Vince: My Dangerous Mafia Brother

CHAPTER 6

Today is Monday, and it's my birthday. I'm wearing my red ball gown as I'm gently swayed by one of my male classmates for the eighteen roses. I didn't know that Nana had invited all of my classmates and professors, even the Dean attended. But despite this, I still couldn't feel true joy because the person I was waiting for the most still hadn't arrived. Yes, Brother Vince was still missing. I've been trying to reach him on both his Philippine number and the number he used when he was in Italy, but neither could be contacted. I couldn't tell if he was still in the Philippines or had returned to Italy. I also messaged him on his social media account, but he still hasn't read it until now.

"Sydney, you look stunning tonight. You're even more beautiful," my dance partner Kevin spoke, snapping me out of my deep thoughts. Kevin is a basketball captain at the university I attend. He's not a classmate; he's actually the older brother of one of my female classmates, but he was still invited to coincide with my eighteen roses.

"Thank you, Kevin," I replied with a restrained smile.

And he smiled back. "Can I court you?"

"Uh, sorry, I don't think that would be possible. My brother might get mad," I answered, trying to lighten the mood with a forced laugh.

"I'll ask permission from him then," he insisted.

"Well, it's up to you, but for now, I'm not ready to have a boyfriend yet," I replied.

"Then I'll court you until you're ready," he persisted.

He's quite persistent.

"It's up to you..." I just avoided his gaze, but I noticed Kevin's smile.

After Kevin's dance, it was Mr. Mero's turn, our driver, for the seventeenth rose.

"Oh, Dear, I've noticed since earlier that you seem really down. You should be happy, smile because it's your birthday today," Mr. Mero said with concern.

I let out a sad sigh. "It's just that, Mr. Mero, it seems like my brother has forgotten that it's my birthday today."

"Don't be sad, Dear, your brother will come."

"But what time will he come? He's supposed to be my eighteenth rose and I'll dance with him right after you, but he's still not here," I sighed again. "I'm starting to feel hurt. It seems like I'm not important to him anymore."

"Maybe he just had an emergency at work, Dear. But he'll come, maybe just a little late."

I forced a smile. I really hope Brother Vince comes because if not, I'll really be upset with him, and I might not even acknowledge him no matter how many sorrys' he says.

After Mr. Mero's dance with me, I just sat beside my classmates and waited for Brother Vince to arrive.

"So, where's your brother, Sydney?" Liliana asked me.

"He's not here yet; maybe he'll come later," I replied.

"I heard that your brother is handsome. Is that true?" Zyrene asked.

I smiled and nodded proudly. "Yes, of course, my older brother is really handsome. And guess what? He doesn't have a girlfriend until now. So, if you want, you can apply to be his girlfriend," I answered jokingly.

Zyrene and Liliana laughed, but Eren just raised an eyebrow.

"But if he's really handsome, then why doesn't he have a girlfriend yet? Maybe your brother isn't really handsome?" Eren said. She's my classmate, whom I can describe as a bit high-maintenance and sometimes snooty, but she's also kind.

"My brother is handsome, okay? He just doesn't have a girlfriend because he prioritizes his business. And besides, my brother is a bit picky when it comes to girls," I explained.

"Maybe your brother is gay," Eren quipped again, and they laughed.

I chuckled, too. "You guys are too much when it comes to my brother. I bet you'll take it back once you see him; you might even drool over him."

We all laughed together. Somehow, for a moment, I forgot about my brother and whether he'd show up or not.

"Oh, here comes Anie with a handsome guy," Zyrene said.

We all turned to the main door of the mansion. I frowned immediately when I saw Anie entering, wearing a yellow elegant gown accompanied by a tall, fair-skinned man in a gray suit. His eyes were slightly slanted, giving him a Japanese-like appearance.

I stood up, holding the end of my gown, and quickly approached them.

"Anie! I'm glad you're here!" I greeted my friend with a smile, and she immediately hugged me.

"Sorry, bestie, I'm a bit late. This is my cousin; I waited for him because I had to pick him up from the airport," she explained.

I glanced at the man beside her and gave a slight smile. "Hi, I'm Sydney." I extended my hand to him.

A smile appeared on the man's lips as he accepted my outstretched hand. "My name is Jerry. Nice to meet you, Sydney."

Anie subtly smirked as her cousin and I shook hands, and she quickly left us, rushing over to our classmates' table. It seemed like her cousin didn't want to let go of my hand yet, but I pulled it away and just smiled.

