Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
“Alright, I’ll remember you said that.”
“But Sean, there’s something I’ve got to clear up with you about Bella and me.”
“No need for explanations.” Sean cut him off, “If you’re committed to this marriage, then you’re pledging lifelong loyalty to Bella. You’re gonna spoil her, respect her, be there for her. You’ve friended her on WhatsApp, right? If not, I can help you.”
He was a bit smug about it; after all, he was the one with his sister’s contact now!
“Yeah, I did.”Sean was taken aback. Even Romeo had his sister’s WhatsApp? If he’d known, he would’ve asked Romeo directly. It would’ve saved him from getting grilled by the family.
Bella was coming back to the Collins family, and as her future husband in name, Romeo should check in, add her on WhatsApp. That was normal.
With that thought, Sean didn’t take it to heart, “I just got back to town and I’m out of the loop on cool date spots. Do some homework, pick a place, and send me the address before you take my sister out.”
Romeo blinked. Was Sean planning on chaperoning? Stewart had never expected Sean to be so involved either.
With Sean’s protective nature, who would dare mess with his sister? Wouldn’t Sean’s presence add pressure to the young couple?
“I’ll get going,” just as Sean stood up, Carl knocked and came in.
“Leaving so soon, Sean?” Carl balanced the tray with three cups of coffee on it.
As Sean passed by, he picked up a cup and took a sip, “Oh, by the way, my sister’s more into lemonade than coffee. Might want to skip the café scene.”
He placed the coffee back on the tray and was almost out the door when he suddenly turned back with a fierce warning, “I’ve only got one sister. If you ever let her down, just try me.”
Carl flinched, not expecting Sean’s swift change of expression.
“Don’t worry, Sean. If I ever mess up, you won’t need to lift a finger. My family will tear me apart.”
Sean raised an eyebrow; the McMillian family was indeed capable of that.
“After they’re done, I’ll make sure you’re in pieces. Don’t forget it!”Once Sean left, Carl was visibly confused, “Boss, what’s up with that?”
Why did he suddenly come in with threats?
“You go on; I’ve got this,” Romeo took out his phone to message Bella.
Mirabella, catching wind of the situation, was also surprised, “Last night, Sean was saying my boyfriend wasn’t good enough for me, and now he’s pushing you to pursue me. Who was he talking about then?”
If not Romeo, who else?
“Could it be that Sean saw you with Jack and the others all the time? When you went out on business, maybe he got the wrong idea, thinking one of them was your boyfriend?”
Romeo’s suggestion seemed plausible to Mirabella, “That’s possible, but it doesn’t make sense. Unless he saw the derelict building’s surveillance and thought Horace was my boyfriend.”
So, that was why he said Horace wasn’t good enough for her?
She didn’t expect that Sean had snuck out early to meet Romeo, all to have him chase after her.
Suddenly, Mirabella found Sean rather endearing.
“Since Sean said it, I’d be a jerk not to ask you out.” Romeo’s words had Mirabella fighting back a laugh, “So what, now I have to play along?”
“When it comes to Sean, you bet.” Romeo flashed a grin, “Are you busy right now? If not, I can swing by and pick you up.”
Romeo’s smile hadn’t faltered once since the unexpected aid in his romantic endeavors.
“Sure,” Mirabella was curious to see just how surprised Sean would be when he discovered the true nature of Mirabella and Romeo’s relationship.
On the way home, a thought suddenly struck Sean, prompting him to call his dad.
He had reviewed the surveillance footage from the abandoned building and initially, Martha and Serena’s antics had infuriated him so much that he’d overlooked something important: during the incident when Martha was bullying Bella, there was a guy standing nearby, angrily yelling at Martha, “Don’t you dare lay hand on her, Martha. Take it up with me.”
Could this guy be one of Bella’s men? And what other secrets about Bella’s identity was he unaware of?
Over the phone, Kenneth relayed everything Bard had told him, leaving Sean in shock. Her own little sister was the head of Mafia Flame!
Sean was all too aware of Mafia Flame’s reputation in that brutal world but never imagined his own sister would be the one at the helm.Of all the groups there, her organization was known to be the most ethical, the most upright!
But that place was chaos incarnate. Sean had sent a group of his own people there once, and they were nearly wiped out. Another squad he sent for revenge suffered a similar fate; the locals were just too brutal, too inhumane.
Eventually, it was the instigators who ended up in Belloria, in his grasp, giving him the chance to avenge his fallen buddies.
How had his sister survived in such a vicious place? How old was she at the time?
