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Dearest readers, I'm back and thank you very much for the well wishes and patience!
Thank you very much.
-----NOTE ENDS------
RAELYNN
Once we were pulled out of our daze by Vincent's ringing phone, he and I moved away from each other awkwardly.
He excused himself to attend the call and I walked back in from the garden, slightly embarrassed.
The night passed by silently as both of us laid down on the terrace, lost in our own individual thoughts, feeling too conscious to speak to each other.
The next morning, I walked to the dining room early as usual and Theodore offered me a cup of coffee like he has been doing since the day I came here.
"Good morning, Ren.", Aurelio greeted, smiling at me.
"Good morning.", I greeted him politely.
Soon, the kids all joined us cheerfully, bringing a soft smile on my lips.
Vincent cleared this throat, grabbing everyone's attention.
I know where this is going, knowing well Ace is going to get chastised.
"How did you get that bruise on your jaw, Ace?", Vincent asked calmly, leaning back in his chair.
Ace stiffened and so did the others.
"Ash and I argued over something and Ash punched me i-", Ace started saying, slightly hesitantly and gradually came to a pause under his brother's deceptively calm gaze.
Tsk.
"Go on, I'm listening.", Vincent gave him a curt nod.
Ace hesitated and briefly looked at Ashton who pressed his lips tight, tense.
"I'm waiting, Ace.", Vincent probed calmly.
Ace hesitantly looked back at him.
I felt bad for him, but I know I shouldn't intervene. Even Aurelio and Theodore stayed quiet.
"I uh Ash was angry so we uh -", Ace fumbled with his words a little.
Vincent's gaze was stoic, calm and unreadable and it evidently intimidated and served as an underlying warning.
The room went utterly silent, none of them speaking up.
"When I get an answer from you, I'll believe it. I have faith that none of you would ever lie to me.", Vincent said calmly, looking at everyone who had their gaze cast down.
"I'm asking you again, Ace, how did you get that bruise on your jaw?", he asked in a neutral tone.
Ace spoke up after a momentary pause.
"Dad hit me.", he confessed.
"Does that imply that you lied to me when I asked you the same question a week ago?", Vincent questioned calmly.
Ace clenched his jaw, nodding.
"Why?", Vincent asked.
Ace stayed silent.
"Did you think I'm not capable enough to handle it or that I'm unreliable an-", Vincent was asking, but Ace cut him off.
"Vince", Ace intervened, his tone laced in guilt.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lied. I had been foolish.", he continued, looking at his brother.
Vincent looked at him stoically, not speaking up.
"I'll never do it again.", Ace said earnestly.
"You've broken my trust.", Vincent stated calmly.
"I'll never lie to you again or hide anything, I promise.", Ace promised firmly.
"Neither of us will lie to you again.", Dylan supported and the rest nodded, guilty and determined.
"Make sure there won't be a next time to this, else I'll appoint a personal guard to each of you to stay right by your side at all times, even at home.", Vincent warned sternly.
The siblings looked at him, shocked and repulsed at the thought of having a personal guard.
"We'll never lie to you again.", Ashton said intently.
Vincent didn't say anything after that and we were interrupted by their grandmother walking in.
She took her seat silently and soon, breakfast was served.
Their father didn't come and I wondered if he had left.
Vincent's breakfast was done and he stood up to take a call.
As he was walking past his siblings, answering the call, he gently ruffled Ace's hair before leaving.
That simple action was enough to convey his forgiveness and it made the entire tension in the room dissipate, relaxing everyone as Ace's lips curved up in relief.
I felt relieved seeing them.
Everyone stood up to leave as they were done with breakfast and I was the last one to leave, but paused when the unlikeable old woman spoke up.
"You, woman, stay back. I have something to talk with you.", Bianca Marino ordered arrogantly, still seated at the table while I was at the door, my back facing her.
That's it.
Yesterday, I let her disrespect slide since I didn't want the kids to get involved, but the woman's getting on my nerves.
Turning around, I looked her straight in the eyes, my face stoic and gaze authoritative.
"First, remember my name and address me politely by adding a 'Miss' in front of it, then I'll consider wasting a minute of my time on you.", I said stoically, my gaze dripping with arrogance and contempt.
Not waiting for her to respond, I walked out, closing the door behind.
As soon as I stepped out, I was slightly startled to see Aurelio standing beside the door, leaning back on the wall.
He looked at me with an amused smile.
"What?", I questioned calmly.
He shrugged, shaking his head.
I started walking past him, but he followed right behind, catching up to my pace, walking beside me.
"Have you ever heard the rumors that are associated with our family?", Aurelio asked casually.
"Are you trying to scare me off for giving your grandma a reply she deserved?", I asked, looking straight ahead.
