A day ago, before the farewell party…
After Slyvester had a heated argument with his father, he went somewhere to calm himself down. Slyvester wanted to call Ryan, knowing he would seek comfort with her. However, he received a text from his cousin, asking him if he would attend their gathering, and that was only when Slyvester recalled that he planned with his relatives that day.
His cousins were asking about Slyvester’s girlfriend enthusiastically, as if finding fault they could use against Slyvester. Fully aware of this ill intention, Slyvester meets them and warns them not to touch Ryan. Slyvester knew his cousins would never waste a chance to defeat him for Ixumi's inheritance.
‘After I settled everything, I’ll return to the boarding house as a happy Slyvester,’ he promised himself.
Slyvester grew up sociable because he missed the happy company of the first people around. He was, of course, loved by his father and mother. But the case is different when it comes to relatives. He still remembered the intense competition when his grandfather decided to inherit the company. High looks greet him from uncles and cousins whenever there is a family meeting. Thus, when he grew older, he befriended everyone around him except his relatives. Those were why he didn't understand Terban’s behaviour in the first place.
After all, Terban thinks too highly of himself. He looked down on others as if they were nothing but a peasant. That's why he said Terban has similarities with his father. When Terban changed, Slyvester also had a change of heart.
As he continued to stare at his male cousins in front of him, he wondered if there was a chance for their behaviours to change. They were born with diamond spoons, and their attitudes are rude.
"Bro, why are you late? We waited for you in ages," greeted the cousin named Jweyi.
"People in relationships don’t have extra time,” Otep teased.
"Maybe he's just busy studying. He's still in college, right? He can't relate to us who are already working," Hesaac chuckled.
Slyvester appeared restless, tapping his leg under the table. He wasn't nervous, just bored. He would rather mess with his boarding housemates, despite knowing that Kyle, Vincent, Chaylen, and Terban were bullies.
Jweyi interrupted his thoughts, "We were planning to hang out at the nightclub, but Uncle Yhlei would be furious. He's worried about tarnishing the reputation of the future owner of Ixumi Corporation."
The three laughed, but Slyvester remained silent on the side, sensing the sarcasm in their joke.
"Anyway, how are you, cousin?" Isaac asked as he sat straight and crossed his arms.
After a long silence, Slyvester said, “I know you guys must have heard about my girlfriend, and that’s why you decided to meet me.”
“Of course!” Isaac answered and expressed his fake happiness by adding, “We are so happy that you have moved on from Nikki.”
His comment seemed to make Slyvester frown.
"And I'm also surprised that you didn't choose Gizelle. Dude, that's a shame."
"True! She's pretty and sexy. The state of life is a bonus."
"What's your girlfriend's name again?"
Slyvester sipped his cold water and answered, "Ryan McGuffin."
Otep then asked, "Is Ryan prettier than Gizelle?"
Slyvester held onto his glass tightly as he drank more water.
Another person commented, "What's the point of being pretty if you're not good in bed?"
Slyvester's hand shook, causing the water in his glass to rattle.
Someone else suggested, "Maybe Slyvester enjoys spending his time in bed with his girlfriend."
Slyvester slammed his glass down and glared at the person who commented rudely. The other two looked at him in surprise.
Jweyi quickly defended, "Easy dude, Otep was just joking."
"But wait, if his girlfriend's last name is McGuffin, isn't that the one with East Trading?" Hesaac changed the topic.
"Ahhh! Right! McGuffin East trading!" Jweyi gasped. "Now I know why Uncle approved Slyvester’s new relationship."
“If they get married, East trading will profit greatly. Slyvester’s girlfriend hit the jackpot."
"We dated even though Ryan didn't know my status," said Slyvester, leaving the three speechless. "Ryan has no interest in my background and the benefit to be gained in business."
"So, you're saying she's not interested in Ixumi corporation?" Otep retorted, grinning.
"Right. So, I'm warning you not to include her in our power conflicts," Slyvester continued. He moved the glass of water next to a plate of steak that he didn't even touch. How will he manage to eat in front of his rude relatives?
"Are you warning us?" Jweyi repeated
.
"Right, it's a warning," Slyvester marked.
"You dare to do that just because you have the highest shares in the corporation,” Hesaac commented hostilely.
Otep interrupted Hesaac's teasing by raising his hand and then spoke with a smirk. "Britney told me something interesting earlier. They mentioned running into your girlfriend by accident."
Upon hearing Otep's words, Slyvester furrowed his eyebrows.
"She said something absurd. Your girlfriend confessed to being adopted. Ryan stated: 'I'm adopted, but my parents are well-off'," Otep added, annoying Slyvester.
"Really?!" Jweyi gasped.
"Why did you choose someone like her? Besides her shameful background, are you confident she's not a gold digger?"
Slyvester stood up abruptly and slammed his hand on the table. "Shut up, Otep. Keep your mouth shut before I shut it for you."
Otep raised both hands as if raising a white flag. But the smile remained painted on his lips.
"That's freaking awesome!" Isaac exclaimed. "You mean, even if that woman is adopted, Uncle Yhlei agreed? Really?"
Sylvester was concerned about how Ryan would be treated if she met Britney. He worried that she might be subjected to harsh comments or bullied by his relatives.
To avoid dealing with his crazy cousins and check over his girlfriend, Slyvester decided to walk away and leave them alone.
“Hey! Where are you going?!”
As Slyvester passed the wall dividing the restaurant's dining room, he caught sight of someone familiar at another table. It took him a moment to realise that it was his girlfriend, Terban, and an older man who appeared to be a friend, dining with Ryan.
Suddenly, Sylvester remembered what his father had said about Larry Myers. Terban’s dad wants Ryan for Terban.
Slyvester has confidence that his girlfriend's feelings for him will not change. But he could not help but feel anxious while watching his girlfriend smiling comfortably with Terban and Larry.
Slyvester was so stressed because of his dad and his cousins. He did everything for Ryan, and then he saw her eating with a friend he is jealous of, together with his family?
He left Ryan angry and hurt and asked for time to calm down.
Following a misunderstanding with Ryan, Slyvester spends the night at a friend's place. During this time, Ryan messaged him, explaining everything that happened, including a message that was not sent. Slyvester felt embarrassed, realising that he had let his emotions get the best of him and didn't respond to Ryan's message. He didn't want to apologise over text. Instead, he promised himself that he would fix things the next day before going to bed.
During the farewell party, the shy Slyvester approached Ryan, intending to converse.
But due to the presence of others, he felt too bashful to interact.
He planned to settle any unresolved matters with her after the event.
However, an unfortunate misunderstanding occurred when he caught sight of Terban close to Ryan.
“Tadah! Gotch…”
Slyvester stopped his words as he watched Terban’s hands rest on Ryan's waist while Ryan's hands rested on Terban's chest, causing the impression that they had either just shared a kiss or were about to. Slyvester was taken aback upon discovering them together after opening the cabinet.
As Slyvester watched Ryan and Terban together, he felt a twinge of jealousy in his chest. His body tensed up, and his eyes grew hot. However, he trusted Ryan and knew she was a loyal girlfriend who wouldn't betray him.
They had already been through so much together, so there was no reason to worry.
But then a thought popped into his head: "What if Terban had a stronger bond with Ryan?" Slyvester couldn't help but feel worried.
As Ryan and Terban separated, both holding their breath, Ryan was about to speak when Slyvester suddenly closed the cabinet.