The attention was soon diverted to Eveline who had started narrating about a incident in her school.

They were listening to her so keenly. Even Stephenzo.

I craved that kind of attention, too. But even if I tried I won't be as intriguing or graceful like her.

"She really did that!" Eveline defended when Noah refused to believe the validity of her story.

Why were they even talking while eating? It was strictly forbidden in my boarding institute. If you even made a sound while chewing they would starve you for a whole day.

I didn't participate the whole time and no one bothered me as well for which I was kind of glad.

After I was done eating, just as I was about to get up Stephenzo stopped me.

"You didn't even touch the dessert. Eat some of the peach pie." he commanded.

I had indeed not eaten dessert. Thats because all the dessert items were solely made by peach. And I was severely allergic to peaches.

Was it punishment for speaking at the start of the dinner?

Even the lunch lady in my previous boarding school was considerate enough to let me off for not eating peaches.

Weren't they my family? I seriously doubted it sometimes.

I looked at Stephenzo, my eyes pleading.

But he took that as hesitance and simply urged me to eat it, "Go ahead, try it."

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Kai stop eating his meal and look at me as if waiting for me to decline.

I had already angered Stephenzo once. I didn't want to do it twice in a row so as slowly as I could, I took a slice.

Why were they cut in such huge slices?

As I prepared myself for the physical pain that would surely follow, a warm hand grabbed my wrist, stopping me before I could even take a bite.

"Why do you insist on hurting yourself?" Kai looked at me with disappointment.

I couldn't reply because my mouth wouldn't open.

"What do you mean?" Ezra finally noticing the tears asked in alarm.

"She's severely allergic to peaches." Kai snarled at him. Though it felt like his anger was directed more at me.

"What? That can't be true? Isn't peach her favorite?" Ezra asked in obvious shock.

Are they kidding me? They didn't know? What about the number of times I had fallen sick for eating peaches as a kid?

"Is that true?" Stephenzo asked.

Should I deny it? I was too scared to go against him.

But my pale and teary face had already given him the answer he needed.

Stephenzo stood up, his features contorted in frustration.

"Ezra, a word please." He ordered. "Aylin, I want you in my study in the next ten minutes."

Ezra nodded solemnly before standing up to follow Stephenzo out.

I felt terrible. Ezra couldn't even finish his dinner because of me.

But the worst part was I didn't feel bad because he would have to sleep with an empty stomach but rather I was scared of the possibility that this would mean the end of his kindness towards me.

I looked at Kai who was still holding my wrist. It was all his fault. If he didn't stop me from eating the pie Stephenzo would never have gotten angry. And Ezra would still like me.

I furiously glared at him. Albeit he did save my life. If I really had to finish the whole slice I would have to be admitted in the hospital for sure.

Faced with my glare, Kai gave me another disgusted look before storming out.

"Well that was an eventful dinner." Noah chided in insensitively before walking out as well.

Only I and Eveline remained.

We sat in silence for two minutes.

She opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it and without another word left,too.

Seeing as already five minutes had passed since Stephenzo asked me to meet him at his study, I also left the dining hall.

Stephenzo's study was in the third floor. Ezra had shown me the study during the house tour so it wasn't particularly difficult to find it.

As I neared the study room, I could hear their conversation.

I wasn't sure if I should intrude or wait until they were done.

I opted for the latter.

"Didn't you say she loves peaches?How the heck did she become allergic to it?" Stephenzo's voice boomed from inside the room.

"I don't know. Aylin would always ask me to bring her peach cakes whenever I went out. So I assumed she liked it." Ezra clarified.

His clarification was followed by a mocking laughter from Kai.

"How did you know she was allergic to peaches?" Stephenzo directed his next question at Kai.

"Also, Aylin quit eavesdropping and come in." Stephenzo busted me in a slightly harsh tone.

Feeling embarrassed, I quietly went in and stood in the furthest corner from them.

A huge mahogany table was placed in the center of the room. There were shelves with neatly arranged books on both side of the wall. Two couches were placed in the far left corner with a tea table placed between them. The room was well lit even though the curtains were closed.

Stephenzo sat behind the mahogany table and Ezra opposite to him while Kai was leaning on the bookshelf beside them.

"Because everytime you brought her one of those peach fucking cakes, I was the one who had to sit beside her all night, watching as she struggled to breath."

Kai answered Stephenzo's previous question about how he knew about my allergy. Kai completely ignored my presence in the room. He didn't even look at me once since I arrived.

"And you just watched?" Stephen asked, his tone accusing. "It didn't cross your mind once to inform me about it?"

Kai looked down at the comment, his fists curled in anger. And it saddened me to realize he was angry at himself.

"It wasn't his fault." I defended against my own will. Kai's head shot up instantly, shocked that I would speak up for him.

Even though I was scared of going against Stephenzo, I hated the way he was talking down to Kai.

"She can't be allergic to peaches" Ezra shook his head like he couldn't believe all those years he had been harming me. "You are lying, Kai."

"No, he's not." I snapped, regretting it the next moment when Ezra paled, my confirmation breaking the small hope he held.

'Selfish asshole.'

Listening to Kai, the distant memories had become clear.

I would indeed ask Ezra to bring me peach cakes. That was because Eveline's favourite fruit was peach and I, on the other hand, was allergic to it.

Everyone adored Eveline while they despised me. So my naive self had believed it was because I didn't like peaches like Eveline. After that, I would always pester Ezra for bringing me peach cake. Which he always would bring me. And everytime I would fall sick without fail.

Kai would always scold me for eating them and trying to copy Eveline. But he would still stay up the whole night holding my hand tightly as I cried in pain.

After the first time it happened, he had told me he would inform Stephen if I ever ate anything with peaches in it. But I had threatened him that I would never talk to him again if he did something like that.

I was only 5 at that time, and Kai 10. We didn't know how severe they could get. Initially my allergy to peaches wasn't as fatal as now. But after I continued taking them my body also rebelled back. Sometimes my body would close down for hours.

But even after that, winning my brothers' affection was more important to me than not being able to breathe.

Kai who couldn't take it anymore had 'ratted me out' to our father. After which he had scolded Ezra for buying me junk food. And Ezra believed I had complained to father about it and he too started detesting me like the rest of my brothers.

All along I started hating Kai for taking away the one brother who showed me affection.

But in the way to win my other brothers' affection, I had forgotten I already had a brother who would give up his life for me.

And I lost him too.

Kai stopped talking to me. I had apologized to him many times once I realized I had no one to play with anymore but he had already stopped acknowledging me as his sister.

I guess I could be pretty selfish too at times.