Chapter 3. Past Is Past

Dylan steered the automobile with his fingers on the dashboard as his villa’s guards opened the gate. He honked twice as a sign of acknowledgment and immediately drove inside. He stormed inside his residence, his right hand in his pocket, with hard footsteps.

There weren’t any maids around because it was already 3 am; as soon as he reached his chamber, he didn’t allow any seconds to elapse and barged inside his bathroom to clean himself properly. Dylan eventually changed his clothing and hurled himself into his king-sized bed, exhaling a frustrated sigh.

“Our paths intersected again after six years. You didn’t even ask me how I was doing all those years you were gone. Hah… Why are you so callous, Penelope?” Dylan mumbled as he reflected on what had transpired a while ago.

When viewing his face, Penelope appeared astonished. The woman was scared, to the point where she simply informed him that he had business to attend to and needed to leave. He wasn’t expecting her to seem distant after seeing him as if Penelope had erected a barrier that Dylan would find difficult to breach.

Dylan simply wanted to ask her how she was doing, but instead of responding, his ex-girlfriend gave him a severe look and a cold shoulder. He persisted in speaking with her, but Penelope returned to their table and said goodbye to Zayla and the others. She simply walked away.

“She used to be subservient; she followed me around like a cute kitten wagging her tail for her master,” Dylan said, placing his hands behind his head.

“Penelope has evolved.” A sudden deep scowl furrowed the man’s forehead.

Dylan couldn’t help but think back on the past. He couldn’t help but think back on his times with Penelope.

— Go back in time —

Penelope Lewis was every man’s dream in their college, a lady who had it all and was the epitome of beauty, amazing form, and wit. Every man who tried to seduce her failed. Several tried to court her, but their efforts were unsuccessful because she rejected them.

Penelope was preoccupied with her academics and hoped to be a lawyer, which runs in their family. Penelope’s parents were amateur lawyers who were well-known in the city. There wasn’t a single case they didn’t win; they gave justice to those who had been denied their rights, and Penelope’s goal was to be like them someday.

“That woman is too difficult to get, believe me. She isn’t like the other women you could easily captivate.” While they were dining in the cafeteria, William snickered with Dylan. Penelope’s table was near the window, and the topic was, as usual, laws and political theories.

“Come on, William. No woman can stand up to our Dylan!” One of their companions made a joke.

As he peered in Penelope’s direction, Dylan placed his hand on the table and eloped it to his chin. “By hook or by crook, I’ll get that gal.”

Dylan continued to bug Penelope’s study regimen as the days passed. He followed Penelope anywhere she went, having every woman at the university fling darts of hatred at her.

“Mr. Robinson, did you lose all control of your women, and now you’re bothering me? Get out of my way,” Penelope exclaimed angrily, which awed Dylan’s pals, and once the woman turned her back and left, Dylan was showered with jeers and taunts.

“It was incredible. Dylan Davis was dumped by a woman!” William chuckled as he handed Dylan a bottle of energy drink. Dylan took it and instantly opened the glass, unable to conceal the grin from his lips. Penelope Lewis was something special, and he couldn’t wait to hold her.

Dylan was once excessively pushy in courting Penelope; the man even declared that he was eager to be Penelope’s possession in order to get her response. So Dylan continued to impress Penelope. Zayla and Penelope’s pals observed Dylan’s alterations; he hadn’t been seen with a woman beside him or gone out all night. Penelope was skeptical at first and remained vigilant until Dylan contacted her again and again.

“Are you available after class? Let’s go out to lunch together,” Dylan inquired, his gaze drawn to Penelope, who was busy reading her notes as she walked across the library corridor.

“No,” Penelope replied clearly. This repeated every day. Dylan would continue to approach her; Dylan would volunteer to carry her bags, carry her books, or bring her a snack inside the library.

Dylan didn’t leave her side until Penelope arrived at the library and sat in her normal position, not until Dylan’s tummy groaned in hunger, which caused Penelope to peek at him.

Dylan looked away while scratching his nape, and what made Penelope laugh was that Dylan’s ears were red as tomatoes. Penelope recognized that the man in front of her was nothing more than a cinnamon roll.

“W-What? I-I skipped breakfast since I was waiting for you at the airport....” While frowning, Dylan reasoned.

Penelope reached inside her purse and handed him her favorite cinnamon croissant and pomelo juice.

“Eat peacefully here. I don’t want to be interrupted while I’m reading this.” Penelope held up a hefty book in front of Dylan titled “Contemporary Political Theory.”

While he ate the dish, Dylan nodded. He couldn’t help but steal looks at the woman.

“Are you not aware that stealing looks is disrespectful?”

Dylan chuckled lowly and looked Penelope in the eyes. “If stealing looks is considered disrespectful intent, would you lock me up or cage me in your heart? It would be my honor if you chose the second option.”

Penelope clicked her tongue and answered, “You’re shameless.”

But one day, she didn’t realize the barriers she’d been erecting whenever Dylan was there suddenly crumbled.

While Dylan was in a fight, Penelope wouldn’t let him talk to her and pretended Dylan was nothing more than a speck in her eyes. Nonetheless, Penelope felt a nice feeling inside her heart after hearing Dylan’s rationale for becoming involved in the conflict.

“A-aw! Please be cautious...” Dylan mumbled, sulking like a child.

They were in their customary location in the library. Dylan’s face remained grim when the cloth brushed the bruising on his cheeks.

“How did you wind up generating so much trouble?”

“The moron labeled you a nerd and spread lies about you,” Dylan replied, making Penelope tense for a few seconds.

“W-what?” Because it was the first time someone had defended Penelope, she couldn’t help but stutter.

“I went on a rampage because the imbecile was attempting to smear your reputation, got it?”