Chapter 801

Chapter 801:

Ever since she had returned to the Edwards family, she had never known this feeling. Family, to her, had always been an abstract concept—something that existed in name but never in spirit.

But here, with Stephen, she felt something real.

Leah, Glenn, and the others had stood by her, willing to sacrifice everything for her sake. Yet this was different.

An invisible thread tied her to Stephen—something unspoken, something unbreakable.

Perhaps this was the bond of blood.

And for Stephen, this moment was nothing short of extraordinary.

His sister was alive. He wasn’t alone anymore.

Were their parents watching in heaven?

Janice was alive, and he would protect her with everything he had. He wouldn’t let her get hurt.

Their long-overdue reunion cracked the floodgates between them. They unleashed words they had never spoken, feelings buried for too long.

And as they talked late into the night, Janice slowly pieced together the shattered years Stephen had endured—years of suffering, loss, and loneliness.

Though Stephen tried to downplay his suffering, not wanting to burden her with his pain, Janice could hear it—laced between his sentences, lingering in the pauses, woven into the way he exhaled.

Still, she kept her own burdens locked away.

Her past wasn’t something that could be shared in passing conversation—it was a labyrinth of secrets, too tangled to unravel all at once. If she laid it all bare, she wasn’t sure Stephen would be able to carry it.

So instead, she gave him a carefully chosen piece of her truth. With a soft smile, she told him about her love for learning—how the orphanage had been her library, and books had been her silent mentors, teaching her everything she knew.

The next chapters are on ⲅ𝗮𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅⧽ⓒo𝗺

“My sister is such a genius,” Stephen’s lips curved into a doting smile, warmth flickering in his once-lifeless eyes. In that moment, the hollow spaces in his heart seemed to fill with light.

He had played many roles in films and TV dramas throughout his career—characters bound by family ties.

But acting was just that—an illusion. He had never truly understood what it meant to be an overprotective brother.

But now, he did.

Gazing at Janice, radiant and brilliant in front of him, he felt a fierce surge of protectiveness, an instinctive urge to shield her from the world.

If he could, he would carve out a universe just for her.

So this was what it felt like to be an overprotective brother.

If he were to step into such a role again, he was certain—no, he knew—he could win another Best Actor award.

“Stephen, tell me more about Wendy. What kind of person is she?” Janice frowned slightly, a flicker of doubt crossing her face. “With her current status, I don’t see how she could have protected you all these years.”

Just being a wealthy socialite wouldn’t be enough to escape the Welch family’s watch. There had to be more to it.

At the mention of Wendy, Stephen’s expression darkened, and a storm gathered behind his gaze. Wendy. That woman had left a scar on his soul—one he had tried and failed to erase.

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