Xyrine Jean's POV
I jolted awake, startled by my own restlessness. I rubbed my palms over my face remembering that I was still in the Sy family mansion. I stood up quickly and changed into my uniform. Hunger gnawed at me, so I hurriedly left the room.
As I walked down the hallway, I noticed a group of maids gathered in front of Spade's room. I was about to ignore them, but their conversation caught my attention.
"This is why I hate it when Young Master Spade comes home."
"Lower your voice! How many times have you brought him breakfast this morning?"
"Five times now. He's thrown every single one back at us."
Five times? My brows furrowed. Tsk. That man is unbelievable. He must've been born missing a few screws.
"Ugh, fine. Take it in before Butler Ma finds out."
The maid sighed and nodded before going inside.
Deciding it was time to leave, I approached another maid to ask for permission.
"Excuse me, miss, may I—" CRASH!
My eyes widened as a plate came flying out of Spade's room, shattering right in front of us.
What the f—?!
"You! Quickly, get more food!" the head maid barked, ordering the others into action.
While everyone scrambled, my gaze fell on the food scattered across the floor. My stomach growled, reminding me of my hunger.
What is this man's problem?!
"Young Master Spade, can you at least tell us what you want to eat?" one of the maids called nervously from outside the door.
"Shut up and fvck off!" Spade's voice thundered from within.
Wow. The devil is back at it again, huh?
Soon, the sixth set of breakfast arrived. A maid prepared to enter the room, but I stepped forward and stopped her."Miss, let me."
The maid hesitated. "But, young lady, you're a guest here. He might throw a plate at you!"
I picked up the small knife from the tray and held it up. "Let him try," I said with a smile that made the maids freeze in their tracks.
I entered his room and found him lying in bed, wrapped completely in a blanket. "Sir Spade, your breakfast is here," I said softly, trying to stay polite.
"Throw it out and fvck off!" he yelled, nearly making me lose my composure.
"Sir, you need to eat," I insisted.
"Are you deaf? I said get out!"
My patience snapped. "ARE YOU GOING TO EAT THIS, OR DO I HAVE TO SHOVE IT DOWN YOUR THROAT?" I shouted at him.
He immediately flung the blanket off and sat up. "Xyrine?!" he exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Well? Are you eating or not?" I asked, glaring at him.
"Y-Yeah, just a second." He scrambled out of bed.
The moment I saw him, my eyes widened in shock. "WAAAH! STOP!" I panicked, immediately looking up at the ceiling.
"W-What?" he asked, confused.
"What—what… Why aren't you wearing a shirt?! And why are you only in your boxers?!"
My God! His thing is bulging, for fuck sake!* My face burned as I kept staring at the ceiling.
"Huh? Oh, uh… I don't know. I woke up, and my shirt was gone," he replied sheepishly.
"What? What the heck? Is sleep-stripping a thing now?" I accidentally glanced back at him. The sight of his six-pack abs made my cheeks flare hotter. I immediately averted my eyes again.
What is wrong with you, Xyrine?! You see shirtless men every day at HQ. Why are you freaking out now?!
When I heard him take a step closer, I instinctively threw the spoon at him. "WAAAH! Stay right there!" I screamed.
"Wait, what's your problem? I thought you wanted me to eat? And aren't you tired of holding that tray?" he asked, looking puzzled.
Eyes closed, I pointed at his bare torso. "That! Why are you shirtless?! And for heaven's sake, put some clothes on!"
"Well…" He scratched his head. "This is my room, you know. And besides, how was I supposed to know you'd barge in here this early? I mean, you could've just waited to see me in Montreal. But you had to come all the way here just to feed me breakfast." His cheeks turned red as he looked away.
"Excuse me?! You are being delusional! FYI, you're the reason I'm here in the first place, since last night!" I snapped.
He looked momentarily startled before a sly smirk tugged at his lips. "Oh, so you've been here since last night," he said, his tone laced with amusement. His gaze flickered away, feigning nonchalance. "No wonder my shirt's gone. So… did something happen between us?"
My jaw nearly hit the floor. "EXCUSE ME?! OF COURSE, NOTHING HAPPENED!" I grabbed the small knife, ready to throw it at him.
"Hey, hey! That's a knife!" he exclaimed as his eyes wide in alarm.
"And for your information, I'm not stalking you! If anything, you're the stalker!" I shot back, motioning toward a portrait on the wall behind him.
When he turned to look and saw the photo of me, his smirk faded, replaced by a faint, bitter smile. The room fell silent in an instant.
Ugh. Wrong timing, Xyrine.
"I don't know if I should feel embarrassed," he said, breaking the silence, "but, well…" He looked away again. "Is it too much to ask someone to secretly take a photo of the woman I like?"
His words made me look away, unable to respond.
"I'm leaving…" he muttered.
That made me glance back at him. "You've already decided, haven't you?" I asked nervously.
He laughed softly, but it was tinged with sadness. "You have no idea how much power you hold over me. Even if I'm already seated on the goddamn plane, or I'm 30,000 feet above the ground, if you told me to come back, right then and there, I would jump off."
My heart pounded loudly at his words.
This is it. This is the moment I should tell him. To confess everything. But why… Why can't I say a word? Is this really the right thing to do? To let him leave without knowing the truth?
Minutes passed, and I still couldn't speak.
"Well, I guess this is the end," he said with a faint smile, one filled with regret and sorrow. "Butler Ma will assist you out."
I could only watch helplessly as he walked into the bathroom, my fists clenching in frustration.
How funny. Our story is ending before it even begins.
Ella's POV
Montreal University
"Is it true? Is Spade really leaving?"
