Chapter 1


    "Sweetie, are you really sure about this?"


    "Mom." Veronica Wang nced at her mother Celerina Wang with a gentle expression, "Many


    years passed already and besides I won''t be staying there for long."


    "I know, and I understand. However, I can''t help but worry about you, Vivi. What happened that


    year was already enough for me to bear. Please think of Fire and Fair", Celerina Wang pleads as she


    holds her daughter''s hands with hers.


    When her mother mentioned her twin children, Veronica''s firm resolve softened, however,


    remembering the severity of the problem in Country P''s force made her feel that she needed to


    personally go there. She was yet to establish her own force in Country P but her trusted right hand,


    Zero, reported that there is an unknown superior force seemingly preventing them from gaining more


    power. It''s like an ominous force was trying to contain them and worst, they were rendered helpless.


    "Mom....your worries, I could understand them but please, trust me."


    "Even so. Vivi, although the people we suspected to have instigated what happened that year had


    been destroyed by an unknown force but your uncle Bien, I and your father were suspicious that there''s


    more to it. Please think more about it. And don''t forget the danger you might put yourself into."


    Veronica couldn''t deny the fact that her mother has a point. Those scheming people that destroyed


    their family''s treasured reputation are dangerous. She seethed in anger just remembering what


    happened to her and her family years ago.


    Veronica had always wanted to take revenge but the question is.....to whom? Unknowingly after


    they left Country P with the help of her mother''s brother, her uncle Bien, the Yan Family whom they


    suspected to be behind the destruction of their family and her ident was also ruthlessly destroyed


    by some unknown force. She was curious about it but never dwelt much since that is the reality of life,


    worst,..... that''s how politics works. Probably the unknown force was another family the Yan family has


    unfortunately offended in the past.


    And this is also one of the things Veronica would like to find out on her return.


    "We wih (wil) miss you mommy. Muah!'' A four years old blond-haired girl kissed across theptop


    screen. ''Bayfigh and Bayfey wibe obedient until youe back home, wight Figh (Fire)?"


    "Yes." A monotone reply of another four years old red-haired boy. The boy was the very opposite


    of his chatty and lively twin sister. Matured like for his very young age but when ites to their


    mother, he is, after all, just a young kid.


    "Take care of yourself, mother. I''ll look out for Baelfire and grandma and grandpa while you''re not


    around."


    Veronica''s strong resolve was melting away because she started to miss her twin children already.


    "Remember what you promised mommy Fair, okay? Mom will be back as soon as possible." Veronica


    addressed her youngest daughter. "That made mommy happy, Fire. Please do so. You are mommy''s


    little superhero", this time she addressed her eldest son.


    When everything was ready for the ne to take off, Veronica bid her goodbyes to the twins. She


    saw the sadness both in their eyes but she was proud to have raised them to be strong but...not yet


    independent. After all, she is a mother and no matter how much she wanted her children to be strong


    for their own sake, she still wanted them to be dependent of her because at the end of the day, she will


    always be their mother who will always have their back.


    Baelfire was the one who inherited her red hair. Baelfair on the other hand was blond. Her mother


    once told her that her maternal grandmother was blond while her grandfather was a red-head. That


    exined each of the unique hair colours of the twins.


    Her twins are the pr opposite of each other but both areparatively and undeniably


    geniuses. And both........has....their father''s face.


    "Indeed their father''s children".


    After the private ne took off, Veronica was deep in thought prodding the memoryne as she


    remembered the incident five years ago and once again dreamed of her past with the man who


    fathered her, her children.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    Five Years Ago, The ndestine ce Club.


    "Are you guys sure about this?!" Pearl asked timidly.


    "Of course!" Yvette answered. Excitementced in her voice as she warmed up her body with


    some dancing movements.The club was filled with loud music from the DJ along with the cheering of


    the dancing crowd.


    "Here you go guys!" Martha eximed loudly as she distributed Heineken to each of them with the


    help of Ric, one their underssman whom their group is very fond of. He''s like the baby of their group.


    "So how was it?" Ric teased her as it''s beenmon knowledge to everyone in their group that


    she was very excited to experience night clubbing.


    "Suave!" Veronica giggled. Earlier that day was their sessful thesis defense and maybe that


    was what heightened her joyous mood and she gulped her beer while shaking her body. "Ugh!" Her


    face wrinkled. San Miguel apple vored beer or a Smirnoff could have been better, she thought. She


    drinks alcohol yes but she can only tolerate the lighter ones with less alcohol content.


    "Guys, I''ll be leaving by ten, okay?!" Pearl shouted as she''s starting to befortable in the crowd


    and decided to dance decently as well. Pearl is an unica hija and her parents were strict with her.


