Despite the family’s wealth, Alistair and his wife preferred their modest faculty housing.
Jethro reassured him, “Don’t worry. They aren’t coming.”
Hearing this, Alistair visibly relaxed.
He adjusted his glasses. “Tomorrow at noon, my students are throwing me a little birthday gathering too. I told them I’d only stop by briefly. How about this, you take me to their event first. I’ll say a few words, and then we can go to the restaurant.”
“Sure, that works.”
…
The next day, around noon, Bram scanned the private room. He didn’t see Darcy.
He checked the time on his phone. Alistair would be here soon.
What’s going on with Darcy? Is she standing me up again?
It had taken effort to persuade Alistair to come. Bram had even hinted at a surprise. If Darcy didn’t show, it would be such a waste.
Thinking this, Bram left the room and stepped into the hallway to call her.
The call connected quickly. “Darcy, are you on your way?” he asked, a frown in his voice.
There was a slight pause on the other end. “Yes, I’m on my way.”
Bram felt relieved. “Good. Prof. Reed will be here soon. He’s only staying for a short while. Try to hurry. I… we’ll wait for you.”
Another ten minutes passed. A Rolls-Royce stopped at the curb near the back entrance of Quest University, outside a restaurant.
Jethro raised a brow, glancing into the back seat. “Uncle, do I need to accompany you inside?”
Alistair waved a hand. “Don’t bother. You reek of money. My students wouldn’t know how to act around you.”
Jethro chuckled good-naturedly, playing along by sniffing his casual blazer. “It’s not the smell of money. It’s the new cologne Cindy gave me.”
Seren smiled. “Cindy’s back?”
“Yes, she just returned from her business trip last night. She’ll be at the restaurant later.”
“Good. Your uncle and I haven’t seen her in ages. We’ve missed her.”
Alistair entered the private room. His students, who had been fooling around, immediately straightened up when they saw him.
Bram checked his phone again, his brow furrowed.
Where is Darcy? She should be here by now.
Pushing down his concern, Bram stood up and placed a birthday hat on Alistair’s head. He then coaxed him into blowing out the candles on the cake and making a wish.
Alistair pretended to protest, calling it foolishness, but he humored his students nonetheless.
After thanking them and reminding them about their research project deadlines, Alistair moved to leave.
Bram quickly cut a slice of cake and handed it to him.
“Prof. Reed, have a piece of cake before you go.”
The others chimed in, “Yeah, have some cake! It’s really good, the latest trendy place.”
Alistair gave a resigned smile, took the slice of cake from Bram, and chatted with them while he ate.
Another five minutes passed. Alistair made to stand again. This time, Bram was quicker, serving him a piece of steak.
“Prof. Reed, try the steak here. It’s even better than what Mrs. Reed makes.”
Everyone knew Alistair loved meat. He often praised his wife’s cooking to his students and frequently invited them over for meals.
Bram’s unusual behavior began to raise Alistair’s suspicions.
What’s going on with this kid today?
Of all his students, Bram was usually the most mature and perceptive. His actions today were odd.
Still, Alistair took a bite of the steak.
Alistair set down his fork. This time, he was really leaving.
“Prof. Reed…” Bram called out to him.
Alistair deliberately put on a stern face. “What is it now? What else do you want me to try?”
Bram was at a loss for words. He sighed inwardly.
Forget it. It’s this late. Darcy’s definitely not coming.
He gave an embarrassed smile. “Nothing like that. I just wanted to walk you downstairs myself.”
They took the elevator down to the main lobby.
As they stepped out, Bram suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.
Darcy? She’s here?
He tentatively called her name.
Sure enough, Darcy emerged from behind a large structural column.
She walked over to Bram and Alistair, her eyes red-rimmed, her voice trembling slightly.
She had actually arrived a while ago but hadn’t had the courage to go upstairs.
Seeing Alistair come down, she had hurriedly hidden behind the column, but Bram’s sharp eyes had found her.
She looked up at Alistair, her voice choked. “Prof. Reed…”
Alistair was surprised to see Darcy here, instantly recalling Bram’s mention of a surprise.
His expression remained cool. “Hmm.”
Seeing him like this made Darcy even more flustered and uneasy.
Fortunately, Bram jumped in to lighten the mood.
“So, uh, I heard you’ll be taking on part-time graduate students next year, Prof. Reed. Darcy is thinking about continuing her studies and wanted to meet with you beforehand.”
His words made both Darcy and Alistair pause.
Darcy hadn’t known Alistair was planning to take on part-time students, but now that she did, a spark of hope lit her eyes.
Alistair was still being aloof and acting tough while secretly caring.
He was still holding a grudge over what happened five years ago.
He looked Darcy over and snorted, “Your children must be quite big by now. Do you still have the time and energy for graduate school?”
Darcy’s face flushed. “Prof. Reed, I don’t have any children, and I’m not married. I’m single now.”
Alistair’s face grew even colder. “What does that mean? Got dumped?”
“Well… you could say that.”
Alistair was exasperated. “What terrible judgment!”
Her judgment had been poor. She had misjudged the person.
Darcy bit her lip. It was true she had prioritized love too much in the past. But she didn’t regret loving someone. She had loved fully, and when it was time to let go, she had done so decisively. It was all just part of her life’s journey.
“Ah, forget it. I have to go. Contact me on WhatsApp another day.”
With that, Alistair turned and walked out.
Bram was thrilled, his eyes shining. “That’s a good sign! Him telling you to contact him is his indirect way of agreeing to let you apply! As long as you pass the entrance exam, you’re practically in!”
“Yeah.” Darcy’s lips curved into a smile. “Thank you, Bram.”
“Don’t mention it. It was nothing.”
Remembering Darcy had said she was single, Bram felt his heart beat faster, and the tips of his ears felt hot.
He made a “please” gesture. “Let’s go back upstairs. I’ll introduce you to the other students.”
…
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.