Don't Mess With Me....

Elara took a deep breath, steadying herself as she looked at Ava. Her voice was calm, but her words cut with precision. "Ava, I told you to do this internship, but of all the trainers available, you chose me. You know I’ve hidden my identity, and you understand how important that is to me. Next time, if you dare to call me 'sister' even once, I won’t hold back. You know my temper, Ava. Don’t mess with me."

Ava blinked, stunned, her lips parting to say something, but Elara did not let her.

She continued, her tone unwavering. "Your job here is to learn, and my job is to train you. That’s it. Don’t think this will help you get closer to me. The distance I’ve maintained from everyone, including you, isn’t going to change. I’ve told you all this before, and yet none of you seem to understand. These six months... I don’t need any drama. Do you hear me?"

Ava’s eyes welled with tears, her composure crumbling under the weight of Elara’s words.

She lowered her gaze and whispered, "I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to upset you. I didn’t even know it was you until Dad told me. He said I should work under you, so I agreed. If you’re not okay with it, I’ll talk to the manager and ask to be reassigned."

Elara’s chest tightened at the sight of Ava’s tears, but she kept her expression stern.

"No," she said after a moment, her tone softening just a fraction. "There’s no need for that. It’s better this way. I can train you properly, without any bias. Others won’t train you the same way; they’ll hesitate because of your identity. I won’t. But, Ava," she added firmly, "stop crying like a child. Go back to your work. And listen carefully: create an overview for the project. If you have any doubts, come back to me. Understood?"

Ava sniffled, quickly wiping her tears, and managed a small smile. "Okay," she said quietly.

Elara leaned back, watching her younger sister closely. Then, with a faint smirk, she added, "And Ava, next time, don’t try to act in front of me. You’re terrible at it. You didn’t inherit those skills. Leave the drama to others."

Ava let out a weak laugh, her smile growing wider as she tried to lighten the mood. "What can I say? I didn’t get my sister’s genes for acting. But I did inherit enough to see how much you care about us. You act like you don’t, that you’re so distant, but one day, Elara… one day, we’ll figure out why you’ve built all these walls around yourself."

Before Elara could respond, Ava turned and bolted out of the room, her footsteps fading into the distance.

Elara sat there for a moment, silence enveloping her. Slowly, a small, bittersweet smile crept onto her face. She leaned back in her chair, shaking her head. "My crazy siblings," she murmured to herself.

But her smile faltered as her thoughts turned inward. Why can’t they understand? she thought. The distance isn’t because I don’t care; it's because I care too much. If they knew the truth, it would only hurt them more.

She sighed, pushing those thoughts away, and turned her attention back to her work. Yet, no matter how much she tried to focus, Ava’s tear-filled eyes and her parting words lingered in her mind, stirring emotions Elara had spent years trying to bury.