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“Kaia, stop pretending. You found this guy to back you up last time, and now he’s here again. Do you think everyone is stupid? And look at him, this guy is so handsome. Could he be a gigolo you hired from some entertainment club?”
Noelle sneered. “You’re really something. You’re using the money the old man gives you to hire a gigolo and saying so generously ‘I’ll pay today. Ugh, disgusting!”
“Someone like you can never compare to our class president. She is down on her luck now, but she still got into Morganburg University. With her talent, I believe it won’t be long before she finds a man even better than Mr. Snyder.”
Hearing this, Casey was sweating profusely, because she had already guessed Tobias’s identity, and Noelle’s words were pushing her into hell.
Noelle was courting death herself. She shouldn’t drag Casey with her.
Just as she was thinking this, Tobias’s sharp, cold gaze fell on her and Noelle.
The two felt as if they had fallen into hell the moment Tobias stared at them, and they couldn’t help but shudder in fear.
Kaia reached out and placed her hand on the back of Tobias’s hand, indicating that she would handle it.
Feeling the warmth and softness on the back of his hand, the coldness emanating from Tobias instantly dissipated.
The speed was so fast that it was as if the cold had never appeared.
Kaia looked at Noelle with a deep gaze, “I hate it when people slander others without evidence. Since you think my money is illegitimate and it disgusts you, then you can pay for your portion yourself.”
Noelle’s eyes
widened like bells, her eyes were about to spew fire, and she also regretted it a little. She should have waited for Kaia to pay before saying those words.
“And you.” Kaia’s gaze shifted from Noelle to Casey, “You pay for your portion too.”
Casey hated Noelle even more. Now it was all over. She had to pay more than three thousand, nearly six thousand dollars.
At the party…
Mark came to Kaia with a wine glass.
“Kaia, it’s a little late to say this, but it does no harm. I would like to congratulate you on being admitted to Morganburg University and becoming the top scorer in Morganburg, bringing honor to us teachers and to
the school.”
“Thank you, Mark.” Kaia stood up, holding her glass and clinking it against Mark’s glass.
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“What are you getting all worked up for? I just told you. No need to be so fierce. I’m only looking out for you, you know. Seriously, where are your gentlemanly manners?
“Besides, I was just asking; it’s not like I actually accused you of anything. The way you’re acting now, it almost seems like you’ve got something to hide,” Lisette shot back, her tone light but with a teasing edge.
As she spoke, Lisette subtly leaned in closer to Kellan, her eyes wide and round, staring at him without blinking.
Kellan rubbed his temples, clearly exasperated.
“Yeah, I’ve got other things going on today. Trust me. It’s better if you don’t stick your nose into stuff that doesn’t concern you. There’s nothing in it for you,” he said, his tone firm.
“Fine, fine.” Lisette shrugged, finally dropping the subject.
Lisette stretched her neck a bit, meeting Zina’s gaze, and suddenly said, “You look kind of familiar. Have we met somewhere before?”
“I don’t think so,” Zina said as she put her phone away and looked up at Lisette, repeating herself coolly. “Honestly, you don’t look familiar to me at all.”
“Alright then, maybe I was mistaken. But Kellan hardly ever brings a woman to events like this. So, what’s the real relationship between you two?” Lisette asked.
She stared at Zina without blinking, making it obvious she wasn’t going to drop it until she got an answer.
At last, Zina kicked Kellan hard under the table.
When Kellan turned to her, looking confused and a bit lost, Zina just pursed her lips and smiled.
“Oh, come on, she’s asking you a question. Why are you zoning out again?” Zina said, her tone light but with a touch of exasperation.
This was the first time Zina had ever gotten this close to Kellan, so close, in fact, that there was barely a foot of space left between them. The air between them practically crackled with intimacy.
Kellan could feel Zina’s hot breath tickling his ear, and for a split second, it was like his mind just short- circuited. He swallowed hard, his eyes turning clear and razor–sharp,
“Just what it looks like,” Kellan replied, his voice low and cool.
“What?” Lisette’s face went stiff, her smile so forced it looked even worse than if she were crying.
And yet, Kellan, who was notorious for his aversion to physical contact and never let anyone get close, was now holding Zina’s hand tightly.
The moment their fingers laced together, a faint blush spread across Kellan’s cheeks. He quickly turned his head away, biting his lip, his eyes full of bashful awkwardness.
After clearing his throat, Kellan finally spoke. “If there’s nothing else, you should go take care of your stuff.
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Mark was happy and drank the whole glass of wine.
“Kaia, there’s something I want to ask you.” Mark whispered, so only the two of them could hear.
“What is it?” Kaia looked at Mark, as if the question had been bothering him for a long time.
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Mark looked around. Seeing that no one was looking at them, he opened his mouth and said, “How did you know the answer to that NP problem?”
Kaia didn’t expect it to be this matter. Instead of answering, she asked, “What exactly do you want to ask, Mark?”
“Don’t beat around the bush with me. That NP problem was solved by a mysterious mathematician not long before you solved it. You’re a student. Why would you study such a problem if you had nothing to do?”
Kaia smiled and asked, “Don’t you know it, Mark?”
“It was just a coincidence. My former college teacher, a retired professor from Morganburg University, said he saw the mathematician solve the problem with his own eyes, so I was able to find out in the first place.”
Saying this, Mark swallowed and stared straight at Kaia.
“I specifically asked my teacher for the mathematician’s name, but he said he didn’t know. At that time, the mathematician was standing on the stage of a large auditorium with over a thousand people, solving problems for them on the spot. All I know is that the mathematician’s last name was Benneth, and they were about your age. Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?”
