CHAPTER 94: JEALOUSY

Three Days Later....

Rome couldn’t sit still as his eyes followed Sylvia from a distance.

Three days had passed, and he still couldn’t bring himself to approach her after storming out of her apartment.

Now that his temper had cooled, he realized just how much of a jerk he had been for leaving her like that.

So here he was, secretly trailing her around campus, unsure of how to approach her and apologize.

He noticed her heading into her favorite place at school, the library.

Rome quickly ducked behind one of the tall bookshelves, peeking through the gaps to watch her.

She looked breathtaking in every way, her face calm and serious as she browsed through the rows of books, carefully flipping through the pages one by one.

For a moment, he forgot about everything else and just stared at her.

But then, the librarian approached Sylvia and said something to her. Rome strained his ears but couldn’t catch the words. Still, he saw Sylvia nod politely and follow the librarian deeper inside.

Rome trailed them discreetly but stopped in his tracks when they entered the restricted section of the library, a place only professors and children of the school’s stockholders could enter. Rare, limited-edition books were kept there.

Even he wasn’t allowed inside. So why was Sylvia being let in?

His thoughts were interrupted when another male student suddenly appeared and stopped right in front of Sylvia. Rome instinctively inched closer, careful not to be noticed, just so he could hear what was being said.

"Miss Sylvia, what books are you looking for in there? I know that section really well. Do you want me to accompany you?"

Miss Sylvia? Rome frowned at the formality.

Sylvia smiled faintly but shook her head. "No, I’m not going in. I was just checking this place to see if anything has changed."

"This place is the same as always," the boy replied. "Nothing changes here, it’s just that you don’t visit often enough to notice."

Sylvia chuckled softly. "Haha, maybe next time...I just don’t want to risk being seen. It could be troublesome."

Her voice dropped, and Rome couldn’t hear the last part.

The boy laughed. "Alright, alright, I understand. Still, I don’t get why you’re... pretending to be a scholar..." His voice faded into a murmur, too low for Rome to catch the rest.

Rome wanted to step closer to hear exactly what they were saying, but he couldn’t risk Sylvia realizing he had been following her, not when he hadn’t even apologized yet.

"Then how about I just keep you company while you read? You know, I’m familiar with all the books in this library." the boy offered.

"I’m fine being alone." Sylvia replied curtly.

"Oh, why so cold? It’s not like you’re any different from me. Come on, let’s read together—I know some books that might interest you." he insisted, before suddenly grabbing Sylvia’s hand.

The sight made Rome’s blood boil instantly. His chest tightened, and anger flared hot in his veins.

How dare this guy lay his hands on what’s mine?

His restraint snapped. He stepped out from where he was hiding and, without a word, strode straight toward them.

He immediately seized Sylvia’s free hand, yanking her away from the boy’s grasp and pulling her tightly against his chest, startling them both.

As the boy turned to face him, Rome finally got a clear look at his face. The boy was Jacob—

The so-called bookworm of the campus. A year younger than Sylvia, but known for being the son of one of the school’s owners. He was always hanging around the library, buried in books.

Rome’s glare hardened.

This geek? He thinks he can steal my Sylvia?

"R-Rome?"

Sylvia’s voice wavered in surprise, her wide eyes staring at him as though she hadn’t expected to see him there.

Rome’s brows furrowed deeply. Why does she sound so familiar with this guy?

Instead of answering her question, he yanked Sylvia closer and wrapped his arms tightly around her, his gaze fixed possessively on her while glaring coldly at Jacob.

"She’s mine.." Rome declared, his voice low and edged with warning. His arms tightened protectively around Sylvia, as if daring Jacob to challenge him.

Jacob blinked in surprise, then scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "So?" he said nonchalantly.

Rome’s eyes narrowed.

"What? I said she’s mine. My girlfriend. You can’t take her away from me."

"So?" Jacob repeated with a shrug, as though Rome’s words meant nothing.

Rome’s jaw clenched, his brows knitting tighter together.

This kid... how dare he? His patience snapped.

"I said she’s mine!" he growled.

But instead of being intimidated, Jacob chuckled lightly and turned his gaze toward Sylvia.

"Miss Sylvia, is this guy really your boyfriend? Did you tell him who I am in your life?"

