Chapter 209 - The Islet Mystery 25

Though how much they wanted to stay in bed and enjoy the bliss of being together, they had to get up to spend breakfast with everyone. Shiela's heart sank in the fact that she had to face reality again. How she wished time would stand still and allow her to indulge more time with the man she loved.

All of them were already seated in the dining room when they arrived, except Jullien. But as soon as they settled themselves beside each other, Jullien's cheerful voice greeting them echoed into the room. Knowing her place, Shiela stood up to give way for Jullien, but Ryan stopped her.

"Why are you afraid to sit down beside me?" Ryan spoke in a rather loud voice, earning them the attention of everyone, including Jullien.

Shiela felt she could faint in discomfort, afraid that Jullien might humiliate her. "It's alright, dear. Ryan and I have more time together."

Shiela got surprised by her good mood. Just a few hours ago, she looked like a hungry beast in the middle of a dessert.

"Where is he?" Ryan asked, and before Jullien could answer, a deep baritone voice spoke from the doorway, making all of them glance in his direction.

"Good morning, everyone!" the man greeted all of them with a broad smile. He was as tall as Ryan, and his handsome features couldn't go behind those of Ryan and Ajie. He had a beard in his chin, running towards both of his ears, all cleanly shaved.

Addressing everyone's questioning gazes, Ryan spoke to introduce him. "He is Andy. He just arrived a few hours ago, to assist Jullien in her project."

The rest of them greeted him back as Ryan continued the task of introducing each one of them. When it was Shiela's turn, the grin on Andy's face reached to his ears, and he stretched out his hand to shake with her.

"Happy to meet you, Miss Shie," Andy said, casting a teasing look at Ryan then he continued, "no wonder why my friend got crazy over you."

Shiela gasped, Jullien was there, and as she expected the worst, Jullien frowned and asked, "Who? Ryan?"

Andy scratched his head, and as everyone held their breaths, he spoke again. "Oh, have I not told you? We ordered a truckload of paints from her company. And I heard from her officemates, that my friend, who is her business partner in that paint factory, is madly in love with her."

Shiela got shocked, as well as the rest, but she quickly concealed it. She didn't know what he was talking about, but she was glad that he saved her by the bell.

"Is that true, Shiela?" Ryan feigned surprise, and she did not know how to react.

Finally, she found her words, "Can we stop talking about me? I'm not comfortable at all."

Ryan laughed and said, "Shie, can you introduce him to us?"

"Shut up."

Ryan laughed again, and he stood up afterward to fill two cups with hot water. He scooped spoonfuls of coffee powder and poured it into the cups. He then handed the other cup to Shiela and said, "You decide on the amount of sugar."

"Thank you," Shiela replied, but she remained looking down at her plate. In her peripheral vision, she saw Jullien making her coffee. This scene troubled her. Everybody witnessed how Ryan pampered her. She didn't know if Jullien was only acting dumb. How could she not notice it? She could not also say that she was just used to Ryan's sweetness this time, as she claimed it before. Ryan never withheld his special treatment on her, and she must have noticed it by now.

Jullien peeled of a sachet of creamer, and he handed one to Andy. She caught the label through her side vision, and the bold letters spelled out, "Caffe affogato."

Shiela looked up unconsciously, and Jullien caught her eyes. Too late to look away, Jullien smiled at her and said, "Do you like some?"

Afraid that refusing might appear as an insult for her, she smiled back and reached out for the sachet.

"Thank you," Shiela said, and as soon as her hand touched the pouch, Ryan roared against her ear, and she jolted in her seat.

"No! Jullien, how many times I told you to stop this! You are not learning your lessons."

Jullien stole a glance at Andy before she replied, "I can't help it."

"You're obviously not making an effort. If you're not complying, don't involve Shiela in this."

Shiela felt the tension as much as the rest did, though she knew that they didn't understand what they were talking about. Ryan appeared to be not cautious, and they were all afraid that it might earn Shiela some troubles from Jullien.

Before everyone got over with their uneasiness, Chloe's sweet voice floated into their ears.

"Auntie is taking sweets, uncle?"

Ryan chuckled, and it dispelled off the tension in the air."Yes, baby. Caffe affogato creamer contains the highest amount of artificial sweeteners."

"Is it harmful to the body?" Chloe's glowing, rounded eyes amused Ryan further.

"Exactly, baby, because it is so sweet."

"Like ice cream?"

"It's different because coffee contains caffeine. It has effects on the nervous system, plus the sugar."

"So, I can eat ice cream sometimes?"

"Yes, baby. You want some now?"

Shiela was not listening anymore. She remembered Cherry said that her mother was addicted to that particular creamer. And during their discussion, she confessed that her mother seduced all her boyfriends. Could it be related to her intake of the creamer?  Was her adverse sexual desire similar to Jullien?

She decided to talk to Cherry later and advise her to take her mother to a psychiatrist. If she would let her mother stop the use of the creamer abruptly, the withdrawal syndrome may not be tolerable. There were medications for it if those who were addicted were willing to take the leap of change.

When Shiela returned to her room later, and Ryan remained to make arrangements for the boats they would be using for their island hopping, she thought of rechecking the monitor. She had doubts about Andy, especially when he and Jullien took their exit together. She thought Ryan was calling earlier to the so-called Joey he mentioned to his dad, but she got surprised when it turned out to be Andy.

Just as she suspected, she saw Jullien and Andy clinging to each other, grabbing and panting like wild dogs, in heavy sexual activity. Suddenly, Shiela felt she no longer understood Ryan at all.