Soon, the trio arrived at the high-end restaurant, "Prose and Palate," a luxurious eatery under the Qin Corporations . Ivanna had always been fond of their exquisite cuisine. As they entered, a courteous waiter greeted them and escorted them to their private room, number 2.
Neal raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"What about private room 1?" he asked, taking his seat.
The waiter replied respectfully,
"Sir, President Qin is currently occupying that room."
Ivanna's eyes widened little and she thought to herself,
'Big Brother!'
Neal glanced at Nick, who was standing by the window, engrossed in his phone and told waiter,
"Tell him that when he's free, he can join us in our room. No, wait, I'll tell him myself,"
Neal said, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
However, Nick intervened,
"I'll call Big Brother and ask him to come when he's free."
Nick dialed Nicolas's number, but the call was cut short as he received a text message instead.
"I'm busy,"
As he read the message ,Nick sighed,
"He didn't even listen !! ."
Neal instructed Nick to ask Ivanna to try calling Nicolas instead. Ivanna hesitated,
"But..."
before she could say anything,Nick grabbed her phone and dialed Nicolas's number. He handed the phone back to Ivanna, who continued,
"But he just said he was busy, why would he pick up my..."
Before she could finish, her phone was answered, and she was taken aback. A low, gentle voice spoke on the other end,
"What's up?" ,
'Huh, what's happening?'
She looked at her smiling brothers, bewildered.
"Big... brother,"
She shuttered,and managed to reply,
Nicolas's tone was calm and gentle, a stark contrast to how he had dismissed Nick's call earlier.
"Yes?"
he replied, pausing before asking,
"Are you guys together?"
Ivanna regained her composure,
"Yes, we're at Prose and Palate, and we heard you were in room 1, so we thought to invite you to join us when you're free."
Nicolas responded,
"Hmm, I'll be there."
Ivanna replied,
"Okay, then we're in room 2."
The call ended with a simple "Hmm" from Nicolas.
Ivanna turned to her brothers,
"He'll be here."
Nick and Neal exchanged a knowing glance, their faces creasing into smiles,
[
Ten minutes later, Nicholas entered the room with elegance, his calm steps commanding attention. Nick, Neal, and Ivanna greeted him in unison,
"Big Brother."
He nodded and took the empty seat beside Ivanna, his presence subtly shifting the atmosphere.
Neal cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
"Let's decide on the dishes to order."
Ivanna nodded, scanning the menu.
"I want something spicy."
Neal frowned.
"Spicy? You haven't eaten all morning. It's not good for your stomach. Order something healthy and medium spicy."
Ivanna started to protest, but Nicholas's sharp gaze silenced her.
"Not eaten anything since morning?"
he asked, his low voice stern.
Ivanna trembled, avoiding his gaze.
"I had a flight this morning."
Neal chimed in, his tone sarcastic.
"Yes, our little sister had a flight, but she was too busy working to eat the meal provided. And she didn't sleep a wink last night, as she had work to do".
Nicholas's gaze narrowed.
"Oh, is that so?"
Ivanna ducked her head, embarrassed, bracing herself for a scolding.
However, instead of scolding her, Nicholas's tone softened.
"You should take care of yourself. Your body won't do well if you keep pushing yourself."
Ivanna's eyes widened in surprise as he patted her head, his voice comforting.
"You don't have to push yourself so hard. It's fine to take a little rest. You're already doing your best."
Ivanna looked at him with teary eyes, touched by his concern. Nicholas asked gently,
"Were you thinking of him again?"
Ivanna didn't respond, but a single tear rolled down her cheek,she wasn't emotional because her brother guessed right but because how caring he was
Nicholas hugged her a little panicked, his voice reassuring.
"It's fine, don't worry. He'll return soon."
Neal wiped away her tear, while Nick said,
"Yes, we'll find him soon. No, no, we'll find him and break his legs soon!"
Ivanna gave him an angry look, but couldn't help laughing.