Rome stiffened.

Him? In Sylvia’s life?

What the—

"What are you talking about, kid?"

Rome snarled, his fist bunching Jacob’s collar before he could think twice.

"Rome, stop it!"

Sylvia quickly stepped between them, prying his hand away from Jacob.

"You’re misunderstanding Jacob. He’s just a kid and he’s harmless. He only sees me as his older sister, so you don’t have to be jealous of him!"

"W-what? Jealous?" Rome muttered with a scowl. "This kid? You think I’d actually get jealous of this kid?"

"Kid? Who are you calling a kid?" Jacob shot back, his brows knitting together in annoyance. Then he turned to Sylvia. "Is this man really your boyfriend, Sylvia? He’s rude. You and he are complete opposites."

Rome’s temper spiked. "What did you just say, kid—"

"Hey, Rome, stop it."

Sylvia quickly stepped between them before he could lunge again. She placed her hand firmly against his chest. Rome’s fury simmered, but her calm presence forced him to take a shaky breath.

Sylvia turned to Jacob with an apologetic look. "I’m sorry about what he did. He just... gets jealous too easily, so please be patient with him."

"It’s okay, Sylvia. I understand." Jacob shrugged, though there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Honestly, he has every right to be possessive. If I had a girlfriend like you, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from getting jealous either. So, I totally get him."

Rome’s jaw tightened when he caught the slight smirk curling on Jacob’s lips. His blood boiled all over again.

"What did you just say, kid? Don’t even think you stand a chance at stealing my girlfriend. I’m way ahead of you in everything, so quit flirting with her!"

"Stop it, Rome."

Sylvia’s voice turned cold as her brows furrowed. She pressed her fingers to her temple in exasperation before looking back at Jacob once more with an apologetic smile.

"I’m sorry again for the things he said. And... please excuse us."

Without a word, Sylvia grabbed Rome’s arm and tugged him toward a quiet corner of the library.

Rome froze, staring down at her. Sylvia’s face was dangerously serious. He hardly ever saw her like this, with her brows drawn tight and her patience wearing thin.

The fire he had shown in front of Jacob just moments ago flickered out instantly.

He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. All his pride crumbled the moment he saw her like this. And then he remembered, he was supposed to apologize to her in the first place.

"Why did you say all that to Jacob? He’s a good kid."

Rome’s brow furrowed. "Good kid? Sylvia, that kid clearly likes you. Someone like him needs to know that you’re mine, and that he doesn’t stand a chance with you."

Sylvia’s brows knitted tighter as she crossed her arms.

"Look, Rome. Jacob and I are just friends, so you don’t have to be jealous of him. But before we even talk about that, don’t you think you owe me an explanation? You disappeared for three days after walking out of my apartment, and now the moment you show up again, you start picking a fight with the only friend I have?"

Rome froze at her words, his jaw tightening as his hand curled into a fist. He hated it—the idea of Sylvia having another man close to her.

He wanted her attention only for himself, even if it meant keeping her away from her others.

He loved her too much to let anyone else take even a piece of her away from him.

"I... I’m sorry..." he muttered instead.

What he really wanted to say was that he didn’t want her being friends with Jacob at all. But he swallowed the words, biting them back. He didn’t want Sylvia to see him as overly possessive, even if that was exactly how he felt inside.

"What did you say?"

Rome met Sylvia’s gaze with a serious look. "I said I’m sorry—for leaving that day, and also... for being a coward, because I only found the courage to apologize now."

He took a deep breath, trying to calm the heavy pounding in his chest. Apologizing was new to him, and he didn’t even know where to begin.

"I’m ashamed of what I did, so I hope you can forgive me. I just love you so much, Sylvia. And... I don’t want you to be swayed by what other people think of us, not even my family, because they’re not the ones in this relationship. It’s us—that’s what truly matters."

Sylvia went quiet, and Rome couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

"I’m sorry too."

Rome froze, his eyes widening as Sylvia’s expression slowly softened.

"I’m sorry too... for not trusting your feelings at that moment. I should have listened instead of doubting you. From now on, I’ll try harder to trust you more, and I won’t let myself be shaken by the opinions of others. So next time, I’ll choose us, always, and I’ll trust your words."