CHAPTER 22: ODD NAMES

Rome’s anger surged when Ingrid mentioned the name of the one man he never wanted to hear again—the same man who had once betrayed him.

His jaw tightened, and the veins on his neck visibly strained as his fury began to boil over.

"Enough. Shut up!"

His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

But Ingrid wasn’t finished.

"Oh? Did that strike a nerve?" she said with a mocking smile. "Good. Then good luck trying to win Sylvia back—because I doubt she won’t betray you again, just like she did before—"

"Get out! Leave before I lose control and actually do something I’ll regret!" Rome shouted, his voice rising with raw anger. He looked like he was at his limit—barely holding himself together.

Seeing the fury in his eyes and knowing she had pushed him right to the edge, Ingrid finally stepped back. She had said everything she came to say—or rather, everything she needed to hurt him.

But before she turned away, she couldn’t resist one last dig.

"Good luck, Rome. I hope you enjoy lying awake tonight, thinking about your precious Sylvia... the same cheater you still love like a fool."

And with that, she walked away—her chest burning with a mix of anger and bitter satisfaction. She didn’t win, but she got what she wanted.

Because as she glanced back one last time and saw the storm still raging on Rome’s face, she knew the truth.

Sylvia still had his heart... even after everything.

’Tsk... That man was already a fool, even before I met him!’

"Idiot! I hope you two never find happiness together!" Ingrid cursed in her thoughts, bitterness twisting in her chest.

Riiing! Riiing!....

Her phone suddenly rang, snapping her out of her fury. Her eyes narrowed the moment she saw the caller ID.

Of course.

Daniel.

The very man who had made her life miserable.

What does he want now?!

For a moment, she was tempted to hurl her phone to the ground. But before she could, the call ended—and a message notification lit up the screen.

’ I saw what happened between you and Rome. I’m sorry. It’s my fault you two fought. Are you okay? Want me to comfort you tonight? Come to my place—I’ll help you forget about your fight with him. Don’t worry about Rome. I know he can’t stay mad at you for long. He’ll come back to you, no matter what. I promise.’

Ingrid froze as she read the message.

She glanced around, her chest rising, hands shaking from the fury bubbling inside her. Then, a bitter smile crept across her lips, her grip tightening as she resisted the urge to throw her phone.

As if it’s that easy.

As if Rome would just run back to her after everything—after learning the truth about what she’d done behind his back.

She clenched her jaw.

It had to be Daniel.

He was probably the one who told Rome everything. Of course he did.

She knew him too well. He always sounded kind. Sincere. Like he cared. But deep down, Daniel was a manipulator—a heartless bastard who loved playing with her emotions.

This wasn’t the first time he’d done something like this. He enjoyed watching Rome—and everyone around him—suffer. That’s what gave him satisfaction.

They were brothers, after all—twisted in their own ways, always trying to outdo each other.

And she? She was just another casualty in their never-ending war.

A victim.

A victim of both of them.

No matter how many times they used her, she never seemed to learn.

Maybe she was twisted too.

The thought made her laugh—soft, bitter, and empty.

------

Meanwhile, Rome was far from calm after the confrontation with Ingrid.

"Damn that girl..." he muttered under his breath, fists clenched tightly on the steering wheel.

But no matter how hard he tried to ignore her words, one name kept echoing in his mind:

Sylvia.

The woman who once betrayed him.

The woman who chose Daniel over him.

And now, between him and Alpheus—someone she had only recently met—she still chose someone else over Rome.

Once again, she had slipped out of his reach.

Unable to hold back, he did the one thing he swore he’d never do again—

he followed them.

He trailed Sylvia and Alpheus quietly, heart pounding in his chest, until they arrived at their destination.

But what greeted him... wasn’t what he expected.

A squatter area.

A poor, run-down neighborhood—completely different from the life he imagined for her.

"Don’t tell me... she gave up everything just to live with another man?!"

Rome scowled, disbelief crashing through him.

He parked a safe distance away, watching from inside his car.

From there, he saw them—Sylvia and Alpheus—walking close together, side by side, into the narrow, dimly lit alley. Rome had no choice but to step out of his car and quietly follow them.

He kept to the shadows, making sure not to use any light that might give away his presence.

Fortunately, it seemed they hadn’t noticed him. So when they finally stopped in front of a small, rundown house, he remained at a distance, careful not to get any closer.

From where he stood, he could see them clearly, but he couldn’t make out what they were talking about. Still, he didn’t dare move nearer—afraid they might sense he was watching.

Moments later, it looked like Alpheus was getting ready to leave, which made Rome quietly breathe a sigh of relief. At least he didn’t stay long.

Rome was just about to turn back when something unexpected caught his eye.

Two small children came out of a house nearby, heading in the direction of Sylvia.

They ran up to her and clung to her sides, but because of how poorly lit the area was, Rome couldn’t clearly make out their faces.

Curiosity pulled at him. He wanted to step closer—just enough to get a better look at the kids. But before he could take a step, someone else stepped out behind them.

A woman, likely in her 40s, followed the children.

Rome froze.

Who were these kids? And why were they so comfortable with Sylvia?

And the woman—was she their guardian? A relative? Or someone connected to Sylvia?

Questions began to swirl in his mind.

Rome stiffened when the woman glanced in his direction—perhaps having heard the slight rustling from where he was hiding. He instinctively pressed himself deeper into the shadows, holding his breath so she wouldn’t see him.

But to his alarm, the woman took a few steps closer to where he was hiding, making his heart race. Without wasting another second, he carefully moved to a new spot farther away, desperate to avoid being seen.

Only when the woman finally turned and walked away did he let out a silent breath of relief. Just a little closer, and she would’ve easily discovered him.

"Parsi! Egypt!"

The sudden shout made him freeze in his tracks.

Paris? Egypt? Were those names?

He couldn’t help but frown, trying to make sense of what the woman was yelling.

It sounded like she was calling out to someone rather than naming places—because there was no way she’d just randomly shout the names of countries for no reason.

Sure enough, she kept repeating the names as she made her way toward Sylvia’s direction.

Rome narrowed his eyes and watched from afar as the woman approached Sylvia and began speaking to her.

He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but judging by their body language, he figured the woman was simply looking for the two children from earlier—likely her kids.

So the children’s names were... Paris and Egypt? he thought, raising a brow.

’Well, I guess I’m not the only one with a weird name. Their mother must be just as odd for naming them that.’

He shook his head, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement.

Still, the spark of interest he had felt earlier was fading fast. The whole situation no longer intrigued him the way it had before. With a sigh, he decided it was time to leave.

He turned and walked briskly toward his car. It was too risky to stay any longer—someone else might see him, and he had no intention of being labeled a stalker.

Alpheus will probably leave soon anyway, he told himself as he slipped into his car and drove away.