striding over to them. He didn't say a word, but directly handed the woman a check before pulling Celina away from the scene. She struggled to break free from his grasp.

Joyce's expression darkened as he struggled with the fact that Celina had to go to such lengths to maintain distance between them. Was she playing some sort of game, trying to trap him, or did she have a different motive altogether? Whatever it was, he couldn't fulfill her desires. He would stick to his own plan, knowing that his image was deeply ingrained in her heart. Only when he achieved what he wanted would he let go of her.

"If it's about what happened the other day, you don't need to torture yourself like this. The issue lies with me, and I will work on adjusting my own feelings toward you," Joyce said, closing his eyes tightly to regain his composure. "It's difficult for me to do that right now, but if you keep avoiding me, I won't know if I can see you as a true sister. Just consider it a favor I'm asking of you."

Hearing Joyce's sincere words, the heavy stone in Celina's heart lightened a bit. She stopped avoiding him and began to converse more comfortably with him.

Their lives continued to unfold in this manner, but one day, Xavia returned from abroad and went straight to the company to find Joyce, coinciding with Celina who was on her way to bring him lunch. Their mother had prepared a meal for her, which she thought could serve both of them. She asked Joyce if he would eat, so she could bring it up for him. He replied with a curt "Yes."

And so, Celina became the free delivery person.

Just as Celina was about to call out to Joyce, the girl who had been ahead of her rushed over and embraced him. Celina quickly turned into a corner, trying to hide as if she was afraid of being caught for doing something wrong.

At that moment, Joyce looked up and noticed Celina's presence. He furrowed his brows slightly as she retreated to the side, almost as if he had grasped the situation. He then turned his attention to Xavia and began expressing affectionate words to her.

Listening to their conversation, Celina's heart ached slightly, a sensation that seemed all too familiar but somehow inexplicable.