n

n

n“So, he’s not your real brother.” Keith thoughtfully said.

n“He’s real, okay!” Alana playfully glared at him. “His parents adopted me when I was six years old. And I have always considered them my family. Even if I am not related to him by blood, Xuan is my little brother.”

nHe smiled at the sincerity in her words and nodded to her. 𝒃𝙚𝙙𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝒍．𝒆𝒕

n“You are a wonderful sister, Alana.”

n“Thanks.” She shied her eyes away from his gaze and looked at Xuan, who was still inspecting his new room and settling some of his old stuff in it.

nKeith had brought the siblings to their old house after they had lunch at a relatively modest restaurant. He instructed them to finishing up packing before heading to their new home, and even if Xuan felt a little uneasy about everything, he did not voice anything to harm her sister’s happiness.

nThe young boy was genuinely happy to learn that his sister got hired by a music company. But he was just uneasy about the presence of Keith in all of it.

nAnd while they were setting their stuff in their respective new rooms, Alana had decided to tell Keith about how their life had been after Xuan’s parents passed away.

nIt turned out that her birth parents were real close friends with the Parkers, and when they passed away, the Parkers took her in as their daughter. They even gave her their last name, and even if they belonged to a low-middle-class family, they did everything to keep her happy and brought her up with all the care and love.

nIt was just that their happiness was not meant to last, and the Parkers passed away last year, in an accident, leaving the pair of siblings on their own in the cruel world.

nAt first, things were really harsh on them, but Alana bravely stood up and took charge of their house. She dropped out of school to work and earn, and made sure that Xuan would not miss out on his studies. The little savings Parkers had were still there, and Alana did not touch any of it. She had kept it to help Xuan through the college, and even if she had miss on a meal, she never let him go hungry.

nIn short, she was a filial daughter and a responsible sister. And Keith could not help but admire her even if he everything about her already. Knowing something and seeing it for yourself were two different things, and he sighed at the perseverance of the young girl, which touched his heart.

n“I will be leaving Magic City tomorrow.” He lightly said, and Alana, who was putting some of her books on the shelf stopped.

n“When will you come back?”

n“I am not from Magic City, Alana.” He chuckled and told her. “I live in Sameran City, and just came here to deal with some private matters.”

nAlana did not know why but she felt a little uneasy at the idea of not having him around in the city.

n“You have my number and you can contact me if you need anything.” He reminded her when he found her lost in her thoughts. “Also, when Susana takes you to test out your vocals next week, do send me your audio clips. I will write you a few songs to start up your singing career.”

n“You are a lyricist too?” Alana asked in surprise but then laughed at her own silliness. “Of course, you are. How could the awesome and multi-talented Keith not be a lyricist?”

n“True that.” He winked at her and then they both shared a laugh.

n“I won’t put my name on the Lyrics, remember that.” She intently looked at him and spoke.

n“I don’t mind if you put my name on them.” He yielded to her unvoiced request, and saw a bright smile bloom on her face.

n“Instruct Susana, and she will help you turn that office into a private studio. Also, you can ask her to help you with any matter. She’s your manager. Okay?”

n“Un…” She cutely nodded her head.

n“Alright. See you later, Miss Alana.” He waved his hand turned around to walk out of the room.

n“Wait!”

n“Yes?” He stopped and turned to look at her.

n“You are leaving now?” She did not know why she called out to stop him, and asked a silly question in a hurry.

n“Yes. I have an appointment with someone special, and I need to be there on time.”

n“Oh, okay.” She nodded her head. “Take care!”

n“You too. Be safe!” He smiled at her and walked away.

nOnly after he was gone, did Alana relaize that he had spoken about ‘someone special’. Her brows furrowed a little but then she paid no heed to it.

nShe carefully placed all her books on the shelf and then turned to look at her new room with fondness.

n“Perfect!” She giggled and clapped her hands happily.

n“Alana.” Xuan called out from behind her.

n“Yes, little brother?” She happily walked up to him and asked.

n“Is he gone?”

n“Keith? Yes, he will be going back to his hometown tomorrow.”

nHearing her words, Xuan felt immensely relieved for reasons he was not even aware of.

n“Don’t you think he’s a little suspicious?” He carefully chose his words, but it still brought a frown on her sister’s face.

n“What do you mean?”

n“I mean, why is he so nice to you? Didn’t you always say that there is no ‘free lunch’ in the world?” Xuan looked her in the eyes and asked. “So, what does he want from you?”

n“Yes, there is no free lunch little brother. And what he is doing is investing in me. He told me that he considers me a potential asset for his company.” She informed him. “And as for why he’s nice to me, it’s just because he’s a really nice soul.”

n“Are you sure?” Xuan felt a little uneasy at hearing her words and asked again.

n“Xuan. He’s a good person.” She coldly said, clearly telling him off to not think bad about Keith.

n“Okay.” The little boy frowned and nodded to her before leaving the room.

n“What’s up with him?” Alana murmured to herself as she found her little brother behaving a little weird today.

nOut the building, inside a black BMW, a boy and a girl sat silently. The boy was holding his phone next to his ear, listening it ring.

n“Yes, Young Master?” As soon as the call connected, Caesar voice sounded out.

n“I want you to put someone capable as my eyes beside Alana. Put that person as one of her guards or a driver. Also, I need another capable person to always keep an eye of her younger brother. Help the little one out if he gets in any trouble, and if Alana grows suspicious, inform her that I put them by her side to protect them. Okay?”

n“It will be done, Young Master.” Caesar nodded to his words. “Lady Amelia asked about when you will be coming over…”

n“I will be there in an hour.” Keith looked at the time on the clock, and replied. “Also, make sure that our trip to Bastille City is on schedule.”

n“I go through the arrangements one more time, Young Master. Rest assured.”

nKeith ended the call and then started the engine.

nAs soon they they drove out of the commercial street, Keith pressed the accelerator, making the car flash past the vehicles. He was being reckless in the untrained eyes, but the lady by his side knew that her Master was natural at handling fast speeds.

nEven when they came to the foot of the hill-range, Keith did not slow down and playfully drifted at the turns, climing the height at a scary speed.

nYingying stole a few glances at his serious and focused eyes, and smiled inwardly. She always loved this look on her Master’s face, and she knew that even if he looked all so serious, he was really enjoying himself at this moment.

nToo bad that after all this burden, the poor vehicle will have to through a thorough maintenance check. Not that anyone cared about it.

nShe turned to look at the dusky sky, and the clouds that seemed to be burning in a blush. And even if she rarely showed emotions on her face, it did not mean that she did not possess them.

nAnd in this moment, her silly heart wished that they could forever stay in a time loop. Just her and her Master, a sinking sun, and blushing clouds. An exhilarating speed and the roar of an engine that traveled far, and the soothing silence inside the car.

nHer cheeks burned up on in a blush when Keith suddenly grabbed her hand, and locked his fingers with hers.

nYes, it was a beautiful evening that will stay fresh in her memory for a long time.

n