Chapter 225

Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 225

Brandon walked down the street with a wide grin on his face. He had just returned from a simple date with Minda, taking her to a cinema in the town plaza, nothing too fancy.

Afterward, they chatted about the movie over a meal at Jollybee. Minda was an educated, well-spoken woman, and Brandon had done his absolute best to keep up his end of the conversation. She turned out to be genuinely engaging, and they had shared a wonderful time together.

His friends had no idea that he had actually run into Minda the day before Karlos's birthday. At the time, Minda was shopping at the town plaza, struggling to carry several heavy bags.

She crossed paths with Brandon, who happened to be in the area as well. They recognized each other from the Alejandro twins' first birthday party at the Araneto villa.

Seeing that Minda was having a tough time with her load, Brandon offered to lend a hand, and she gladly accepted. He carried her bags all the way to the tricycle terminal, and she thanked him warmly before leaving.

The very next day, they met again at Karlos's birthday party, and things naturally progressed from there.

Brandon felt like he was floating on cloud nine. It was clear that Minda didn't care about his physical insecurities, particularly his cross-eyes. They genuinely enjoyed each other's company, and he willingly admitted to himself that he was falling for her.

As Brandon approached his property, he noticed a couple standing outside near the front entrance.

It was Gary and his wife. They were eyeing the house right next door to Carmine's place, the very property Brandon now owned.

"Hey, Brother! Look who's here, haha. I've been waiting for you!" Gary called out the moment he spotted Brandon, stepping forward with a forced smile.

"I still can't believe you bought the house right next to Mom and Dad. Why didn't you give me a heads-up? I could have helped you out with the renovations," Gary said, reaching out to sling an arm over Brandon's shoulder, but Brandon stepped aside and avoided him. 

"What are you doing here?" Brandon frowned.

"Just coming by to visit Mom and Dad. I missed them, that's all."

"Then go inside and talk to them. I need to take a shower in my own house," Brandon replied, placing heavy emphasis on the last two words.

Ever since their last bitter confrontation, Brandon had lost every shred of respect for his toxic siblings and cut off all interaction with them. He brushed past them without another word and unlocked his front door.

Having bought and fully renovated the place, Brandon took immense pride in finally owning his own home.

"Tch, arrogant cross-eyed freak. He gets a little money in his pocket and suddenly thinks he's hot shit," Gary's wife spat on the dirt in disgust. Even Gary looked sour.

"Keep your voice down! Someone might hear you," Gary warned her through gritted teeth.

"So what if they do? Your cheap parents barely handed us 300 pesos, and your filthy rich, selfish brother couldn't even bother to greet us properly," she hissed, clicking her tongue in annoyance.

"..." Gary stood in sullen silence. Having heard rumors about Brandon's sudden financial success, he had come hoping to score a generous handout.

'Earlier today, Dad rode a tricycle to head over to the shrimp farm. I was floored when I found out Brandon bought that tricycle for him.'

Their parents rarely brought up their personal finances now that they were pulling in a substantial monthly income. They deliberately kept Gary and his sister in the dark about the new tricycle and Brandon's house purchase, knowing how greedy and manipulative the two could be.

Gary had only pieced the news together recently.

He had actually tried to convince his father to hand the tricycle over to him, but Gomez had scoffed in his face, firmly stating that the vehicle belonged to Brandon. Gomez had even felt guilty for borrowing it earlier today, especially after learning from his wife that Brandon had plans to meet up with a woman. Had Gomez known sooner, he would have left the tricycle parked at home so Brandon could use it to make a great impression on his date.

"Let's go. Coming here was a total waste of time. Though I guess 300 pesos is enough to play a few rounds of baccarat," Gary's wife grumbled, her mind instantly pivoting back to her favorite vice.

Unsurprisingly, the primary reason Gary and his wife were perpetually broke and begging for cash was their rampant gambling addiction. An underground, illegal casino operated near the red-light district, drawing in local fishermen and gamblers looking to risk their earnings.

Gary turned to leave, casting a dark, resentful glare back at the two houses.

'...Since you refuse to share your wealth with me, I'll just take what's mine.'

......... 

...... 

...

"Ugh...!"

"Pa! What on earth happened to you?!"

Ivana gasped in horror as she opened the front door, finding her father collapsed on the front gate, covered in severe bruises. It was painfully obvious he had been brutally beaten.

"...I'm fine," Emmanuel groaned, attempting to push himself up, but every muscle in his body screamed in agony. Ivana quickly caught him, helping him stagger inside.

"...Where is your brother?"

"He isn't home. He's probably out drinking again."

Even though it was past midnight, the eldest Alejandro son was out drowning himself in vices as usual. Emmanuel let out a hollow, bitter laugh, it was hard to tell whether he was amused or broken.

Ivana carefully guided him toward the living room, and Emmanuel let out a agonizing groan as he sank onto the couch.

"S—Should I call an ambulance?"

"No, I'm fine. Don't bother calling anyone... I just took a bad fall down the stairs."

"If you fell down the stairs, we definitely need an ambulance!"

"I said I'm fine!" Emmanuel rasped, lacking the energy to raise his voice any further. He stared blankly up at the ceiling, the horrific memory of his encounter with Tonto replaying in his mind.

Tonto had flatly refused to believe a single word when Emmanuel laid out the truth regarding his real identity. The young man had denied everything in a panic, storming off with a look of sheer confusion and rage. Emmanuel had assumed that would be the end of it, he thought Tonto simply needed a few days to process the earth-shattering news before reaching out to talk.

He never could have anticipated that Tonto would immediately hire thugs to beat him within an inch of his life, issuing a violent warning never to open his mouth about the truth again. Emmanuel was utterly terrified, but above all, his heart was completely shattered.

As he stared up at the ceiling, hot tears welled up and rolled silently down his bruised cheeks.

"Pa... Are you really okay?" Ivana asked, her voice trembling with genuine concern.

[Thank you for reading this novel.]