CHAPTER 97: BETWEEN LOVE AND DOUBT

Rome couldn’t sit still while his mom and Sylvia talked in his room.

He couldn’t hear what they were saying, so he had no idea whether the conversation was going smoothly.

Daniel, on the other hand, just smirked as he watched him pace back and forth restlessly.

"Come on, bro. Mom’s not going to eat your girlfriend, so quit pacing like that. I’m the one getting dizzy just watching you circle around." Daniel teased.

Rome shot him a sharp glare.

"Shut up, Greece. I know it was you who told Mom that Sylvia is living here with me. You planned to break us apart just because you’re not satisfied with the many women you have!" he snapped.

Daniel’s smirk vanished for a moment, but then he let out an annoying laugh after.

"Pffftt-! What are you even saying? You don’t even know how fun it is to have lots of women around, so you’re just assuming I’m not happy!..Why don’t you try it? Who knows, you might like having a bunch of girls chasing after you instead of chasing just one."

Daniel then shrugged casually, still smirking teasingly.

"What did you say?"

Rome was about to lunge at him when the door opened, and his mom walked out, followed by Sylvia, who was now wearing a long-sleeve top and pants.

Fortunately, Sylvia had managed to get dressed before facing his mom.

His mom’s gaze was no longer cold, though Rome still couldn’t tell if the outcome of their conversation had been good.

He immediately went to Sylvia’s side while carefully inspecting her face for any scratches that might show his mom had been harsh with her. But Sylvia just smiled and gently pushed his hand away.

"I-I’m fine..." Sylvia said softly, then looked at his mom.

"Y-your mom and I had a nice talk. I just realized now that you have a good mom. She just asked me if I’m doing okay, and... she a-agreed to let us continue our relationship."

Rome glanced at his mom with doubt. He didn’t know whether to believe Sylvia’s words.

His mom wasn’t exactly the type to speak kindly and gently, given her reaction earlier, so Sylvia’s words surprised him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" his mom asked. "It’s true, we had a good talk. Shouldn’t you be happy?"

Rome’s eyes darted between his mom and Sylvia. He couldn’t believe it was that easy for his mom to accept Sylvia.

"R-Rome, what’s wrong?"

Sylvia’s voice wavered slightly, her hands trembling faintly, though her smile remained steady.

"Your mom already accepted me as your girlfriend. Aren’t you happy that she finally agreed to our relationship?"

Rome immediately reached for her, holding each of her cheeks gently in his hands. Then he smiled reassuringly.

"Of course I’m happy. That only means Mom won’t have to doubt you anymore."

"You sound like I would really get angry at Sylvia. Tsk, tsk... I’m disappointed in you, son." his mom said.

"Sylvia and I got along quickly, and I just realized that all the impressions I had of her were wrong. She told me how much she loves you, just like you love her. So who am I not to accept her? Besides, she’s a good girl who knows how to impress me, and she listens well. I’m sure she and I will get along in everything, right, Sylvia?"

Sylvia nodded slowly, which made Rome smile for the first time in a while. The doubt in his eyes began to fade as he faced his mom.

"Thank you, Mom, for accepting Sylvia. She’s the only person I’ve ever loved like this, so thank you for accepting our relationship."

Rosanna forced a smile.

"Now that I’ve accepted your relationship with her, maybe now you will fulfill your promise to manage our company well. You’re the only person in our family whom your grandfather trusted to inherit the company, so don’t ever disappoint us."

"Yes, Mom. I will never disappoint you or our family."

********

One month later.....

Rome thought his relationship with Sylvia would finally settle down after his mom accepted her into their family.

The tension that had once hovered over his family and Sylvia had finally disappeared, allowing him to stop worrying about it. But something was off.

"Sylvia... is something wrong?" Rome asked anxiously, studying her pale face.

He had started to notice small changes.

Sylvia no longer laughed as easily as she used to, and her energy seemed to fade more with each passing day.

It had been a month since his mom gave her approval, and he thought everything was finally going smoothly.

But lately, Sylvia had seemed unusually listless whenever she and his mom went out together.

Rome couldn’t see anything wrong—his mom treated Sylvia kindly now, and his family no longer disrespected her. Even his father had welcomed her.

