"Sweetie, are you really sure about this?"
"Mom." Veronica Wang glanced at her mother Celerina Wang with a gentle expression, "Many years passed already and besides I won't be staying there for long."
"I know, and I understand. However, I can't help but worry about you, Vivi. What happened that year was already enough for me to bear. Please think of Fire and Fair", Celerina Wang pleads as she holds her daughter's hands with hers.
When her mother mentioned her twin children, Veronica's firm resolve softened, however, remembering the severity of the problem in Country P's force made her feel that she needed to personally go there. She was yet to establish her own force in Country P but her trusted right hand, Zero, reported that there is an unknown superior force seemingly preventing them from gaining more power. It's like an ominous force was trying to contain them and worst, they were rendered helpless.
"Mom... your worries, I could understand them but please, trust me."
"Even so. Vivi, although the people we suspected to have instigated what happened that year had been destroyed by an unknown force but your uncle Bien, I and your father were suspicious that there's more to it. Please think more about it. And don't forget the danger you might put yourself into."
Veronica couldn't deny the fact that her mother has a point. Those scheming people that destroyed their family's treasured reputation are dangerous. She seethed in anger just remembering what happened to her and her family years ago.
Veronica had always wanted to take revenge but the question is... to whom? Unknowingly after they left Country P with the help of her mother's brother, her uncle Bien, the Yan Family whom they suspected to be behind the destruction of their family and her accident was also ruthlessly destroyed by some unknown force. She was curious about it but never dwelt much since that is the reality of life, worst,... that's how politics works. Probably the unknown force was another family the Yan family has unfortunately offended in the past.
And this is also one of the things Veronica would like to find out on her return.
"We wih (wil) miss you mommy. Muah!' A four years old blond-haired girl kissed across the laptop screen. 'Bayfigh and Bayfey wibe obedient until you come back home, wight Figh (Fire)?"
"Yes." A monotone reply of another four years old red-haired boy. The boy was the very opposite of his chatty and lively twin sister. Matured like for his very young age but when it comes to their mother, he is, after all, just a young kid.
"Take care of yourself, mother. I'll look out for Baelfire and grandma and grandpa while you're not around."
Veronica's strong resolve was melting away because she started to miss her twin children already. "Remember what you promised mommy Fair, okay? Mom will be back as soon as possible." Veronica addressed her youngest daughter. "That made mommy happy, Fire. Please do so. You are mommy's little superhero", this time she addressed her eldest son.
When everything was ready for the plane to take off, Veronica bid her goodbyes to the twins. She saw the sadness both in their eyes but she was proud to have raised them to be strong but... not yet independent. After all, she is a mother and no matter how much she wanted her children to be strong for their own sake, she still wanted them to be dependent of her because at the end of the day, she will always be their mother who will always have their back.
Baelfire was the one who inherited her red hair. Baelfair on the other hand was blond. Her mother once told her that her maternal grandmother was blond while her grandfather was a red-head. That explained each of the unique hair colours of the twins.
Her twins are the polar opposite of each other but both are comparatively and undeniably geniuses. And both... has... their father's face.
"Indeed their father's children".
After the private plane took off, Veronica was deep in thought prodding the memory lane as she remembered the incident five years ago and once again dreamed of her past with the man who fathered her, her children.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Five Years Ago, The Clandestine Place Club.
"Are you guys sure about this?!" Pearl asked timidly.
"Of course!" Yvette answered. Excitement laced in her voice as she warmed up her body with some dancing movements. The club was filled with loud music from the DJ along with the cheering of the dancing crowd.
"Here you go guys!" Martha exclaimed loudly as she distributed Heineken to each of them with the help of Ric, one their underclassman whom their group is very fond of. He's like the baby of their group.
"So how was it?" Ric teased her as it's been common knowledge to everyone in their group that she was very excited to experience night clubbing.
"Suave!" Veronica giggled. Earlier that day was their successful thesis defense and maybe that was what heightened her joyous mood and she gulped her beer while shaking her body. "Ugh!" Her face wrinkled. San Miguel apple flavored beer or a Smirnoff could have been better, she thought. She drinks alcohol yes but she can only tolerate the lighter ones with less alcohol content.
"Guys, I'll be leaving by ten, okay?!" Pearl shouted as she's starting to be comfortable in the crowd and decided to dance decently as well. Pearl is an unica hija and her parents were strict with her. Thankfully, despite being strict, her parents were also rational not to the point of restricting Pearl to go out and enjoy with her friends. Only that there's a curfew being set.
