CHAPTER 96: COLD CONFRONTATION

Sylvia clung to him, her fingers tightening on his shoulders as if she couldn’t decide whether to push him away or pull him closer.

"R-Rome... stop... we just—ahh..."

Her protest was swallowed by another searing kiss, his lips claiming hers with a desperation that sent shivers racing down her spine.

Her mind screamed at her to resist, but her body betrayed her—trembling with every touch, every inch he explored, as if he were mapping her very soul through her skin.

Rome’s breathing grew heavier, his voice low and ragged when he finally pulled back just enough to speak.

"You think I can keep my hands off you when you’re here with me every day? You drive me insane, Sylvia. Just knowing you’ll be sleeping in the next room... how the hell do you expect me to survive that?"

Sylvia’s face flushed crimson, her chest rising and falling rapidly against his.

"T-That’s exactly why I didn’t want this... I knew you’d break your promise..."

He smirked, brushing his lips along her jawline before whispering hotly against her ear.

"And yet, you’re not pushing me away. Your body... it’s responding to me. You want this as much as I do, don’t you?"

"R-Rome..."

His hand slid down to intertwine with hers, pinning it gently over her racing heart.

"I’ll wait for marriage, Sylvia. I swore that to you, and I’ll keep that promise. But don’t ask me to stop loving you this way... because every second, I burn for you."

Sylvia’s breath hitched, her defenses cracking as she buried her face against his chest, muffling the whirl of emotions crashing inside her.

She hated how much sense he made. She hated even more how much she wanted him despite everything she’d said.

Rome closed his eyes, holding her tighter, fighting his own hunger as his heartbeat thundered beneath her ear.

His kisses deepened, drowning her until she couldn’t resist anymore.

Sylvia stopped pulling away and let him devour her, her body surrendering to his touch.

That sly grin returned to his lips, proof that he knew she wanted him just as desperately as he craved her.

Now that she had agreed to live with him, Rome vowed he wouldn’t let a single day pass without showing her how much he loved her.

*********

Moments later...

"What’s so funny?"

Sylvia asked with a pout, tugging the blanket around her bare body. She glared at Rome when she caught him grinning.

Rome chuckled, his eyes tracing the marks he’d left on her neck.

It suited her perfectly. He had lost count of how many hours they had spent tangled in their intimate moments, but one thing was certain, Sylvia had wanted it just as much as he did.

The scratches on his back and the love bites scattered along her neck were undeniable proof.

"So," he teased with a sly smirk, "who was it again that said she wouldn’t give in to me?"

"Tsk. You’re as annoying as ever, Rome. I hate you..." she muttered, her cheeks burning.

Rome’s grin instantly faded. His brows furrowed, and his voice dropped, cold and sharp.

"Don’t say that."

She blinked at him, startled. "Say what?"

"That you hate me. Take it back. Don’t ever say those words to me, even as a joke. I can’t stand it."

Sylvia paused, startled by how serious he was.

"Uhm... I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. It was just a joke... but I will never hate you, Rome."

Still, the frown didn’t disappear from his face. With a soft sigh, Sylvia reached for his hand and pressed her lips to it in apology.

She knew how sensitive he could be, and the only way to ease his sulking was to kiss away his doubts.

The moment her lips brushed against his skin, Rome’s face softened instantly. The feel of Sylvia’s kisses branded itself into his heart and mind, melting away his doubts.

With a boyish grin, he suddenly pinned her beneath him again, making her squeal and burst into laughter.

He was about to capture her lips once more when—

Ding dong!...

The sudden sound of the doorbell made them both freeze. Their eyes met in surprise.

"Seems like you’ve got a visitor... at this hour?" Sylvia muttered, raising a brow.

Rome sighed, pushing himself off her and quickly pulling his clothes back on.

"Who the hell would show up this late at night?"

He adjusted his shirt and glanced at her with a small smile. "Stay here, baby. I’ll just check who it is."

Leaving Sylvia bundled in the blanket, Rome stepped out of the bedroom and headed for the main door.

The moment he opened it, however, his expression hardened in shock.

Standing there were his mom... and Daniel.

"M-Mom..."

Rome froze, his face tightening in surprise.

"Why do you look so shocked? Did you not expect me to visit you at this late hour?" Rosanna asked coldly, her eyes narrowing.

She glanced toward the inside of his condo and was about to step in, but Rome immediately blocked her way.

"M-Mom, you can’t just enter at this hour... I-I’m already sleepy."

