"How is it?" Shuu asked when Kasey and Imman entered the room.
Kasey sighed and scratched the back of his head while Imman silently shook his own.
"Damn it!" Shuu cursed through gritted teeth. "Where the hell is she?"
Harusheen, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, let out a heavy sigh. "This is bad. We already searched the entire city, even the nearby towns, but we still can't find her."
"Maybe it's time to ask for help," Kasey suggested. "Our fathers have wider connections and authority. If they use their power, it'll be easier to locate her."
"We can't do that!" Shuu immediately refused. "If Uncle Mikhail finds out…" He bit his fingernail anxiously. "He'll kill me."
Imman sighed and placed a hand on Shuu's shoulder. "But we don't have any other choice. If we delay this any longer, I'm afraid something bad might happen to her."
"He's right, Shuu," Harusheen agreed. "We need to find Jinny as soon as possible."
Shuu took a deep breath and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
They were right. If they kept this a secret and continued searching with limited resources, something terrible might really happen to Jinny.
"Fuck…" he muttered. "Fine. I'll do it. I'll call Dad."
The three of them heaved sighs of relief. Even though Jinny wasn't their real sister, she was still important to their mother.
Harusheen was worried too, though he never showed it openly.
When Jinny first arrived at their house, she had looked so innocent and fragile. He understood why his brothers hated her—at first, he hated her too. But eventually, he realized there was no reason to resent a young girl who had simply been adopted in hopes of giving her a better life. It wasn't her fault that their real sister had died.
Still, he pretended to dislike her, just like the others.
He still remembered the time when she was little and had fallen outside the house. She cried helplessly after scraping her knees, yet the others ignored her and walked away. In the end, he had been the one who approached her. He gave her a piece of candy just to stop her crying, though he still scolded her for being weak.
He simply didn't know how to show kindness to someone who looked so much like their real sister.
Even if he wanted to become closer to her, he was afraid Jinny would reject him after years of neglect and cold treatment.
Imman felt the same guilt.
He had always known Jinny was innocent and undeserving of their hatred, but he chose to stay silent whenever the others bullied her. He avoided getting involved because he hated conflict and only wanted peace.
But that silence had also made him guilty.
Once Jinny returned, he promised himself he would apologize to her.
Kasey shared the same thoughts. He wanted to take care of Jinny once she came back. As her older brother, he had failed to protect her. The thought filled him with shame.
He didn't want to lose another sister.
Their thoughts were suddenly interrupted when all of their phones buzzed at the same time.
Each of them checked the notification.
"They want us to return home ASAP," Imman said.
"I think it's urgent," Kasey added.
"But what about Jinny?" Harusheen asked.
"You guys should go back first," Shuu said firmly. "I'll stay here and continue searching for her."
"But we need to be complete. You know the rules," Kasey reminded him.
"I'll call Mom and ask her to cover for me," Shuu replied.
He quickly dialed his mother's number.
"Hey, baby! When are you and your brothers coming home?" their mother asked excitedly. "We have a very big announcement!"
"Sorry, Mom, but I don't think I can make it."
"Eh? You have to come home! We're having a huge celebration next week, and everyone will be there. This event is very important, Shuu. You shouldn't miss it."
"A celebration?" Shuu frowned. Had their parents called them back just for that?
"Yes! Everyone must attend. Your sister will be coming home too."
Shuu froze.
Jinny was returning?
So their mother knew where she was?
"M-Mom…" he stammered. "Jinny's coming back?"
"Yes. I talked to her earlier. So make sure you come home. I want the whole family together."
"…Right. I'll come."
The call ended.
"We need to head back now," Shuu said.
"What about Jinny?" Harusheen asked again.
Shuu looked at his brothers before answering quietly.
"She'll be returning home soon."
The others exchanged confused glances.
.
.
.
"Are you done talking to Mom?" Matias asked as he walked downstairs, where Jinny was waiting for him.
"Yeah." Jinny nodded softly. "She called and said I need to go home. There's going to be a big celebration next week, and she wants everyone to be there."
"I see." Matias slipped his hands into his pockets. "I have to leave too. My flight is tonight."
Jinny looked at him in surprise. "You didn't tell me you were leaving."
Matias walked closer and gently held both of her shoulders. "I'm sorry. Something urgent came up." His voice softened. "I'll make it up to you once you return to the Philippines. I'll see you at home, okay?"
Sadness flickered across Jinny's face. They had only been together for such a short time, and now he was leaving again.
Still, she forced a small smile and nodded.
Matias leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.
"I don't want to leave," he murmured against her lips, "but I have to be there. When we see each other again, I promise I'll never leave your side."
The gentle kiss slowly deepened, filled with longing and reluctance to part from each other.
.
.
.
Fast forward…
In the Philippines…
Shuu and his brothers arrived at the mansion late in the evening. As soon as they entered the grand hall, they noticed that all of their brothers were already there. Their parents were waiting for them as well.
"Shuu!" their mother greeted warmly before pulling them into a hug.
"Mom, what's the announcement?" Shuu asked immediately after pulling away.
Their mother only smiled mysteriously.
Everyone soon gathered in the living room and took their seats. The atmosphere was filled with curiosity and anticipation.
Then Mikhail stood up.
"I called all of you here because I have an important announcement to make," he began.
The brothers exchanged glances, waiting for what he would say next.
"My eldest son, Matias, is getting married next week."
Silence filled the room for a second before everyone reacted in shock.
"Married?" Harusheen repeated in disbelief.
"To who?" Tohru asked quickly.
"You'll find out who the bride is on the engagement day," Mikhail replied calmly.
"Is she from a wealthy family too?" Ineah asked curiously. "Maybe one of the families serving the Fuentebellas?"
"She's an heiress," Raon replied.
"Probably from a well-known family," Rin muttered.
The brothers immediately began murmuring among themselves, throwing out guesses about which influential family the bride belonged to.
"But where's Matias?" Ran asked.
"He's on his way home right now," Isaac answered with a wide smile. "Once he gets married, I expect all of you to treat your sister-in-law nicely, understood?"
"We'll be nice to her," Thane said confidently.
The others nodded in agreement.
"Eeeeh! I'm so excited!" Kaye squealed happily.
Finally.
A wedding was coming.