MADELYN was laughing as she listened to her father’s joke while he drove their car. She sat in the backseat, her mother in the front passenger seat. It just so happened that they had passed by earlier while she was waiting for a taxi. She was supposed to go bar-hopping with her coworkers to unwind, but her headache had worsened, and she decided to just go home instead.
“Are you hungry, Maddie, sweetie? We can buy some baked buns so you’ll have something to eat on the way,” her mother asked.
“I’m okay, Mom. I’m not really hungry. Thanks, anyway,” she replied.
Her mother didn’t insist. But a few moments later, her father pulled the car over, saying he needed to buy something from the drugstore. It was on the other side of the road, but since her mother was also getting out to buy steamed siopao from a stall directly across where they had stopped, her father decided not to drive across anymore. He said he would just cross the street on foot to get to the drugstore.
“I’ll just stay in the car,” Madelyn said.
“All right. We won’t be long, honey,” her father assured her.
Her parents stepped out of the vehicle together. But they had barely gotten halfway out of the car when the deafening horn of a large vehicle suddenly echoed through the street. She didn’t even see what it was. When she turned, bright lights filled her vision.
Then came the sound of impact...
Madelyn jolted upright, her forehead drenched in sweat and her heart pounding violently in her chest. Disoriented, she looked around. When she realized she was in her bedroom, she shut her eyes and let out a long, heavy breath.
She had dreamed about the accident again. Even though it had been three months, what happened that night was still painfully vivid in her mind.
Her knees trembling, she stepped out of her room and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. After a few moments, she finally began to calm down. Only then did she notice how quiet the entire house was. Noah had left without waking her.
She knew he was gone because she saw the note he had stuck on the refrigerator. He said he would be home late and that she shouldn’t wait up for him. She glanced at her watch—it was already six in the evening. It was her day off, and she had spent the whole day at home.
She walked to her brother’s room and went inside. Her eyes caught sight of a black notebook resting on the bedside table. She picked it up and flipped it open.
It was her brother’s match schedule.
And he had a match today.
Fight with Mike, 8:00 P.M
Madelyn nearly tore Noah’s notebook in half. It had only been two weeks since he was discharged from the hospital. And for heaven’s sake, the doctor had clearly said he needed three weeks of rest. Three weeks—not two!
Furious, she stormed out of his room and went back to her own to change. While getting dressed, her stomach suddenly growled.
Damn it. She was hungry.
Good thing there was still leftover rice and dishes, so she didn’t have to cook. A few minutes later, she was in a taxi on her way to the underground fighting club. As usual, Poncio and Damien were outside, and once again, they didn’t forget to hand some money to the “lost” taxi driver.
She found it strange that neither of them asked who she was there for. Instead, Poncio simply signaled another bouncer at the door to let her in even without a ticket. Though puzzled, she didn’t question it. She was already late.
When she entered, Noah’s match was already starting. Her eyes widened at the sight of her brother on top of the fighting ring. The bruises he had gotten from his match with Keith were still visible. And even from where she stood, she could see a fresh cut on his left cheek. His opponent, Mike, also had a wound near his right eyebrow.
She watched the fight without blinking, anxiety tightening in her chest. She was terrified something might happen again—like what had happened in his first match. Then she saw Noah get kicked hard.
She gasped. It looked painful; she could see it in his reaction.
“Noah!” she screamed, but the crowd roared so loudly that he couldn’t hear her.
She was about to step forward to reach the fighting ring and stop the match when someone suddenly grabbed her arm. She turned—it was Poncio.
Madelyn struggled and shouted again, but the crowd’s screams only grew louder as Noah and Mike’s fight became even more brutal.
ONE CORNER of Keith’s lips lifted when Noah managed to block Mike’s second kick. He hadn’t been able to stop the first one and had gone down from the impact. Good thing he got back on his feet almost immediately. It was a decent fight, even if the two of them were still rookies. The match wasn’t even over yet, but he already knew who would be declared the winner.
“Noah is a good fighter,” his godfather commented from beside him. They were inside one of the VIP rooms, accompanied by two of his godfather’s associates.
Keith didn’t respond. Instead, the corner of his lips lifted slightly. The fight grew even more intense. Though he couldn’t hear what was happening below, he knew the crowd must already be roaring. He glanced at the people who were now on their feet.
Then something caught his eye.
He did a double-take and straightened in his seat. He wasn’t mistaken. It was Madelyn, struggling against Poncio’s grip. From the look on her face, she seemed determined to drag her brother out of the ring herself.
He suddenly stood and excused himself before stepping out of the VIP room. He moved like The Flash—within seconds, he reached where she was. His timing was perfect. She had just managed to break free from Poncio after kicking the bouncer. Before she could run any farther, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back. She struggled again.
