“Hmm? What’s happening then?” Naomi was curious.
“Nothing much. I just thought it’d be nice for the younger cousins to gather and hang out together,” Alex
explained to her.
“Sure, count me in then,” Naomi accepted his offer happily without thinking too much.
In the evening, Naomi got herself ready after receiving a call from Alex. She quickly looked for her
brother, Skylar. “Sky, it’s time to go!”
“You go ahead, I’ll stay behind to keep Mom and Dad company,” Skylar informed his sister and waved
her off. In truth, he felt no sense of kinship with his cousins. Since he was a child, no one in the Fuller
family except his adoptive parents truly cared for him. His cousins never played with him or accepted
him as one of their own. In fact, Alex Fuller clearly had no intention of inviting him to their gathering
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇttonight. He was only too happy to oblige.
However, Naomi was not ready to give up on her brother so easily. She hugged his muscular arm as
she spoke to him in a sweet, coy voice. “But Sky, I don’t want to go alone. What if Ash says something
annoying again? No one there will stick up for me…” Naomi pouted. “Come with me, please? That way,
you can be my protector.”
Having grown up together with Skylar, Naomi knew all his strengths and weaknesses. True enough,
Skylar could not say no to his sister when she begged him for something with puppy dog eyes. “Fine,
you win. Let’s go.”
“Yay! I knew you’d do it for me. You’re the best, Sky!” Naomi squealed in delight as she dragged her
brother out of the house.
Alex Fuller had booked a private dining room at the Anya Hotel. As Naomi and Skylar arrived at the
room, Alex, Ash, and Hans were already seated at the table.
“Naomi!” Alex welcomed her into the room as soon as he spotted her. “Come, I saved you a seat.”
“Thank you, Alex,” she smiled and tugged on Skylar’s sleeve as she noticed Alex pointing to some
empty seats at the table.
However, before Skylar could take his seat, Alex spoke up coldly. “Skylar, I don’t seem to recall inviting
you tonight.”
“Alex, I thought you said tonight’s gathering was for all the young cousins,” Naomi jumped in, trying to
protect her brother.
“Naomi, I meant the Fuller cousins, not some puppy picked up from the streets,” Alex made sure to
look Skylar in the eye as he hurled his insult.
“Skylar is every bit my parent’s child as I am. He’s my brother!” Naomi refuted defiantly.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“Your brother? Are you related by blood? Is his last name Fuller?” Alex challenged.
Ash snorted, clearly enjoying the drama.
“Stray dogs are like that, Alex. They just shamelessly turn up wherever there’s food.” Hans echoed his
support for Alex. He had not forgotten how Skylar had humiliated his mother just that afternoon. This
was his opportunity to get back at him.
“Hans Beckett, shut that nasty mouth of yours!” Naomi scolded him angrily.
Hans cocked an eyebrow. “Why should I? Did I say anything incorrect? Is he Uncle Nate’s real son?”
he continued his taunts.
Alex, realizing his dinner might not end well, tried to end the argument. “Alright guys, stop fighting.
We’re a family after all. Skylar can stay if he wants to. I’ll get the waitstaff to set up another table for
him. He’ll have the same dishes as us, I promise.”