Chapter 2
Luciana stared at Thiago with wide, unblinking eyes like a frightened fawn cornered in the woods. She was suddenly struck with fear but had said too much to back down now.
Swallowing her nerves, she bit down on her lower lip again and repeated in a soft, trembling voice, “A b–boyfriend…”
Thiago looked down at her, his gaze lazy and amused. A ghost of a smirk played on his thin lips. “Say that again. I didn’t quite catch that.”
Off to the side, Hugo ran a hand through his hair, clearly annoyed but unable to resist stirring the pot. “She said she has a boyfriend, someone she’s seeing romantically-”
“You’ve got great hearing, haven’t you? Didn’t realize you’ve been wearing a hearing aid.” Thiago shot him a sideway glare.
Hugo fell silent.
Meanwhile, Nigel, who had been silent this whole time, finally recognized Thiago. He quickly cut in, “Wait, you’re Thiago Langston, right? I’m Nigel Carrington, a senior in biomedical science. It’s nice to meet someone from the master’s program.”
At that, Luciana snapped her head over.
Master’s program? Weren’t she and Thiago in the same year? Had he already graduated from Crestwood University?
Instead of answering Nigel, Thiago wore his usual indifferent smile. He pointed at Luciana and asked, “Does she really have a boyfriend?”
Nigel, always quick to read the room, glanced subtly at Luciana, silently asking if she wanted him to step in. She quickly nodded in agreement.
Unfortunately, their silent exchange didn’t escape Thiago’s attentiveness. He let out a quiet, mocking laugh.
“Oh, Luciana. I guess it’s really been a while. I didn’t think you’d get so good at making up things out of thin air. And you even found yourself a partner in crime to back you up.”
Luciana felt her cheeks burn fiercely, completely out of her control. Instinctively, she lowered her lashes and pressed her head down even more. 1. is was it–she would pack up her belongings and move to another planet.
Nigel picked up the basketball at his feet and returned it to Thiago, quickly seizing the rare opportunity. “I’ve been really interested in your company’s latest patent on tumor immunotherapy. I’m wondering if you’re open to having a chat about it.”
Thiago leaned back lazily, a playful smirk curling at the corners of his mouth.
Just as Nigel braced himself for a rejection, Thiago smiled and said, “Sure, why not? Let’s do it now. Consider the meal on me- the fallen easel”
A momentary awkward silence lingered in the air.
Hugo looked at Thiago in disbelief. A meal with a stranger? Initiated by Thiago himself?
for the sake of
Luciana quickly crouched down to gather the fallen easel, not daring to meet, eyes with Thiago again. At this point, she was just trying her best to make herself as small and invisible as possible.
Then, without warning, a vast shadow swept over her like a looming storm cloud, ruthlessly blotting out the summer sun. The familiar pine scent filled her nose. When she finally braced herself to look up, she saw Thiago with his hands resting on his slightly bent knees as he leaned over to look down at her.
Their noses were barely inches apart as he uttered, “Why don’t you join us, Luciana?”
What?
Not long after, Thiago and Hugo walked ahead with Luciana and Nigel following behind. The four headed toward the campus exit.
A curious Nigel asked, “Luciana, do you know Thiago?”
“Yeah. He transferred to my high school in his senior year,” Luciana replied quietly, still not eager to have lunch with them. “Thiago and I were the same year, so how is he taking his master’s now?”
“He did his undergrad in Ubrurg, which was supposed to take three years, and graduated a year early. He just started his master’s here at Josendale. Both of us are in the same major, studying under Professor Dibble.”
“Oh…” she replied absentmindedly.
Thiago graduated a year early from Crestwood University in Ubrurg and even managed to get an exception to be admitted to the biomedical science graduate program of Jorendale University. So, were his terrible math and physics scores back in high school all just a joke?
Laxiana wasn’t exactly a science prodigy herself, but she had patiently helped him with problems every time she saw his grades. Back then, Thiago always insisted he didn’t need her help, but she thought he was just shy. It turned out he genuinely never needed it.
No wonder she always questioned how someone could consistently score just enough to pass every exam. It seemed he had deliberately held back.
Chapter 2
In that fleeting moment, memories from her senior year of high school surged into her mind.
2/2
Her younger self, clutching her homework, shamelessly scooted over to Thiago’s side. “Stop napping! Why aren’t you doing your homework? Practice makes perfect. The more you do, the quicker you learn.”
Thiago’s expression was cold. “I don’t need to.”
She was persistent. “Says who? If you have any questions, you can just ask, and I’ll teach you.”
Thiago was speechless at her stubbornness.
Snapping back to the present, Luciana clutched the hem of her shirt, her head dropping lower as her face flushed a
Seriously, what had possessed her back then to be so forward with Thiago? She would give anything to hop in ep red.
some sense into her overly bold teenage self!
A sharp headache suddenly struck Luciana, followed by a dull ache in her stomach. She winced inwardly.
If she had known the day would turn out like this, she would’ve checked her horoscope before leaving the house.
Soon, the four settled into a casual bistro just outside the campus.
machine and smack
Luciana and Nigel sat on one side of the table while Thiago sat directly across from Luciana. Just a lift of her eyes and she would be able to right into those dangerously charming eyes of his.
His eyelids, faintly hooded, cast soft shadows that deepened the captivating power of his gaze.
stare
110
After ordering, Nigel took the lead in making conversation with Thiago, most of it circling around advanced topics in biomedical scie THER
It was then that Luciana learned that Thiago hadn’t just studied abroad; he had also founded Altigo Group, a cutting–edge icals
now holding several national patents. On top of that, he was the only son of the richest family in Jaxwell.
Thiago wasn’t just well–known at Jorendale University. His name echoed through all of Jaxwell–maybe even the whole country.
Nigel courteously poured him some juice. “I wonder if your company has any internship positions available for the upcoming winter break. I’d really love to give it a try.”
Thiago looked up to ask Hugo. “Do we?”
Hugo swiftly handed Nigel a name card. “We do. Just contact me when the time comes.”
When Nigel took the card and read it, he gasped, “It’s you, Hugo Barron. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you earlier.”
“it’s all good.” Hugo waved in dismissal before scrutinizing Thiago with a long, skeptical look.
Thiago was acting extremely peculiar today. Was he… into Nigel?
Noticing his stare, Thiago swept a cold glance at his business partner. “Admiring my charm? Falling in love yet?”
Hugo raised a brow, his sinile particularly ambiguous. He lowered his voice and returned the jab, “Look who finally has an interest in someone. Have pigs started to fly?”
“Mind your own business,” Thiago replied.
Hugo stayed quiet.
While the men chatted, Luciana silently focused on her meal. If possible, she would’ve gladly crawled into a hole and vanished. Just then, her phone lit up with a message.
Vivian: “Luci, where have you been? Why is the booth closed?”
Luciana: “Just ran into a friend. Nigel and I are having a meal with him. Do you want to join us?”
Vivian: “Nah. I’ve just wrapped up here, and I’m pretty knocked out. I don’t feel like going back to the dorm. Can I crash at your place?”
Luciana was renting a small one–bedroom apartment in an old residential neighbourhood near campus to get around the dorm’s 10:00 pm curfew, especially on nights when she worked late.
Luciana: “Of course, go ahead. You have my keys.”
Vivian: “Okay. Love you.”
Seeing those cheesy words from her best friend, Luciana couldn’t help but smile, momentarily forgetting the awkwardness of her situation. A pair of soft dimples appeared on her cheeks. She was sweet, effortless, and entirely unaware of the charm she exuded.
Across the table, a low, teasing voice cut through the moment. “What’s with the smile? Texting your boyfriend?”
