A Graduation Gift

Chapter 163 Dylon’s Declaration

A sudden hush fell over the hubbub of th crowd. One could almost hear a pin drop within the dead silence.

All eyes were fixed at the three people at the center of the issue in question, mouths gaping in shock. Flashes of the cameras halted and hands holding the microphones hung awkwardly suspended in midair even as the media's gaze scrutinized their every movement, looking for signs that would give any secrets away. However, their eyes failed to penetrate their expressions, especially Lyndsy's, as she was wearing huge sunglasses. Thankfully, it served as a good cover up. Nobody would be able to tell her shock beneath the dark shades of the lenses despite the practiced smile on her face.

The next thing Casssandra knew was the sensation of Dylon's arms wrapping around her waist and drawing her closer.

His words and actions were like tranquilizers injecting into the veins of the excited crowd. No one had uttered a word since his declaration. The situation seemed too sudden to completely sink in. Feet were planted into the road in this stupefied silence.

It was Lyndsy who recovered first. She took her sunglasses off, and flashed a big smile to the crowd that had gathered around them.

"I believe the misunderstanding has been cleared up now. As you have just heard, I was having dinner with two of my friends the other day, and I have no idea why it was only me and my male friend on the photos. Camera angles, maybe? I'm sure you would know better than me," she remarked cheerfully, although the implication rang loud and clear to everyone. Either that, or the photos were framed! She chose to leave this last part out. Judging from the reluctant gazes of the reporters, she knew they understood the bite in her seemingly harmless words. "Please give my friends privacy. They're not celebrities, and this is harrassment. The next time this happens, you can be sure that we would take action," she ended, emphasizing the last sentence in a strong and clear voice.

After her words, Lyndsy flashed her billion-dollar smile again. Its warmth had a startling contrast to the coldness in her eyes as she gave an once-over to the reporters in front of her.

Cassandra's mind had completely shut down as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.

'Girlfriend? What were you thinking, Dylon? You should have discussed with me first! Or maybe even given me a hint at least, ' she thought to herself as she struggled to untangle her thoughts. Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

Gradually, all the media and the paparazzi came to their senses and looked at one another in dumb silence and disbelief.

They had been tailing Lyndsy for the past days to dig up some more dirt. When the news of her dating blew up on the internet, they were sure that they hit the jackpot; and they watched her more closely than ever, knowing it was only a matter of time before a juicy secret revealed itself to them.

The man who snapped a photo at the cafe was one of them. They had sent him to take the pictures of Lyndsy and her so-called boyfriend, but to their surprise, it seemed that they had completely missed the mark.

Dylon's earlier declaration that Cassandra was his girlfriend, not Lyndsy, had left them speechless. The scenario had not crossed their minds. What now? They would look like fools who made a great fuss over nothing. They thought they were digging for gold, which turned out to be useless rocks in the end.

Seeing that his words had taken the journalists by surprise and confusion, Dylon felt his irritation dissipate, replaced by a certain mischief. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

He bent his head and 'kissed' Cassandra on her forehead. His lips did not touch her skin—he merely hovered above her long enough to give them the illusion. He knew that it would confirm his words.

Then he turned to the crowd and smiled, his eyes glinting with mischief. After what they put him through, he felt a distorted sense of satisfaction. He would play them to the end. He was entitled to that much.

"Lyndsy was having dinner with us the other night, so please stop making stories up from unknown and unreliable sources. It hurt both my girlfriend and Lyndsy, and it won't bring you anything but court cases. However, I admire your hard work. You people from the media really have it hard, don't you? I respect your dedication," he paused to keep himself from smirking at his words. "The milk tea and cakes here are wonderful. Please help yourself with them. I'll pick up the tab for this one. Have a good day!" he finished.

Dylon waved a hand to the waiters, instructing them to make a head count of the people there and leaving some cash in their hands.

After that, he took Cassandra's hand and led her out of the cafe.

The crowd of journalists automatically parted to give way to three of them.

At the same time, Lyndsy waved to the journalists with a wide smile on her face, and said, as if adding insult to injury, "See you later, everyone! I'm going back to work now. Please take care!" she said in a honey sweet voice.

