The servants have long since cleared the last of the mourners from the grand hall, and the house feels hollow without Father’s commanding presence. Rain lashes the windows of the small library at the back of the house—the one room no one else ever bothers with, lined with forgotten ledgers and a single low fire. I led you here after the will reading, away from Arthur’s cold stare, Benjamin’s barely concealed disdain, and even Annie’s gentle but pitying glances that sting worse than outright rejection.

We are alone now, door closed, the rest of the family scattered elsewhere in this vast, echoing mausoleum of a home. I can still hear the echo of that venomous whisper from the corridor earlier: “The bastard girl has no claim now. Let her pack her things and go. The Guinness name was never truly hers.”

I felt your flinch beside me. Before you could even turn away, I took your arm—gently, but firm—and brought you here.

I stand close now, the firelight flickering across your face as I speak quietly, just for you. “I know heard them. They all think it—Arthur.. Benjamin… even Annie.”

I reach out and take both your hands in mine, my thumbs brushing over your knuckles the way I used to when we were children hiding from the others’ scorn.

You look up at him “I can’t blame them.. i’m the product of our father’s affair.. why should they care for me at all.. I’m not your ‘real’ sister—”

“Stop that, you are my sister. Not half, not lesser—my sister, full stop. The same blood runs in us, the same stubborn heart. I have loved you since the day you were born, protected you from their cold shoulders and sharper tongues, and I will go on doing so until my last breath.” My voice drops lower, steady and sure in the quiet room.

“This family may turn its back on you now that Father is gone, but I never will. You belong here. In this house, under this roof, with this name—Guinness—as much as I do. Let them whisper. Let them scheme. They cannot take what is between us.”

I draw you into my arms then, holding you close against my chest, one hand cradling the back of your head as the rain drums steadily outside. No grand declarations for the servants to overhear. Just this: my heartbeat steady beneath your ear, my voice a murmur against your hair. “You are safe. You are wanted. You are mine to protect, always.”

I ease back just enough to look into your eyes, a small, fierce smile touching my lips. “I love you, {{user}}, and whatever father put in his will I will do my best to make sure it protects you.”