"Make it eleven!" Veronica tried to persuade as she checked her watch. It's already nine and she thought they haven't enjoyed muh together yet.
"You know Mom girls. She might be mad if I come home later than the set time and won't allow me to go out next time." Pearl replied, obviously unwilling but she fears her mother the most.
"Aww." Veronica was disappointed but no longer argued as that was the truth. "Anyway, where's Floydie and Gedmaire? Thought they're already on the way?"
"There they are!" Rose pointed. All of them looked excitedly as the two approached them.
"Yessssss! Let's paint the town bloody red!" Floyd screams at the top of his lungs but the sound he made is incomparable to the lively, party noise around them.
"L' etat c' est moi!" Gedmaire exclaimed loudly as well.
All of them rolled their eyes at him. After the kiss and greet they continued with having fun dancing.
Veronica is now on her third bottle of beer and she must admit she's already tipsy and is, undeniably, boldly dancing with her friends. Without her knowing, she caught the attention of a pair of sharp eyes as she and her friends entered the dance floor.
At the VIP private room seated an amorous man with much sophistication like royalty. Tall and well-built, dark black, thick hair, bushy yet neat brows, deep seated eyes, high-bridge nose, thin sexy lips and a sharp jaw. An angelic man at a glance but... devilish at a closer look.
The man decided to walk towards the balcony and look at the chaos below through the tinted glass window as he took a sip from his cognac.
"Bunch of...," something glinted in his eyes as he saw from below, a group of teenagers entering the dancefloor. From the group, his attention was instantly on the girl wearing a black blazer and a denim skirt. He can clearly see her from the second floor private room. After watching intensely for a while, he returned to the lounge and indulged in more of his drink. Just as he shut his eyes, the gleeful girl earlier from the dancefloor flashed before him. Another glint, this time, dangerous, flashed in his eyes.
"Ryan." He called out to his Secretary.
"Yes President?" Ryan instantly appeared by his side. A befuddled look evident on his face as he saw the amusement and at the same time the look he only knows appears in his boss' eyes whenever he's excited for something, like bloodbath.
Rawlf pointed outside the transparent sliding door. "Get that girl here."
Secretary Ryan was even more confused. 'Girl? Who?
There's a lot of girls below.' He thought. "B-boss? Who?" He asked nervously. It's already known for everyone in high society that Rawlf Sy of Sy International was an aloof cold-blooded man. That is, to be exact, an understatement. Rawlf Sy, contrary to his manly and handsomely angelic features, is a very, very dangerous man. Someone whom your mother would advise you to stay away from as far,... far away as possible.
"Black blazer. Denim skirt."
Secretary Ryan approached the tinted window and took a look outside trying to search for the girl who caught the President's interest, for the meantime. He's already formulating his plan on how to get the girl and how much he will give her in order to silence and avoid controversy after his boss satiates his needs and fun for the moment.
"Oh," he thought as he finally located the girl whom his boss pointed out... "wait, isn't that young master Ric?" Secretary Ryan's eyes widened as he confirmed.
"President, your younger brother-----, I mean your father's youngest son, Ric is in her group. They must be friends."
Rawlf took a sip from his drink before replying, "Call him and his friends here. Be sure that that girl also comes". He said this in a dangerous tone.
Ryan moves faster to do his boss' request. The thing that bothered him is that, if the girl is able to be friends with the President's younger brother,.. he meant, the President's father's youngest son to another mistress, that means that the girl must have come from an affluent family.
It didn't bother him though as President Sy has enough power, more than anyone could imagine,... to get away with it. Secretary Ryan shrugged his shoulders.
"Whatever. The devil's wish is this poor secretary's command."
___________________
"Young master Ric."
Ric was surprised to see Secretary Ryan in front, his older half- brother's Secretary. It's not a surprise for him to see the secretary or the thought that Rawlf Sy, his older half-brother, is inside the club but more likely, it's unbelievably surprising that Rawlf Sy's secretary approached him. Ric excused himself from his noisy group of friends to talk to the secretary privately.
"What is it all about Secretary Ryan?" Ric maintained his distant yet polite attitude towards the Secretary. After all, despite being illegitimate, Robert Sy's legitimate family maintained their civil treatment towards him and his mother. Maybe because his mom knows her place in his father's life that she didn't insist for anything more than what his father would give them as per his responsibility.
