That night at Ryan's Villa, Cynthia was busy cooking dinner in the kitchen while Ryan and Jeffrey relaxed and chatted in the large living room.
"Why are you making your woman do all the cooking? Can't you just hire a maid?" Jeffrey asked.
"I used to have a maid, but she quit. And besides, I'm not always home because of my job. Cynthia enjoys cooking. She's been like that since we were kids. She prefers to do it herself rather than have someone else do it" Ryan said.
"Dinner's ready, guys" Cynthia called out. The two men got up and walked to the dining room to eat. When Jeffrey tasted the food, he let out a hum of delight.
"Wow… this is delicious" Jeffrey said.
"Thank you, Jeff" Cynthia said with a smile.
"Now I understand. If I had a woman who could cook like this, I wouldn't bother hiring any maid either" Jeffrey said.
"Just eat and try not to choke" Ryan joked, and they all laughed.
"Is Jeffrey also a billionaire's son like you, working in the army?" Cynthia asked Ryan.
"No, not at all. I'm not like Ryan" Jeffrey answered. "I'm an orphan, actually. I built my own wealth with a lot of help from Ryan, of course. He's been a great friend from the beginning."
"Don't listen to him, Cynthia" Ryan said, smiling. "He's a crypto king. I'm still learning from him."
"Liar! He taught me crypto" Jeffrey shot back. "Ryan is insanely rich. He would still be a billionaire even without Mr. Powers' wealth."
"You're praising me too much" Ryan said.
"I still don't get why you joined the army. That's for people like me who have no family. You could have just run your father's business in the company" Jeffrey said.
"Ryan has always wanted to save lives. Even when we were kids, he was like that. He has saved me so many times" Cynthia said.
"And my grandfather was a general before he passed away. I'm continuing his legacy" Ryan added.
"That's admirable" Jeffrey said. "So, when do you think they'll call us back to duty?"
"No idea. If there's no terrorist attack or kidnapping anytime soon, I guess we should just enjoy this long break" Ryan said.
After dinner, Cynthia and Ryan went to their room, while Jeffrey rested in one of the guest rooms.
Later that night, Ryan was still awake, lying in bed and thinking hard about how to tell Cynthia about his infertility. The thought weighed heavily on him. He snapped out of it when he felt Cynthia's hand slowly touch him down there. He quickly grabbed her hand and stopped her.
"What are you doing?" he asked, still holding her hand.
"I want you, Ryan. You said we would have our privacy when we are here" Cynthia said.
"I'm exhausted, Cynthia. And there's a lot on my mind. One thing especially… something I'm scared to tell you" Ryan said.
"Scared? What is it? Did you get someone else pregnant? Did you kill someone innocent?" she asked, worried.
"No. It's nothing as bad like that" he assured her.
"Then please, I really want to be with you tonight" she said as she climbed on top of him.
Ryan gently pushed her off and pulled her into a hug.
"Next time, okay? I can't do anything tonight" he whispered. Cynthia pouted sadly, and eventually, they both fell asleep.
The next morning, Cynthia was doing her makeup in front of her mirror when Ryan entered.
"Where were you? I checked all the rooms and couldn't find you" she asked while styling her hair.
"I went to see Jeffrey off. He already left" Ryan said.
"Left without saying goodbye? He's such a great guy, and fun to be around" Cynthia said.
"Yeah. Anyway, I'm heading to my dad's company. He needs me urgently" Ryan said as he put on his suit jacket.
"I'll be going to the store too" Cynthia said.
"I'll come pick you up later so we can go see my mum and dad" Ryan said.
"Is something going on?" she asked.
"You'll find out later. I'm heading out now" he said, then kissed her forehead and left the house.
About twenty minutes after Ryan left, Cynthia came downstairs and opened the front door only to be surprised to see Jeffrey standing there.
"Jeffrey? I thought you left" Cynthia said.
"I forgot my journal in the guest room. I just came to get it" he said with a wink.
"Oh, sure. Come in" Cynthia said and led him inside.
Jeffrey walked into the guest room, grabbed his journal, and returned to the living room, where Cynthia was waiting.
"Here" Jeffrey said, holding up the journal. Cynthia smiled and stood up, but Jeffrey stepped closer to her.
