I didn't immediately realize that I was alive again. The first thing I felt was the scent. A soft lavender scent, different from the smell of the rented house I used to call home. Then, the soft pillow under my head. Warm, clean... expensive.
When my eyes opened, the ceiling I saw was like that of a five-star hotel. White curtains waved softly, and sunlight came in through the large glass windows. I reflexively sat up—or tried to sit up—but my body was weak as if it hadn't been used for a long time.
A panicked voice sounded before I could speak.
"Adel! Don't push yourself! You just woke up!"
A tall man in a black suit and a worried face immediately appeared at my bedside. His eyes were sharp and dark, but now red from... crying?
He grabbed my hand, holding it tightly as if afraid that I would disappear again.
I looked at him in confusion. "Who are you?"
He stiffened.
"Adel, it's me. Your brother. Nathan."
Nathan?
I don't have a brother.
I—I'm already dead.
An accident. That night I took the last bus home from my night shift at the convenience store. The truck from the opposite direction lost control, and then... darkness.
I died. I was sure.
But now... this body is small. This voice is not mine. My hands are softer, my face in the window—this is not me.
"I... who?" I asked softly.
Nathan stared at me, his breath stopping. But he didn't answer with anger. Instead, he leaned closer, placing his hand on my head gently.
"You're Adelina Gavrila. Nathan Gavrila's only sister. You were in a coma for two weeks because of a car accident. But you're back now. That's enough."
I swallowed. That name... Adelina Gavrila. Gavrila Group. A name I often heard on the news. One of the richest families in the country. But I wasn't part of them—not supposed to be.
So, I was reborn. But not as myself. But... the spoiled daughter of a conglomerate family?
"Why did you cry when I woke up?" I asked, softly.
He smiled, but it was a bitter smile.
"Because I'm afraid of losing you. You're… the only family I have."
There was something in the way he said it. Like… I was more than just a little sister. That gaze wasn't ordinary. It was the gaze of someone holding onto hope on the brink of destruction.
I tried to pull my hand away. But he didn't let go.
"I'll call the doctor," he finally said. "Wait here. Don't go anywhere."
It was clear. I didn't even know where I was.
After Nathan left, some things started to make sense.
This room was full of photos. There was a beautiful girl with a spoiled smile, standing next to the tall man who had claimed to be my brother. In all the photos, the man looked protective. None of them were with their parents.
I started to remember. Or rather, the memories of this body started to flow into my mind. Bits and pieces.
Adelina—17 years old, the youngest child of the Gavrila Group. Her parents died in an accident two years ago. Living alone with her brother, Nathan, who is now the youngest CEO in the history of the family company.
Adel is spoiled. Always picked up and dropped off. Private school. Vacations abroad. But... lonely.
And Nathan... the brother who is too perfect. Too caring. Too important to her.
I closed my eyes. This is not my world. But somehow, it feels... warm.
The doctor came. A quick check-up was done. He said I need to rest.
After everyone left, Nathan came back in. But this time he was carrying a tray of warm porridge.
"You have to eat," he said. "Your body hasn't recovered yet."
I took the spoon, but my hands were shaking. Not used to it.
Without saying anything, Nathan took the spoon, blew on the porridge, and fed it to me.
"I can do it myself…" I protested softly.
He looked at me. "Okay. But today, let me do it. Please."
For some reason, I couldn't refuse.
After the fourth bite, I asked, "Have you always been like this? This close to your sister?"
He paused. "Since our parents died, you're the only one left. I promised them… I'll take care of you no matter what."
I looked into his eyes. Deep. Complicated. Not just a sibling's love.
"Have you ever been mad at Adel?"
"Never. Even when she caused trouble. Even when she nearly drove me crazy by running away at night…"
He smiled a little. "Adel can be annoying. But I'm more afraid of losing her than anything."
I lowered my head. "But I'm not her now."
Nathan stiffened. "What do you mean?"
I wasn't ready, to be honest yet. I didn't know if this was a dream, reincarnation, or if the universe was joking. But one thing was clear, my life had changed.
And now, I live… as a sister loved so much by her older brother. Maybe too much.