To them, the real reason Miranda broke away from the Hawke family was that incident two years ago. If they hadn''t protected Arabe and let Miranda take the me, maybe Miranda wouldn''t have left the Hawke family.


    Orion couldn''t quite figure out why Lysander had this change of heart, but as his twin brother, he could easily spot the shift. Compared to Dorian and Alistair, the twins had a deeper understanding of each other''s thoughts.


    Lysander gazed out the car window, his emotions a tangled mess. He had always disliked Miranda, yet her biting words had a way of cutting deep.


    Every time he stood up for Arabe, Miranda''s disgusted look made it worse, like he was losing something. He had never had the feeling before.


    He couldn''t remember when he started caring about her, especially after that reality show ended.


    The members of Vortex Esports had begun distancing themselves from him, with a few even leaving the team.


    He found himself isted. And it was all because of Arabe.


    The club manager had talked to him, pointing out that his inability to separate personal feelings from professional obligations, and his blind defense of his sister, had stirred up discontent among fans and teammates alike.


    Not to mention Arabe''s performance had been disappointing, a letdown to everyone''s efforts. Disappointment and even resistance towards the siblings were palpable. Even his closest teammates had left, not wanting to be the "toys" for him and his sister anymore.


    Lysander had always thought protecting his sister was something to be admired and the right thing to do. He never imagined it would ruin his career and leave him so isted. It made his devotion to Arabe feel like a joke.


    And seeing how Miranda never needed to cry for help from her brothers, always taking things on herself and doing everything so well, he started to resent Arabe for being so useless.


    If only Arabe could handle things like Miranda, he wouldn''t be in this mess. Feeling agitated, he checked his phone.


    Thetest messages were from ssmates.


    "Lysander, can you get me Miranda''s contact info? Even just a gaming friend request would be awesome!"


    "Hey, I know you and Miranda aren''t close, but she''s still your sister. Could you put in a good word for me? I''d love for her to show me how to y an assassin, it''s my crucial character. She''s the best I''ve ever seen!"


    ...


    Lysander frowned and switched off his phone.


    "So annoying, why does everyone keep asking about her?"


    Since he arrived at school that day, some had been badgering him about things rted to Miranda.


    No one asked about Arabe, as if all the guys had be Miranda''s fanboys, and the girls her adoring fans, calling her their "pretty sis" all the time.


    The more this happened, the more frustrated Lysander became. Why wasn''t the sister he was close to Miranda?


    So, for the first time, he waited for her at the school gate after sses.


    He knew Miranda wasn''t living on campus. And he knew she wouldn''t go back to the Hawke family. But somethingpelled him to wait at the gate.


    "Even without that incident two years ago, she might not have been close to us," Orion said calmly. "Remember how we treated her back then?"


    Lysander''s face darkened.


    "But it wouldn''t have been so embarrassing like now, would it?"


    Orion smirked slightly. "Compared to us, Dorian and Alistair have it worse."


    There was a hint of sarcasm and self-mockery in his voice.


    It made Lysander recall how they treated Miranda when she was with the Hawke family. Their disdain and resentment, how they humiliated her for Arabe''s sake, ying pranks to drive her away.


    Things they never thought were wrong now sent chills through him as they recalled.


    "So you''re really the Hawke family''s daughter but raised as a Lancaster family foster kid?"


    Jasper couldn''t stop talking as he walked with Miranda. For the first time, Miranda was tempted to silence someone, her brows furrowing slightly.


    "Can you tell me more about how


    vel


    you became a Lancaster family foster kid? I heard the Hawke brothers are really protective of that foster sister. Are they blind?


    I heard about them back in Virell. People said they''re unprecedentedly sister protectors. But honestly, I think they just got famous through that hype. With their actual lousy skills, they wouldn''t have made it big otherwise."


    Miranda raised an eyebrow. Indeed, the skills of Dorian and the rest brothers weren''t really top-notch.