“Stop struggling,” he hissed at her.
She froze for a second and looked at him over her shoulder. “Let me go, Keith!”
“And why would I do that?”
“Noah—”
“He’s going to be fine,” he cut her off. He dragged her outside despite her resistance. He only released her once they were out. He also instructed Peter, the bouncer guarding the door, not to let her back in while the fight was still ongoing.
Madelyn’s face burned with fury.
Keith let out a long breath, slightly annoyed. “Your brother won’t appreciate it if you disrupt his match. Noah’s a good fighter. He can handle Mike.”
Her expression softened a little at his words. “But he got kicked in the chest. That must’ve hurt,” she said quietly. He saw the tears glistening in her eyes and swore under his breath. Not caring whether Peter or Damien were watching, Keith stepped closer and awkwardly placed a hand on her head.
“Don’t cry, Maddie,” he said, gently patting it. “Noah’s not the pitiful one here. If anything, Mike is. Didn’t you see the kicks and punches your brother was giving Mike? He’s as vicious as you are.”
Her brows drew together.
Smirking, he added, “I saw you kick Poncio.”
She let out a soft laugh and sniffed, discreetly wiping the tears from her eyes. At that moment, the door opened and people began filing out.
The match was over. Noah and Mike’s fight had been the last one for the night.
Before he could even think things through, Keith grabbed Madelyn’s hand to pull her away from the door. But it felt as though a current of electricity surged through their joined hands, and they both let go at the same time.
Keith blinked at her. She blinked back.
A faint blush suddenly colored her cheeks.
He cleared his throat and looked away. My hand still feels tingly. Dammit.
He stole a glance at her. She was biting her lower lip, staring down at her flat shoes. He noticed her subtly squeezing the hand he had held. Does she feel it too? The thought made his heart do a happy Snoopy dance. Heck, he wasn't even a Snoopy fan.
“Shut it,” he muttered under his breath, scolding himself.
“Huh?” Madelyn looked at him.
He blinked. Only then did he realize he had said it out loud. He cleared his throat again and shook his head.
“Can I go back inside now?” she asked.
“Let’s wait a few more minutes. There are still quite a lot of people coming out,” he said. She nodded.
Silence fell between them again. He found himself studying her side profile. After a while, she bit her lower lip again—as if she had become aware of his stare.
“Maddie?”
She looked at him.
“About the other day…” Keith trailed off, unconsciously running his tongue over his bottom lip.
Her cheeks flushed, and he knew she understood exactly what he was referring to. “I-It was an accident. I know you didn’t mean to t-touch my, um…” She didn’t finish, biting her lip once more.
Only then did it occur to Keith that bringing up what happened at Rhea’s Diner had been a mistake. But it was too late to take it back.
Awkwardly, he cleared his throat. To ease the tension, he guided her back inside.
She immediately searched for her brother. Noah was talking to his godfather along with the other VIPs. Keith smiled.
Noah had won. He knew it.
“Noah!” Madelyn called out after Noah finished speaking. The young man turned his head—and his eyes widened when he saw his sister.
“Maddie! What are you doing here?”
Instead of answering, Madelyn hugged Noah. Keith just stood there, watching the siblings. Everyone around them turned to look, too. He was more than a little surprised when Madelyn suddenly pinched Noah’s ear after the hug.
“Ow! Maddie!” Noah protested. Laughter erupted around them. Even Keith couldn’t help but smile.
“The doctor said you needed three weeks of rest. It’s only been two, and you’re already back in the fight!”
“Take it easy, Maddie,” Keith said with a chuckle. Madelyn released her brother’s ear.
“Sorry, okay?” he suddenly smiled. “But hey, I won.”
Madelyn smirked sarcastically. “Wow. Should we celebrate?”
Keith just shook his head, holding back another smile. He felt his godfather’s gaze on him and turned to see the older man grinning knowingly. Keith frowned, and the man just laughed.
He refocused on Madelyn when she said she would wait for Noah so they could leave together. He glanced at her, and she met his eyes. They held each other’s gaze for a few seconds until Noah cleared his throat, and Keith looked back at him. Noah’s eyebrows knitted as he shifted his gaze between Keith and Madelyn. His protective older brother instinct was clear.
“Let’s go upstairs, Maddie,” Noah finally said. She looked at her brother. “I’ll just grab my stuff upstairs, and then we’ll head home.”
“I’ll wait for you here.”
“No. We need to talk. In private,” Noah replied firmly.
Madelyn had no choice but to follow him. They walked away together, and when Noah shot a warning glance over his shoulder at Keith, Keith only stared back, unfazed.