The bar was loud.
A little too loud.
The sound of music playing in the background, people's laughter, chitchatting and even moans of pleasure echoed intrusively throughout the place.
This wasn't my style, but after the call I received I really needed to get out and loosen a bit.
I had just ordered a whiskey when two women who wore close to nothing approached me.
They stood too close to me, whispering as though they wanted no one to have an hint of what they were telling me.
"Mr Russo." One of them purred. "Didn't expect to see you here."
The bartender served my whiskey at that same moment and I gulped it down in one go.
"I've heard you don't know how to handle alcohol Mr Russo." The same one who had spoken before spoke again.
"Really?" I wanted to see what she was up to.
"Oh come on, loosen up." The other one said, brushing her hand against my shoulder. "Let's just have fun."
Fun?
Fun wasn't on my to do list.
I stood from my chair, finally deciding to leave this hell hole called a bar.
But it seemed the two ladies weren't done ogling yet.
"Enough." I finally lost it and shoved the woman slightly.
They both laughed it off.
My blood boiled as I muttered curses under my breath.
The one who had spoken first blocked my way, putting her arm round my neck.
"Mr Russo, you can't leave yet, the fun is yet to begin." She whispered in my ear.
I could feel irritation crawl up my skin with our close contact.
I forcefully pushed her off me making her fall straight to the ground.
I glared at the woman on the floor.
"You should be thankful I don't hit women."
I stormed out of the bar, ignoring the crowd that had gathered to help the woman up.
I found my car and climbed in, gripping the wheel like it was the cause of my bad mood.
My head was already aching badly.
It was open knowledge, Vincé Russo couldn't hold his liquor.
I got drunk very easily, which was the reason I never drank unless absolutely necessary.
My phone rang and I picked the call thinking it was Daniel.
"Where are you?" Adrian's voice came through the phone.
So it wasn't Daniel.
"And what business of yours is that?"
"You're drunk." He said.
I didn't respond.
"Just stay put and don't end the call, I'm coming to get you." He said.
I stuttered.
"St-stop trying to a-act like the ol-der one."
"Whatever." I heard him say before everywhere went silent.
I didn't resist when he arrived.
He helped me out of the driver's seat and into the passenger's seat.
He settled into the driver's seat and swerved the car out if the parking lot and unto the rode.
"I abandoned my beloved sports car just to drive you home you know." He said.
I managed to ask without stuttering.
"Regretting it?"
"Nah, spending quality time with my brother is worth more."
That was cringe on another level.
I almost laughed.
"You m-make it sound like I'm-I'm a goo-good thing."
"You're not a good thing."
There it was, the truth everyone kept telling me.
I was no good.
I was bad luck, even to my own mother.
"Maybe because I have reasons to assume the worst."
Mayelle's words from this morning came rushing back.
"You're a good person." Adrian's voice interrupted my thoughts.
I turned to look at him, feeling a little shocked.
"You're human, not a thing so you can't refer to yourself as a good thing, a good person would be a much better way to out it." He continued.
The car came to an halt and I realized we were already back at the Russo estate.
Adrian helped me out of the car and into the house.
"Welcome back first and second young master." The butler- ucle Vance greeted.
He'd been working as the butler of the Russo estate since I was 3 making him part family.
"Thanks uncle Vance." Adrian replied.
"Second young master, Mrs Russo has been up waiting for you." The butler informed.
"I'll go see her." Adrian responded.
When we got to the living room, we saw Belle sitting on one of the couch.
"Where have you been? I've been worried sick. I called you severally but it kept saying you were on another call." She nagged as she stood from the couch.
So Adrian didn't pick his mother's call because he didn't want to end mine, just to make sure I was safe.
"Sorry mom, my brother needed my help." He answered.
Belle finally turned to me.
"Let's take him to his room."
She assisted Adrian in taking me to my room which was rather unexpected.
They dropped me on my bed and Adrian took off my shoes before covering me with the duvet.
I pretended to have already passed out so I wouldn't have to thank Belle.
"Thank goodness he's asleep, haven't I warned you never to call him brother." Belle said to Adrian.
"Mom let's discuss this outside."
"Like I said, he's asleep, he can't hear me." Belle hissed. "Why did you risk your safety to go help this little devil?"
"He's not a devil, plus he's my brother." Adrian continued. "If I don't help me him who else would I help?"
"You're such an idiot, you're already at a disadvantage yet you're making things was for yourself."
"What do you mean by that mom?"
"We both know your father favours Vincent more, he doesn't even pay attention to you, if you continue like this you'll have nothing to inherit when your father's gone." Belle ranted.
"That's for me to deal with, not you. Good night mom." He said and left the room.
I heard Belle mutter curses under her breathe before she followed after her son.
After my mom's death I turned cold, I didn't talk to anyone, not even Daniel.
From the moment my father brought Belle and Adrian home introducing them as my new mother and brother, I had resented Belle.
But I didn't resent Adrian. Something about him made me feel comfortable with him.
He was the first person I talked to after my mom's death and we stayed close for a while.
That was until.
"Adrian, Vincent isn't your brother so stop calling him that."
"But mom-"
He was interrupted.
"You're here only to compete with him for the inheritance, nothing more, so stay away from him."
"But I enj-"
He was interrupted again.
"It's not good to play with children that don't have mother's, they're little devil's."
"But brother Vincent is nothing like a devil."
"Adrian you have to promise mommy not to call Vincent brother again." Belle said.
"I-I promise."
That conversation still replayed in my head till this very day.
It had broken something inside me.
It reminded me of my mom's death.
It made me realize I wasn't wanted.
It made me realize I was alone.
It was that very day I warned Adrian never to call me brother again.
I wanted nothing to do with either of them.
And that still stuck till today.
Just that Adrian never kept to the promise he made to his mother. He never stopped pestering me or calling me brother, but I never let him back in.
My head started feeling heavier and heavier and I didn't even realize when I finally slept off.
The next thing I knew it was already morning.
My head throbbed with severe hangover as I struggled to sit up.
My brows furrowed when I saw Daniel leaning against the door frame. "Check your phone." He said firmly.
I picked up my phone, feeling confused. Notifications poured in: emails, messages and then social media.
My eye caught a photo of myself in the bar with the two women.
The headlines nearly gave me an heart attack. 'Business tycoon, Vincent Dane Russo: night out at the bar turns scandalous'
My first ever scandal.
The stock ticker for the group had dropped, although not significantly.
I closed my eyes cursing the two women silently.
"This is your first scandal and the stock is taking the hit." Daniel's voice broke through my trance.
The paparazzi had captured the picture in a way that made the situation look like I was on the verge of having a threesome one-night stand.
I leaned back, running a hand through my hair. "I should have known they would be watching."
"It's not your fault."
I didn't respond.
We just stayed silent, pondering what the next step should be.
A knock echoed through the room.
Daniel answered on my behest.
"Come in."
The Butler stepped in.
"Mr Russo, Miss Belmont is here to see y-"
He hadn't even completed his sentence when the door flew open and Mayelle stepped inside.
"North." I called out.
"What's the meaning of this?" She asked, showing me the headline on her phone.
But I couldn't provide her with an answer.
For the first time, I was at a loss for words.