Chapter 73
Chapter 73
“Ex–wife?” Tanner and the others turned to stare at Sylvia incredulously.
Little did they know, the woman before them was actually Byron’s ex–wife, who had never been seen in public.
Sylvia’s face darkened when she heard Byron call her his ex–wife again.
She thought, “There he goes again, jerk. He never acknowledged our relationship when we were married, but now that we’re divorced, he’s broadcasting it everywhere without any shame.”
Upon knowing Sylvia was Byron’s ex–wife, Tanner and the others were a bit nervous.
However, they reassured themselves quickly. ‘Since the divorce was final, surely Byron wouldn’t go out of his way to cause trouble for us over an ex–wite, right?‘ they wondered.
Byron cast a cool, penetrating glance at the group, as if he could see right through them. Without a word, he firmly grasped Sylvia’s hand, pulled her to the chair beside him, and gently pressed her shoulders to make her sit down.
Byron turned to Sylvia. “What would you like to drink? I’ll order it for you.”
He snapped his fingers, and a waiter promptly approached with a serving tray. “Black coffee for her, please,” he said.
Byron now knew that Sylvia was allergic to sweets and had started caring for her well–being, making sure she wouldn’t have even a hint of anything
sweet.
The waiter brought the coffee over. Byron reached out, gently blew away the rising steam, then set the cup down before Sylvia softly. “Careful, it’s still a bit hot. Sip it slowly.”
Sylvia hesitated, her fingertips lightly tracing the side of the coffee cup. ‘Byron is just putting on a show for Tanner and the others. This is his way of helping me out,’ Sylvia thought.
But if Sylvia drank the coffee he ordered, it’d be like accepting his goodwill. ‘As ever so self–assured, he’ll surely start overthinking and assume I’ve fallen for him again,‘ she wondered.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Sylvia finally picked up the coffee, and took a sip. After all, Byron owed her this much, but that didn’t mean she’d forgiven him.
Byron’s eyes lit up as he watched Sylvia take a sip of the coffee. Just as she’d anticipated, he couldn’t hide his growing excitement.
He thought excitedly, ‘She accepted my coffee. Does this mean she’s accepting me too?‘
Byron straightened up slightly, his expression turning serious, and his voice grew even gentler. “Sylvia, if anyone ever dares to bully you, feel free to tell me. I’ll make them regret it for the rest of their lives.”
With that, he narrowed his eyes dangerously, sweeping a chilling glare over Tanner and the others, who instantly went pale.
It was obvious. Even after the divorce, Byron was still head over heels for Sylvia.
Tanner was quickest on the uptake. He immediately rushed over to Sylvia, his voice firm. “Ms. Sullivan, we’re absolutely on board with your new movie. As for the fee, you name your price. We’ll go with whatever you say.”
The others chimed in in unison, “Yes, Ms. Sullivan. We’ll follow your lead.”
“Ms. Sullivan, we’ll do exactly as you say.”
Sylvia felt a secret thrill seeing them back down, but when she realized it was all because of Byron, a trace of helplessness flickered across her face.
2010 Wed. 18. Jun
Chapter 73
Byron said, “Sylvia, they’ve agreed, but whether we actually use them is entirely up in you.”
Sylvia fell silent for a moment. Then, with a smile, she stood up and nodded. “Alright, I agree
A faint blush colored Byron’s cheeks as his conviction grow. She really does still have feelings for me. She’s finally starting to let me back into her hous he wondered.
Sylvia looked at Tanner and the others. “In that case, I’ll pay you all at the standard market rate for your services. It’s win win, I promise.”
Tanner and the others let out a collective sigh of relief, feeling as if they’d just dodged a bullet.
Had Sylvia refused them just now, Byron would have made sure they paid the price.
Byron was the almighty Tyrant, and destroying them was as easy as crushing an ant.
Sylvia began discussing the collaboration with Tanner and the others.
Byron couldn’t tear his gaze away from Sylvia. Seated at the coffee table, her lashes lowered in concentration, she was deeply engrossed in discussion with Tanner and the others.
Inexplicably, Byron’s heart began to pound. It was like he was seeing her for t
the very first time, as an unfamiliar warmth slowly spread through his chest
He suddenly thought, ‘How had I never noticed before that Sylvia is actually really beautiful?‘
Byron gazed at Sylvia for a long while, until Ruby toddled over to him. Scooping her up, he then walked away at a leisurely pace.
Sylvia didn’t get home until late in the evening after a long, busy day.
When she opened the door, she was surprised to find that Byron had already brought Ruby home, and to her surprise, even Zack had come along too.
“Mom, Dad said I can stay over tonight.” Zack sat cross–legged on the sofa, playing Gomoku with Ruby. When he saw Sylvia return, his face lit up with a toothy grin as he called out cheerfully.
Surprise flickered in Sylvia’s eyes, then she snorted. “Zack, did your dad send you here to spy on me?”
She noticed Byron had been acting like he’d lost his marbles lately, constantly making overtures and even trying to get back together.
Zack’s face flushed pink as he stubbornly shook his head. “No way. Tomorrow is Sunday, and Dad let me come play with Ruby.”
‘I don’t buy Byron’s sudden kindness for a second,‘ Sylvia thought. ‘If he were really that kind–hearted, he would have given me full custody of Zack long
ago.‘
“Mommy, don’t think that way about Byron. He’s really nice.” Ruby hopped down from the sofa barefoot, wrapping her tiny arms around Sylvia’s leg.
Then, she looked up and continued, “I really like Byron. He’s so handsome and always plays with me.”
Sylvia couldn’t help but smile at how happy Ruby looked, but deep down, a twinge of caution crept in.
‘I really can’t let Ruby get too close to Byron,‘ Sylvia thought. ‘Ruby is already taking his side after just one day with him. What if Byron finds out Ruby is his daughter and fights for custody?
‘Will my little girl turn traitor and choose him over me?‘
“Ruby, I want you to stay home and be good tomorrow, okay? No more going out with Zack’s dad,” Sylvia warned.
Ruby blinked her big eyes wide, hesitated for a moment, then nodded obediently. “Okay, I’ll listen to you, Mommy.”
20:10 Wed, 18 Jun
Chapter 73
That evening, Sylvia was upstairs preparing a bedroom for Zack. Just as she finished making the bed, Ruby came running in excitedly, clutching her pillow. “Zack, can’t sleep with you tonight?”
Zack looked up at Sylvia and asked politely, “Mom, is that okay?”
Sylvia nodded slightly. “As long as you two behave yourselves, that’s fine.”
Zack and Ruby gleefully bounced onto the bed and dove right into their toys, bursting with excitement. “Bedtime, you two.” If Sylvia hadn’t called out, they probably would’ve kept playing all night long.
The next day, Sylvia headed to Century Town. There, the crew was setting up the set for the new movie.
After working in Century Town for a while, Sylvia took out her phone to call home. She wanted to remind Ruby to stay home and be good, but the call wouldn’t go through.
A sense of unease prickled at her. Without hesitation, she quickly dialed another number. “Byron, did you take Ruby out again?”
