Lance paused, then let out a soft, rare laugh. "Silly girl. I'm the big brother. I'm supposed to protect you."
Time flew after that.
By the time I was fifteen, I was surpassing grown adults in almost everything. Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—you name it. I was mastering it. And of course, I kept my Heart-Voice Skill polished and ready, using it behind the scenes to quietly help the family.
I gave my billionaire dad a few nudges at just the right moments.
Thanks to those "little coincidences," he made some killer investments.
The Gardner fortune multiplied.
As for my sweet, clueless mom? I steered her away from a disaster that nearly shattered us in the last life.
She had a so-called best friend who once tried to drug Dad and seduce him. It almost worked. Their marriage nearly imploded.
And who was watching it all unfold, as if it were a soap opera?
My sister. She didn't lift a finger to stop it. She just let everything crash and burn.
Not this time.
Not with me in the picture.
This version of our family only grew stronger, tighter, happier.
One night, Dad looked at Lance and me and smiled so wide it softened every line on his face.