    Thankfully, despite being strict, her parents were also rational not to the point of restricting Pearl to go


    out and enjoy with her friends. Only that there''s a curfew being set.


    "Make it eleven!" Veronica tried to persuade as she checked her watch. It''s already nine and she


    thought they haven''t enjoyed muh together yet.


    "You know Mom girls. She might be mad if Ie hometer than the set time and won''t allow me


    to go out next time." Pearl replied, obviously unwilling but she fears her mother the most.


    "Aww." Veronica was disappointed but no longer argued as that was the truth. "Anyway, where''s


    Floydie and Gedmaire? Thought they''re already on the way?"


    "There they are!" Rose pointed. All of them looked excitedly as the two approached them.


    "Yessssss! Let''s paint the town bloody red!" Floyd screams at the top of his lungs but the sound he


    made is iparable to the lively, party noise around them.


    "L'' etat c'' est moi!" Gedmaire eximed loudly as well.


    All of them rolled their eyes at him. After the kiss and greet they continued with having fun dancing.


    Veronica is now on her third bottle of beer and she must admit she''s already tipsy and is,


    undeniably, boldly dancing with her friends. Without her knowing, she caught the attention of a pair of


    sharp eyes as she and her friends entered the dance floor.


    At the VIP private room seated an amorous man with much sophistication like royalty. Tall and


    well-built, dark ck, thick hair, bushy yet neat brows, deep seated eyes, high-bridge nose, thin sexy


    lips and a sharp jaw. An angelic man at a nce but.... devilish at a closer look.


    The man decided to walk towards the balcony and look at the chaos below through the tinted ss


    window as he took a sip from his cognac.


    "Bunch of.....," something glinted in his eyes as he saw from below, a group of teenagers entering


    the dancefloor. From the group, his attention was instantly on the girl wearing a ck zer and a


    denim skirt. He can clearly see her from the second floor private room. After watching intensely for a


    while, he returned to the lounge and indulged in more of his drink. Just as he shut his eyes, the gleeful


    Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    girl earlier from the dancefloor shed before him. Another glint, this time, dangerous, shed in his


    eyes.


    "Ryan." He called out to his Secretary.


    "Yes President?" Ryan instantly appeared by his side. A befuddled look evident on his face as he


    saw the amusement and at the same time the look he only knows appears in his boss'' eyes whenever


    he''s excited for something, like bloodbath.


    Rawlf pointed outside the transparent sliding door. "Get that girl here."


    Secretary Ryan was even more confused. ''Girl? Who?


    There''s a lot of girls below.'' He thought. "B-boss? Who?" He asked nervously. It''s already known


    for everyone in high society that Rawlf Sy of Sy International was an aloof cold-blooded man. That is,


    to be exact, an understatement. Rawlf Sy, contrary to his manly and handsomely angelic features, is a


    very, very dangerous man. Someone whom your mother would advise you to stay away from as far,.....


    far away as possible.


    "ck zer. Denim skirt."


    Secretary Ryan approached the tinted window and took a look outside trying to search for the girl who


    caught the President''s interest, for the meantime. He''s already formting his n on how to get the


    girl and how much he will give her in order to silence and avoid controversy after his boss satiates his


    needs and fun for the moment.


    "Oh," he thought as he finally located the girl whom his boss pointed out.... "wait, isn''t that young


    master Ric?" Secretary Ryan''s eyes widened as he confirmed.


    "President, your younger brother-----, I mean your father''s youngest son, Ric is in her group. They


    must be friends."


    Rawlf took a sip from his drink before replying, "Call him and his friends here. Be sure that that girl


    alsoes". He said this in a dangerous tone.


    Ryan moves faster to do his boss'' request. The thing that bothered him is that, if the girl is able to


    be friends with the President''s younger brother,.. he meant, the President''s father''s youngest son to


    another mistress, that means that the girl must havee from an affluent family.


    It didn''t bother him though as President Sy has enough power, more than anyone could imagine,...


    to get away with it. Secretary Ryan shrugged his shoulders.


    "Whatever. The devil''s wish is this poor secretary''smand."


    ___________________


    "Young master Ric."


    Ric was surprised to see Secretary Ryan in front, his older half- brother''s Secretary. It''s not a


    surprise for him to see the secretary or the thought that Rawlf Sy, his older half-brother, is inside the


    club but more likely, it''s unbelievably surprising that Rawlf Sy''s secretary approached him. Ric excused


    himself from his noisy group of friends to talk to the secretary privately.


    "What is it all about Secretary Ryan?" Ric maintained his distant yet polite attitude towards the


    Secretary. After all, despite being illegitimate, Robert Sy''s legitimate family maintained their civil


    treatment towards him and his mother. Maybe because his mom knows her ce in his father''s life that


    she didn''t insist for anything more than what his father would give them as per his responsibility.


