The results were in.

Mom had just called me in my suite and told me to come down to Dad’s office, where Detective Ramirez would be delivering the DNA test paperwork to us. In just half an hour or so, I would know for sure whether DeeDee Brown was really my sister.

I twisted my hands nervously in front of me as I rode the elevator down to the lobby. My mind was going haywire from all the possibilities, and my insides were churning with apprehension and fear. What if DeeDee was just a liar? The lab results would confirm that, and my family would be left broken-hearted.

Again.

I sighed at the awful thought and tried to push it from my mind, focusing all my attention on an elevator floor button which looked slightly less shiny than the others.

When I finally reached the lobby, I stepped out and spotted Cade wheeling a suitcase trolley around on the other side of the expansive room. I waved, but he looked right past me. My shoulders slumped, and I sighed. I knew he saw me. He was just avoiding me.

I knew why, too.

He must’ve overheard my conversation with Dad yesterday, and he’d interpreted it the only way he could—I was a snobby bitch who was too good to be seen flirting with a bellboy.

But that wasn’t true.

See, if Dad had any inkling that I had feelings for one of our employees, he’d have that employee fired immediately. He’d done it before, when I was eighteen and thought one of the room service guys was cute. I accepted a date with the guy, only to find out later that my father fired him because of it.

He claimed it was to keep me safe from employees who knew who I was and what I was worth (in other words, gold-diggers) but I knew the truth. He simply didn’t trust me not to end up in some scandal fraught with workplace sexual harassment claims.

I couldn’t stand to see Cade lose his brand new job over something so stupid. Acting like I felt nothing for him and saw him as just another employee was the lesser of two evils, as horrible as it made me feel, because he would be able to keep his job. I hadn’t meant for him to overhear, obviously, but that was the way the cookie crumbled.

I thought about chasing him down and explaining myself, but I simply didn’t have time. I needed to get to Dad’s office to hear about the test results.

Cade would have to wait.

I rushed down the hall that led to Dad’s office door, then slipped inside. “Am I late?” I asked breathlessly.

Mom shook her head. “No, sweetie. He won’t be here for another five minutes or so.”

I sat down, my hands still twisting nervously as I rested them in my lap. Mom didn’t seem any better—she was examining her hair for non-existent split ends, and her usually perfectly-manicured nails looked thoroughly chewed and picked at. She was obviously fretting terribly about these results.

She saw Dad and me looking over at her with concern, and her eyebrows lifted slightly. “It’s her, isn’t it?” she said anxiously. “It has to be, right?”

“We won’t know until we see the results, darling,” Dad said, his jaw set.

“I’m not sure they’ll be positive,” I said quietly, finally voicing my darkest fear over this situation.

Dad frowned. “Why not?”

“I’m just not sure I see Allegra in her,” I admitted. “And don’t you think it’s a little bit convenient that she ended up at this hotel, out of all the hotels in the world? What are the odds of that happening? It almost seems… planned.”

“I think it’s more of a miracle rather than so-called convenience,” Mom said, her tone filled with disgust at my attitude. “What’s wrong with you today, Peyton? She could really be your sister!”

I sighed. “Mom, I know. I’m just saying, I’m not sure she will be. I don’t want us to get our hopes up for nothing, in case she turns out to just be a crazy faker. That’s all.”

Dad nodded. “I understand, Peyton,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

My eyebrows lifted. “You do?”

Honestly, I thought my Mom would understand me, not Dad. But the tables seemed to have turned; Mom was just so obsessed with the thought of having her baby returned that she couldn’t see clearly.

Dad nodded and rubbed the stubble on his jaw. “Ever since the police came here, I’ve worried that DeeDee is just another crackpot. There’s so many out there. I’m terrified of it, to be honest. All we ever wanted was Allegra back home. So to think that it might not be her…”

His voice trailed off, but I nodded anyway. I knew exactly what he meant. I felt the same way. I was petrified that we would’ve all gotten our hopes up only to discover that there was no DNA match, and that DeeDee was just a thoughtless con artist who hoped she could fake her way into our lives for a big cash bonus.

A knock at the door interrupted us, and we looked up to see Detective Ramirez opening it. “Morning,” he said with a brief smile. He held up a manila folder. “Are you ready?”

We all nodded, and he handed the folder to Dad. He didn’t open it immediately. He simply rested the folder on his desk and looked up at Ramirez. “Do you know what the results are?” he asked.

The detective nodded. “Yes. The labs sent the information to our precinct first.”

Dad nodded. “Okay. But before I open this, I want to know for sure. Whatever the results are, is there any possible way they could be incorrect? Contamination of the samples, for example. Or lab tampering.”

