The celebration was neat and elegant. It was not often that people held gatherings for their birthdays, and that was what set the Maylith family apart.

The Maylith family had always stood firm in their views and principles. Rather than following the unwritten customs of other clans, entangling themselves in politics, or letting fleeting trends shape their ways, they remained true to what they believed in.

In the eyes of some, the Maylith family was considered weak because of their sentiment and emotional judgment. However, the Patriarch understood the true value of his people, his family, and the clan as a whole.

As such, when other families received an invitation to celebrate the birthday of a forty-one-year-old man, they were not surprised.

Though not every principal member of the five branch families attended, a significant number of guests still gathered at the Maylith residence.

"That dress suits you well." Amanda turned to find her mother standing at the doorway.

"Thanks," she muttered quietly, focusing on fastening her earring. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The woman walked over and stopped behind her.

With a soft sigh, she said, "Amanda... are you still upset about that?"

"What do you think?" Amanda shot back.

"Your father was embarrassed in front of his old friend, yet I don’t see him upset. If anything, he was worried about you. That man is just too sensitive to approach you."

As always, she stood between father and daughter, trying to bridge the gap.

Amanda, in truth, didn’t know what her father thought about it.

Since he hadn’t spoken to her since yesterday, she assumed he was still displeased with her behavior.

Meeting her mother’s gaze through the mirror, she asked, "You’re not lying, right? I don’t want to ruin his birthday by trying to talk to him." If he was truly upset, Amanda would rather keep her distance for now, especially today, of all days.

"Why would I lie?" The older woman shook her head. "He was actually waiting for you to wish him this morning. But you didn’t come out at all, and that surely saddened him."

Amanda averted her gaze and pretended to search through the drawer.

It wasn’t that she had been avoiding her parents. She had simply woken up close to ten.

After everything she had done with Kyle last day, in this room, across the bed, the floor, the table, even the bathroom, she had been completely drained.

She still couldn’t understand how, despite being a superhuman who could endure hours of intense training, she couldn’t keep up long enough to match his pace.

At this point, even the idea of quiet pillow talk with Kyle felt like a distant dream. Her stamina betrayed her every time, leaving her unconscious after only a few rounds.

"Amanda?"

"Ah, yes!" she replied quickly, a hint of fluster in her voice.

"What happened? Your face looks red," her mother asked, concerned.

Not good. She was having such thoughts while her mother was right there. Bad Amanda. Need scolding.

"Ah, Mom," Amanda suddenly spoke, "has Melissa arrived yet—"

"You called?"

Both women startled at the deadpan voice. A girl peeked out from the other side of the dresser, as if she had been standing there the whole time.

Her blank green eyes contrasted sharply with her striking shoulder-length blonde hair. Her head remained tilted as she looked between the two alternatively.

She wore a blue and black one-piece dress that flowed down her lithe frame.

"Milli? When did you arrive? And how did you end up in my room?" Amanda fired the questions one after another, surprised that her cousin and best friend had been there without her noticing.

"I tried to prank you, but lost motivation halfway," the girl replied, pulling out a bag of chips from nowhere and casually munching on it.

"Milli... really." The oldest among them sighed, shaking her head before asking, "Where are your parents?"

"Downstairs. Dad’s already having his first drink with Uncle," she said, licking her fingers clean.

The woman nodded and, after giving Amanda’s shoulder a gentle squeeze, left the two young ladies alone.

"Milli! I missed you."

Melissa raised her arms slightly to protect her chips while letting Amanda pull her into a tight hug.

Her expression remained so blank that, if not for the faint movement of her mouth, she would have looked like a finely sculpted doll.

"I took time off to come here because you said you wanted..." She trailed off with a long breath.

Amanda chuckled. Melissa still couldn’t manage long sentences, not because of any illness or disability.

She simply got tired too quickly.

"Yes, yes, I know my genius sister has a lot on her plate. But I really wanted you here today."

Amanda had practically forced Melissa here, making her fly for four hours with her parents, all because she wanted her to meet Kyle.

Aside from her parents, Melissa was the only person in the family Amanda truly trusted.

She wasn’t like their other cousins, who were easily swayed by power, fame, and wealth. Melissa was someone who could stay confined in her own space for days without complaint.

She was a natural listener, and at times, a surprisingly good advisor too.

Most of Amanda’s sweetest childhood memories held this one girl.

"Mm... stop clinging already," Melissa complained with a groan.

Amanda chuckled and let her go, though her hand lingered on Melissa’s shoulder as she looked her over. "Who picked this dress for you?"

It wasn’t that she looked bad, but still. "You could dress a little more your age, don’t you think?"

With her small face and those clothes, she looked no older than sixteen. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but people often failed to take her seriously because of it.

"I didn’t want to shop," Melissa replied, casually popping another chip into her mouth.

Amanda sighed. "Do you want me to help you pick something more suited for the occasion?" She has a few dresses in the closet which would fit her. Yes, she still has some room for development but with a little adjustment, Amanda knew she would somehow manage.

Melissa groaned. "Nosy. No one looks at me anyway."

Amanda shook her head. "They do, you just don’t notice." She gently turned Melissa toward the mirror. "I mean, look at you. You have such angelic features, and you’re wasting them."

Melissa’s response?

Crunch.

Nom. Nom.

Amanda let out a defeated sigh. Things had always been like this with her. Melissa was one of those rare beings who could watch the world burn and remain completely unmoved, as long as her sleep schedule wasn’t disturbed.

Shaking her head, Amanda said, "Well, sit here and let me finish my makeup."

Melissa complied, or rather, Amanda dragged her weightless body aside and dropped her onto the bed.

Melissa watched as Amanda fixed her earring and applied a light touch-up, then remarked, "You’ve changed."

Amanda hummed in mild surprise.

Melissa continued, "You broke up, and now there’s already another guy?"

Amanda blinked, then let out a soft chuckle.

Oh, she was in for a surprise with this one.

°°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story, then drop a review. Drop a comment.