    As for him, as long as his father provides for his and his mother''s needs and possibly some luxury


    someone carrying the blood of a Sy deserves, then he no longer thinks of other things.


    Whyplicate his alreadyplicated life further right?


    "President Sy would like to invite you," Secretary Ryan paused and looked over behind his friends


    table. He seemed to be looking for a specific person and frowned when he couldn''t find that person,


    "and ALL your friends." Secretary Ryan finished.


    Ric suspiciously stared at the Secretary. "Were you looking for someone or perhaps a specific


    person?"


    "Not really. I was just confused because back at the VIP room I counted you to have been eight but


    it seems like I counted wrong." Secretary Ryan quickly answered.


    "Ah yes, two of my friends went outside to help another friend of ours to safely take a cab." Ric


    was still suspicious as to Rawlf Sy''s motive of inviting him and his friends over.


    But whatever his older half- brother''s intentions, he knew for a fact that he wouldn''t hurt him or his


    friends. Dangerous Rawlf Sy may be, but Ric knows he is a ''rational'' man. Probably he just wants to


    see and get to know him. Afterall, he is still his older brother and deep inside him, he craves for an


    older brother''s affection.


    "In that case, please go to the second floor, VIP room 20. I will wait for your other friends here and


    lead them there."


    "It''s alright. It''s better if you guide them there first and I''ll be the one to wait for them here."


    "Young master Ric, your older brother expects to see you first more than he wants to see your


    friends. Better go there first. Don''t worry, I will be sure to bring your friends safely in a while."


    Ric paused, hesitating.


    "Young master, please go ahead. The master won''t be staying long." Secretary Ryan added


    quickly.


    "Alright then. Please be sure to inform them as well." Ric finally conceded and went back to his


    friends to inform them.


    Veronica just came back with Yvette and both of them frowned after seeing their group''s empty


    table and seats. The thing that muddled them both was that from the ce where she and her friends


    upied earlier, there was a man in a suit standing there. She moved her eyes from the man and


    scanned the dance floor to search out for their friends.


    "Where do you think they would go?" Yvette asked her while dialing Martha''s number.


    "I don''t know. Maybe somewhere on the dance floor," Veronica looked around once more, "but the


    thing is, I still couldn''t find them or anyone." Veronica swept her eyes around again.


    "It''s better if we return to our ce and wait for them there," Yvette paused, "But, do you know that


    man?" she continued as she look at the man


    "I don''t know but sure, let''s get there first. And just leave Martha a text. The signal inside was poor


    so that''s probably one thing why you can''t reach out to them. The text messages might also be


    dyed. They started walking in the crowd and slowly reached their table and the man in suit also


    came forward to meet them.


    "Excuse me miss, your friends were invited by my master to the VIP private room on the second


    floor." The man informed them politely.


    Veronica and Yvette at the same time looked into each other''s eyes with suspicions and curiosity.


    ''Who is this man. And what master?!''


    "Please follow me." He then insisted.


    "I''m sorry but I don''t have the slightest idea of who your master is. Is it someone one of us is


    acquainted with?" Veronica asked the man.


    "Yes miss. Please look over there."


    "There they are!" Yvette pointed at Ric and their friends waving at them at the open balcony of the


    club''s second floor.


    ''Oh so there was a balcony. How convenient.'' Veronica thought. The VIP rooms of the club were


    located on the second floor. She saw there were several cubicles each with tinted sliding windows.


    As they reached the VIP room, the man who introduced himself as Secretary Ryan slid opened the


    door. He then steps aside, obviously telling them toe in first. Yvette walked inside and Veronica


    followed but was once again confused when Mr. Ryan slid closed the door right away, leaving himself


    out. Like he was afraid that someone might escape out.''Am I starting to get drunk that I started to


    notice weird things or am I bing weird because I''m starting to get drunk?'' Veronica mumbled at


    the closed door.


    "And thest one is Veronica Wang."


    Veronica heard Ric behind and as she turned around, a pair of dark, dangerous eyes looked


    through hers. He watched her rather too intensely that she felt it almost take her breath away.


    Something tingles inside her and she wasn''t na?ve not to understand what she''s feeling for those sets


    of eyes continuously watching her and like a vacuum, absorbing her rational thoughts leaving her


    stupefied. The slight drunkenness she felt earlier was washed away.


    "Hello. Hello." Veronica bowed foolishly.


    "Hmm."


    Veronica recovered after hearing this curt reply from the owner of those eyes. He seemed


    uninterested and that embarrassed and annoyed Veronica at the same time. Embarrassed because it''s


    not like her.


    Veronica Wang losing her chill because of someone''s pair of eyes? Annoyed because despite the


    uninterested reply from the man, she felt addicted to what those sets of eyes made her feel like. And it


    stirred something not so dormant within her.