The paparazzi watched them as they disappeared, unable to utter any word.

"He... Are they making fun of us? This is unreal!" one of them said, ruffling his head with a hand.

They felt like they had been thoroughly played.

"I don't think so. Did you see the expression on his face when he kissed his girlfriend?" another one responded in an equally exasperated voice.

They went as far as to give a public display of affection, even more so in front of cameras. It was unthinkable that they were not in a relationship.

There were sighs coming from everywhere. "What now? I have no material to write about after this!" a third person spoke out.

At once, everyone was reminded of their purpose for coming.

Now that they knew Lyndsy was not involved in the issue, there was nothing left for them to uncover.

It was a total failure. Now, the only thing they were sure of was getting an earful from they supervisors, if they were lucky enough not to get sacked.

Before long, the waiters came out with drinks and delicious cakes on trays. They handed them out to the sullen reporters with cheerful smiles on their faces.

The mood of the crowd took a 180 degree turn at once. The earlier cursing was replaced with nothing but praises. "That guy is so generous. His girlfriend is lucky."

"Right! He's nice, and good-looking too! He could totally be a model or an actor."

They savored the cakes and tea, muttering compliment for Dylon. Only one man among them did not share the sentiment. He was wearing a scowl and left his food untouched. The man who took the photos earlier was mottled red and with fury and embarrassment.

'Damn it! Of all things, that son of a bitch even wins them over. What the hell!' he thought angrily. 'I've taken their money to throw mud on Lyndsy, but everything is ruined. This is his goddamned fault. How am I supposed to finish my job now!' he cursed inwardly.

'There's no going back now. It's impossible to dig dirt on a non-existent relationship. I need to find something else quickly.' His thought flowed as he racked his desperate brain for ideas.

A hint of viciousness showed up in his eyes, coupled with the coldness of his darkened face.

Dylon let go of Cassandra's hand once they got to a quiet place, far from the reporters.

"I'm sorry, Cassandra! But I never meant to offend you," he started to explain. "They were pushing too far and this was the only thing I could think of to get us out of that mess," he said with an apologetic expression on his face.

He looked so sincere and nervous that Cassandra almost felt sorry for him. She smiled at him, equally embarrassed.

"It's okay. Your quick thinking saved us. We finally got rid of them," she replied, trying to dissuade his guilt.

Dylon was still overwhelmed in the relief of finally getting away from the reporters and the flash of their cameras that he he wasn't able to respond to Cassandra's words. He did not notice the conflicted look on her face as she spoke.

Cassandra knew Dylon well enough, so she understood that he had been pushed into a corner and had no other way of escape. In any other circumstance, he would be too decent of a person to put her into such an awkward position. Something tugged at her chest when she remembered his proud declaration. There was something else that bothered her, and it had nothing to do with the kiss, or with Dylon.

She was shaken out of her thoughts when Lyndsy grabbed her, and after making sure no one was around, she embraced her tightly and kissed her on her forehead. Cassandra gaped at her as she touched a hand to her forehead.

"Thank you Cassandra! You're a life saver!" she exclaimed as she gathered her in a crushing hug.

Her laughing grin and her laughing eyes a pleasant change from the dispirited air she had around her earlier. Cassandra let out a sigh of relief as she felt her mood lighten with Lyndsy's brightness. Despite the half-truth of it, she knew she made the right choice to stay silent when Dylon declared her as his girlfriend. She didn't regret it, and Lyndsy was looking much more alive now than earlier. Luckily, everything would work out well.

"Hah! Let's see what those damned journalists could come up with this time," she said, her chin going up. Then she turned to Dylon and Cassandra and laughed again. "Thanks to both of you, this whole mess is over," she grinned, sincerity gleaming in her eyes.

Seeing her excitement, Dylon felt the need to take a step back and be careful, just in case. He looked around them to check once again, and said, "Don't holler till you're out of the woods. I can't believe the questions they asked earlier were so aggressive. I don't think they're going to stop here. It's better to be cautious." Then as an afterthought, he added, "You'd better pay more attention with your agency as well. Who knows if they might be involved."

