Years of fame had done little to fill the void in Lila’s heart. The lights, the applause, and the accolades were all hollow reminders of the one person she longed to share them with—Elias. Each song she sang seemed to carry a fragment of his memory, her voice trembling with the ache of his absence.
Her life became a careful balancing act of maintaining a polished public image while battling the shadows of her past. When word spread about her lost relatives trying to stake a claim on her newfound wealth, the situation quickly spiraled.
Lila’s management acted swiftly, dragging the opportunistic relatives into legal negotiations. The relatives, who had once turned Lila and Elias away, were forced to sign non-disclosure agreements and were handed hefty sums of money to silence their claims.
"They just want to tarnish your image," Clara assured Lila. "We’ve handled it. Focus on your career."
But the incident took a toll on Lila’s fragile mental health. The people who had abandoned her and Elias now wanted her only for her success, while the one person who had loved her unconditionally remained lost to her.
One day, as Lila sat in her dressing room before a concert, her make-up artist, a kind woman named Mariam, noticed the sadness in her usually vibrant expression. Mariam had worked with Lila for years and had become one of the few people Lila trusted.
"Is something on your mind, sweetheart?" Mariam asked gently as she applied Lila’s foundation.
Lila hesitated, then whispered, "I miss my brother, Mariam. I don’t even know where he is anymore."
Mariam paused, her heart breaking for the young woman. "Do you want me to help you find him?"
Lila nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Please. But it has to be a secret. If Clara or anyone else finds out..."
Mariam squeezed Lila’s hand. "I’ll do my best."
Mariam began her search, but Lila had no photos of Elias and couldn’t describe him beyond his age and the memories of his kind voice. The trail was cold, but Mariam was determined. She started by visiting the subway station where Lila and Elias used to busk.
She struck up conversations with anyone who might remember them, describing Lila’s haunting voice and mentioning her older brother. Days turned into weeks with little progress until one day, a man running a hotdog stand nodded knowingly.
"I remember them," he said. "The girl could sing like an angel, and her brother...he was always looking out for her."
"Do you know where I can find him?" Mariam asked urgently.
The man hesitated. "I don’t know exactly. But sometimes, he comes back here, stands right in that spot they used to sing together. Like he’s waiting for her."
Mariam started visiting the subway station regularly, hoping the man’s words would prove true. And then, one chilly evening, she saw him. He was standing alone, leaning against the wall where the siblings used to busk, his thin frame barely covered by a frayed jacket.
She approached cautiously. "Elias?"
He turned, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "Who’s asking?"
"My name is Mariam. I work with Lila."
At the sound of his sister’s name, Elias straightened. "Lila? Is she okay? What’s happened to her?"
Mariam softened, hearing the worry in his voice. "She’s okay, but she misses you. She’s been told terrible things...that you abandoned her. She doesn’t believe it, though. She wants to see you, Elias."
Elias’s face darkened with a mix of relief and anger. "They told me she didn’t want anything to do with me, that I’d ruin her career. I didn’t believe it, but I thought...if this was her only chance at a better life..."
Mariam shook her head. "They’ve lied to both of you. She’s not okay without you, Elias. You’re her brother—her anchor. She needs you."
Elias looked away, his hands trembling. "I’ve stayed away for her sake. But if she’s hurting because of it..." He paused, his voice breaking. "Tell me what to do."
Mariam reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come with me. Let’s give her the one thing she’s been longing for."
Elias hesitated, his thoughts swirling. He had spent years believing his absence was the sacrifice his sister needed, but now he realized that being apart had only caused them both pain.
As he looked back at the subway station one last time, memories of Lila’s voice filling the air flooded his mind. He took a deep breath and nodded.
"Let’s bring her home."
(To be continued...)
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