"Alright, Lia, ready for your first surprise?" Kalina asked as they finished their meal, setting down her napkin with deliberate slowness.
Ophelia practically bounced in her seat, her earlier exhaustion completely forgotten. "Yes, yes! Come on, the suspense has been killing me for the past hour!"
Kalina reached into her designer bag and pulled out a small, ornate box—elegant mahogany with intricate silver inlay that caught the afternoon light. She placed it on the table between them but kept her hand resting possessively on the lid.
"What's that?" Ophelia asked, leaning forward so eagerly she nearly knocked over her teacup.
"Your first gift," Kalina said, her smile widening into something decidedly mischievous. "But there's a catch."
"A catch?" Ophelia's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why is there always a catch with you?"
"Because I'm your sister, and making you work for things builds character," Kalina replied smoothly. She lifted the lid slowly, revealing the contents with theatrical flair.
Inside were seven intricately designed tokens, each one a small work of art. They gleamed against the velvet lining—carved from what looked like polished wood and inlaid with delicate silver engravings. Each bore a different symbol: a paintbrush, a globe, a portrait frame, a building, a champagne glass, a gavel, and a computer screen.
Ophelia's breath caught. "Kali, these are beautiful. What are they?"
"Each token represents a different gift," Kalina explained, tracing one finger along the edge of the box. "But here's the twist: you only get to pick one."
"One?" Ophelia's voice rose an octave, drawing glances from nearby tables. She immediately lowered it to an urgent whisper. "But there are seven! How am I supposed to choose just one? That's torture!"
Kalina leaned back in her chair, clearly savoring her sister's distress. "That's the game, little sister. You pick randomly—no peeking, no strategizing—and whatever you get, that's your gift."
Ophelia stared at the tokens, her mind visibly racing. "Wait a minute. These symbols..." She pointed to each one in turn, her art expertise kicking in. "A paintbrush—an exclusive artwork? The globe—a private art tour? A portrait frame—commissioned portrait? The building—that's not... that's not a gallery expansion, is it?" Her voice became increasingly breathless. "A champagne glass—event sponsorship? The gavel—art auction connections? And the computer screen—digital gallery tools?"
Kalina nodded slowly, impressed despite herself. "You always were quick to catch on. Yes, each token represents exactly what you think it does. Major investments in your career, your gallery, your future. But remember—" she held up one finger, "—just one pick."
"One pick?" Ophelia's expression crumbled into the most pitiful pout imaginable. Her eyes went wide and glassy, her lower lip trembling with the precision of someone who'd perfected this technique over twenty-something years. "But Kali, they're all so amazing. I need all of them! Couldn't I maybe... possibly... pick three? Pretty please?"
She clasped her hands together in supplication, batting her eyelashes with enough force to create a breeze.
Kalina chuckled, shaking her head firmly. "Lia, I already told you—your legendary cuteness won't work this time. I'm immune. I've been exposed to it for your entire life."
"But it's my birthday next month," Ophelia wheedled, her voice taking on that soft, pleading quality that had gotten her out of trouble since childhood. She reached across the table, taking Kalina's hand in both of hers. "And I did cover for you in all those boring meetings with the board. The ones where Mr. Chen talked for three hours about quarterly projections? Remember?"
"I remember you complaining about them," Kalina said dryly.
"And I handled the Rylan account negotiations," Ophelia continued, gaining momentum. "That alone was worth at least two tokens. Do you know how many spreadsheets I had to pretend to understand? How many times I had to nod seriously while having no idea what 'fiscal year Q3 projections' meant?"
"You did sign off on a major contract without reading it," Kalina pointed out.
"Which worked out perfectly!" Ophelia protested. "And I kept your secret about knowing Maxi personally. That's worth something, isn't it? I didn't even tell Mother, and you know how she interrogates me."
Kalina raised an eyebrow, fighting a smile. "Using my own manipulation tactics against me? I've taught you too well. That's either impressive or concerning."
"So...?" Ophelia pressed, deploying her full arsenal of adorable pleading. She tilted her head, squeezed Kalina's hand, and added a little sniffle for good measure. "Please? Three picks? I promise I'll be forever grateful. I'll cover for you in meetings for the next six months. A year! I'll even pretend to laugh at Atticus's terrible jokes at family dinners!"
"Now you're just being dramatic," Kalina said, but her resolve was weakening. She could never truly resist when Ophelia pulled out all the stops.
"Is it working?" Ophelia asked hopefully.
Kalina sighed, long and dramatic, as if this decision was causing her immense suffering. "Fine. Three picks. But!" She held up a finger sharply as Ophelia started to squeal with delight. "You have to close your eyes. No peeking, no trying to feel which token is which, no cheating of any kind. Completely random."
"Deal!" Ophelia agreed instantly, already squeezing her eyes shut with childlike enthusiasm. "I accept your terms! Three random picks, no takebacks!"
"And no complaining if you don't like what you get," Kalina added.
"As if I could complain about any of these," Ophelia muttered, her eyes still firmly closed. She wiggled her fingers dramatically over the box, making a show of sensing the tokens' "energy" or some such nonsense. "Okay, first pick... I'm feeling the vibes... reaching out to the universe..."
"Just pick one already," Kalina said, amused.
