Cyprian’s Apartment.

Raymond was standing before Cyprian, who was looking up at him from where she sat on the sofa. She was silent, and simply waiting for him to say whatever he wanted to while she looked on.

"Cyprian," Raymond started, "Why did you not tell me you disliked the fact that I gave you my card the morning after we spent the night together?"

Cyprian ignored the question, staring at him as if she could not hear any of the words coming out from his mouth.

"Rian..." Raymond pressed, knowing that if Cyprian decided to ignore him all through, then they would not be able to settle any misunderstanding even until night fell.

Cyprian shrugged, deciding to answer him.

"And why did you think I would like it, Ray? Did it look like I slept with you for the money, huh?!" she asked, trying not to lose her temper.

"Wait Rian, you could have told me if you had a problem with that. And then I would have told you why I gave you the card—"

"What excuse would you have fabricated, Ray?! What reason would you have had for leaving me on that cold bed alone, and after that, you dropped your card to substitute for your presence! Did I ask you for money?!" Cyprian questioned. She could feel the hold she had on her temper slipping through her fingers, and she failed to hold them back.

"Tell me, Ray! You must have had other girls, right? And I’m sure they were higher in social hierarchy than I am now. After your night together with them, did you drop your card on the bedside table?!"

Raymond shook his head. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"I didn’t but—"

"No buts. Don’t lie to me, Raymond Stone!" Cyprian yelled.

Raymond waited until she had calmed down and her chest was no longer heaving from her shouts just now, before kneeling in front of her.

"I didn’t give them my card, and that is not because they were better than you probably in net worth or whatever you think. I didn’t give them cause my night with them was nothing to write home about, Rian. I have been so busy with Ethan that I simply settled with whatever lady caught my eyes even if it’s once..." he paused a while, relieved that Cyprian seemed to be listening to him even if her face was turned away from his own face.

He continued,"At the end, they never saw me as their ideal prince charming boyfriend either so we simply cut if off after a night together. Why would I pay them for a night that was more like a duty to me? Cyprian, if I were to pay you for a night with you alone, I fear my whole net worth would not be enough for even the pleasure I get from sucking you down there. Not to talk of burying my—"

As his words registered on Cyprian’s mind, she clamped her hand over his lips.

"What the fuck are you saying, Ray? We are settling things seriously here and not..."

Raymond slowly removed her hand from his mouth and stood up to sit beside her on the sofa, noticing that she had loosened up to him now.

"And I am telling you what I seriously feel, Rian. It’s hard to get the way your body feels against mine out of my head, both four years ago and now, that I fear what would happen if you ever decide I am not the ideal boyfriend for you too. I would probably become a monk—"

"What are you babbling about? Didn’t you meet me after you were already Ethan DeLoach’s assistant?" Cyprian asked, averting her gaze from him to hide her dissolved anger.

"I met you when Ethan was taking a break and trying to pursue Miss Anderson. He tried getting her background information but was not able to, before deciding that I should infiltrate among her friends. I saw you the very first day I wanted to do that, and asked if you knew her without even knowing you were her best friend. I already decided to ask you out within the duration of my stay on the campus, before I discovered you were actually best friends with her. Where else would I go them? I practically leeched onto you, for my heart and for my job!" His hands were placed on Cyprian’s shoulders and he tried to turn her face towards himself.

"Oh, don’t bring that your sweet talks into this discussion," Cyprian murmured.

"It’s not about that, Rian. Let me continue, about the card I dropped, I wouldn’t have been able to pay for a night with you without my account going red so why would I even drop a card in the first place without you asking?"

Cyprian rolled her eyes."Should I not be the one asking you that?" she muttered.

Raymond almost laughed at her pouty lips, but he restrained himself.

"I know that. Then, I don’t know if you remember your flatmate then who was also Miss Anderson’s friend, do you?"

"Alicia? What? Did you sleep with her and drop the card with her instead?"

Raymond sighed,"I am sure you already have the answer to two of those three questions you asked. And I will answer the last one, I am talking about the Alicia of a woman."

He paused to see that Cyprian had dedicated all her attention to him before continuing, "The morning after we made love four years ago, I definitely didn’t want to leave your side but I had to get up and get breakfast ready for you from the kitchen. Alicia also had her boyfriend over and when he was leaving, he handed her some cash from his wallet and she was so elated, telling him she would use the money to pay her project money and then use the rest to shop. I heard her boyfriend ask if she would not give you a cut and she said never! She said you might not have parents but you have a rich uncle and four older brothers who would cater for you and of course, a boyfriend who doesn’t think you worthy enough to give you pocket money like her own boyfriend was doing. I was infuriated and had to drop my card with you, while thinking you did not want me to ask for it. And then I thought you might be shy to take it in my presence so I went out to meet with Ethan, and that was when the incidence with Miss Anderson happened."

The room fell silent when Raymond finished his narration, and Cyprian finally nodded in understanding. Her eyes watered a little due to reasons unknown to Raymond, but she was quick to blink the tears back.

"And what about the last time?"

"That was different. I met with your teammates and heard how you have been the one sponsoring their numerous outings, which is all my fault. Then I settled them each and asked them not to give you a hard time, and forgot about it all..."

"You were the wealthy old man they wanted to sell me to?!" Cyprian was surprised, shocked even.

"Wealthy old man? I don’t know about that but anyways, about the card I gave you. When I woke up in the morning and was preparing myself to go out, your phone kept pinging with notifications just like the midnight so I decided to check if it was something urgent. But it turned out to be the bills...what you spent on your friends to bribe them to stay back. Isn’t it only normal that I return the money back to you?" Raymond asked, and Cyprian had to nod in understanding.

After listening to Raymond’s defence now, she felt like he really was not at fault for both incidents, that of four years ago and now. And she was the gullible idiot who caused it all, even creating misunderstandings with them both.

Raymond could see that her mood has softened so he smiled and leaned towards her.

"Alright, you still have another hour before meeting with Miss Anderson. How about a quickie? Trust me, I won’t drop my card this time around," he suggested with a serious expression.

Cyprian had to laugh out loud at his negotiating tone. She was about to answer him when both Raymond’s phone rang.

"Hey Enoch! Any problem?"

There was a pause before Raymond suddenly shot up to his feet.

"What?! I am...no, we are on our way now!"

He hung up on the call, and Cyprian asked immediately,"What happened?"

"I’m not sure. But Miss Anderson is not picking her call and Hazel too. They suspect that something is wrong with her so let’s be on our way now," he informed her.

Cyprian nodded, and without wasting anytime, she reached for her bag and ran out of the house together with Raymond.

Fear gnawing her heart, Cyprian prayed that her premonition hadn’t gone wrong.