"When did Ryan propose to you?" he asked.
"That was two days ago, the day you came to the store. Why?" she asked, confused.
Jeffrey moved even closer, licking his lips seductively.
"I've loved you long before I ever met you in person and Ryan knew. That's why he suddenly proposed, just to keep you away from me" he said.
"What do you mean?" Cynthia asked, furrowing her brows.
Jeffrey put his arm around her waist. "I mean, I want you" he said.
Cynthia quickly pushed him away. "Stop it! I'm Ryan's girlfriend. You're his friend and this is his house" she snapped.
"Do you really think he loves you that deeply?" Jeffrey asked as he moved closer again. He looked into her eyes and pulled her to him. "If you were mine, I would hire a bunch of maids for you. I would use my influence to boost your brand, connect you with bigger shots. I would propose to you in public, not hide it like Ryan did. And I would make love to you every chance I got because I would never get enough of you" he said, grabbing her butt.
Cynthia gasped. Though part of her enjoyed the attention but she pushed him away again.
"No. I love Ryan. I've loved him since we were kids" she said firmly.
"Then why did he only ask you out two days ago? Just when I was going to do the same? Can't you see he's playing you?" Jeffrey asked.
"You need to go. I have to get to work" Cynthia said.
"I came to Vanceney for you. You're just going to throw me out?" Jeffrey said. "Don't you see how deeply I feel about you? I want to explore every inch of you" he added, stepping toward her again. Then, he suddenly kissed her.
Cynthia tried to resist, but she found herself wanting more. Jeffrey kissed her deeply and laid her down on the couch. He lifted her gown and rubbed her through her panties while still kissing her. Just then, her phone began to ring.
"I… I need to get that" Cynthia said breathlessly as Jeffrey was sucking her exposed nipple.
"You're so wet" Jeffrey whispered, fingering her.
"Oh Jeff, ahn". Cynthia moaned as she bit her lips and closed her eyes. Enjoying the moment while her phone continue to ring.
"You must like what I'm doing to you. You sound so good" Jeffrey said as he continue to use his hands to deal with her while fondling on her boobs.
Cynthia finally snapped out of it. She pushed him off and hurried to grab her constantly ringing phone. She was panting as she answered.
"R-Ryan?" she said, glancing nervously at Jeffrey, who was licking his fingers.
"Are you alright?" Ryan asked, concerned.
"Y-Yeah" she stammered.
"I got to the store, and they said you haven't shown up. Where are you?" he asked.
"I went to the bank. There was a problem with my account. I'll be at the store soon" Cynthia lied, while Jeffrey smirked.
"I'll wait for you" Ryan said, then hung up.
"Oh no, I need to go" Cynthia said, adjusting her dress.
"I tried to get your contact from Ryan, but he wouldn't give it. The store's website only lists your manager's number. Can I have your contact now?" Jeffrey asked.
"Just leave me alone. Get out" Cynthia snapped. "Ryan can't find out I kissed you."
"I didn't just kiss you. I sucked your nipple. I fingered you. I checked this whole house already, there are no cameras. We're safe" Jeffrey said calmly.
"If you don't leave, I'll tell Ryan" Cynthia threatened.
"You won't. Because you know if he finds out, you'll lose him forever. He can't stand the idea of another man touching his woman" Jeffrey said.
"If you know that, then why did you touch me?" Cynthia asked.
"Because you let me. You didn't stop me when I came closer. You didn't call for help. You liked it and you know it" Jeffrey said "I won't leave until you give me your card"
Cynthia sighed in frustration, then grabbed her bag. "Here's my card. Now leave" she said, handing it to him.
"Thanks, sugar girl. See you soon" Jeffrey said with a grin and walked out.
After he left, Cynthia sat on the sofa, lost in thought. She kept replaying everything Jeffrey had said. Why did Ryan propose so quietly, just slipping the ring on her finger? Last night, she even asked him to sleep with her and he refused. Was he really hiding something? Was he just playing her?
Then she thought about Jeffrey, the way he kissed her, sucked her, and fingered her. She sighed and bit her lip as she replayed the moment, then suddenly realized her phone was still ringing.
"Oh Ryan…" she whispered, then quickly rushed out of the villa.