Chapter 253 - Bound By Blood (2/2)

He didn't need to ask for everyone's attention, his commanding presence was enough for all eyes to snap to where he stood.

”Auntie, Uncle,” Olivier tipped her wineglass to the king and queen's direction. ”I would like to thank everyone who came even on such notice,” Oliver trailed off, his eyes landing into Olivia's glassy hazel eyes. He'd seen his sister this emotional once, the memory of that day flooding his mind, and it did things to the pit of his stomach.

Ignoring his distress, a corner of his lips tugged up in a shit-eating grin. ”Auntie Isla asked me earlier if I'll be giving a speech about Maxen since we're considered conjoined twins growing up. So yes, I will take this opportunity to say something about Maxen. Honestly, if I could walk him down the aisle earlier, I would gladly do so in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, he's not the bride.”

Everyone laughed except for Maxen, but the cheery mood continued. Oliver was warming up in his role and he continued with his speech. He was grinning from ear to ear, and it held a promise of revenge over Maxen's betrayal of trust. He was laughing like a maniac in his head, loving the rare occasion of seeing Maxen in a discomforting position.

Oliver smirked. The reversal of power between him and Maxen intoxicated him. Swirling his window glass, he continued, ”Oh boy. So where should I start? Yes, the mysterious O Sui whom he dated behind his bestfriend's back and happens to be that bestfriend's sister.

”Do I have a problem with my best friend dating my sister? I shouldn't. But what I do have a problem with was, knowing the guy better than I knew my sister.”

Clearing the itchy ball lodged in his throat, Oliver spoke thereafter, ”If I'm going to be completely honest, I don't have any idea what I would say about my sister. Everyone had an idea that we… we rarely saw each other growing up, and our conversations were limited to a few words.”

A knot formed in Oliver's stomach the longer he spoke. It was uncomfortable but bearable, and so he continued with his speech. ”Olivia…” Oliver hissed when his heart squeezed painfully in his c.h.e.s.t.

He glanced down to his left where Ava was sitting and saw her smiling at him whilst patting his back in a gentle manner as if coaxing him to stop holding back and to speak with his heart's content.

Oliver mirrored the smile on Ava's face before holding his gaze at Maxen, making sure the man he called 'brother' was paying attention to his message.

At that moment, everyone's attention was on Oliver who, for the first time, was having a time speaking in public. Gathering his bearings yet again, he willed himself to finish his speech.

Oliver nodded his head and spoke, ”I always thought I was the only child. Maybe I was ignorant at that time when mom was pregnant that it didn't occur to me that she's carrying a baby. But when I saw mom in a coma, I never questioned what happened to her bulging belly.

”So, when I was seven, Auntie Martha and I flew to London and on the way she told me I'll be meeting my sister. Sisteeer? Are you kidding me?! Since when did I have a sister?! A million things raced in my mind and, heck, I even wanted to book a flight back as soon as the plane landed. But everyone knows Auntie Martha,” Oliver chuckled, tipping his wine glass to Auntie Martha who was sitting next to Grandma Lin.

”Amen!” Auntie Martha claimed, downing her crimson liquor. Everyone laughed for a short while and it gave Oliver a few seconds to breathe.

”Now where was I? Oh yeah, it was my first time to meet my sister. She was two and tiny. I remember she was sitting on Auntie Martha's l.a.p when aunt asked Olivia if she knew the alphabet and then the letters rolled out of her tongue. Not A to Z like a normal child. She said it from Z to A like a robot. Olivia never blinked. She never even paused. It was then I knew how special my sister was.

”But that's the thing… I knew she was special. I knew there's only the two of us, yet I chose to ignore her existence all these years. I let that distance keep us apart for decades. We were bound by blood but were practically strangers. Everything changed though when Finn was born. I don't want him to grow up the way my sister and I did—absent in each other's life. So I reached out to her and boy did it kill me on the inside when I saw her after she picked up the call.”