"Not at all.", he replied immediately.
"Why are you asking then?", I questioned in a calm tone.
"Just because.", he replied.
I did not grace him with an answer.
I do know the rumors are very true and what they do under the wraps, but I'm uncertain if it's okay to blatantly accept what I know about them.
However, it would be very strange if I deny knowing anything even after seeing Vincent brutally slashing his enemies with my own eyes.
"You haven't answered my question.", Aurelio probed further.
Gosh, he's persistent.
Much to my relief, we came across Vincent in the hallway, breaking the conversation midway.
Vincent was done talking to Cavin, who greeted all three of us before leaving.
I looked at Vincent and he was already looking at Aurelio and me, his gaze very faintly dimmed.
"What are the both of you talking about?", he asked, looking at me.
What Aurelio answered next gave me a strange feeling, as if he was doing something deliberately,
"We're getting to know each other."
~*~
VINCENT
As I was done talking to Cavin, my gaze drifted to Aurelio and Ren walking side by side, talking to each other.
The sight somehow irked me.
After Cavin walked away, I asked them what they were talking about.
"We're getting to know each other.", Aurelio replied, smiling mischievously.
The familiar irritation from that night when we were with Milan Cello resurfaced within me, but I maintained my calm as always.
Aurelio raised his hand behind her to wrap it around her shoulder and I stiffened, almost taking a step forward.
However, I stopped when, unaware of his move, Ren took a step towards me before he could drape his hand around her, subconsciously relaxing me.
"You're working on a weekend too?", she asked, looking at me flatly.
"Yes.", I cleared my throat, composing myself.
"You really should take a day off once in a while.", Ren stated, shaking her head slightly.
"Have you taken a day off on the weekends before coming here?", I questioned, keeping my hands in my pockets leisurely.
"At least I'm taking a break now.", she replied tersely, narrowing her gaze on me.
"In that case, allow me to humor you the entire day. You won't regret a moment.", Aurelio chimed in, looking at Ren, putting on his famous charming smile.
I pursed my lips, a bitter irritation surfacing yet again.
"Thank you for the offer, but I can humor myself.", Ren replied, smiling at him courteously.
"Ouch.", Aurelio pretended to be hurt.
Ren royally ignored him and looked at me.
She was going to say something, but Aurelio cut her off.
"It's fine. I'll humor myself by accompanying you then.", he stated, sounding as if he's compromising.
Before Ren could reply, I interrupted.
"I'm taking a day off too. I'm sure you won't mind me joining in, would you?", I asked, looking at her.
She frowned, confused.
"We wouldn't be talking to each other daily if I had ever felt uncomfortable in your presence.", she stated bluntly.
Relieved at her words, I nodded.
"I thought you were working today, brother.", Aurelio commented, raising a brow.
Yes, I was going to work today. Why did I act on impulse?
Before I could reply, Ren spoke up.
"It's good he's taking a break. Don't incite him to work again.", she said firmly, giving him a stern gaze.
Aurelio raised his hands in surrender.
It was my turn to bother him. I leaned back on the staircase railing, my lips faintly curving up at the corners.
"Elio always riles me up so that I'd leave for work and he can enjoy with the kids carefreely.", I commented casually, faintly smirking at him.
He glared at me, slightly wide-eyed.
"Why do you do that? Aren't you both the same age? Moreover, you know how Vincent overworks himself regularly. You shouldn't isolate him. It's not like he would stop you from enjoying yourself. He wants all of you to be carefree. In fact, you should be the one to force him to join you since the kids are too young to do that.", Ren said, displeased, her tone chastising.
Aurelio nodded obediently, his face contorting into a subtle sulking frown, resembling his childhood expressions of being scolded.
I had to press my lips tightly to stifle my laughter at his expression.
He glared at me as she stopped.
"Ren, he's smiling.", he pointed at me.
I immediately composed myself, retaining my usual stoic.
She looked at me and back at him sternly.
"He really was smiling.", Aurelio argued, offended.
"Were you?", she asked, looking at me.
I shook my head calmly.
"He was. This is unfair. Both of you are teaming up against me. I understand everything now. You want me to leave. I won't disturb you anymore. I'm -", Aurelio started in a low tone, pretending to be sad.
I looked at him flatly, but wondered if Ren must be feeling bad for him.
"You're acting, aren't you?", she questioned tersely, cutting him off midway.
"Wow, you're cold.", Aurelio commented dryly, narrowing his gaze on her.
She sighed, shaking her head.
"The kids are far better than the both of you.", she muttered, walking past us.
Aurelio immediately followed behind and I joined along, annoyed.
