Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I didn’t want to catch on too quickly, but unfortunately, I did.

Christine scoffed with a roll of her eyes, “Eh, it’s average at best.”

I looked at her, baffled, my eyes screaming. “What?”

“We slept once, and trust me, it was a disaster. Christine didn’t hold back, not even caring that Steven was right there.

Steven was hopping mad. “Hey, cut me some slack! It was my first time, what do you know!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your horses. I’m not taking the fall for this. Don’t give me that ‘first time’ excuse, you Casanova. Even if it was, it should’ve been with a hand puppet or something,” Christine interjected, gesturing toward his hands.

Seeing the usually carefree Steven blush at Christine’s words made me realize what was happening between them. They had a one-night stand.

Steven must be chasing after Christine.

Paying no further attention to Steven, Christine grabbed my arm and led me toward the private booth. “Some guy is back from abroad Steven and his crew organized this get-together and roped me in for fun.”

“Which guy?” I whispered.

“You might know him. It’s…” As Christine spoke, she pushed open the door.

Several guys were sitting inside, including a few familiar faces and one particularly striking man.

Tall with long legs, he wore a white shirt, sleeves casually rolled up, revealing his wrist

adorned with a bracelet.

The bracelet seemed out of place with his demeanor, yet it was clear that he cherished it.

Almost instantly, as he looked up and our eyes met, a smile spread across his face, and he stood up, “Long time no see.”

“Mark!” I beamed, “Indeed, it’s been ages. You left for abroad so suddenly.”

Bryant’s circle of friends, mostly from childhood, Included Christine and me as schoolmates. I got to know Steven and his garg better after marrying Bryant. Only Mark Larson was a senior in my major. We were pretty close in college.

Ever the Joker, Steven teased, “Yeah, wonder which girl broke Mark’s heart so bad he had to run off without a word, even missed your and Bryant’s wedding.”

Chapter 15.

Mark chuckled, touching his nose. “Don’t listen to him. Come on, have a seat.”

“Yeah, come sit,” Christine nudged me toward the couch beside Mark. “You and Mark go way back. You’ll have plenty to chat about.”

After settling me in, she dived into the lively group with Steven and the others.

Mark asked, “Fancy some juice?”

“Sure, thanks, Mark.” I smiled, “Though you’ve been away, I’ve kept up with your achievements. You must be tired of winning awards by now.”

“You’ve been following my updates?” He seemed pleasantly surprised, his eyes lighting up with amusement.

“Not exactly.” I laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed. “It’s my assistant. She’s a huge fan of yours. I should introduce you two.”

“That would be nice.” His mood softened, his gaze gentle, “You and Bryant must be happy. I see all these posts calling him a ‘wife adorer.

At his words, I paused. I didn’t know why, but Bryant always seemed to put on a show of being head over heels for me. I once fell for that charade too.

I tried to brush it off. “You know how the internet blows things out of proportion.”

“But are you happy?” Mark’s voice was soft and earnest as he asked.

Aside from Christine, he was the first person to care about this question.

I looked down, managing a small smile. “Hard to say.”

“Then we won’t say anything more about it.” He didn’t press further, just smiled warmly.