"Oh, it seems Brian likes Irene. What will you do now, Richard?" Edward teased again, smirking.
"I never said I want to have a relationship with her," Richard shot back.
"So, are you saying you don't like her?" Edward asked, still pushing.
"I like her, of course. She's my friend," Richard replied, slightly irritated.
"I don't want any drama where all my sons are in love with one woman. You all should keep your feelings in check," Raphael warned, his voice more serious.
"Dad, that's unfair. Are you saying because Brian might be a little interested in that girl, we have to let go of our feelings for her?" Edward asked, his tone challenging.
"You don't even know her. How can you have feelings for her?" Richard wondered aloud, as if lost in thought.
"It takes one glance to know the one for you," Edward said, his voice steady, yet carrying a certain confidence.
"You guys should do what's best for you, but immediately she chooses who to be with, the others should back out," Raphael chimed in, his tone calm but laced with a hint of expectation, as though he was already anticipating the inevitable.
"Dad, what you're saying is not making sense," Richard said, his brows furrowed in confusion. He couldn't quite wrap his head around his father's logic.
"That's your problem," Raphael replied with a knowing smile, his eyes gleaming with the excitement of what was about to unfold. He was already picturing the chaos, waiting for the drama to play out.
"Whatever you all are saying is not making sense, that girl can't be a part of the family, she's not good enough for any of you," Monica added, her voice dripping with disdain. She didn't hide the judgment in her words, and her eyes narrowed in irritation.
"Don't think like that, she's not a bad person, she's just going through puberty," Raphael countered, trying to calm her down, though he understood her skepticism.
"At what age?" Monica asked, surprised by his response. "I hope you won't bring one daughter and say you have her by mistake," she added, a sharp edge to her voice.
"Don't worry, that's not happening," Raphael reassured her, his voice soft yet firm, attempting to alleviate her worries, even if they weren't entirely rational.
---
At a restaurant, Irene and her friends were enjoying a meal when Justin broke the silence, his voice suddenly serious.
"Three pieces of news. Which one do you want to hear first?" he asked, his eyes locked on Irene, waiting for her response.
"Good and bad news?" Irene replied with a mischievous grin, as if the conversation were a game to her.
"They're all bad news," Justin said, his face serious now, making it clear he wasn't joking.
"Just say them already," Irene said, her patience wearing thin. She was clearly frustrated but kept her calm demeanor, not too bothered by what he had to say.
"Brian and Raphael are doing a background check on you," Justin said, his voice dropping slightly, though he kept his gaze steady on her.
"Second news?" Irene asked, not flinching at all, as though the news didn't affect her in the slightest.
"The results of the bottle of perfume you took the other day are out," Justin said, his tone a little lower, hinting at the seriousness of the situation.
"So?" Irene asked, her tone indifferent. She didn't seem to care much for the suspense, her expression betraying no worry.
"It's positive. They use the party as a disguise to sell the drugs to people," Justin replied, his voice now tinged with concern.
"Why make such a big party just to deliver drugs?" Esmeralda asked, clearly puzzled by the motive behind it all.
"I think… I don't know," Irene said, her voice unusually serious for someone who had been joking just moments before. She paused, reflecting on the gravity of the situation for the first time.
"Can you be serious?" Esmeralda scolded, growing frustrated with Irene's flippant attitude.
"Probably every single gift in the white parcel is drugs," Justin added, his words heavy, making it clear how deep they were in this mess.
"Why are we discussing this here?" Irene said, suddenly aware of the surroundings. "We're being checked right now, and we're saying all this here?" she scolded, a sense of urgency creeping into her voice now.
"Sorry," Esmeralda said, looking around nervously, while Justin looked genuinely apologetic.
Irene gave them a pointed look. "The third news?" she asked, still playing along but clearly annoyed by the lack of clarity.
"That's all," Justin replied, shrugging as if the situation had somehow lightened in his mind.
"But you said there were three pieces of news!" Esmeralda exclaimed, confused by the sudden shift.
"Brian—one news. Raphael—another news," Justin replied playfully, his tone now teasing.
"You're not okay," Irene replied, shaking her head in amusement as the absurdity of it all hit her. They all burst into laughter, the tension momentarily broken, and continued eating as if the world hadn't just shifted around them.
---
As they were coming out of the restaurant, someone greeted Irene.
"Hello, beautiful," Edward greeted.
"Hi, handsome," Irene replied, her smile wide and playful.
"Hello, guys," he greeted her friends, who all nodded in return.
"May I have a minute with you?" he asked Irene.
"Sorry, do I know you?" Irene asked, a little puzzled.
"I'm Edward Black, Brian's brother," he introduced himself.
"Ohh, it seems the good looks run in the blood," Irene teased.
"Thanks a lot," Edward blushed, slightly flustered by the compliment.
"So, why do you want to see me?" Irene asked again, now intrigued.
"I want to talk to you about something very important. Hope you don't mind hanging out with me for a few hours?" Edward asked, his voice serious.
"I hope I'm safe," Irene joked with a playful smile.
"Of course," Edward replied, his tone warm but with a slight hint of mystery.
"Okay, see you guys later," Irene said to her friends. "And if you don't see me later, you know who I followed, right?" she added, her tone light as she winked.
"You can't be serious, right?" Edward asked, amused.
"Of course, it's a joke. Let's go," Irene replied with a smile and got into Edward's car as he drove off to his office.
"Is this also part of the Black's company?" Irene asked, looking around.
"Yes, it is," Edward said proudly.
"Wow, I didn't know you guys are involved in airlines too," Irene feigned surprise.
"The Blacks are so vast. We're involved in hotels, restaurants, and airlines," he said, showing off his family wealth with a satisfied grin.
"Do you guys need a sister?" Irene asked, blinking her eyes in a cute way.
Edward was mesmerized but quickly regained his composure and smiled. "We need a sister, but we wouldn't mind a wife either," he flirted, to which Irene pretended not to hear, continuing to admire the company's interior.
"Why don't we go in and continue our discussion?" Edward suggested.
"Alright," Irene replied, and they went into his office.
"What do you want to drink or eat?" Edward asked.
"Nothing for now," Irene replied, settling into a chair.
"Why?" Edward asked, pretending to be pained.
"Nothing, I'm trying to watch my weight. I want to keep looking sexy," Irene said, winking playfully. "So, what do you want to talk about?"
Edward pretended to be in deep thought, his face serious. "When I saw you at the birthday party, I really liked you at first sight. I couldn't believe someone as beautiful as you existed. So, I asked my father's permission to be with you some days ago. Brian heard about it and said he wanted to be with you too…" he paused, then added, "but believe me, he doesn't like you. He only wants to be with you because I showed interest in you."
Irene was confused. "Wait, I don't understand this family drama. You guys are brothers, so why would he do that to you?"
"Only a few people know this, but I'm not really a Black. I was adopted by Mr. Raphael because he married my mother," Edward explained, his expression shifting to something more vulnerable.
"You're telling me all this, I hope I won't be killed for knowing too much," Irene said playfully, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Of course not. We won't do that to you," Edward replied with a teasing smile. "Irene, I really like you. I hope you won't listen to Brian's nonsense. He's just trying to take you from me… he does that all the time, always taking things I love."
"First of all, I'm not yours to be taken away from," Irene said firmly. "And if you like me, you should try to make me fall for you. I won't fall for you over some petty trick."
"I'm not trying to trick you," Edward defended himself.
"It's obvious you're lying. Brian doesn't seem like someone who would do that just to annoy you," Irene countered, raising an eyebrow.