Olivia suddenly realized the weight of Gia's words. "What if Ethan comes back with Zara and can't stand me when he sees me like this? No way, he needs to see me at my best, all elegant and stunning."
With that thought in mind, she rushed over to her makeup mirror to freshen up her look.
Once she was satisfied, she turned to Gia, beaming, and asked, "How do I look, Gia?"
Gia smiled back and replied, "You're absolutely gorgeous, Young Miss. No one holds a candle to you."
Meanwhile, downstairs, Ethan's car pulled up in front of the mansion.
Zara stepped out of the car with Ethan and headed into the mansion.
As they walked into the living room, they were met with the intense gazes of her four brothers.
Zara followed her brother's line of sight and noticed they were all fixated on Ethan, who stood next to her.
From a young age, she knew her brothers had always been standoffish with Ethan, but she never understood why.
She certainly didn't expect them to still be acting the same way after all these years.
Ethan, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by their stares, his lips barely curling into a small smile.
Zara quietly made her way over and plopped down next to Noah on the couch.
Noah glanced at her, then turned to Julia and said, "Could you grab some warm water for Lia?"
Julia, standing next to the couch, nodded politely at Noah and headed off to fetch the water.
Ethan took a look at the Adam brothers, then at Zara, before moving to sit in the single chair nearby.
Jack let out a scoff at Ethan, who had settled in without waiting for an invitation.
Before long, Julia returned with two glasses of warm water for Zara and Ethan.
Zara accepted her glass, took a few sips, and then set it down on the table. Ethan also had a drink before handing his glass back to Julia.
Meanwhile, Alan glanced at Ethan and then turned his attention to Zara.
He quickly spotted the accessories adorning Zara and pieced together what had likely happened, shooting Ethan a frosty look.
Noah noticed the jewelry on Zara as well, but kept his reaction to himself. However, Jack, who caught on right away, sat up straight and asked with interest, "Lia, did you get that necklace and bracelet?"
Zara glanced at Jack and simply shook her head, "No."
As soon as she said that, all eyes turned to Ethan except Alan.
Ethan just nodded in response, keeping quiet.
Alan, noticing Ethan's serious vibe, stood up and said, "Ethan, come with me."
Ethan met Alan's intense gaze and nodded before getting up to follow him.
Noah then stood as well, adding, "I've got something to ask Ethan too. Let's go." Alan nodded at Noah, and the three of them made their way to the study.
They made their way into the study room downstairs, leaving the others hanging out in the living room.
As they walked in, Olivia was coming down the stairs. She noticed the Adam brothers happily serving Zara, but Alan, Noah, and the guy she was searching for, Ethan, were nowhere to be seen.
When she stepped into the living room, she shot a furious glance at Zara but tried to calm herself with Gia's words in mind.
So, she plastered on a fake smile and approached, saying, "Hey, sis, you're back!"
As she got closer, her smile turned childlike as she exclaimed, "I missed you so much, sister!"
Jack and Hendry were taken aback by Olivia's unexpected flirtatious behavior towards Zara.
Olivia typically reserved this kind of interaction for Kylie, Hendry, and Jack, as they were the only ones who didn't view her with disdain like the other family members did.
She often used this approach to create an image of herself as a sweet little girl in need of protection from others. She wanted to prove that if she didn't, people might bully her.
By behaving that way, she could effortlessly obtain what she desired without any concerns about.
Jack stood there, mouth agape, struggling to comprehend the scene unfolding before him.
Meanwhile, Zara maintained a calm demeanor, showing no emotion, while Hendry wore a puzzled expression.
Turning to Olivia, Jack asked, "Olivia, when did you and Zara become close?"
Olivia, unfazed by Jack's question, smiled and replied, "Third brother, I've been thinking. Just like having brothers, wouldn't it be nice to have a sister too? Now I have someone to share girl talk with and go shopping!"
Jack nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah, that's totally true."
"Wow, Olivia looks all grown up," a voice chimed in from behind them.
Everyone turned to see Kylie coming down the stairs, a warm smile on her face as she held Andrew's hand. Despite Kylie's cheerful comment, Andrew remained silent.
Once they reached the living room, Kylie beamed at Olivia. Olivia grinned back, saying, "Absolutely, Mom! I was just thinking how awesome it would be to share and do all the fun things a younger sister gets to do with her big sister."
"It's great to see you thinking that way, Olivia," Kylie said, with an elegant smile.
Then, as she settled down next to Andrew, Kylie turned to Zara and asked, "How was your day, Lia?" Zara gave a nod in response.
Andrew's face lit up with a smile as he glanced at Zara, noticing something and asked, "Did Ethan get you those accessories?"
Kylie caught on too, her face lighting up with a joyful smile.
Noticing her parents' curious and cheerful expressions, Zara gave them a small nod with a smile.
Kylie beamed with joy for her daughter and complemented those items.
Meanwhile, Olivia, upon learning that Ethan had gotten those gifts for Zara, tightened her fist in frustration and took a moment to calm down before joining Jack and Hendry.
She mused, "One day, I'll get Ethan to spoil me with as many gifts as I want and flaunt them in front of everyone."
"Where's Ethan and your two brothers?" Andrew inquired while scanning the living room.
Before Zara could respond, Hendry replied coolly, "Noah and Alan mentioned they needed to chat with Ethan. They're in the study."
Andrew gave a nod to him, while Kylie turned to Julia and suggested, "Send them some snacks while they chat."
"Sure thing, Ma'am," Julia replied with a nod to Kylie before heading off to fetch the snacks.
Soon after, the group began to engage in a light conversation with Zara.