"What are you trying to do?", I questioned him in a low tone so that only he could hear as Ren was walking a few feet ahead of us.
"What do you mean?", Aurelio raised a brow.
I gave him a stern look.
"I'm not sure what you're asking about.", he replied, averting his gaze.
"I'm asking about Raelynn. Why are you trying so hard to talk to her?", I questioned firmly.
"She seems interesting.", he shrugged casually.
Feeling bitterly annoyed, I didn't speak further, allowing the silence to take over as we continued towards the glass sliding door leading to the garden.
It had started drizzling early this morning and the rain increased slightly ever since.
"What are you doing? Get inside.", Ren's surprised tone startled me out of my thoughts.
She was standing on an extended porch outside the glass door, looking straight ahead.
Already having an idea who she must be calling out to, I walked to her and wasn't very surprised to see my siblings playing around with a football.
Clicking my tongue, I leaned sideways against the glass door, placing my hands in my pant pockets.
"You're going to catch a cold.", Ren chastised, displeased.
"But it's fun.", Angelina pouted, completely drenched.
"It is, but it's not good to -", Ren halted mid-sentence when Ash pretended to walk inside, but instead held her hand and pulled her out into the rain.
She gasped at the sudden action and tripped on the wet muddy ground.
On instinct I took a step forward, but stopped when Ash supported her from falling.
"Careful.", I chastised him.
"I'm gonna join in too.", Aurelio stepped out into the rain, walking past me.
He walked to an irritated Ren arguing with Ash while the others cheerfully called out for her.
A faraway distortion in the leveling of the garden ground caught my attention and I walked there after picking out an umbrella.
As I reached the spot, I noticed the rain had disturbed the newly leveled bald spot in the trimmed grass, giving rise to more mud.
This needs to be fixed before someone slips over it.
"Sir", Cavin greeted me, grabbing my attention.
He stood in front of me, holding an umbrella to shield himself from the rain.
I gave him a curt nod to speak.
"Sir, all the men who have tried to ambush and attack Ms. Baker are young, impulsive thugs with a few cases on their heads. They were just lured in by Romero's men for some easy cash. They don't have much information about Romero.", Cavin informed.
"That was evident. Find out about the exact guy who negotiated a deal with them over attacking her. With that lead, we can try tracing back to some important pawns working directly for Romero.", I ordered firmly.
"Yes, sir.", he replied.
"The rebellion is very small, sir. Only a minute number of people are navigating towards Romero's ways. The spies we planted everywhere are constantly sending us ground reports ...", he continued, informing about other matters as well.
After a while spent in discussion and instructions, he started leaving, but turned around when I called him.
"Today's a day off. Go home.", I stated calmly.
Cavin's wife is going through a slightly complicated pregnancy and I've been giving him days off whenever the situation is not dire.
"But, sir, I'm midway through the interrogation.", he said, confused.
"Hand it over to Joy for a day.", I instructed.
"It's fine, sir, I can -", he started, but I cut him off.
"I'm not asking your opinion, Cavin.", I said sternly.
"Yes, sir.", he replied.
However, a faint frown burrowed my brows in irritation as my sight caught Aurelio extending his hand towards Ren, seemingly inviting her for a dance, while Theo and Ace were already twirling around Lina and Aria with Dylan and Ash disturbing them.
"Thank you, sir.", Cavin thanked earnestly.
Giving him a curt nod in acknowledgement, I turned and walked briskly towards Aurelio and Ren, my grip on the umbrella tightening, jaw clenched in enragement.
"I don't know how to dance.", I heard Ren say as I reached them.
Aurelio was going to reply, but she looked at me and spoke up before he could.
"You said you're going to take a break today and yet went ahead to talk about work.", she commented, displeased.
I simply gave a nod in response, clearly sensing the strange bitter feeling surging through me.
"Oh, didn't notice you there, Vince.", Aurelio smiled mischievously.
What's he trying to do?
"I was asking Ren for a dance.", he said, the annoying smile still intact.
"Well, I'm not good at dancing, so you should go ahead and join the kids.", Ren shrugged slightly.
Chuckling lightly, Aurelio smiled charmingly at her and was going to speak up, but I cut him off by extending my hand to her, inviting to dance.
Her brows furrowed in confusion.
"I don't know how to dance.", she stressed out.
"It's not hard.", I replied calmly.
"Sure, it's not hard for those who already know it, unlike me who's never done it before.", she retorted tersely.
"Allow me to teach you then.", I said.
"I may step on your shoes a hundred times.", she warned me hesitantly.
"Go ahead.", I assured gently, my lips genuinely curving up into a tender smile.
She looked up into my eyes intently for a brief while before slowly placing her palm in mine.