Dylon felt a slight worry and wanted to tell her to think of good backup strategies. He had a taste of how persistent the paparazzi and the media could be, and he could only imagine what it was like for famous stars to deal with them on a regular basis. They got lucky and were able to escape for now, but things might turn out differently the next time.

"They were planning to make a scandal out of a made-up relationship that I have, but thanks to both of you, that plan has bitten the dust, and they have nothing left on me. I seriously doubt that after today, they'll have anything else," Lyndsy said confidently.

She stood with her head and shoulders high, her eyes clear and determined, as if nothing could defeat her.

Dylon shook his head helplessly, even a soft chuckle escaped him. Lyndsy was the reigning queen of the acting industry, but she came across as naive sometimes for someone of her stature and experience. He felt as if he had to be the one worrying for her in her stead.

Lyndsy had started off her career from an advantageous position. It was rare for an actress to carry off a prize abroad. She had been the first, after some years, to break into the international scene this early. To top it all off, she was signed by one of the biggest companies in the business that even the media had to restrain themselves where she was concerned.

But now, things had taken a turn for the worse, right after she decided to break things off with her agency. Among other things, the executives must have blown their fuses at this decision, mainly because their interests were threatened. They would not let her off that easily. They had won this fight, but the battle was still a long way off.

"It's best to be well-prepared. This might only be the start of the worst," Dylon reminded her again.

He could say nothing more when faced with that sunny expression on her face. At least for now, the best he could do was to be a gentle reminder.

"Relax. I can do it!" Lyndsy patted her chest cofidently.

Finally, she felt like she could breath. She was feeling good because things got sorted out, even for a little bit, and it was obvious to Dylon that she didn't take his words seriously. He shook his head silently, but said nothing else.

"Hmm," the two of them were startled to hear Cassandra speak as she checked her watch. "I have plans this afternoon and I need to go back to my company now," she said, shifting her gaze between them with a curious look in her eyes.

They had been talking so familiarly, and it was as if they've forgotten her existence. Time flew by that day, and before they knew it, it was past afternoon.

"I'll take you there," Dylon hurriedly offered.

Cassandra shook her head and smiled politely at him.

"No, it's only a few blocks away. I can manage. Please take care on your way back," she said with finality in her tone.

Then she waved to them and turned around to walk to the direction of her company. Dylon stood and watched her, lost in his own thoughts.

"Thanks, buddy!" Lyndsy said casually.

She patted him on his shoulders. Dylon was pulled from his thoughts at the contact and his gaze fell on the shoulder where her hands briefly landed. He wore a blank expression on his face, but he was stunned by her sudden movement.

The real Lyndsy was nothing like the roles she played in the movies. She was always an elegant, noble lady in films; but the woman standing in front of him now was much simpler and honest. She had an almost childlike air to her, and at times she had a certain boyish charm to her movements.

However... Dylon liked the less-than-perfect, real life Lyndsy much more than the ideal woman everyone else saw on screens and in theaters. She was full of life, and her edges and faults only served to magnify her brightness. The image of her twnkling eyes as she grinned without restraint came back to him. 'That's not a bad look on her face, ' Dylon thought to himself.

At this time, Lyndsy had turned around and walked away from him, her pace confident and brisk as it sounded on the pavement.

Dylon lingered for a little while. He looked up at the dark clouds that had gathered against the expanse of the blue sky. It was going to rain.

Moving step by step to the company, Cassandra felt the earlier heaviness tug at her more fiercely now that she was alone with her thoughts.

A moment ago, when Dylon announced that she was his girlfriend in front of so many people, she was astonished at first. But later on, the surprise was replaced with a melancholy as she thought of the relationship between Rufus and her.

She couldn't help but wonder, would there come a day when Rufus too would declare their relationship proudly in front of all people, regardless of the reaction of her mother or his father, just like Dylon did just now? Cassandra bit her lip as she ignored the hollowness that had now turned into a stabbing pain. Steeling herself, she willed her legs to move, even as every step felt much, much heavier.