As for him, as long as his father provides for his and his mother's needs and possibly some luxury someone carrying the blood of a Sy deserves, then he no longer thinks of other things.
Why complicate his already complicated life further right?
"President Sy would like to invite you," Secretary Ryan paused and looked over behind his friends table. He seemed to be looking for a specific person and frowned when he couldn't find that person, "and ALL your friends." Secretary Ryan finished.
Ric suspiciously stared at the Secretary. "Were you looking for someone or perhaps a specific person?"
"Not really. I was just confused because back at the VIP room I counted you to have been eight but it seems like I counted wrong." Secretary Ryan quickly answered.
"Ah yes, two of my friends went outside to help another friend of ours to safely take a cab." Ric was still suspicious as to Rawlf Sy's motive of inviting him and his friends over.
But whatever his older half- brother's intentions, he knew for a fact that he wouldn't hurt him or his friends. Dangerous Rawlf Sy may be, but Ric knows he is a 'rational' man. Probably he just wants to see and get to know him. Afterall, he is still his older brother and deep inside him, he craves for an older brother's affection.
"In that case, please go to the second floor, VIP room 20. I will wait for your other friends here and lead them there."
"It's alright. It's better if you guide them there first and I'll be the one to wait for them here."
"Young master Ric, your older brother expects to see you first more than he wants to see your friends. Better go there first. Don't worry, I will be sure to bring your friends safely in a while."
Ric paused, hesitating.
"Young master, please go ahead. The master won't be staying long." Secretary Ryan added quickly.
"Alright then. Please be sure to inform them as well." Ric finally conceded and went back to his friends to inform them.
Veronica just came back with Yvette and both of them frowned after seeing their group's empty table and seats. The thing that muddled them both was that from the place where she and her friends occupied earlier, there was a man in a suit standing there. She moved her eyes from the man and scanned the dance floor to search out for their friends.
"Where do you think they would go?" Yvette asked her while dialing Martha's number.
"I don't know. Maybe somewhere on the dance floor," Veronica looked around once more, "but the thing is, I still couldn't find them or anyone." Veronica swept her eyes around again.
"It's better if we return to our place and wait for them there," Yvette paused, "But, do you know that man?" she continued as she look at the man
"I don't know but sure, let's get there first. And just leave Martha a text. The signal inside was poor so that's probably one thing why you can't reach out to them. The text messages might also be delayed. They started walking in the crowd and slowly reached their table and the man in suit also came forward to meet them.
"Excuse me miss, your friends were invited by my master to the VIP private room on the second floor." The man informed them politely.
Veronica and Yvette at the same time looked into each other's eyes with suspicions and curiosity. 'Who is this man. And what master?!'
"Please follow me." He then insisted.
"I'm sorry but I don't have the slightest idea of who your master is. Is it someone one of us is acquainted with?" Veronica asked the man.
"Yes miss. Please look over there."
"There they are!" Yvette pointed at Ric and their friends waving at them at the open balcony of the club's second floor.
'Oh so there was a balcony. How convenient.' Veronica thought. The VIP rooms of the club were located on the second floor. She saw there were several cubicles each with tinted sliding windows.
As they reached the VIP room, the man who introduced himself as Secretary Ryan slid opened the door. He then steps aside, obviously telling them to come in first. Yvette walked inside and Veronica followed but was once again confused when Mr. Ryan slid closed the door right away, leaving himself out. Like he was afraid that someone might escape out.'Am I starting to get drunk that I started to notice weird things or am I becoming weird because I'm starting to get drunk?' Veronica mumbled at the closed door.
"And the last one is Veronica Wang."
Veronica heard Ric behind and as she turned around, a pair of dark, dangerous eyes looked through hers. He watched her rather too intensely that she felt it almost take her breath away. Something tingles inside her and she wasn't naïve not to understand what she's feeling for those sets of eyes continuously watching her and like a vacuum, absorbing her rational thoughts leaving her stupefied. The slight drunkenness she felt earlier was washed away.
"Hello. Hello." Veronica bowed foolishly.
"Hmm."
Veronica recovered after hearing this curt reply from the owner of those eyes. He seemed uninterested and that embarrassed and annoyed Veronica at the same time. Embarrassed because it's not like her.
Veronica Wang losing her chill because of someone's pair of eyes? Annoyed because despite the uninterested reply from the man, she felt addicted to what those sets of eyes made her feel like. And it stirred something not so dormant within her.