Dropping the umbrella to the ground as rain slowly started drenching me, I enclosed my palm whole around her slender one and led her deep into the garden, the cheery chatter of my siblings tuning out while an anxious silence prevailed amidst her and me.
As I came to a stop, facing her, her eyes that were cast down lifted up, holding mine in place while her lashes battled with the droplets of rain falling over her face, cascading down her throat into her wet blue dress that stuck onto her skin, the sight evidently disturbing me. Holding her hand that was in mine firmly, I gently held her free hand and placed it over my shoulder.
Before placing my hand around her, I paused.
"May I?", I asked in a low tone.
She nodded slowly, giving her consent.
When I placed my palm flat on her mid back slowly, she moved forward, her palm on my shoulder slightly fisting my shirt, her gaze flickering away from mine, the base of her throat sucked in, making her hitched breath evident.
"When I place a foot back, place yours forward and when I place forward, place yours back.", I instructed the most basic step first.
As I led her slowly, she stepped on my feet a few times and gradually started following the rhythm properly, her entire focus laid on her moving feet while mine intently followed her subtly changing features as she pursed her lips at a mistake, scrunched her nose when accidentally stepped on my foot and her body crashing into mine every now and then.
As both of us swayed around in the garden rhythmically under the rain, I took an abrupt step back, held both her hands in mine and twirled her around, the droplets from her hair hitting me as she laughed softly with her eyes closed, enjoying the breezy movement of twirling around.
Pulling her towards myself in between a twirl, her back crashing flush against my front, my hands draped around her, holding her own ones firmly over her abdomen, my eyes traced her red tinted cheeks, my chest feeling her heaving breaths with each subtle retraction of her shoulders, my thumbs caressing the insides of her palms and my whole conscience drowned in the warmth of her in my arms. She turned her head to the side and tilted her chin up, her face facing mine sideways. As she slowly opened her amber eyes and held mine in place, I stood frozen, while her own lashes fluttered with each drop falling over them from my wet locks of hair. When she closed her eyes and her lips parted slightly, I subconsciously leaned in, my lips -
A sudden crashing sound pulled us out of our trance and I let out a breath I had been holding in.
Ren flinched hard and moved away immediately. I stepped back too, a strange sense of disappointment filling me.
"Ashton, you dumbo!", Angelina exclaimed loudly, irritated.
All of them were sitting on the porch, by the glass door, glaring hard at Ash.
"Why would you disturb the moment?", Arianna asked angrily.
"I didn't realize there was a box here.", Ash chuckled nervously.
Before I could comprehend anything, Ren moved towards the porch hurriedly.
She said something to them and walked in without casting a glance at me. The girls followed behind and my brothers looked at me with nervous smiles.
Instructing them to get a hot shower and dry themselves up, I walked away to my room without giving them a chance to speak.
Standing under the hot shower, I tried to discern the logic behind my actions, but my mind refused to stay in control and drifted to the memory of Ren as I held her close.
What's going on?
Frustrated at my confusing emotions, I quickly completed my shower, got dressed and walked down for lunch.
Ren and I stayed quiet the whole lunch while the rest of my siblings filled up the silence.
After lunch, I walked to my study to collect my thoughts peacefully and understand my own actions.
Why do I act out of routine when around Raelynn?
What's the bitter fury I felt when she was around Milan and Elio?
And the faint flutter I feel whenever she laughs, what's that?
I don't understand.
Is this friendship?
It cannot be.
What else, then?
I drowned in my thoughts for the next few hours, but when I was asked to come for dinner, I realized that not only did I not find an answer, but I kept indulging in the smallest memories of her for hours now.
"Vince, dinner time.", Theo walked in without knocking, startling me.
I nodded, composing myself.
During dinner, Ren and my siblings were involved in a cheerful conversation, but I was still engrossed in my own thoughts.
"You didn't know?", Dylan's surprised tone caught my attention and I looked up from my plate.
Everyone was looking at Ren in surprise and her own gaze was wary.
What're they talking about?
"Vince is a virgin. Literally and figuratively. He didn't date or even have feelings for anyone until now.", Ace stated casually.
Shocked at the topic of their discussion, my gaze instantly drifted to Raelynn.
The blankness taking over the shock in her eyes, incited a strange restlessness in me.
I had a hunch that this fact of mine was going to start rupturing our relationship.
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Phew! That was a long chapter!
How was the chapter?
Aurelio tried making Vince jealous, but Ren's constantly intervening. 😂
Vince and Ren had an intimate dance in the rain. 😳
Well, his siblings seemed to have enjoyed it, but Ash had to interrupt. 🤦♀️
How do you think Vince being a virgin is going to affect Ren? 😶
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Yours lovingly,
Author.