Third Person's POV
"Mr Larry Myers' son is here. He said he made an appointment with you the other day."
Larry Myers.
The person referred to is well-known both in their country and internationally. When Mr Myers' son contacted Yhlei Hudson, he was initially unsure of the reason for the meeting. However, after seeing a photo of the son, he had a hunch about the purpose.
Yhlei instructed his secretary to allow the visitor inside his office.
Once inside, Yhlei greeted the young businessman, “I can see in your eyes that you are someone who doesn’t like to beat around the bush.”
They never greeted each other in front of the boarding house. But his first introduction is a little powerful.
“It’s fortunate that you can tell it right away,” Terban answered, grinning.
Sylvester mentioned that his father and Terban have similar attitudes. It raises the question of who will come out on top in their conversation.
Then suddenly…
“I am in love with Ryan,” Terban admitted directly.
This confession caused Yhlei to frown.
"Just like your son, I love Ryan."
The Ixumi corporation is worth billions, but Ylhei believes they need more innovation than Mr Myers' company management. That's why he accepted a meeting with the son of the multi-billionaire who has excelled in various countries. But he did not expect Terban to come out as strong as this, even confessing that he was in love with Slyvester’s girlfriend.
"My father has known Ryan since he was a child and wouldn't hesitate to adopt her,” Terban added. “He likes Ryan, and he's doing it for my sake."
Yhlei remained silent, contemplating the words he had just heard.
"I overheard your conversation at the boarding house, and I can tell you don't approve of Ryan for your son."
"Even if I don't agree, there's nothing I can do if they like each other," Yhlei responded.
"That doesn't change the fact that you don't like her. It will and will still affect their relationship."
"So, what are you up to?"
"Mr Hudson, or should I call you Slyvester’s father?"
"..."
"If Slyvester and Ryan separate, then that’s great for me. I can steal Ryan and make her mine after that.”
"Are you allying with me? Because you want to be my son's girlfriend?"
"No," Terban denied, chuckling. "I may have mentioned that it would be in my favour, but I do not want them to separate. That is the point I am trying to make, Mr. Hudson. If they separate and she ends up with me, it would reflect poorly on your character."
Yhlei slowly grasped Terban's intentions. He had come to humiliate him.
Mr Hudson disapproved of his son’s girlfriend because she was adopted, causing them to break up. However, if the girlfriend began to date Terban, a rumour would spread that Larry Myers, a well-known figure, had accepted Ryan wholeheartedly, while Mr Hudson would be seen as the villain.
"You came here to advise me not to do anything that would cause them trouble. I thought you loved her?" Yhlei asked Terban.
"Yes. I am doing this because I love her."
"If they do break up, she will come to you."
"But you won't let it happen. Admit it; you changed your mind, Mr Hudson."
The conversation is over. It's clear who won.
*
Ryan returned to the department store where Slyvester bought the red panties. She didn't want to admit it, but she liked the fabric and was tempted to buy more.
"Oh? It still has a partner's bra," the young woman marvelled and picked up the red foamed bra with black laces from the display. It resembles the panties received from Slyvester. While looking around, a group of women appeared near her.
"Sister Gizelle, look at this. This is so sexy~."
Ryan tilted her head. Then she met Gizelle's gaze, and a cluster of black clouds formed in the sky.
Ryan thought nothing would happen between them because Gizelle was with her friends.
She put the bra back on its display hook and planned to leave. However, Gizelle surprised her by saying, "Long time no see, Ryan."
Ryan turned back to face her, realising that Gizelle was seeking revenge. Despite this, Ryan did not want to stoop to her level. She knew she could handle living with Kyle, Vincent, Chaylen, Sylvester, and Terban in the same house. Handling Gizelle would be nothing, she thought.
“You remember my name,” Ryan replied.
Gizelle then picked up the bra Ryan was staring at earlier and said, "How could I forget the name of Sylvester's girlfriend?"
The two women who were with Gizelle were in shock upon hearing something. "Is that her?!" the first one exclaimed. Her figure is chubby, and her outfit is simple: a white Crocs shirt, Lee pants, and Nike rubber shoes.
