Chapter 66


    Ever since Ynda vanished into thin air, the bracelet went MIA too.


    Martin never thought he’dy eyes on that eyesore of a bracelet again in this lifetime. But out of the


    blue, boom, there it was, after all these years.


    The image of that little munchkin, showing off the bracelet with such glee, popped into Martin’s head.


    Something seemed to be stuck in his throat, and he turned his head slightly, his thumb absentmindedly


    caressing the “y” etched on the bracelet. His gaze inevitably shifted to Marian.


    She didn’t much look like Ynda as a rugrat, and the way she looked at him was all strangers and


    defense. Yet, she was about the same age as Ynda would’ve been.


    He hadn’t missed her earlier remark. “Even if I was your so-called sister, I wouldn’t go with you. I’m


    living the good life now, with my mom, dad, and brother who adore me.”


    “Did your folks adopt you?” Martin asked.


    Marian nodded briskly, “Yeah, they found me and just kinda took me in.”


    “When did they find you?”


    Marian pouted, “What’s it to you? I’m not gonna go with you anyway.”


    4


    After saying that, she stepped forward, trying to snatch the bracelet from his hand, “Give it back, I gotta


    get to ss.”


    Martin let go.


    Marian grabbed the bracelet back, tucking it behind her like it was her precious, still eyeing Martin


    warily, as if she was worried he’d pull a fast one.


    Martin couldn’t help but chuckle at her guarded look. He nced at his watch and said to her, “Looks


    like your ride took off. I can drop you off at school.”


    With that, he hit the elevator button.


    Marian quickly rejected the offer, “No need. I can walk.”


    As she saw the elevator doors open, she hurried inside.


    Martin followed and pressed the button for the ground floor.


    Marian, standing in the opposite corner of the elevator, looked even more on guard. “What are you up


    to? I told you, even if I were your sister, I wouldn’t go with you, I’m doing just fine. You’d better drop it.”


    “And another thing,” Marian emphasized seriously, “Don’t you dare bother my parents. If they find out


    their adopted daughter’s real family came looking, and it upsets them, you’ll have me to answer to.”


    Her anxious protectiveness reminded Martin of a young Ynda, who back then was looking out for


    Brandon.


    Marian’s wariness deepened at Martin’s look.


    ”


    2


    1


    “Don’t worry, I’m not here to take you back,” Martin reassured her softly, “I just want to clear up whether


    you’re Ynda or not. So, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to take a DNA test with me. Grandpa’s getting


    on in years, and he’s been worried sick about you ever since you disappeared. If he knew you were


    alive, it would mean the world to him.”


    “I don’t want to,” Marian rejected outright, “What do I care if he’s old and worried about his


    granddaughter? I don’t remember him.”


    Martin frowned.


    Marian recoiled a little at the intensity of his frown but stood her ground, “Like I said, I’m not going back


    with you. I don’t want to find my birth parents. My parents now are my real parents. They’re good to me


    and I don’t want to do any DNA test. If it proves we’re rted, it’ll justplicate things. I don’t want to


    trouble myself or my parents. Just let it go.”


    The elevator doors opened mid-conversation, and Marian bolted out like she was escaping a flood,


    constantly looking back to see if Martin was following.


    Martin chuckled at her eagerness to avoid him and followed her out.


    Marian’s cab was still waiting. She dashed to it, flung open the door, and jumped in. As the car pulled


    away, she didn’t forget to stick her head out the window and yell at Martin. “Stop looking for me! No


    matter who I am, I’m not going back with you!”


    Martin ignored her barking and watched as she drove off. Then he hailed a cab and followed.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    In Brandon’s car


    Brandon drove in silence.


    Sophia sat quietly in the passenger seat, her demeanor calm andposed, seemingly unaffected by


    the recent hup.


    After a while, Brandon spoke up softly, “Martin’s Ynda’s biological brother.”


    Sophia hummed in acknowledgment, “He’s pretty easy on the eyes.”


    She then smiled and turned to Brandon, “Looks like good genes run in her family.”


    Brandon nced at her and curled the corner of his lips slightly, “Guess so.”


    Sophia managed a polite smile in return.


    Brandon remembered the look of surprise in her eyes when she heard Martin ask if Marian was


    Ynda.


    “Initially, I was the one who tipped off Martin,” Brandon exined, “Marian is about the same age as


    Ynda, and she’s always wearing that bracelet. So I wanted Martin to meet Marian and possibly do a


    DNA test, just to be sure.”


    Sophia smiled, “That’s a good move. If she turns out to be Ynda, it’ll be one less thing for you to


    worry about.”


    “But then, I regretted it,” said Brandon, ncing at her. “My gut tells me she can’t be Ynda, no need


    to check. But Martin didn’t want to miss any leads, so he came anyway.”


    Sophia frowned, puzzled, “Isn’t it good that he came? Whether she is or isn’t, you need to have an


    answer.”


    “Yeah, an answer is needed,” Brandon agreed with augh, though it faded quickly as he watched the


    green light turn red and gently pressed the brake, bringing the car to a smooth stop a good arm’s


    length from the vehicle ahead.


    He turned to Sophia, “Sophia, why don’t you and Martin do a DNA test?”


    His voice was slow and calm, articte and clear.


    Sophia was taken aback for a sec, hesitated, and nced over at Brandon, but his face was dead


    serious – no sign of joking or looking for her two cents. He was just staring at her, dead serious.


    She couldn’t exactly burst intoughter, just asked him softly, “Do we really gotta go there? Ynda’s a


    couple years younger than you, and you remember we were in the same ss, right?”


    She chuckled and added, “I didn’t skip any grades, that much I’m sure of.”


    “I think we do,” Brandon said. “My head tells me it’s a long shot, so I’ve never gone down that road to


    check it out before, but even if there’s just a one in ten thousand chance, I don’t wanna miss it.”


    “Is Ynda really that big of a deal to you?” she asked quietly.


    Brandon nodded, “Yeah, she means a lot.”


    “Did you ever think, what if the results say I’m not Ynda, what am I supposed to do then?” Sophia


    looked at him and asked softly, “And what’s your game n?”