“Jethro, let’s go.” Once in the car, Alistair said to his nephew in the driver’s seat.
Jethro slowly withdrew his gaze from the restaurant entrance, a smile playing on his lips. “Who was that talking with you just now, Uncle?”
“Oh, that was Bram Marsh, my last and best doctoral student.”
“Not him. The other one.”
Alistair shot him a look but didn’t answer.
Seren chimed in from the back seat, “That’s the one your uncle considered his golden student. For years, he couldn’t stop talking about her. Back then, when the girl said she was going to apply for his graduate program, your uncle was over the moon.
“But then, when the semester started, she never showed up. He found out she’d started a business with her boyfriend. Your uncle was so upset he couldn’t sleep properly for six months! He’d often sit up in the middle of the night, sighing.”
So that’s the story. Jethro’s smile deepened.
Alistair frowned. “I don’t care who else you set your sights on, but her? You stay away.”
After five years, she was finally considering his program again. He couldn’t let it get derailed a second time.
“Uncle, you’re overthinking it. I just thought…” Jethro chuckled, his hands turning the wheel as the car merged into the main road.
He just thought… it was a small world.
Seren, however, didn’t see a problem. As long as Jethro could move on from the past, maybe it wasn’t a bad thing to try.
…
After chatting with everyone in the private room for a bit, Darcy got a call from Kaia.
It turned out Kaia had finally found time to visit Ione at the hospital today.
But when she arrived, the caregiver happened to be out, and Darcy wasn’t there either. Kaia was furious.
Ignoring Ione’s attempts to calm her, she insisted on calling Darcy.
She berated Darcy over the phone, “What classmate’s birthday party is more important than Mom’s health? You took leave specifically to care for her! Why are you running around!”
Kaia failed to realize, as she said this, that Ione had been in the hospital for a week, and this was her first visit.
With the phone between them and her mother nearby, Darcy didn’t want to argue. She replied calmly, “I’m on my way back now.”
Kaia saw that Darcy didn’t fight back, and her indignation only grew.
After hanging up, right in front of Ione, she continued her tirade, “She’s really gone too far! It’s the weekend, and instead of being here for family, she’s off to some classmate’s birthday party. And that caregiver she hired is so unreliable!”
“That’s not true! Darcy has been working so hard, running between home and the hospital. She’s exhausted,” Ione couldn’t help but defend her daughter.
But she had raised Kaia too and tried to be fair to both, so her tone wasn’t harsh.
Kaia pouted. “She’s not even working right now. What’s there to be busy with?”
“The engagement ceremony for your sister and Zane is next month. There’s so much to plan. I’m in no state to help her, and Zane is so busy. Everything falls on your sister’s shoulders.”
Kaia smirked inwardly.
Engagement ceremony? Who knows if it’ll even happen?
Everyone at the company knew Zane and Zora were close.
There were even rumors that Zora was Zane’s childhood crush.
They were living out a “childhood sweethearts reunited” story.
Kaia believed it too.
Darcy had been fawning over Zane for years, and he remained distant. But the moment Zora appeared, she captured his complete attention.
That’s the power of a first love.
Besides, Darcy couldn’t compare to Zora in looks, education, or family background.
Given the choice, even a blind man would know who to pick!
For some reason, this thought made a wide smile spread across Kaia’s face.
If Darcy gets dumped…
Then I won’t seem so lacking in comparison.
She felt instantly more balanced.
Ione, unaware of these thoughts, assumed
Kaia was still upset with Darcy.
“Kaia, have you been very busy lately?” she asked gently, actually wondering why it had taken her so long to visit, but afraid Kaia would take it as criticism.
Kaia hesitated. “Yes, I’ve been quite busy.”
Being busy currying favor with Dr. Moss counts as being busy.
She’d heard Zora was expanding her team and hiring, including for a departmental assistant.
Kaia was tired of her current admin role – being ordered around with no room for growth and a pitiful salary.
If she could become Zora’s assistant, standing by her side, she’d get plenty of attention too.
…
Darcy apologized to the group and prepared to leave.
“Darcy…” Bram called after her, following her out.
She blinked at him. He scratched the back of his head. “I’ll walk you down to the lobby.”
Once downstairs, Darcy waved. “Goodbye.”
Bram pressed his lips together, finally voicing his thoughts. “Sorry, I didn’t tell you earlier about Prof. Reed taking part-time students this year. But… you will apply, right?”
Darcy smiled. “Of course.”
“That’s great! If you have any questions, you can always ask me!” He then realized how that sounded – academically, Darcy had always been stronger than him. “Not that you’d probably need my help.”
Darcy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Of course I will. I just hope you won’t find me annoying when I do.”
As she stepped outside and looked for a taxi, she suddenly spotted two familiar figures approaching.
She instinctively ducked behind the nearest car.
Zora and Zane, dressed formally, walked toward the entrance. Zora stopped.
Zane, confused, stopped too and looked back at her. “What is it?”
Zora gave a faint smile, stepped closer, and reached up to adjust his tie.
Zane’s breath hitched, a jolt running through his chest.
“Your tie was crooked.”
Zora’s slender fingers rested on the tie, as if they were touching Zane’s heart directly.
“There. Let’s go in.” Zora’s smile was perfectly composed, as if fixing a man’s tie was the most natural thing in the world.
Zane, however, felt his heart pounding wildly.
Hidden behind the car, Darcy clenched her fingers unconsciously.
This was the first time she had seen Zora up close.
She was indeed beautiful – in a sophisticated, elegant, and intellectual way.
She looked perfect with Zane.
A shame about her being the other woman.
She then corrected herself. Zora probably didn’t know Zane had a girlfriend. In a way, Zora was a victim too.
Zane, the man, was causing pain to two women.
He’s the real culprithere.
Pressing her lips together, Darcy looked away and headed for the curb.
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.