The champagne-colored Porsche purred to a stop in front of the Swift family mansion. The housekeeper, Helen, greeted Lily Collins with a smile as she stepped out of the car, but her expression turned neutral the moment she noticed Taylor Swift behind her.
Taylor lowered her eyes, feeling like an outsider in her own home. Helens gaze briefly passed over Taylor before she turned back to Lily with a beaming smile. "Mrs. Cullen has gone to the company early. Ive kept breakfast warm for you, Miss Lily. Come have something to eat."
In the dining room, Helen laid out Exquisite side dishes on the table and pulled out a chair for Lily with utmost respect. Lily sat down, savored a sip of milk, and tasted the dishes with an approving nod. "Helens cooking is getting better and better."
Helens face lit up with joy. "Its only because you flatter me, Miss." With that, she handed Taylor a thermos lunch box.
Lily, without lifting her eyes from her meal, mentioned, "Helen, Miss Taylor hasnt had breakfast yet."
Taylor bit her lip and said, "Its okay, Ill go now." The hospital had become a second home to her brother, James Swift, who suffered from an unknown illness that left him wheelchair-bound.
For years, Taylor had been the one to deliver meals to him at the hospital. She took the thermos from Helen and left with a smile, despite the heaviness in her heart.
At the hospital room door, Taylor looked at her brother sitting by the window, his silhouette thin and forlorn in the soft sunlight. Unnoticed tears welled up in her eyes. When she first returned to the family at seven, it was James who had offered her warmth and friendship, despite their half-sibling relationship.
"Come in," James clear but weak voice interrupted her thoughts.
She wiped her tears, put on a bright smile, and entered the room with the thermos. "Guess whats good for breakfast this morning?"
James didnt even look up from the iris flowers he was arranging in the vase. "Crucian carp soup," he guessed with a faint, yet refreshingly handsome smile.
Taylor pouted and began to serve the soup. "You always guess correctly. Next time, Ill have Helen make something youve never tasted."
As she spoke, there was a loud crash. Taylor quickly turned to James, who was still in the same position, staring at the scattered iris flowers on the floor. A fleeting look of desolation crossed his eyes before he resumed picking up the pieces of the vase, cutting his hand in the process.
"Stop," James said, his voice weak but firm.
Taylor froze, looking up at him. James slowly reached down, picked up the pieces of the shattered vase, and continued despite the blood that started to flow from his hand. Taylor, tears streaming down her face, whispered, "Brother."
James paused, a bitter smile on his lips. "Am I useless, even to you?"
Taylor held his hand, her tears falling onto the cuts. "No, brother. Youre not useless."
"Then why are you crying?" he asked, his voice barely audible.
Taylor wiped her tears and smiled at him. "In a few days, the irises in the greenhouse will bloom. Well go see them together, okay?"
Time seemed to stand still as James looked at Taylors tearful eyes and dimples. The door to the ward opened, and Helen Cullen along with Lily entered, taken aback by the scene before them.
Lily quickly moved to James, holding his hand. "Brother, are you okay?"
Taylor stumbled back, understanding that she was blamed for the accident. James frowned slightly and coughed a few times. "Its not Taylors fault. I was the one who knocked it over."
Helen walked gracefully to Taylor. "Lily doesnt know how to speak properly. Thank you for your help. Im here with Lily now; you can go back."
Taylor nodded, her lips pursed, preparing to leave when James called out to her.
"Taylor," he said.
She turned back, seeing her brother smile at her. "Wait a few days, and well go see the irises bloom together."
Leaving the hospital, the sunlight was particularly dazzling that day. Shielding her eyes, Taylor got into the red Chevy that had pulled up in front of her.
"I knew Id find you here. Get in, were going to be late for class," Emma Watson said, her friend from college.
Taylor tried to act normal, forcing a smile as she got into the passenger seat. Emma stepped on the gas and chatted with Taylor. "In a few days, its my uncles birthday. You should come and bring Robert."
Hearing Roberts name, Taylors heart clenched. She pretended to read a magazine to hide her discomfort, intending to refuse the invitation. But before she could speak, Emma added, "Ive already told my uncle youre coming. Dont let me down."
Taylor could only respond with a hoarse, "Okay," her gaze falling on a magazine featuring an auction of Iris Paintings. She suddenly looked up. "Emma, I want to go to this auction."
Unnoticed by everyone, at the bottom of the magazine, it stated, "Sponsored by Cullen Corp."