Chapter 9

Irwin and Yara surrounded Yvette at the Murray Manor. They cupped each side of her cheeks while their voices withered with concern. "Yvie, we've taught those people a stern lesson for you. We promise never to let you suffer such injustice again!" In the end, the store issued a formal apology to Yvette. They even fired the manager and staff member, kicking those people out of Jubilife City for good. Yvette didn't take that small matter to heart and only nodded with a bland expression. Yara continued warmly, "Yvie, this is the dress I specially chose for you to wear at the banquet. I'm sure it'll look amazing on you, our beautiful daughter!" The incident at the mall caused them to lose all interest in dress shopping. So, Yara contacted a dress shop and picked out the banquet dresses online. "Yasmin, this is the dress I chose for you!" Yara didn't forget about Yasmin. With tender affection, she motioned the latter to come over. "You and Yvie should play the piano on stage during the banquet. When that happens, all the ladies of high society will envy me for having such outstanding daughters!" Yasmin's expression dulled once she saw a picture of the dress Yara chose. It turned out that Yara had given Yvette the latest dress design but gave Yasmin a design from last year. Yasmin felt Yara was utterly biased for doing so. "What's wrong, Yasmin? Do you not like this dress? I could've sworn you've always liked this brand, though…" Yara replied. Yara always had poor health, so she disliked socializing outdoors. She usually preferred gardening and seldom paid attention to things like fashion. Naturally, she didn't know clothing was categorized by the latest designs and those from previous seasons. She only knew Yasmin liked this brand's pieces, so she specially picked out this dress for her. Despite feeling upset, Yasmin flashed a honeyed smile as she hugged Yara's arms. She put on a deliberate affectionate act in front of Yvette. "Thank you, Aunt Yara! I love it! We're so in sync. I was previously eyeing this dress, too!" She wanted to drill one thing into Yvette's mind—that she was closer to Yara and Irwin, even if Yvette was the couple's biological daughter. Alas, Yvette couldn't be bothered to spare a glance at Yasmin's act. Yvette's lack of interest felt like a cold slap to Yasmin's face, making her even more upset. "I'm happy to hear that!" Yara was pleased with Yasmin's response. She then turned to speak to Yvette in a gentle tone. "Oh, right, Yvie. Your fifth older brother, Sean, is coming home the day after tomorrow when his Esports tournament ends!" Yvette's delicate brows arched when she heard "Esports competition". Then, she nodded. "Alright, I understand." Still, Yara went on with the same gentleness. "Yvie, Sean can be foolhardy. If he upsets you in any way when he returns, feel free to tell your dad and me about it. I'll lecture Sean into behaving for you!" "That's right!" Irwin joined in, nodding fervently. "Yvie, I'll make that brat kneel in front of our family's memorial hall for forgiveness if he dares to pick on you!" He refused to let anyone bully his precious daughter, not even his five sons. Yasmin couldn't help rolling her eyes when she heard that. Even the corner of her lips slightly curved into an undetectable sneer. Knowing Sean was about to return, she was determined to brainstorm a way to make Sean hate Yvette. … Yvette sat on the couch and played mobile games. She maneuvered her in-game character with her slender fingertips. Her very presence was pleasing to the eye. Yet, Yasmin immediately glanced at the former with contempt and mentally scoffed. She found Yvette to be an incompetent loser. After all, it wasn't long before the banquet, but Yvette was still in the mood to play mobile games. Yasmin refused to waste her time like Yvette. Instead, she needed to practice her piano skills. Yasmin wanted to steal the limelight at the banquet and crush Yvette, the bumpkin her family had picked up from the countryside! Meanwhile, Yvette received a game invite once she was online. She accepted it without much thought. After that, she switched on her microphone in the team chat and heard a pleasant, excited male voice. "Rebir, you're online again! I have some amazing news to tell you. I won the Esports National Championship this year! What do you think? Did I make you proud?" Sean Murray exclaimed. "That's pretty good," Yvette casually answered. She agreed that winning the national championship was indeed a decent achievement. Sean's excitement became more noticeable upon receiving Yvette's praise. He added, "Rebir, I heard you're in Jubilife City. I'm going home there the day after tomorrow once the competition and award ceremony ends. How about we meet after I go home to see my younger sister? "You're kind of my mentor and contributed to my win at the national championships. I genuinely wish to meet and thank you in person!" Rebir was a legend in the Esports community. She had incredible gaming skills and won many global competitions. However, she disappeared from the community shortly after those wins. Sean once overestimated his talents and challenged Rebir to a match when he was young and reckless. Their player vs player duel ended with her beating him to a pulp. Since then, he became convinced about Rebir's abilities. He had the utmost respect for Rebir while also fearing her. "Younger sister?" Yvette asked, astutely picking up on those keywords. She raised a brow and felt a sense of foreboding. She wondered if Sean could be the fifth older brother she had learned about earlier. "Yeah!" Sean voiced without any careful thought. "We found my long-lost sister, so my parents keep urging me to go home. I'm not that eager to meet her, to be honest. I'm only doing it because my parents insist that I do!" Although Sean claimed to feel that way, he had already booked the earliest flight back to Jubilife City for the day after tomorrow. He continued, "My mom even insists I prepare a present for her. How annoying! Rebir, since you're also a woman, what kind of present do you think she'd like?" The dots were connecting in Yvette's mind. Helplessness flickered in her captivating, upturned eyes. Sean didn't notice Yvette's odd behavior. Instead, he kept rambling on. "Oh, forget it. There's no use in asking you, Rebir. I'll figure it out myself." He touched the neatly lined-up gifts on his desk and fell into a conflicted state. He wondered if he should just give all ten of them to his sister. "Women are so troublesome. I'll act like a tough big brother when I go home. That way, she won't dare disobey or challenge me. She must do everything I say without any objections!" "Do as he says without any objections?" Yvette wondered. She listened in silence as Sean bragged. Once he finished, she stated emotionlessly, "You'll practice for three more hours today." "Wait. What? Why?" Sean's features wrinkled into a pained expression at once. His voice took on a yowl as he complained, "Three extra hours, Rebir? You're cruel!" Amidst his suffering, he wondered what he had said wrong. Why did Rebir punish him with extra gaming practice so suddenly? Yvette no longer said anything to him. She then went offline and exited the game. That was when she got a WhatsApp notification.