Hearing from his father how she had repeatedly skirted death’s door, struggling to get medicine to save Grannie Grace, Sean’s eyes began to moisten.
The hardships his little sister had endured at such a young age far surpassed anything his brothers or he had faced.
Compared to her struggles, the injuries and false accusations he had dealt with paled in insignificance.
His sister was truly the one who deserved the tenderest care.
While his sister was suffering, Serena lived a life of luxury, spending money like water at their place.
Just then, his phone pinged with a message from Romeo, sending him the location of a restaurant. The guy was quicker than he expected.
“Turn around, let’s head to Petals Restaurant,” Sean instructed.
Romeo was picking up Mirabella from the Collins family, which meant Sean arrived at Petals Restaurant ahead of them.True to its name, the restaurant was adorned with fresh petals, creating a romantic ambiance like being amidst a sea of flowers, with the ocean outside shimmering under the sunlight, a breathtaking shade of blue. It was one of the premier dating spots for lovers.
Upon seeing Sean walk in, the restaurant manager dashed over with record speed. “Mr. Collins.”
“Clear out,” Sean wanted to give Romeo and his sister a better dining experience.
The restaurant manager immediately sprang into action, comping the meals of the other diners, handing out discount vouchers for their next visit, and politely ushering them out. After ensuring the customers had left, he approached Sean, “Everything is taken care of.”
Now, the entire restaurant was left with only two guests – Sean and Steward.
“Could you make the space by the floor-to-ceiling windows a bit bigger? Remove some tables and chairs, set up the prime spot, call in a couple of violinists, light some scented candles, and dim the lights a bit more.”
The manager thought Sean was setting up a romantic date and hastened to prepare everything himself.
Sitting more than thirty yards away, Sean instructed the manager to make some adjustments on his end too, to keep him out of sight so that no one would notice him there. The manager was puzzled –
was Sean planning to catch someone in the act?
“Can you hurry it up?”
“Right away,” the manager quickly used floral trellises and portable glass dividers to create a tiered space, allowing Sean to observe the other side without being easily spotted.
Soon, when Mirabella walked in, hand in hand with Romeo, she was surprised to find the whole restaurant cleared just for them, even specially arranged, with the scent of flowers in the air, creating a relaxing ambiance.
Almost immediately, she spotted Sean in the corner, with Steward sitting opposite him. Were the two of them planning to spy from there?”It wasn’t me who asked for a clear-out,” Romeo confessed, glancing towards the corner where the two men sat.
The manager grew nervous – had they been discovered? He had concealed their presence so well;
could Mr. McMillian still see Sean? It seemed impossible.
“Table for two,” Romeo announced, acknowledging their presence.
“Mr. McMillian, long time no see. And Miss, right this way, please,” the manager quickly led the way.
As Mirabella passed the tables near Sean, she asked pointedly, “Is there a private event today?”
“Ah? No, it’s not that, it’s just that the chef was running late, and some customers didn’t want to wait, so they went to other restaurants. By the time our chef arrived, it’s just that we don’t have as many customers at this time.” The manager fibbed, “This is your table.”
Watching Romeo walk hand in hand with his sister to their table, Sean couldn’t help but grumble with a tinge of jealousy, “This guy’s getting cozy with my sister so fast? I told him to woo her, not to get handsy!”
“Sean, it’s all about what Ms. Collins wants, you know. If she didn’t want to be touched, she’d give a roundhouse kick that could send him flying a few yards.”
Sean wasn’t pleased with Steward’s comment, “What are you saying? Is my sister violent?”
Although he was trying to defend his sister, his tone lacked conviction. Steward knew that at that moment, Sean must have been recalling the times he himself had been on the receiving end of Ms.
Collins’s kicks. Sean had taken his fair share of beatings.
“Let’s just wait and see.” Sean watched from a distance as Romeo ordered from the menu without even showing it to Bella first, “Doesn’t this guy know about respect? On a first date, isn’t it the lady whoshould pick first?”
Why was he calling all the shots?
“Maybe they already decided what to eat on the way here. Sean, just keep cool,” Steward was worried Sean might make a scene.
Sean had to suppress his dissatisfaction for the moment and continue watching.
After Romeo finished ordering, he looked at Mirabella with an indulgent gaze, his voice so soft that only the two of them could hear, “Sean chose a spot with a nice view, didn’t he?”
“We can see the ocean.”
Mirabella’s gaze fell towards the window, the midday winter sun casting its rays upon the sea, making it appear even bluer than the sky.
Romeo found her at this moment, her eyes clear and bright, as if she were another facet of the sea itself, breathtakingly beautiful.