Ramirez shook his head. “No. The pathology collection center at the hospital sent your samples off to three separate independent labs, just to be sure. They all came in with the same conclusive results. Their contact details are all in the paperwork, if you wish to speak to any of them. And of course, you can always get in touch with me or any other detectives too, if there’s anything you want or need to ask.”

Dad nodded and finally opened the folder, his eyes scanning the first page. My heart felt like it was about to thump right out of my chest as I waited.

“She’s ours,” he said softly a moment later.

My eyebrows shot up, and Mom’s eyes widened as her lips spread in a jubilant smile. “She is?” she said.

Dad nodded at her, his expression stunned. “All the test results confirmed it. The sample taken from DeeDee Brown shows a direct familial relationship to the two of us. One that could only mean she’s our daughter.”

“Oh my god!” Mom leapt to her feet, her eyes shining. Her gaze shot to Ramirez. “Detective, have you told her? Do you know where she is right now?”

He nodded. “She was informed before you, and she’s very anxious to meet you all properly. She’s actually out in the hall with my partner as we speak. Is it too soon, or would you like to see her now?”

“Please get her,” Mom said, nodding vehemently. “We have to see her!”

He left the room to get DeeDee—or Allegra, as was her real name—and I leaned back in my chair in total and utter shock. I honestly hadn’t thought the results would be positive. Over the last few days, I’d convinced myself that DeeDee must be some crackpot liar, out to get some attention for herself… but that wasn’t the case.

She really was my sister.

DeeDee stepped into the office a moment later. Her face was pale and free of makeup, and her strawberry blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail. “Hi,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her hands were trembling.

“It’s really you,” Mom said, tears sliding down her cheeks as she stared at DeeDee. Her hands went to her face. “My god, it’s really you. I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t even recognize you the other day….”

DeeDee gave her a kindly smile. “It’s okay. I didn’t fully recognize you at first, either. It’s been a long time.”

“We’re so glad you’re back,” Dad said, his voice gruff with emotion. “So very glad. Words can’t even describe it….”

The three of them embraced in a tight family hug, and Dad beckoned me over to join them. I did as he asked, wrapping my arms around my sister.

The next few minutes were a blur of tears and frantic words of remorse over the missing years with Allegra. It all seemed like a dream, and I worried I’d wake up from it at any minute. After all, what were the odds of Allegra finally returning to us after all these years, and after everything she’d been through?

They must be astronomical. The odds of her happening to move to our exact city were slim enough, but for her to happen to apply for work at our hotel as well… it was almost unbelievable.

But I had to believe it, because here she was, standing before me.

A pang of guilt bit at my insides as she looked at me and smiled nervously. I stared deep into her brown eyes, and I just couldn’t see it. I couldn’t see the same Allegra from my memories, or from the photographs we had of her.

I knew fifteen years could seriously change a person, especially if they were just a young child the last time you saw them, and surely this girl’s life experiences had hardened her around the edges… but she just didn’t seem like my sister. I didn’t feel any sort of immediate bond with her, like I expected. And she didn’t look even remotely like any of us. She just seemed like a girl who happened to have the same hair as me, and that was all. Nothing else.

I felt terrible for feeling this way, and I knew I had to try to force those emotions out. The DNA tests proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was my sister, after all.

“Peyton,” she said, clasping her hands together. “Wow. I can’t believe it. My sister….”

“Hi,” I said softly. “Ally,” I added, wondering if she recalled the nickname I once bestowed upon her.

She smiled. “You can just call me DeeDee for now if it’s easier,” she said. “It’d sure be easier for me. That’s the name I grew up with. I’m not used to Allegra or Ally yet.”

I nodded slowly. “I used to call you that—Ally.”

Her smile faltered. “I… I’m sorry. I don’t remember.”

“Oh.”

“She was only three when we last saw her, Peyton,” Mom said in a sharp tone. “Of course she doesn’t remember.”

A smug gleam flashed in DeeDee’s eyes as Mom told me off. It was gone in an instant, but I didn’t miss it.

Strange. What was her problem?

I pushed the negative thoughts aside… again. No one in the world truly knew how they’d act in a situation like this until they were in it, and I was willing to bet my sister was just as nervous and freaked out as I was right now. So maybe that was what the expression in her eyes was—she was just happy that Mom and Dad were already accepting her so openly, and seeing Mom defend her made her remember exactly what it was like to have a family who truly cared.

I couldn’t begrudge her that. Not after what she’d been through.

We finally sat down, and the next few hours became a family bonding session where DeeDee asked us all questions, and we asked her things in turn.

It was nice to sit here quietly, just the four of us… while we still could.

Things were going to be hectic from here on out. Once the papers and online news sites got wind of the fact that DeeDee/Allegra had been returned to us after all this time (and they would very soon), we would be entrenched in media mayhem.

No doubt the police would also reopen the investigation into her kidnapping now that her memories were beginning to return, in the hopes of finding out who took her all those years ago, and that would make our lives even more frenzied.