The other woman asked Ryan, "Are you Slyvester's girlfriend?" She looked similar to the first woman, so Ryan assumed they were sisters. However, the second woman was more dressed up than the first. She had dyed her hair a dark red colour, wore a Penshoppe T-shirt with the brand "Oppa" on it, and a short, checkered skirt. She also wore a black beret hat, a sling bag, and high heel boots.
After observing Gizelle's companions, Ryan thought the second woman might be related to either Gizelle or her boyfriend.
"Everyone, this is Ryan, your future cousin-in-law," Gizelle introduced Ryan, using the bra she held to point at her.
Just as Ryan had suspected, they are Slyvester's companions, who are also Gizelle’s friends.
"Wow. Nice to meet you. You're so cute," the second girl praised. "My name is Britney."
"You are brother Slyvester’s girlfriend. My Aunt told me about it," greeted one. "I'm Coleen."
Ryan let out a forced smile. "H-Hello."
"That's why brother Slyvester didn't choose you because sister Ryan is cute," Britney teased Gizelled.
Gizelle glared at her. "What? Excuse me? I really have no intention of dating your cousin," she denied, but her cheeks were red.
"All right, Britney, sister Gizelle will hit you," Koleen threatened.
"Ohhhh~ I'm scared~" Britney pretended to be scared.
Ryan felt uncomfortable as she wondered if she should leave the group of three.
‘This situation is awkward,’ she thought with a sigh.
“Sister Ryan, can I ask something?” Koleen began showing interest in Ryan, which the lady did not want to receive. “Who are your parents? What is their job? And how did you meet Brother Slyvester?”
The way she asked made it seem like it was a normal conversation topic. Ryan couldn't help but complain to herself about how children are so business-savvy nowadays.
As she could not answer the question, Gizelled answered on her behalf.
“She is the daughter of the East Trading Owner, McGuffin’s Trading.”
When Gizelle smirked at Ryan, she knew her true intentions. Ryan chuckled sarcastically, fully aware of what Gizelle was trying to do. Britney nodded in approval, seemingly understanding why her uncle had approved of Slyvester's girlfriend.
"So even though I did not end up dating Slyvester, " Gizelle added, "I know he'll be okay with the East trading."
Ryan stared at Gizelle intently before her brows rose. "I am the daughter of East trading. But only adopted," she corrected.
Gizelle stopped at what she heard. He didn't expect Ryan to say this!
Koleen and Britney looked at each other while gasping.
"That must be a joke?" Koleen tried to laugh.
"R-Right," Britney agreed. "Because there's no way that Uncle Yhlei agreed if that's true, right?"
Ryan and Gizelle were looking intently at each other. Then Ryan leaned a little closer. She raised her hand and made a circular shape with her index finger and thumb. "Adopted, but my parents have a lot of money," Ryan mocked.
Britney and Koleen were utterly silent.
"Anyway, since my allowance is quite large, I will look around to shop. Enjoy future cousin-in-law." After smiling, she did not forget to glare at Gizelle before walking away.
"OMG, this is shocking," Koleen gasped, taking out her cell phone to chat this information to her relatives.
"Is brother Slyvester serious? Why did Uncle agree?" Britney wondered.
Gizelle was still looking in the direction where Ryan had gone. She still hates her because she's Slyvester’s girlfriend. But what Ryan did, Gizelle was amazed.
"She's brave. I like that," Gizelle murmured while smiling.
Ryan had plans after shopping at the department store, but Gizelle and her companions interrupted her schedule.
“Why do I need to meet that b*tch, damn it,” Frustrated, Ryan complained while crossing her arms.
She wished she had done her shopping before they arrived and decided to wait until they left before returning. Although their comments were harsh, they did not affect Ryan, having already met Slyvester's father and developed immunity.
As she thought about where to go, her phone vibrated. Upon seeing Terban's name, saved as "Mr. Grumpy," Ryan hesitated. In the past, Slyvester had admitted to being jealous of Terban, so Ryan avoided socialising with him to avoid worrying her boyfriend.