"I heard he's going back to Europe."
"For good?!"
"Why? What happened?"
"Rumor has it, Xyrine's the reason."
I wanted to cover my ears to drown out the gossip swirling through the campus halls.
"When is he leaving?"
"According to my reliable source—later. As in, today!"
I froze at those words. Later? As in today?
I glanced at Xyrine, who was quietly eating across from me in the cafeteria. She seemed calm on the outside, but I could tell something was weighing heavily on her mind.
"I'm so frustrated with myself," she muttered suddenly, her words pulling my full attention to her.
"My whole life… I've lived in darkness," she began as her voice trembling. "In a place where love didn't exist. I grew up never feeling anything except knowing what it's like to… to end something."
For a moment, my irritation with her melted away. I'd always been annoyed at how she couldn't express her feelings, but seeing her like this… I realized just how much she was struggling.
"I hate myself for not being able to say what I feel. I don't even know where to start, and I don't know how to finish," she admitted as her voice cracking.
"Ella…" she looked at me with tears brimming in her eyes. "I think, I like him. I like Spade."
"Xyrine…" I reached for her hand.
If only I could confess to Spade on her behalf, I would. But that wasn't my place. I'd probably get kicked out of school for meddling this way.
What can I do for you, cous? What?
While I was deep in thought, my gaze wandered to the upper level of the cafeteria. My eyes landed on something, and an idea suddenly popped into my head.
"Xyrine, come with me!" I grabbed her arm before she could protest and dragged her out of the cafeteria.
Oh no, where was that room again?
Once I remembered, I pulled her along until we reached it. When we got inside, I locked the door and rushed to a panel filled with buttons that looked completely unfamiliar.
Lord, please help me! I have no clue what I'm doing here.
I composed myself and turned to face her. "Xyrine, do you really feel nothing for Spade?" I asked seriously.
I knew she had just admitted it, but I needed to hear her say it again. She lowered her gaze, as if trying to summon the courage to speak.
When she finally opened her mouth, I pressed the red switch behind me without hesitation.
Cous, I'm so sorry… but I have to do this.
Oh God, I'm dead. She's going to kill me for this later. I need to mentally prepare myself. Huhu!
Airport – Spade's POV
Is this really the end?
When I looked at her earlier, she didn't outright reject me. Instead, she looked conflicted. But in the end, she chose not to say anything. After all my confessions and effort… I guess, this is really the end.
"Young Master, here's your boarding pass and passport."
Butler Ma's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I stared at the boarding pass in his hand.
So this is really it, huh?
J
ust as I was about to take the boarding pass, my phone rang. Louren is calling.
"Why is he calling me now of all times?" I muttered, before answering the phone.
"What's up?"
[OKAY, FINE! I LIKE HIM TOO! I HAVE FOR A LONG TIME!]
I instinctively pulled the phone away from my ear as a deafening voice screamed through the line.
"What the hell was that?" I asked, frowning.
[When did you realize you liked him?] another voice asked. It sounded like there were two people talking on the other end of the call.
[At first, I didn't even think I could like him] the voice admitted, sounding frustrated.
[He acts like he owns this university, like every student here is under his command. Everything he wants, he gets, and he's so self-centered that he doesn't care about anyone else. But… that person… I don't know. I hate seeing him, but every time I do, my heart starts racing.]
My heart started pounding in my chest. It's her. That voice… it's definitely her.
[I know it's pointless to confess now. He's already gone. No matter how many times I admit it, I'll never get the chance to tell him…]
"Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to inform you that your flight AF328 to France is now preparing for departure. Please proceed to Gate 22 for boarding. We kindly ask all passengers to board promptly. Thank you."
I glanced at Butler Ma, who's patiently waiting for me, as the departure announcement for my flight echoed through the terminal.
"What is it, Xyrine?" I whispered, my pulse racing as I heard her voice again.
[I like him. I like Spade.]
I shot up from the bench, staring blankly into space.
"Young Master?"
"Butler Ma…"
"Yes, Young Master?"
"Can you slap me?"
"Excuse me?"
"Butler Ma, she… she said she likes me..." I stammered in shock.
"She?"
"Yes! She said she likes me!" Without thinking, I grabbed Butler Ma and spun him around in a hug. "She likes me! For real!" I laughed loudly, unable to contain my happiness.
"Happy much?" came Louren's voice from the phone, reminding me he was still on the line.
I cleared my throat. "Ehem. Now that you know, you'd better back off," I said smugly.
"Coming from a guy who's thousands of miles away," Louren teased. "Anyway, the decision is yours, Spade. If you don't come back now, there might be nothing left to return to."
Before I could respond, he hung up.
Psh, way to ruin the mood. And who's thousands of miles away, huh?
"Young Master, your boarding gate—"
"I'm sorry, Butler Ma," I interrupted with a grin, "but my future wife is waiting for me."I grabbed the boarding pass from his hand—and tore it in half.
As I walked away, I slipped on my sunglasses and started whistling to myself.
Future wife, huh? I chuckled. "Spade, you're such a hopeless romantic."
Xyrine's POV
Sob sob
I looked at Ella. "Why are you crying? Was my confession that corny?"
"I'm just so happy for you, cous! You're so brave!" she said between sobs. Then she wiped her tears and looked at me seriously. "But… there's something you need to know."
"What is it?" I asked, confused.
"Well…" She bit her nail nervously. "The thing is… you didn't need to confess because…"
"Because what?"
She pointed something behind me. "Because the entire university just heard your confession!"
My jaw dropped as I turned and saw the screen behind me.
"NOW AIRING"