The Royal Contract

His relationship with her was not exactly close. Not that he could blame her for staying away from them, her family. He admitted that he prejudged her unfairly, calling her career a joke.

At that moment, he stood outside her hotel door, staring at his younger sister he had not seen for a while. At least not in person. But he had watched her several times on the news. “You look like shit, my little sister.”

He could see the surprise in her eyes when she opened the door. Of course, she was not expecting that he would show up at her doorstep. But it was nothing compared to the shock on his face, looking at her physical state.

She was in her lousy sweat clothes, a robe carelessly draped on her body and the look stating she had not gone out of bed for days. The bruises were more prominent on her skin now that she was not wearing makeup on her face.

He suddenly wanted to beat the crap of the man she had been seeing, who did this to her. After all, he was still her brother, and despite their misunderstandings, he still loved her. And no one deserved to be treated like a punching bag.

“You don’t look bad yourself, my big brother.” She answered him sarcastically. “How did you find me anyway?” She abruptly asked. “Don’t answer that, David. I think I know.”

.....

She walked away from the door and proceeded to the small sofa on the other side of the hotel room. She slumped back on the couch, watching an old rerun with some chips she grabbed from the coffee table.

“He is a good friend, Serena. He meant well and only wished to help you.” David understood what Adam did, although it was ill-advised to discuss a case with another person, even a relative.

“Maybe it was a mistake to hire him,” Serena spoke up after swallowing the chips in her mouth. “Maybe I should fire him and sue his ass for breaking privilege.”

She pretended to watch the movie, ignoring her brother, who sat on the lone chair across from her. But she noticed his eyes never left her face as if he was studying her.

But she was serious. She did not like when people ignored what she wanted and believed they knew what was best for her. She had fought this stigma all her life, but she always fell into the same pattern, time and time again.

Was she that weak of mind and as a person?

“He is the best choice to handle your case, Serena. Don’t let your hatred of me cloud your judgment.” David knew that Adam would only do what was best for his client.

Adam would take care of his sister’s interest in this case. He also agreed with Adam. Serena would need emotional support through these trying times. It would not be easy, especially when the press started getting involved.

He would have taken the case or one of his best litigators, but he doubted his sister would accept his help. He believed he had burned the bridge that connected them when he turned his back on her in the past.

“Can you blame me?” She asked angrily at the one person she thought would defend her when she needed him the most. “I am surprised you are not saying I told you so.” Waiting for him to rub it in.

She went to him the other day, thinking that maybe they could bury the hatchet and start over again. But seeing her brother in person had opened old wounds, refreshing the pain she felt in her heart.

“I know I was a jerk. I don’t deserve to be called your brother because I never protected you. But I have changed.” David could tell that it would not be easy for his sister to forgive him. “I am sorry, Serena. Let me make it up to you.” But this was his opportunity to try,

He knew it would take more than just his words to make his sister trust him again. But the fact that she tried to see him might be a start. He knew they could not stay civil because they shared the same blood.

She was his sister.

They were family. They should start acting like one.

“Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?” She dropped the chips in her hands and turned the television off.

Her eyes focused on the man before her, suspicious of his intention. But what would he want from her? She had practically renounced her family and their wealth when she started her career in the movie industry.

“As I said, I made many mistakes, and one of my biggest regrets was not being there for you.” David looked down at his hands entwined before him.

His youth had not been his finest moments in life. He was the traditional bully, womanizer, the spoiled brat that one would expect from a young man coming from a wealthy and influential family.

But her sister was different. Her diverse and distinct outlook had made her the odd man in the family. His father did not like that she defied most of his orders, creating a large wedge in their relationship.

Eventually, she packed up and left.

“You mean that.” Serena felt torn between wanting to believe her brother and keeping the grudge in her heart.

But she had enough of the pain as tears finally dripped out of her eyes. She was tired of being alone. She had tried desperately to find someone to share her life with, but only to end up in disastrous relationships.

In an instant, she felt warm arms enveloping her body. It had been a long time since someone genuinely cared for her. And this felt like that. Maybe it was time to give her brother a chance.

Who else could she turn to in a troubling time like this?