3. *Fiery Temptation*

No temptation can gravitate to a man unless there is that in his heart which is capable of responding to it.

~ James Allen

We gain the strength of the temptation we resist.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

A temptation is where a man gives in to his heart's desires.

~Lune Blood

********

Raine was so afraid when he did that, and his eyes were filled with tears of anger. This was the first time he had seen Travis like this, and he remembered once when Travis and one of his friends, Harumi, had mercilessly beaten a man who had a debt with them.

Raine quickly got dressed.

After Raine dressed and was outside the mansion's door, he mustered his courage and hugged Travis from behind.

"I'm so sorry, Travis. This is my one last try. I'll say goodbye. I love you, Travis. My One. Mi único. I'm so sorry, I know I cannot erase what I did." And he kissed Travis on the lips, then got into his car and drove away from Travis's life.

When Raine was out of sight, Travis kept replaying Raine's last words in his mind.

"I'm so sorry, Travis. This is my one last try. I'll say goodbye. I love you, Travis. My One. Mi único."

"I'm so sorry, Travis. This is my one last try. I'll say goodbye. I love you, Travis. My One. Mi único."

"I'm so sorry, Travis. This is my one last try. I'll say goodbye. I love you, Travis. My One. Mi único."

He placed his hand on his chest where his heart was.

"Why does it hurt?" He was brought back to reality when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around and saw his friends at the door. But the twins weren't there because they had something to attend to.

"You're crying, Aderfos. It hurts, doesn't it?" It was Stavos. He was the one who had tapped Travis, and he was one of the witnesses to everything that had happened.

"Aderfos. We are here for you," his friends said in unison.

And there, Travis let out the tears he had been holding back, accompanied by the arrival of the twins, who comforted him even though they didn't know the reason. And that was what was best for now.

Travis continued to cry.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Why did I let him go!?? Why!!? He thought to himself.

**********

Today marks the celebration of the 6th Brotherhood Anniversary of the Bachelor of Greek Village, held at the Montemayor Resort in the exclusive party hall. It's the twins' turn to host, and they've chosen Raine to paint them because he's now a successful painter. The tradition is to have their faces painted for this occasion.

Raine's heart is racing. All 20 of his friends are present, and his brothers will reveal the painting while singing a song. He wonders why he's so nervous, reminding himself that he has a girlfriend who is with him, and he's also self-partnered, so he should get Alexandrios out of his mind.

"Now, brothers, behold our painting. We won't hire you again, Alexandrios, because we're already satisfied with your face painting skills," Samuel announced, seconded by Rafael.

"Idiots! You should be more satisfied with your own faces!" Alexandrios shouted, while their other friends just laughed.

"Ahem. Okay, so here it is. Ahem, our mystery painter with his song and the painting."

The curtain opened, revealing Raine.

"Wooh! The princess of Montemayor has returned! The Queen of Hearts!" Lance suddenly shouted, taking a bite of cake.

"Wow, good to see you updated, Lance. I thought all you cared about was food, not that you're not gaining weight," Klaus retorted sarcastically.

"Tsk, idiot. You should focus on paying back your debt to Harumi!" Lance shot back.

"Idiots, all of us owe that bitch! Apologize to Harumi," Klaus replied.

"Assholes! Shut up, my brother is about to sing. Tsk," Samuel interrupted.

Raine just smiled, trying to ignore their banter.

"Hey assholes, shut up and let me sing. And please refrain from calling me the Queen of Hearts. King of Hearts sounds more fitting. I'm a man, you motherfuckers," Raine said, starting to sing as he revealed the painting.

Everyone was astonished and amazed because he had changed. They all stared, but soon were swayed by his singing. A high-pitched tenor voice, so vibrant and melodious, he truly deserved to be called the "Queen of Hearts" because when he sang, he pulled you into his world, his emotions.

The most astonished was Travis. Raine was now a man, a handsome and beautiful man, which was unexpected. He was no longer the naive and shy person Travis had known. And somehow, his heart ached.

Verse 1

Under the Stars

The cosmos our witness

A timeless friendship

I wouldn't trade

So when life gets cold

Even if we grow old

Our bond lives on

A timeless story

Chorus:

I wouldn't trade you

For the world

Even if they give

All they have to me

For true friendship

Is hard to find

And I'm so blessed

That I have you

Verse 2:

When I fall down

Your there to catch me

When I don't know

What lies ahead

You're there for me

Though we may fail

You'll still be here

Chorus:

I wouldn't trade you

For the world

Even if they give

All they have to me

For true friendship

Is hard to find

And I'm so blessed

That I have you

Bridge:

I thank you

From the depths of my heart

The echo of this song

Is for you my friend

This bond we have

I'll never trade

It'll never change

Chorus:

I wouldn't trade you

For the world

Even if they give

All they have to me

For true friendship

Is hard to find

And I'm so blessed

That I have you

Everyone applauded after he finished singing. They were all amazed by the beauty and quality of his voice. It was angelic.

Raine stepped down from the stage. Everyone praised and congratulated him on his success.