'But he's still my friend. What if an emergency happens?' she made an excuse. So, she answered the call.
"Yow, wazzup. Why did you call?"
[“Ryan, are you in the boarding house?”]
"Nope. But pretty close. Why?"
[“Ahh. I would have asked you to look if I left a folder on the kitchen table.”]
"Do you need it for work?" Ryan was about to get ready to go home to get the folder. However, she remembered her boyfriend again.
'No. Let's not meet him.'
"Vincent is at the boarding house," Ryan announced. "Why don’t you ask him instead? And what’s wrong with you? You kept on forgetting things."
Ryan stopped talking as she realised that she might be one of the reasons why Terban was not acting as his usual self.
But she kept the thoughts in her.
[“Nevermind. I will find a way. Where are you?”]
"Me? I'm in..."
[“Wait. I need to drop the call. See you later, ugly.”]
And the call ended.
Ryan glared at her cell phone.
After rejecting Terban, Terban returned to his peevish behaviour. And it was worse than before.
Nevertheless, Terban can be reliable in times of need, like when he comforted her on the rooftop.
Ryan would rather have Terban behave like this than the night he knelt and begged for love. She wants to forget what happened, but it isn't easy. As Ryan walked, she saw a familiar man in the distance.
"I just called him earlier! Why is he here?" she thought.
Terban, the man she was calling a moment ago, was walking in the mall and conversing.
Ryan knew Terban was an influential figure, managing malls through his father's business. As Ryan observed Terban's employees trembling in his presence, the extent of his wealth became more apparent.
Terban interrupted his conversation to inform his interlocutors that he had to leave. Ryan couldn't escape because Terban had seen her and now approached her side.
"What are you doing here?" Terban inquired.
"I'm shopping," Ryan replied.
“Why today?”
“What? Do I need to choose a particular day to shop?” she rebuked.
Terban sighed. "Please come back another day. Go home now."
Ryan was taken aback. Even though Terban was in charge of a large building, was it fair for him to dismiss her? "Excuse me? I'm a customer here," she protested.
"Just hear me out," Terban stated sternly. "Leave before..."
But it was too late.
"Excuse me, are you Ryan?" Larry Myers asked as he approached the two, panting hurriedly. It had been a while since Ryan last saw Larry, but despite the signs of aging, she still recognised the man who used to fetch Terban when they were young.
"Mister?!" she greeted warmly.
"It's really you! I'm so happy to see you again. Mr. McGuffin filled me in on everything," Larry exclaimed.
Ryan chuckled awkwardly. This was precisely what Terban had hoped to avoid: a chance encounter between Ryan and her father.
"Did you come here to see my son?" Larry asked, placing his arm around Terban's.
Ryan politely waved both hands to deny the question. "No, we just happened to run into each other."
“Then, what about going to dinner together?” Larry suggested.
“Yes?”
Seeing Ryan’s reaction, Terban sighed and decided to address the matter with his father.
"Dad, is it appropriate to ask a girl who is already in a relationship to join us for dinner?"
"Why not? You and Ryan are just friends," replied Larry, looking at both his son and Ryan.
Terban shook his head and averted his gaze.
"I've been urging my son to invite you for dinner for quite some time now," Larry added, "but Terban is hesitant."
Perhaps Terban is also wary of causing issues between Slyvester and Ryan. It seems that Slyvester's jealousy stems from his lingering feelings for Ryan.
"So now that we've met, what about we grab dinner together? That's right, it's already time," Terban’s father said while glancing at the watch.
Ryan and Terban looked at each other. He made a sign that she shouldn't accept the offer. But Larry said, "Are you worried about your boyfriend? Then why don't you ask him to join? Terban told me that your boyfriend lives with you guys in the same house."
Feeling obligated to accept due to Larry's past kindness, Ryan found herself unable to decline the offer and felt ashamed about potentially rejecting him.
“O-Okay. I’ll go and join you,” Ryan accepted the offer, which surprised Terban.