He let out a fake yawn, trying to make it convincing. However, his mom only gave him a cold look.

"Sleepy? Yet you’re drenched in sweat. Did you exercise in your dreams, son?"

"Pffft— or maybe Rome dreamed of a beautiful woman in his sleep."

Daniel’s mocking voice cut in, a smirk playing on his lips.

Rome shot Daniel a sharp glare, but it only made his brother smirk wider.

"Mom, looks like Rome was busy. Why don’t you just stay in my condo for the meantime, since it seems he has no plans of letting us inside?"

Rosanna, however, just ignored Daniel. Her sharp gaze never left Rome’s face before sweeping around the unit, until it landed on a suitcase carelessly placed on the sofa.

"Do you have a visitor?" she asked coldly.

"H-Huh? N-No, Mom... you know I hate letting people into my condo. There’s no one here except me."

"Then is that cheap-looking suitcase yours? And this awful perfume—ugh, I can smell it from here. Clearly, someone cheap slipped into your condo without you realizing it."

Rome’s face instantly paled, his chest tightening in panic.

Before he could react, his mom pushed him aside and stepped inside, dragging her small luggage with her. She even covered her nose with her hand, as though disgusted by the air inside.

"What is this smell, Rome? Did some filthy rat sneak in here—"

"Mom. Don’t insult my girlfriend."

Rosanna froze for a moment, then scoffed. She brushed imaginary dust off the sofa before sitting down.

"So that woman is really here." she said icily.

"Y-You knew she was here?"

Rosanna’s eyes darkened. "No. I only had a hunch. I came tonight to confirm it—and it seems I was right. You’re already letting her stay here. Don’t tell me... you’re planning to use her just to satisfy your needs as a man—"

"Mom." Rome’s brows knitted, his tone turning colder.

"What? I didn’t say anything wrong, so don’t cut me off, son. I’m just saying, it’s fine to use her for now, until you marry your fiancée. Just make sure you don’t fall in love with her. Because she is not the woman meant for you—"

"Stop it, Mom!"

Rome’s voice rose. He hated raising his voice at her, but he couldn’t bear hearing Sylvia insulted like that.

"Sylvia isn’t just my girlfriend to ’satisfy my needs.’ She’s the woman I want to marry. So if you can’t respect her as my partner, then maybe you should treat Daniel as your only son and forget about me."

Rosanna stiffened, her eyes widening. She shut them tightly for a moment, trying to compose herself. She couldn’t believe Rome had said those words so easily, all for the sake of his poor, cheap girlfriend.

"The woman you want to marry, huh?...You must really be half-asleep, son. Have you already forgotten? You’re supposed to marry Ingrid, the woman your father and I chose for you, and now you want to replace her with a girlfriend who isn’t even from a wealthy family?"

Rome rubbed his temple, trying hard not to raise his voice. He didn’t want Sylvia to overhear them, but hearing his mom insult her made it nearly impossible to control his emotions.

"I don’t care if she’s not from a good family! So what if she’s an orphan? I can be her family. I can still manage and grow our company without Ingrid’s family’s support. You and Dad just have to trust me."

Rosanna’s eyes grew darker.

"Your father and I both believe that you’ll lead the company well. But we’re concerned, son. We’re worried about how the investors and stockholders might look down on you because of her. We don’t want her to become your weakness."

"But Mom, I can handle that," Rome shot back, his tone almost pleading. "Sylvia and I aren’t weak like you think. This is the first time I’m ever going to disobey you and Dad. So please... just this once, let me love her fully without you or Dad interfering to break us apart."

Rosanna gripped her suitcase tightly and took a deep breath. Her sharp gaze never wavered.

"Bring her to me. I want to speak with her privately."

Rome froze, his mind racing as he weighed whether his mother was serious.

"No... she’s sound asleep right now. You can’t talk to her tonight."

But Rosanna didn’t budge.

"You want me to spare her, right? You said you love her and want to marry her. If that’s really what you want, then let me meet her. Let me see for myself if she’s truly suitable for you. Who knows, maybe I’ll allow her to stay with you and even let her marry into our family."

Rome could hardly believe what he was hearing.

He slowly stepped away from his mom, before she could change her mind, and made his way toward the room where Sylvia was.

The only thought running through his mind was that perhaps, if his mom spoke to Sylvia, she might come to love her as he did.

What he didn’t realize, however, was that his mom had a different plan brewing behind his back.