The Millionaire and Her Lover

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

LINDSAY

Ellie comes down the stairs followed by Cassie in the outfit I picked for her. She looks so fucking beautiful. 

She hoists herself up onto the counter as I flip a pancake. Casey is sitting at the counter with Avery, only to have Cassie join them. "So why are you three here?" I ask turning to them. Ellie crosses her leg over the other. Leaning back onto her arm. 

Man do I love that white dress on her. "Well Ellie's dad invited us, even flew us down here on his private plane and everything," Avery says, that makes sense, he did say that the whole family thing going on with my family has been bringing down the joy of Christmas. 

Casey smiles at us, "Mr. Alvarado said that we should go to the mall today and get something to wear tonight, he also mentions that this girl Lilian would be joining us." 

I freeze hearing her name. I wasn't mentally prepared for meeting her tonight, not now. I don't even know what to say to her. 

"So soon? I didn't think we'd meet her until tonight?" Ellie says exactly what I'm thinking. It's not that I don't want to meet her, she's my twin for fuck sake. I'm just a little caught off guard. 

Taking the Pancakes off of the frying pan. I pour more batter onto the frying pan. "Who is she anyway?" Cassie asks. 

"She's my twin," I instantly reply getting a plate from the cabinet. Putting two pancakes onto the plate I hand them to Ellie. 

I watch her as she jumps off the counter and grabs syrup out of the pantry. The pantry is like a whole damn room though. 

The room is silent. No one knew of the fact that there was even a chance that I had another sister. I never told anyone but Ellie. "I'm sorry what now," Avery says putting down his coffee. 

For years, I've nursed that hole in my heart that there could be a slim chance that I had another sister, taken away for me by my father, with always being around my friends. 

Daniel, my father, he's made everything I've ever thought of come true. A piece of me believed he truly never left, or that there was more to it than him just taking my sister. Even the story of how they met seemed off when mom told me. 

Everything is slowly coming together, but it's like a war. Everything seems fine for a moment, just a moment, then there is an explosion. That explosion is me finding out new information or mom does something. 

The only person who seems to temporarily end the war raging in my mind is Ellie. When she smiles at me, I feel like everything is fine again. But then I'm reminded that my family is falling apart right before me. 

Mom lied to me my whole life, Daniel is back in my life and is revealing the truth. Alexander is trying to make me like him. Naomi, she's falling apart all on her own. I feel for her and I want to help her. 

But I can't. She needs to want help before I can lend her my help. Maybe if she got help, she could genuinely apologize to Ellie. 

I don't expect Ellie to ever fully forgive Naomi for what she has done. I would have turned my head at the sight of her if I was Ellie but she is so strong. 

Ellie isn't perfect but that is what makes her perfect for me. I don't need a picture-perfect girl, I don't need someone who just wants to be with me for my looks or that they think I have money. Ellie is with me despite everything that is going on with my family. 

I couldn't be more thankful for that. "I met my father," I finally speak. Turning my back to them so I don't have to see their faces. "My parents were never together, my mom paid my father to give me up but he kept my twin, Lilian."