"Thank you for coming; go ahead," I said somewhat shyly, avoiding eye contact. His gaze was making me a bit uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry if my gaze makes you uncomfortable; it's just that you're beautiful," he said, walking alongside me.

I just responded with a tight-lipped smile. So, he knew his gaze was making me uneasy.

As we approached the table, our classmates greeted Anie's cousin warmly. But before I could even sit down, Nana Rosia approached me with a cell phone in hand.

"Dear, your brother Vince is calling; he wants to talk to you."

My eyes widened, my face suddenly lit up, and I quickly snatched the phone from Nana's hand.

"Hello, Brother!"

"Happy birthday, my sweetheart."

A big smile formed on my face upon hearing my brother's sweet voice.

"Excuse me, guys, I'll leave you for a moment. I need to talk to my brother," I informed my classmates, who nodded understandingly.

I hurriedly went upstairs and headed straight to my room to avoid too much noise and have a proper conversation with my brother. As soon as I entered, I closed the door and stood by the window.

"Brother, where are you? Are you on your way?" I asked excitedly, still smiling.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I might be a little late. I still have some important matters to attend to. But don't worry, I promise I'll be there after this."

I shook my head softly, even though he couldn't see it. "It's okay, Brother. I can wait. What matters is that you'll arrive before the night ends. I'll be counting on your arrival, Brother. I'll really disown you as my brother if you don't show up."

My brother chuckled from the other end of the line. "You might regret disowning your brother, sweetheart. Because your brother might become even happier."

I knew he was just joking, but I couldn't help but retort, "What about you, Brother? It seems like you don't like me. Maybe the reason you rarely show up is because you don't really want to see me because, the truth is, you don't really love me."

My brother chuckled lightly upon hearing my teasing tone. "Oh, come on, sweetheart, I'm just joking, so don't take it seriously. Your brother loves you dearly, and you're the only one in his heart; come rain or shine, or even if the world comes crashing down, your brother will never trade you for anyone else."

I smiled. "I love you, my brother! Just make sure you come, okay? I'll save a rose for you; I want you to be my last dance."

"I promise your brother will come before midnight. I love you more, sweetheart. Happy birthday again, my dear."

My smile widened. My brother is so sweet.

After our call, I went out of the room again and went downstairs. Somehow, I felt lighter. It's good to know that my brother is still here in the Philippines; maybe he's just really busy, that's why he might be late. But at least he'll still come, so I'll just wait, even if it's until midnight, as long as it's not past 12 AM, because I'll really be upset then.

When I returned to our table, only Zyrene, Mica, Lea, Anie, and her cousin were seated.

"Where are Eren and Liliana?" I inquired as I took my seat.

"They went home. Eren's dad picked her up; she didn't get to say goodbye to you. There's apparently an emergency at their place," Zyrene explained.

I nodded in understanding and reached for the glass of champagne on the table. "Cheers?"

They quickly grabbed their glasses of champagne, including Anie's cousin. "Cheers! Happy birthday to the beautiful lady, Sydney Arsheido!" They cheered, clinking our glasses together simultaneously.

I winced as the champagne went down my throat. I really wasn't used to drinking these kinds of beverages, as my brother always reminded me not to consume alcoholic drinks. But since it's my 18th birthday today, there's probably no harm in having a drink. I'm sure my brother wouldn't mind.

"My beautiful Sydney, can you dance with me?" Jerry, Anie's cousin, asked as he stood up and extended his hand to me.

But before I could respond, my female classmates started cheering.

"Come on, Sydney!"

"Yahoo! You look perfect together!"

I couldn't do anything but accept his extended hand and stand up. Jerry smiled and led me towards the center of the mansion, where some of my classmates were already dancing. But as we passed by a red sofa, Jerry momentarily stopped when he noticed the single rose left from the eighteen roses earlier.

"There's still one rose left—"

"That's for my brother, don't mind it," I cut him off.

"Ah." Jerry scratched his head but still smiled at me. As he danced with me, I forced a small smile back at him.

The music was being played by three female violinists seated on the other side. Nana was the one who arranged for them. I was really amazed by Nana's preparation skills.

"Sydney..." Jerry called me.

"Hmm?" I looked up at him.

"Has my cousin told you?"

"Told me what?" I asked back.

"That I have a big crush on you."

"Ah, yes. Thanks."

And he smiled. "Do you have a boyfriend? Can I court you? I promise I'll be a good boyfriend to you."

