A week passed in the blink of an eye.

At the stroke of midnight, a brilliant silver moon hung high above San Fierro, bathing the quiet city in a pale glow. The stars were hidden behind a thin blanket of clouds, leaving the moon to dominate the night sky alone.

Luca Hale guided his Mercedes-Benz G-Class along the riverside road at an easy pace.

At this hour, most of the city had already gone to sleep. Office buildings stood dark and silent, while shopping districts had long since closed their doors. Only a handful of roadside barbecue stalls continued to bustle with life, their smoky grills filling the air with the irresistible aroma of sizzling meat. Neon signs from twenty-four-hour convenience stores cast colorful reflections across the pavement as the occasional car drifted past.

Luca pulled into a small parking space beside one of the busiest barbecue stands.

Before he had even stepped out of the car, a booming voice rang across the street.

"Brother! Over here!"

Luca looked over and couldn’t help smiling.

A burly man with broad shoulders was waving enthusiastically from a small plastic table near the riverbank. The table was already covered with steaming skewers, grilled seafood, cold dishes, and several bottles of beer. Judging from the amount of food, it was obvious he’d been waiting for quite a while.

Luca walked over with a grin.

"Big Bro."

He pulled out a chair and sat down.

"It’s been way too long."

The burly man was Julian Cruz, Luca’s closest roommate from university.

Julian wasn’t originally from San Fierro. He had grown up in a small working-class town in the American Midwest before moving to the city for college.

Back in their four-man dormitory, everyone had naturally fallen into birth order.

Julian was the eldest.

Noah Bennett was second.

Caleb Ross was third.

And Luca, being the youngest, was affectionately called youngest Brother or the Fourth.

After graduation, Noah and Caleb both pursued postgraduate studies before accepting jobs in other cities. As their careers became busier, the four roommates naturally drifted apart.

Only Julian and Luca had remained in San Fierro.

Every once in a while, one of them would call the other out for a late-night barbecue like old times.

Julian picked up a skewer and laughed.

"I’ve invited you out so many times these past few months, but every single time you claimed work had you buried alive."

He pointed at Luca with mock accusation.

"So what changed tonight? Did President Hale finally approve some vacation time for himself?"

Luca chuckled.

"You make it sound like I’m running a country."

Julian wasn’t entirely wrong, though.

As a senior campaign planner at one of San Fierro’s largest advertising firms, Julian already had an incredibly demanding full-time job. On top of that, he worked evenings as a personal trainer at a luxury gym.

The man practically had no days off.

He worked because he wanted a better future, and little by little, all that effort had begun paying off. His salary was more than enough for someone his age to live comfortably in San Fierro.

Julian raised his beer with a broad smile.

"I called you out tonight for two reasons."

"First, it’s been far too long since we brothers sat down and had a proper meal together."

He paused dramatically.

"And second..."

A huge grin spread across his face.

"I’m getting married."

Luca’s eyes widened before he immediately lifted his glass.

"Seriously?"

"Congratulations, Big Bro!"

Since he had driven there himself, Luca skipped the beer and toasted with a glass of iced tea instead.

Even so, his smile couldn’t have been more genuine.

He was truly happy for Julian.

Back in university, Julian had always been quiet and reserved.

He was the kind of man who could spend an entire afternoon studying without saying more than a handful of words.

If a pretty girl spoke to him, he’d blush bright red.

Yet one unforgettable afternoon, Julian had walked into their dorm with the most beautiful woman in the entire mathematics department beside him.

Her name was Evelyn Hayes.

The remaining three roommates had been completely dumbfounded.

No one could understand how their quiet, honest big brother had somehow won over the campus goddess.

After hours of relentless questioning, the truth finally came out.

Julian hadn’t pursued Evelyn.

She had pursued him.

The revelation nearly drove the other three single roommates mad with jealousy.

Unfortunately, very few people believed the relationship would last.

Julian came from an ordinary family.

Throughout university, he’d worked countless part-time jobs just to pay tuition and cover his living expenses.

Evelyn, on the other hand, had grown up in one of San Fierro’s wealthiest districts. Her family owned valuable real estate in the city center, and she had never lacked admirers.

Rich heirs.

Young entrepreneurs.

Even second-generation elites had tried courting her.

Everyone assumed graduation would also mark the end of their relationship.

Instead...

They proved everyone wrong.

Year after year, they remained together.

Now, after overcoming countless obstacles, they were finally preparing to get married.

Luca couldn’t have been happier for them.

He smiled before asking teasingly,

"So..."

"Did you finally convince your future mother-in-law?"

Julian’s smile froze.

His raised beer stopped halfway to his lips.

A complicated expression slowly appeared on his face.

After a long silence, he sighed.

"...No."

He stared quietly at the bottle in his hand.

"The truth is..."

"Evelyn stole the household registration documents from her family’s safe."

Luca blinked.

Julian gave a bitter smile.

"She had a huge fight with her parents."

"Then she ran straight to my apartment."

He lowered his head.

"She told me she wanted to marry me immediately."

His voice grew noticeably softer.

"But I know her."

"I know she wants their blessing."

He emptied the rest of his beer in one long gulp before slamming the bottle onto the plastic table.

Clang!

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Luca quietly looked at the man sitting across from him.

For perhaps the first time since they’d met years ago...

Julian looked helpless.

He had built everything through sheer determination.

Every promotion.

Every paycheck.

Every opportunity.

Nothing had been handed to him.

Yet even someone as hardworking as Julian couldn’t simply erase the gap between ordinary families and wealthy ones overnight.

Still...

Luca also knew one thing.

Julian was luckier than most men.

He had found a woman willing to stand beside him no matter what.

That alone was priceless.

The two old roommates gradually relaxed as the night wore on.

Julian drank one bottle after another, while Luca mostly focused on the food, occasionally joining in with a soft drink.

Their conversation drifted from work to old university memories.

Eventually, Julian leaned back in his chair and laughed.

"Brother..."

"I suddenly remembered something."

"Hm?"

"Our class monitor."

"Janice Snyder."

Julian grinned mischievously.

"Back then everyone said she liked you."

"So why didn’t anything ever happen?"

Luca couldn’t help smiling wryly.

Janice was undeniably beautiful.

Unfortunately...

She was also incredibly calculating.

He still remembered the day just before graduation.

She had asked him to meet behind one of the lecture halls.

After exchanging a few polite words, she’d looked him straight in the eye and asked one simple question.

"What does your family do?"

Luca had answered honestly.

"My parents are farmers."

The disappointment that flashed across her face had been immediate.

Without another word, she’d simply turned around and walked away.

Only later, after hearing rumors that she’d supposedly had a crush on him, did Luca understand.

She hadn’t been looking for love.

She’d been looking for someone wealthy enough to fund the future she wanted.

"I never stood a chance."

Luca shrugged with a smile.

"Our goals were completely different."

Julian chuckled.

"Maybe back then."

He took another sip of beer before grinning.

"But what about now?"

Luca looked at him.

Julian wiggled his eyebrows.

"I heard through the alumni group that Janice has finished working overseas."

"They’re saying she’ll be returning to America very soon."

A knowing smile slowly spread across his face.

"I wonder what she’ll think when she finds out just how much Youngest Brother has changed."