âHmm? Whatâs happening then?â Naomi was curious.âNothing much. I just thought itâd be nice for the younger cousins to gather and hang out together,â Alex explained to her.âSure, count me in then,â
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. âSky, itâs time to go!ââYou go ahead, Iâll stay behind to keep Mom and Dad company,â 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 tonight. 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. âBut Sky, I donât want to go alone.
What if Ash says something annoying again? No one there will stick up for meâ¦â Naomi pouted.
âCome with me, please? That way, you can be my protector.âHaving 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. âFine, you win. Letâs go.ââYay! I knew youâd do it for me. Youâre the best, Sky!â 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.âNaomi!â Alex welcomed her into the room as soon as he spotted her. âCome, I saved you a seat.ââThank you, Alex,â she smiled and tugged on Skylarâs sleeve as she noticed Alex pointing to some empty seats at the table.However, before Skylar could take his seat, Alex spoke up coldly. âSkylar, I donât seem to recall inviting you tonight.ââAlex, I thought you said tonightâs gathering was for all the young cousins,â Naomi jumped in, trying to protect her brother.âNaomi, I meant the Fuller cousins, not some puppy picked up from the streets,â Alex made sure to look Skylar in the eye as he hurled his insult.âSkylar is every bit my parentâs child as I am. Heâs my brother!â Naomi refuted defiantly.âYour brother? Are you related by blood? Is his last name Fuller?â
Alex challenged.Ash snorted, clearly enjoying the drama.âStray dogs are like that, Alex. They just shamelessly turn up wherever thereâs food.â 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.âHans Beckett, shut that nasty mouth of yours!â Naomi scolded him angrily.Hans cocked an eyebrow. âWhy should I? Did I say anything incorrect? Is he Uncle Nateâs real son?â he continued his taunts.Alex, realizing his dinner might not end well, tried to end the argument. âAlright guys, stop fighting. Weâre a family after all. Skylar can stay if he wants to. Iâll get the waitstaff to set up another table for him. Heâll have the same dishes as us, I promise.â