"Sorry, but I'm not ready to have a boyfriend yet. Right now, my priority is my studies to make my brother proud of me."

Jerry's smile widened. "You're amazing. You've impressed me even more. Not only are you beautiful, but also very kind and obedient to your sibling."

I just gave a small smile and didn't respond further. Until Jerry spoke again.

"In that case, can we just be friends?"

And I shook my head. "Sorry, but that's not possible either."

He seemed disappointed by my answer and didn't say anything else.

After our dance, we returned to our table. But as soon as we did, Anie's cousin immediately invited Anie to go home.

"But we've only been here for less than an hour, Brother Jerry. Do you really want to go home already? Did something happen?" Anie couldn't believe her eyes and asked her cousin.

And Jerry shook his head. "Nothing. I just forgot that I have an appointment at seven pm."

"Huh? I thought you weren't busy, Brother?" Anie sighed and looked at us. "I'm sorry, girls, it seems we need to go home. Sydney, I'm sorry, best."

"No, it's okay. Take care on your way home." I smiled at my best friend.

After bidding us farewell, Anie and her cousin left the mansion. The rest of us remained at the table with my other classmates.

"What happened, Sydney? Did you do something to Anie's cousin that he immediately wanted to go home right after arriving?" Mica, my mischievous classmate, asked.

"Yeah, Sydney, why did he seem so annoyed after dancing with you?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "He just asked me if he could court me, but I said no. Then he asked if we could just be friends, but I also declined."

"What?!" My three classmates exclaimed in disbelief.

"So you rejected him?" Zyrene chuckled.

"My god, Sydney, you're so harsh. He's probably hurt; that's why he left so suddenly," Mica playfully slapped my arm, which made me chuckle, too.

"Yeah, just by the way he looked at you earlier, it was obvious he liked you. He probably expected you to agree to be his girlfriend," Lea added.

I felt a pang of guilt. "Oh no, I hurt him like that, but I was just being honest; I really don't want a boyfriend, or even just a male friend, because I don't want my brother to be angry with me."

Zyrene shook her head. "Well, it seems like your brother is really strict. But then again, you're his only sister, and you're a girl."

“It's really hard when you have a brother. Luckily, my brother is already married, so now I feel more liberated. I can easily lie to Mom,” Mica chuckled and joined arms with Lea.

I sighed. Was it wrong for me to be honest about not wanting male friends, especially a boyfriend? But Brother Vince told me to turn away any guy who approaches me immediately.

I pushed aside my thoughts about rejecting Jerry and just chatted with my classmates. When 7:00 PM came, we had a pool party. Some of my classmates went swimming, but I stayed, still wearing my gown, and watched them.

By 10:00 PM, one by one, my classmates bid farewell until it was just me and the housemaids left.

And now, here I am, sitting on a chair by the swimming pool, staring at my phone, waiting for Brother Vince's call or arrival.

“Hija, why don't you go inside? That's where you should wait for your brother; it's too mosquito-ridden out here,” Nana said to me as she tidied up.

“But, Nana, do you think Brother will still come?”

“He will come; maybe he's already on his way.”

I took a deep breath. “But why hasn't he called again? I can't reach his number either. Maybe he's not coming anymore, Nana. It's 10:45 PM already, close to midnight.”

“Oh, child, don't be sad. Your brother will come. You know how busy he is, so maybe he'll be a little late,” Miss Melai, one of our housemaids, reassured me.

Sadness enveloped me as I furrowed my brows and rested my head on the circular table, still staring at the screen of my phone. Nana and the other housemaids, Miss Melai and Miss Jera, continued cleaning, sighing sympathetically at my state.

"Brother, please... please call..." I muttered.

Minutes passed, Nana was almost done cleaning the swimming pool, but still, I couldn't reach Brother Vince's number. It was already 11:21 PM, and my eyes were starting to sting—not from drowsiness but from the impending tears.

"Hija, we're going inside now. Are you not coming in?" Nana asked.

I shook my head. "I'll stay a bit longer, Nana. I'll wait for Brother until twelve. He said he'd come before—" My eyes widened as my phone rang. "It's Brother! He's calling!" I quickly adjusted my posture and answered the call. "Hello, Brother! Where are you? Are you close?"

"Sweetheart, are you still waiting for me?" my brother asked, his voice strained.

"Yes, Brother, of course, I'm still waiting. You said you'd come. So, where are you?"

I heard him sigh. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I won't be able to make it tonight."

