【Zander】

This was the first time I did it.

Turning my back at least for a while to the world I've known for a long time. I could've laughed at that thought. But in the end, I couldn't. I didn't have any reason to do so.

I guess I could say that I was released somehow. At that moment, I realized something.

"Zander!"

I sighed after hearing that before I turned to the source of that voice. I smiled at the sight of my half-brother Cayden Rioja approaching me with two cans of lemon soda on his hands.

"Do you really have to bring me my favorite?" I asked as I sat on the nearby bench as soon as he handed one of the lemon sodas he was holding to me.

"I just know that I have to bring you something to calm you down. You really look stressed when you arrive here."

I chose not to say anything about that. I didn't want to give stress and worries to my family just because I took a leave from work. I just smiled and finally drank the lemon soda.

And just as I thought, the taste of that lemon soda brought a lot of memories in my mind. How long has it been, anyway? Since the last time I went here...

"Now that I think about it, what made you decide to move here, Cayden?" I asked as soon as I remembered something. "Most of our family's businesses are in the city. And I remembered that Dad was supposed to make you the successor to the position of managing the company."

"Helena took all of the responsibility from me when I told her that I will be moving here and live on my own as a painter," Cayden responded that made me stop drinking.

I faced Cayden after hearing our stepsister's name. "Helena did? But why?"

"I asked the same thing to her when she declared that to the board members six months ago. And you know what she said? She said that it was already a good thing that you and I are doing what we love. She wasn't going to let the coveted and fought-over-and-fought-for position in the family business ruin it for us. Besides, she had always been aiming of replacing Dad in taking care of the business. So all we should worry right now is our own lives... and possible romantic relationships to make it all the more worthwhile, she said."

I laughed at the last statement while Cayden just shrugged and started drinking his lemon soda. Helena was the same as always. I should've expected that one coming.

But of course, I couldn't help smiling after hearing that. Even though Helena Lacsamana was our stepsister since she was my stepmother's child from her first marriage, I never once felt that we weren't blood related at all with the way she was treating me and Cayden. I supposed I was lucky to have met a person such as Helena.

"So how's your life here, so far? I was surprised when I heard it from Mom about you moving here."

That was when Cayden smiled and faced me. "Never been better. I definitely like living here."

"That's good to know."

A sigh escaped my lips as I looked around the town of Orizanillo. It was true that the place was just a small one. But I think I could understand why my half-brother decided to live here.

The atmosphere was really light. It seemed that the town people were quite friendly. And even though I could tell that there were people who recognized me, it appeared that they were keeping their distance as a sign of respect.

Honestly speaking, I really appreciated that.

As I continued looking around, something soon caught my attention.

"Cayden, what's with that handkerchief over there?" I asked and pointed the tree branch where a red handkerchief could be seen tied there.

My brother soon changed his focus on the one I've been pointing at.

"Ah. That one, huh? It's really eye-catching, isn't it? But no one knew the true story of that handkerchief to be placed there except for the town people," Cayden explained.

"The handkerchief's true story? What do you mean?"

"I'll let you know later. Right now, you have to rest. It's been a long journey for you, and Helena said that you should take this time to rest properly.

For some reason, hearing the word "rest" had only made me heave another heavy sigh. Why was it that hearing that word could make me feel this way?

"Yeah. I guess you're right. Let's go. But don't forget to tell me the story about that handkerchief, okay?"

Cayden chuckled as he threw the empty cans of lemon soda to the trash bin nearby. "That handkerchief really caught your attention, huh?"

"Well, it's not something I'd usually see everyday in the city, you know. Especially if you consider my line of work, then I'll never get to see anything like that."

"Fine. But it's not a good story to tell, if I should say so myself."

"All the more reason I have to know the true story, right? Whether it's good or bad, it's still a story. I'll be the one to decide as to what I should think of it in the end," I said as I walked beside my brother.

Cayden sighed and nodded. "That's definitely your way of thinking, Zander. I can't keep up with you."

"Flattery won't work on me anymore, you know?"

"I'm aware of it. But I'm saying this to you as your brother, despite not having the same mother and the two of us being born on the same year."

"Who would actually believe we were born only ten months apart?"

Now that I noticed it, even though were talking about our family set-up like this, it looked like both of us didn't have any ill feelings towards the issue. It seemed that accepting it was one reason for that to happen.

The same way our Helena accepted both of us as her brothers despite the set-up that Cayden and I had.

For some reason, I glanced at that handkerchief once again. But this time, it wasn't the handkerchief tied on the branch that caught my attention.

It was a woman looking at the same handkerchief.