Chapter 1833: Brother

Jocelyn didn’t overthink it. She looked at Bertie and said, "Uncle, Annie’s name is Janelle. She’s our friend, actually all of us have known each other for a long time, we just only recently found out she’s my younger sister."

Bertie settled back into the chair, deeply interested in every little thing about his daughter. "Jocelyn, hurry and tell me about her."

Following Ian Shelby’s suggestion, Jocelyn seized the moment to tell Bertie about this girl named Janelle, so her father could at least have a basic idea of who she was.

At the Mills family villa.

Janelle Mills had just finished breakfast when her phone rang. Her parents’ gazes fell on the phone lying on the table. Janelle picked it up, glanced at the screen, then looked up at the two elders sitting on the sofa opposite. "It’s... Dr. Shelby."

"Answer it, quick," Old Mills urged.

Janelle slid her finger over the answer button and casually switched on speaker. Ian Shelby’s voice came through. "Janelle, have you had breakfast yet?"

"Just finished."

"I’m driving over to pick you up now. I’ll be there in about ten minutes."

"Okay."

"Then see you in a bit, bye~" With that, Ian Shelby hung up.

A brief silence settled over the Mills family living room. They were already prepared to leave; there wasn’t anything left to pack.

The only things that needed packing were their moods and emotions.

Before long, Ian’s car pulled into the garden where roses were in full bloom. The car door opened and he got out.

In the bright sunlight, his tall, lean figure carried its own kind of presence.

Nathan Mills and Carlotta Sterling led Janelle out of the living room.

"Good morning, Uncle, Auntie." He was very polite. "Janelle."

He was the King of Lorelei, after all, so for a moment the two elders of the Mills family didn’t know how to address him. They merely nodded with polite smiles. "Hello, hello, Dr. Shelby."

"Bro." Janelle Mills fixed her gaze on his face.

Ian Shelby paused for a second, met her eyes, and the corners of his lips lifted into a handsome curve.

"Let’s go." Janelle pulled open the rear door. "Sister Sterling, you sit inside."

Carlotta tore her gaze away and answered as she got into the car.

Ian’s gentle eyes stayed on the girl. That one word—"Bro"—had given him a surge of strength, leaving his whole body and mind feeling light.

After Janelle got in, she sat beside Carlotta, then turned to look out the door. "Dad, sit here! Come on in!"

"Alright." Nathan Mills nodded quickly and bent down to sit beside his daughter.

Ian closed their car door for them, then went back to the driver’s seat.

The car headed all the way toward Ian’s home. He didn’t drive fast. The morning breeze blew in through the windows, yet it couldn’t dispel the thoughts each person held inside.

Everyone in the car felt different.

Janelle sat between her father and mother, their hands on either side reaching for hers at the same time, holding them in their palms as if they were precious.

She could feel the strength of those hands gripping hers.

She turned her gaze to her mother, only to see her looking out the window, her expression unreadable.

She turned to look at Old Mills; he too was staring out the window, his expression just as hard to see.

Janelle drew her gaze back. She lowered her eyes slightly and stayed quiet... She could feel how complicated their emotions were right now, surely filled with all sorts of reluctance and helplessness.

Janelle tightened her grip on their hands, answering with the same strength—an invisible way of offering them comfort.

Throughout the drive, Ian didn’t really say anything. He focused on driving, keeping everyone safe, occasionally glancing at the back seat in the rearview mirror. He could more or less guess what they were thinking at this moment.

Back at Ian’s place, Jocelyn had already given Bertie a rundown of Janelle’s situation. Bertie listened carefully, and by the end he was deeply moved. He could feel that his daughter was a kind-hearted girl full of love.

As he listened, flashes of Janelle’s image crossed his mind: that sweet smiling face in the bookstore.

She had put in a lot of effort to help her adoptive parents remarry.

But just yesterday, his daughter’s wish had finally come true. As her biological father, he was genuinely happy for her.

As long as the person you love is still alive, you can overcome any hardship.