"W-What?" I stood up.

"I'm not in the right state of mind right now, sweetheart, so I'm sorry; even if I wanted to come to you, I can't because I might do something foolish. Let me make it up to you tomorrow, I promise."

Tears streamed down my face. "I hate you! I hate you so much, Brother!" I shouted, crying.

But Brother Vince hung up abruptly.

I broke down completely and quickly ran inside the mansion.

"Oh, hija, why are you crying? Did something happen?" Miss Melai asked as she crossed paths with me.

But I ignored her and hurriedly climbed the stairs. Once in my room, I collapsed on the bed, angrily throwing my phone aside. I sobbed into the soft pillow, hearing Nana calling me from outside, but I didn't answer, letting myself cry alone.

I paused my tears when my phone rang again. Like lightning, I leaped off the bed and grabbed the phone I had tossed. I thought it was Brother calling again, but it was a different number.

"Hello, who's this?" I answered, my voice trembling and choked with tears.

"Sydney, it's me, Jerry. I got your number from my cousin."

I paused my crying. "What do you need? Why did you call?"

"Wait, why do you sound like that? Are you crying?"

"No, I'm not crying," I lied. "What do you need?"

"Actually, I just wanted to apologize for my behavior at your party earlier. I left early even though I had just arrived. The truth is, I was a bit disappointed when you said you didn't like me, even just as a friend. I'm really sorry, Sydney. But now, I still want to be friends with you even if you don't want to. I'm not a bad guy; I'm a good man."

"Okay, it's up to you. I'll hang up now," I responded without enthusiasm to his broken voice. But just as I was about to hang up, Jerry spoke again.

"Is there a problem? Maybe I can help. You can tell me, maybe I can help."

I let out a sigh and wiped the tears from my cheeks with my hand. "It's my brother. He didn't come today even though he knew it was my birthday. I wanted to see him, but I don't know where he is." I sobbed again, unable to contain my emotions.

I really couldn't accept that my brother stood me up. He promised me he would come no matter what, but it was just a lie.

"I can track his phone number. Do you want to try tracking your brother's number? So you can find him."

I felt a sudden surge of hope at his words. "Really? Is that true?"

"Yes, but it depends on whether he answers the call. We can only trace his location once he picks up."

"In that case, I'll give you my brother's number. Try calling him; maybe he'll answer. Just don't speak, and don't let him know that I gave you his number to find his location."

"Noted, Sydney. So, can we be friends now once I track your brother's number?"

Even though he couldn't see it, I nodded quickly. "Sure, no problem. Okay, I'll hang up now, okay? So I can pass my brother's number to you."

So when I hung up the phone, I quickly looked for my brother's phone number and passed it to Jerry. After sending it, he immediately replied that he had received it and that I just needed to wait a few minutes.

It took more than twenty minutes before I received another text message from Jerry, and I felt a surge of energy when I read the message. When he called again, I quickly answered.

"Sydney, did you read my message? Just follow the map in the picture. It seems like your brother isn't leaving, according to the tracker. So hurry to catch up, he might leave. It looks like he's on private property; when I checked the location on Google Maps, it seemed far from home. Just be careful. You probably have someone with you on the way there, right?"

"Yes, of course, our driver is with me. Okay, thank you so much, Jerry. I'll call you again when I'm not busy, I promise I'll make it up to you. Thank you so much!"

I didn't wait for him to respond again and hung up.

"At last, I'll finally be able to see you! You're really in for it later, big brother!" I exclaimed as I quickly ran out of the room, not bothering to change clothes.

I almost stumbled down the stairs because of the length of my gown.

"Oh dear, what's the rush?" Nana asked me, about to go upstairs but stopped when she saw me hurrying down.

"Is Man Mero still awake, Nana? Is he still up?" I asked.

"Yes, it seems like he's still awake. Why do you ask? And why do you seem to be in such a hurry? Do you have somewhere to go, dear?"

"Yes, Nana, I'm going to see Brother Vince now! I know where he is! Could you please call Mr. Mero for me? I just need him to take me to Brother Vince!"

Nana's face brightened, and she nodded immediately. "Alright, just wait in the car. I'll wake up Mero even if he's still asleep."

I nodded. "Okay, Nana! Thank you!"

I quickly ran to the garage and got into the car.

The sadness I felt earlier had completely disappeared, replaced by joy. I'm so excited. I'm sure my brother will be surprised to see me. If he doesn't want to show up, then I'll be the one to find him.