So for now, to simply sit and chat with my long-lost sister in a quiet room was a small luxury. The conversation was stilted and a little awkward on occasion, because the circumstances were so surreal, but we pushed through it.

At one-thirty, DeeDee looked at the clock on the wall. “I’m so sorry,” she said anxiously. “I have a doctor’s appointment at two, and I completely forgot to cancel it. I should go. But I can come back afterwards?”

Mom smiled. “Of course. Actually, why don’t I take you to the appointment?” she said. Then she shook her head. “I’m sorry if I’m being pushy. I know this is all new for us and you might want to take it slow. It’s just that I want to spend every minute with you now that you’re back.”

DeeDee smiled shyly. “It’s fine. I’d love for you to come.”

She gave Dad and me hugs to say goodbye for now, and then she left the room with Mom.

Dad let out a heavy sigh. “I think it’s time for a glass of scotch,” he said, reaching for a cabinet behind his desk. “I just can’t believe it, Peyton. It’s really her.”

“I can’t believe it either,” I admitted. “It’s amazing.”

“Yes, it is,” he said with a smile, pouring himself a drink. He seemed so much more relaxed than usual, and I wasn’t surprised. He’d beaten himself up over Allegra’s disappearance and possible death for years now. To see her back now, safe and healthy, was beyond a miracle.

“I suppose I can’t have any of that, even after the day we’ve had so far,” I said, nodding at Dad’s scotch glass.

Usually he’d roll his eyes at a comment like that, but he chuckled instead. “Very funny,” he said. “I think you should probably go and get some lunch. I don’t want you fading away. I think you’re already too skinny.”

I smiled and nodded. “I’ll grab something while we wait for Mom and DeeDee to get back. I mean… Allegra.”

That was going to take some getting used to.

I stepped out of the office and down the hall, intent on heading over to one of the hotel restaurants to grab a bite to eat. On my way, I passed Bianca and gave her a quick wave.

“Hey, Peyton,” she said, holding up a hand to stop me. “Are you expecting a package?”

I frowned. “I don’t think so.”

“Something just arrived for you at reception. It’s a big box. Do you want me to take it up to your room? I don’t mind. I’m on a break now anyway.”

My face brightened as something suddenly occurred to me. In all the craziness surrounding Allegra’s return, I’d completely forgotten about all my regular life activities, including this one particular thing. “Oh, wait, I know what it is!” I said, clapping my hands together.

“What?” Bianca asked.

I smiled. “Come with me and see.”

We rushed over to the hotel’s main reception desk. Andreas was there, deep in conversation with the daytime desk staff—three women named Emilia, Mel, and Gloria. Emilia and Mel were about the same age as me, and Gloria was a prim and proper bespectacled lady in her forties. They were all nice, and I enjoyed chatting with them from time to time.

When they saw me approaching, Andreas straightened up. “Sorry, Peyton. I was just asking about…erm…”

I laughed. “It’s ok. You’re allowed breaks, you know. I’m not going to yell at you for chatting to these awesome ladies.”

He grinned, and Emilia jumped up. “Peyton, we have something for you.”

I nodded. “Yeah, Bianca told me. I can’t wait to open it!”

“Are you going to tell us what it is?” Mel asked, tapping a pen against her chin as Emilia hauled the box onto the counter. “We’ve been trying to figure it out. But let me guess… another sponsorship haul?”

I nodded again. Lately, I’d become quite jaded with a lot of the packages I got sent to me by companies in the hopes that I would promote their product for them (because so much of it turned out to be terrible) but I was super-excited about this one.

A new online retailer called Brulee had contacted me last week, asking if I’d like to try out some of their products. I jumped at the chance, because I’d seen their website and I loved their stuff. They made gorgeous pajamas and loungewear, and I couldn’t wait to try some of the things on and see if they were as good in real life as they appeared online.

“It’s from Brulee,” I said. “I’ve been waiting for it to arrive.”

Emilia’s eyes widened. “Oh! I love their stuff.”

“Same,” Bianca said in a dreamy tone. “But it’s so expensive.”

I smiled at them. “Well, they probably sent me way too much. So we can all go through it together, and you guys can totally help yourself to some new pajamas, if you want.”

Emilia grinned. “Awesome! Thanks! But remember, Peyton, their site is kinda pretentious. It’s not pajamas… it’s ‘bedroom wear’.”

She held up her hands and put the last two words in air quotes, and I laughed. “That’s right. Bedroom wear. Anyway, could you pass me some scissors?”

Seconds later I was slicing open the tape which sealed the cardboard box. Then I ripped it open in a dramatic manner, grinning with anticipation.

We all peered inside, and my heart leapt into my mouth.

This was definitely not from Brulee.