At Sy Mansion.

Senior Sy was strolling around the garden when he heard a coughing sound behind him. He turned around and saw Chelsy standing there with her head bowed down.

“Yes, Chelsy?” he asked as he walked to the nearest chair.

Chelsy followed, and Senior Sy signaled her to sit in front of him.

“Sir… I want to apologize… I also want to say goodbye. I have decided to leave from here and I pay my debt every month once I get my new job.” Chelsy started a bit stuttering.

“Why are you leaving Chelsy?” Senior Sy asked. He suddenly felt sad hearing her say that. He presumed it was probably because of the kiss, but he was not mad at her. Could she at least feel that?

“Look at me, Chelsy,” he instructed. He was not used to her behaving like that. He was accustomed to her smiling face, talking to him brightly with her head up.

Chelsy obeyed and gave him half a smile. “It’s something personal, sir, and I’m not comfortable in disclosing it. I thought about what you said earlier and decided to pursue my studies. I was studying business back in college but left it in between and am now planning to continue and finally finish it.”

‘I have fallen in love with you, Sir, and I want to wake up from my impossible dream already…’ Chelsy wanted to tell him this too. She did not want to leave and live her days without even seeing him throughout the day, but she felt like it was the best thing to do.

“You owe me…” Senior Sy commented in his serious tone.

Chelsy gulped and nodded.

“Then you must repay me. It will be up to me to decide if you can leave or not. You can pursue what you want. Enroll at the best school and study hard, but you will keep staying here only. I don’t want you out of my sight, Chelsy. I will take care of your school fee and everything else that you need, but stay here.”

“But Sir, that will be too much. It will only pile up my debt…” Chelsy opposed.

“So? Then you keep paying your debt by staying by my side.” Ram firmly said.

Chelsy felt her heart stopped beating when she heard his words. She stared at Senior Sy, confused and shocked at the same time.

‘What does he mean by this?’ she mused.

Then she saw him smile and said, “Give me some more time to sort myself out. At this point, I don’t want you to leave. I know what I’m requesting is just being selfish, but I want you to stay here. You can do whatever it is that you want, I will support you…”

He sighed heavily and added, “I know why exactly you want to leave. Is it because of that day in the bas.e.m.e.nt? Don’t feel bad about it because I’m not mad about it at all. Honestly, I kind of liked it…”

Chelsy’s face turned crimson as soon as he spoke that and she once again tilted her head down because of embarrassment

‘So he knew about the kiss all along?’ she mused and started feeling nervous, like it was her judgement day. But then she realized Ram said he didn’t want her to leave and wanted her to give him more time to sort himself out! And he liked her kiss.

Tilting her head up, she stared at him and burst, “You knew?”

Ram nodded and said, “Chelsy, I’m old enough to play hide and seek… I know you somehow adore me or probably even like me to some extent, I always thought you just have a simple crush on me, but when you kissed me that time and I saw tears in your eyes as you consoled me… then I realised that you have started developing feelings for this old man. Maybe because we are always together and often spend time talking to each other…”

“I love you…” Chelsy unconsciously whispered.

Realizing what she blurted in the moment’s flow, she immediately covered her mouth with her palm and her face turned deep red of embarrassment.

Senior Sy was caught off guard with that statement. He only expected to hear the word like from her and did not expect to hear the word ‘love’.

‘I’m so doomed!’ Chelsy silently cried that she wanted the ground to eat her alive.

‘What would he think of her now? A woman who was deliberately throwing herself into his embrace?’

To save her pride, she added, “That’s why I believe it will not be a good idea to stay here anymore, sir. Please let me leave.”

Ram did not want her to leave, but he could totally understand why she wanted to leave.

“What are your plans going forward? Where do you plan to stay?” he asked in a row. He was worried for her. He did not want her to go back where she used to live before.

At this rate, Chelsy would definitely not accept any help from him.

Chelsy gave him her brightest smile as she said, “I have my ways, besides I have saved enough money, sir, so I will be alright. I told you what I really feel so you should let me go. It will be awkward to stay here knowing all that.”

“I want to try…” Senior Sy said, almost in a whisper.

Chelsy looked at him with questioning eyes.

Senior Sy was nervous as he spoke, but he knew he must not let go of the opportunity to make himself happy just for once. His daughter and his son kept on reminding him to not let an opportunity for his happiness pass by…

He was happy whenever he was with Chelsy, and he could not imagine her leaving his house. Just the thought of it saddened him and somehow made him feel incomplete.

After gaining enough courage, he looked straight deep into Chelsy’s eyes and said, “I want to try having a relationship with you, Chelsy. Can you at least give me a chance? So we can see if we are fit for each other despite our age gap… I want to woo and court you. Though my style will be a bit old-fashioned because I don’t know how the new generation kids do it these days.”

Chelsy’s jaw dropped, and her lips parted, totally in awe with what she just heard.

Was she becoming a real life Cinderella now? Was she not dreaming at all? Why was he even asking for a chance when she already told him she loved him? Woo and court her? All she wanted was to stay with him’

“Wooing or courting is unnecessary, sir… But falling in love with me is a must…” Chelsy did not even know where those words came from and escaped her mouth.

Senior Sy gave her a roguish smile and said, “Let me do things my way…”