Chapter 215


    “Casual acquaintances? I''ve never seen that guy getting serious with any woman before,” Michael


    snorted and would not even listen.


    “You can take it however you like, but we should get back before your cousin gets suspicious of us.”


    There was little else I could say to convince him of my innocence, but I was not in the opinion that I am


    in need of vindication.


    Michael was brooding and looked as though he had something else to say, but I had already stepped


    around him and made my exit.


    He had always been distrustful of me and never once did ept my exnations. How could I have a


    rtionship with any other man when he was the only one who consumed my entire being?


    He never understood my feelings and probably did not care even if he did.


    We returned to the private room where Ronan was fiddling with his phone, one after the other. Seeing


    how we came back in at almost the same time had him appearing a little quizzical before he broke into


    a smile once more.


    “What took you both so long? Don''t tell me that you''ve taken a fancy to Anna?” The cynical Ronan


    teased.


    “Would you give her up if I did?” Michael asked, seemingly in earnest.


    Ronan''s eyes widened, and his expression stiffened in some incredulity. Even I trembled inside as


    neither of us anticipated that particr response.


    “Just kidding. As you may know, we don''t share the same taste,” the atmosphere turned awkward


    before Michael diffused it with a chuckle.


    “You nearly had me there for a moment, but honestly, I wouldn''t fight with you over her if it were true,


    though.”


    Ronan rxed and recovered the smile on his face when he realized that Michael was only pulling his


    leg.


    “Really? I think you''d be quite reluctant should that really happen one day.”


    The grin faded from Michael''s lips as he regarded Ronan meaningfully.


    What Michael told Ronan had me on an edge. They were rtives, and with my current rtionship


    with Michael, I am a little at a loss for how to deal with both of them.


    “Alright, enough on this subject. We should tuck in before the food turns cold.”


    There was a subtle shift in Ronan''s expression as he let out a slight smile and tried to change the


    subject.


    Still sitting across from Michael who was dining elegantly, I had conversely no appetite whatsoever.


    Though unsure as to how I should navigate my rtionship with the two men, I was certain that I did


    not want to be caught between them.


    The meal ended amidst a suffocating ambiance for me. Ronan offered to drive me home afterward and


    bundled me into his car without giving me an opportunity to turn him down.


    Meanwhile, Michael nced over once and made noment before he drove off on his own.


    “Could you not do that next time, Ronan? I''ve already made it clear thest time that we''re only going


    to be friends, and nothing more. So why did you have to say those things in front of Michael?”


    Ronan seemed to be in a fine mood as he drove along, but I was pissed as hell.


    “You did turn me down, but I didn''t dere that I was going to give up. And with my charms, who knows


    whether you might change your mind one day. I''m not convinced that you wouldn''t be moved after


    we''ve spent more time together.”


    As though the rebuke in my tone eluded him, Ronan remained as confident as ever that I would


    inevitably gravitate toward him.


    Speechless at his self-conceit, I wonder what it would take to inject some sensibility into this guy.


    “What you said today could be very problematic for me. Michael must be very upset, and things


    could get rough for me at work.”


    I breathed out haplessly. Michael''s anger stemmed from his misunderstanding of my rtionship with


    Ronan, but considering that I was unable to reveal the nature of our rtionship, I could only cite


    potential issues of a professional kind.


    “Why are you being so pessimistic? Thepany belongs to Michael, so if I was to woo you, he''d be


    more likely to help than to make things difficult for you.”


    Those words of his made me want to smash my own head into the wall. Ugh, you dumb*ss! How could


    Michael possibly want to help you? If Ronan found out about Michael and myself, I was sure he would


    not have felt that way.


    My wish was to get Ronan to keep his distance, but I did not know how to go about expressing that, as


    the option of telling him about his cousin and myself outright waspletely off the table.


    I sighed and said no more. Whatever happens, happens. There was no point in thinking that far ahead.


    Ronan did intend to see me all the way to Birchwood, but I implored him to drop me off at a bus stop


    instead. Honestly, I would be totally done for if Michael saw that I allowed for it.


    As unwilling as he was, Ronan nhelessplied as he was unable to get around my


    stubbornness.


    Arriving under my block made me a little afraid to head upstairs because the illuminated lights to my


    unit meant that Michael was definitely home. I was tempted to flee out of certainty that nothing good


    awaited me there.


    At this moment, my cellphone snapped me out of my thoughts. Fishing it out, I panicked when I saw


    that the animated name was Michael''s, and it took me several deep breaths to settle myself enough to


    answer the call.


    “Hey.”


    Têxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    “You''ve two minutes to get up here. Or else!”


    Hearing the iciness in his inflection tells me that he already knew that I was downstairs.


    My heart stopped as I began to mourn for myself, as I inferred from his tone his murderous intent.


    Initially, I thought about saying a few words over the phone in appeasement, but the line went dead


    before I could have said anything.


    Twitching my lips, I slid the phone back into my bag before I hurried along.


    I could not afford to exceed Michael''s two-minute allowance and was practically sprinting while I kept


    track of the timing on my watch. Owing to the considerable wait for the elevator, I finally gave up and


    took to the stairs.


    Huffing and puffing by the time I passed through the door, I wished that I could just sit my ass down


    there and then.


    I ran like I had never run before, and the speed at which I moved could have seen a first-ce finish in


    a hundred-meter sprint.


    Heaving, I saw Michael seated on the couch, aloof as ever upon witnessing my entry.


    “You''re twenty-eight seconds behind,” he said humorlessly.


    “It''s just a little slower, but I''ve alreadye up as quickly as I could.”