Yet he began to sense that Sylvia was starting to avoid him, as if there was a problem she didn’t want to share. The unease weighed heavily on him.

"Hey, baby... is there something w-wrong? Tell me, please. I don’t want to keep guessing if you have a problem. I want you to feel comfortable sharing it with me..."

Sylvia glanced up at him briefly before setting down the book she had been reading.

She gave him a smile, but he knew that smile too well. It was forced. A smile she always used when she wanted to make him believe she was fine.

"What are you saying? I don’t have any problems. It’s just... I’ve been stressed with my academics, and my part-time job makes me tired. But I’m okay, so you don’t have to worry about me."

"No, you’re not okay."

Rome couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

Even though he was also struggling to balance his academics with managing their company, Sylvia’s exhaustion seemed heavier.

A worrying thought suddenly crossed his mind. Was she getting tired of their relationship?

No, she won’t do that... He shook his head. Sylvia will never leave him. Not ever.

"I’ve told you many times to quit your part-time job. You’re living with me now. I can afford everything, and I’m more than capable of supporting you. You don’t need to worry about earning money. All you have to do... is love me. So stop stressing over a small salary. I’ll even give you half of my allowance just so you can stop working."

For a moment, the light in Sylvia’s eyes dimmed. Her expression stiffened.

"No. I don’t want to accept your money. If I do, your mom might say something to me again..."

"What did you just say?"

Rome blinked. Sylvia’s voice had been too soft for him to catch.

"I said, I’m fine. I want to earn my own money, so please don’t spoil me too much. Besides... your birthday is coming up, and I want to prepare something special for you."

Rome froze. His hand instinctively slipped into his pocket, tightening around the small velvet box he always carried with him.

Inside was a ring, a ring he had custom-made overseas by a renowned jeweler. He had been waiting for the right moment to place it on Sylvia’s finger.

And now, hearing her mention his birthday made his heart race. This wasn’t going to be just another birthday. It was going to be the day he asked her to marry him.

Unable to hold back, he wrapped his arms around her.

"You don’t have to work so hard for my birthday. Just seeing you there with me is already the best gift I could ask for. I don’t want you exhausting yourself over it, okay?"

Sylvia slowly nodded, so he pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. But she quickly pushed him away, her cheeks flushed pink.

"They’re looking at us... don’t kiss me in front of everyone."

Rome glanced around the university cafeteria.

Dozens of students were staring, but he didn’t care. Let them watch. They would eventually get used to it, especially once Sylvia became his fiancée.

Just the thought of her wearing the ring made his chest tighten with excitement. He couldn’t wait for the day he would finally call her his wife.

"Anyway... now that I think about it, I still have to work hard. Next week isn’t just your birthday, it’s also Greece’s. I need to buy him a gift, too."

Rome’s brows furrowed. He pulled back slightly to study Sylvia’s face, which had brightened the moment she mentioned Daniel Greece’s name.

He wanted to deny it, to brush it off as nothing, but he couldn’t. Ever since his family had started accepting Sylvia as his girlfriend, Daniel had also grown closer to her.

So close that sometimes, they looked more like siblings than he and Daniel ever did. Daniel was more open and comfortable with Sylvia than he ever was with him.

Rome tried to ignore the thought, but jealousy burned in his chest every time she said his twin’s name.

"Don’t say his name."

"Huh? You mean... Greece?" Sylvia tilted her head.

Rome’s expression darkened at the gentle way she spoke Daniel’s name, as though it rolled off her tongue with ease.

"Yes. I don’t want you calling his name like you two are that close. He’s a jerk, a playboy who doesn’t care about any woman. And whether you’re my girlfriend or not, he’d probably still try to flirt with you."

Sylvia’s expression shifted immediately. Her lips parted, her eyes narrowing at his words.

"He’s not like that."

He froze. Even though she whispered it, he still heard it clearly.

"You don’t know him well, Rome. He’s not as bad as you think he is."

Sylvia’s voice was serious when she said that.

Rome felt his chest tighten, and he couldn’t stop his vision from darkening at the sound of her defending Daniel.