Ophelia's hand darted down and snatched up a token. "Can I look?"
"Go ahead," Kalina said, her voice warm with anticipation.
Ophelia opened her eyes and immediately gasped, pressing the token to her chest. "The globe! The private art tour!" She looked at Kalina with shining eyes. "Oh Kali, this is the one I wanted most! Private tours of the Louvre, the Uffizi, the Prado—do you know how many pieces I'll get to study? How many connections I'll make? This is incredible!"
"Two more picks," Kalina reminded her gently. "Eyes closed, Lia."
Ophelia obediently shut her eyes again, though her hand was already hovering eagerly over the box. She grabbed another token quickly, as if afraid Kalina might change her mind. When she opened her eyes, she let out another delighted gasp.
"The gavel! Art auction connections!" She clutched both tokens now, looking at them like precious treasures. "I'll have access to the major auction houses—Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams. Kali, do you know what this means for my gallery? The prestige, the clientele..."
"Last one," Kalina said softly, her own excitement growing as she watched her sister's joy. "Make it count."
Ophelia took a deep breath, closing her eyes with visible concentration this time. Her hand hovered over the remaining tokens, moving back and forth as if genuinely trying to sense which one to choose. Finally, she selected one and held it close before opening her eyes.
When she did, the squeal she released was loud enough to make their waiter drop a tray in the kitchen. Several nearby patrons turned to stare, but Ophelia didn't care. "The building! A gallery expansion!" She jumped up from her chair, nearly knocking it over. "Kali, I can't believe it! I can finally open that second location I've been dreaming about! The space in the arts district—I've had my eye on it for months!"
Tears were streaming down her face now, smudging her carefully applied mascara. She launched herself around the table, wrapping Kalina in a fierce hug that nearly toppled them both.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Ophelia sobbed into Kalina's shoulder. "You have no idea what this means to me. All my dreams, everything I've been working toward—you're making it possible."
Kalina returned the embrace, her own eyes misting despite her best efforts to maintain composure. "You deserve it, Lia. Every bit of it. Your talent, your dedication, your passion for art—it's real, and it's brilliant. It's time the world recognized what I've always known: you're extraordinary."
When Ophelia finally pulled back, she was beaming through her tears, clutching her three tokens like they were made of solid gold. "You're the best sister ever. The absolute best. I can't even—" She stopped, eyes widening as memory struck. "Wait. You said there were two gifts!"
Kalina's expression shifted to something enigmatic, almost playful. She dabbed at her own eyes with her napkin and took a sip of tea to compose herself. "That's right. But the second one... well, let's just say it's not something I can put in a box or represent with a token."
Ophelia's curiosity reignited instantly, her tears drying as excitement took over. "Kali, what have you done now? You have that look—that scheming look you get when you're planning something big."
"Do I?" Kalina asked innocently, though her smile suggested otherwise.
"Yes! That exact look! The one you had before you somehow convinced Mother to let me skip that awful charity gala. The one you had before you miraculously got me front-row tickets to that sold-out exhibition. What is it? Tell me!"
Kalina stood gracefully, gathering her bag and signaling for the check. "You'll see soon enough. But we need to go to your gallery first. That's where your second gift is waiting."
"At the gallery?" Ophelia was already on her feet, grabbing her own bag with one hand while clutching her precious tokens with the other. "It's at the gallery right now? What is it? Is it big? Is it art? Is it—oh my god, did you buy me that sculpture I liked? The one from the Italian artist?"
"If I tell you, it ruins the surprise," Kalina said, leaving cash on the table for their meal plus a generous tip. "Come on, let's go."
They headed for the exit, Ophelia practically vibrating with excitement and pelting Kalina with increasingly wild guesses. "Is it a new piece for my collection? A famous artist visiting? Did you commission something? Is it a—"
As they stepped outside into the afternoon sunlight, Kalina turned to her sister with an apologetic smile. "Oh, one more thing. I didn't bring my car today—I got a ride with Logan this morning. Could you drive me to the main office after we see your gift? I need to finalize some proposal documents, and I really can't stress myself with hailing a taxi or ordering a cab. You know how I feel about small talk with strangers."
Ophelia laughed, linking her arm through Kalina's as they walked toward the parking lot. "Of course I'll drive you! After everything you've done for me today? I'd drive you to the moon if you asked. Besides, it gives me more time to interrogate you about this mysterious second gift."
"You can interrogate all you want," Kalina said, her smile turning mischievous. "Doesn't mean I'll tell you anything."
"Evil," Ophelia declared cheerfully. "Absolutely evil. But I love you anyway."
"Love you too, Lia," Kalina replied softly, squeezing her sister's arm. "Now come on, let's go see your surprise before you explode from curiosity."
As they walked to Ophelia's car, the afternoon sun warm on their faces, Kalina felt that same sense of peace from earlier. Yes, she'd manipulated circumstances to get here—blackmailed, schemed, played the game with ruthless efficiency. But looking at Ophelia's radiant face, at the tokens clutched in her hand like talismans of a brighter future, Kalina knew every calculated move had been worth it.
She'd secured her own freedom from an unwanted marriage, helped her youngest sister achieve her dreams, and maintained the elaborate web of secrets that kept her true empire hidden. Not bad for a supposedly lazy, unmotivated middle daughter.