Kaia couldn’t stand being stared at by Mark’s shiny eyes.
“Kaia, tell me the truth, and I promise I won’t tell anyone. You can’t lie to me; I haven’t been able to sleep well for several nights now. If I don’t know the truth, I won’t be able to sleep.”
Kaia rubbed her forehead and said, “Okay, it’s me.”
“Ha!”
Even though Mark had already guessed it, he couldn’t help but take a deep breath after hearing Kaia admit it herself.
It took him a few seconds to recover, and then he looked at Kaia with pride.
After all, this was his own student. He couldn’t have been prouder.
If other math teachers knew that he taught such a great mathematician, they would definitely be envious of him.
All the students noticed Kaia and Mark were whispering to each other. They were already curious about what Kaia and Mark were whispering about. When they saw Mark grinning from ear to ear, they were once again dumbfounded.
‘What’s going on? What did they say? Why is Mark so happy? It feels like he could fly up to the sky at any
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“Zina doesn’t usually come to events like this, so I want to show her around and help her get familiar with things.”
“She hardly ever comes? So she knows nothing about art, huh? Why bring her to a jewelry show? What a total waste of an invitation,” Lisette shot back, her teeth clenched.
The easygoing act was gone; her gaze had turned sharp and downright vicious.
Lisette had always been proud, never letting anyone outshine her or steal her thunder.
But this woman was already way beyond what she’d bargained for, and there was no way Lisette was going to let that slide.
After a few more back–and–forths, Zina finally understood what Lisette was thinking. She curled her lips into a faint smile, her eyes growing even more captivating.
Zina replied, her tone calm but confident, “If he chose to bring me here, then how could it possibly be a waste? It just means I’m worth it. But you do have a point.
“If someone doesn’t know anything about art, then coming here really would be a waste of an invitation. As it happens. I do know a little about these things. Would you like to come over and give me some advice?”
“Do you really dare?” Lisette frowned, and for a moment, a flicker of hesitation crossed her face. And yet, almost without thinking, she found herself moving closer to Zina.
She continued, “I’ll give you this. You know how to dress. But art isn’t just about looking good on the outside. Real art is where souls collide.”
“I don’t bother talking shop with amateurs, and I have no interest in throwing my weight around as a designer just to put you down. There’s no fun in that for me,” Lisette said, her voice laced with disdain.
Lisette shrugged, barely sparing Zina a glance. There was contempt in her eyes, along with her brand of
arrogance
Zina laughed as well, “What, you won’t even humor me? Who knows, maybe we’ll actually find some common ground”
“No way. Please, do you really think just anyone can be a designer?” Lisette shot back, her tone full of disdain.
“Kellan, I seriously don’t get it. How could you bring someone this shallow to a jewelry show? When did your taste sink so low? Lisette snapped, her words laced with venom.
Lisette all but ground the words out through clenched teeth, barely holding back her fury. Resentment, frustration, heartbreak–all those emotions crashed together inside her, splintering apart
The whole room went dead silent, the only sound the sharp crack of Lisette’s fists as she squeezed them so hard her knuckles popped.
In the heavy silence, Kellan rubbed his temples and spoke up, “Zina’s got a point.
“But since this is your business, it’s not really my place to interfere. Still, you’ve got real talent. Why not take
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moment. They thought.
“I’m going to the restroom,” Kaia said to Tobias.
“I’ll go with you.”
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Seeing that Tobias was about to stand up, Kaia quickly reached out and pressed down on his shoulder, frowning.
“If you dare to come, I won’t go back with you tonight.”
It would be one thing if it were just the two of them going to the restroom, but with so many classmates watching, it would look suspicious.
Looking at Kaia’s embarrassed and impatient look, Tobias had no choice but to sit back down helplessly.
“I’ll wait for you.”
After glaring at Tobias, Kaia walked out of the private room alone.
After using the restroom, Kaia realized she seemed a little lost.
The private rooms here were almost identical in layout, and she was a little dizzy from the wine she had just drunk.
“This should be the one.” Kaia stood in front of a private room and pushed the door open. “Huh? Not this
one.”
“Kaia? What are you doing here?”
Hearing the familiar voice, Kaia’s eyes fell on the man sitting in the middle of the sofa.
Isn’t this Griffin, the son of Tobias’s uncle?‘ She thought.
At the last party, this man had bad intentions towards her, wanting her to be his secret mistress.
I got it!” Griffin stood up, leering at Kaia. “You’ve thought it through and decided to accept my proposal, planning to throw yourself into my arms, haven’t you?”
Kaia sneered, “Do you ever look in the mirror before you go out? With your big–greasy face, I feel disgusted just looking at you.”
“You find me disgusting, but you came to find me on purpose? Don’t tell me you came to the wrong room; 1 don’t believe that lie Griffin said, looking at Kaia with his arms crossed.
Kaia was stunned, a rare moment of being at a loss for words.
“That’s right, I just walked into the wrong room. That’s the truth. Believe it or not, I don’t want to argue with you anymore.”
“Stop!” Griffin waved his hand, signaling the people around him to take action.
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:
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this chance to show everyone what you can do?”
“Wait, Kellan? You actually want me to give a demonstration?” The tension in Lisette’s posture melted away in a flash, replaced by pure curiosity. Her eyes lit up as she stared at Kellan, not blinking once.
Kellan nodded, and Lisette instantly straightened up, puffing out her chest with pride. “Alright then, since Kellan said so, let’s have a competition.
“But don’t forget, I’m a professional designer with an international ranking. If you start talking nonsense, don’t expect me to go easy on you.”
“Sure,” Zina replied with an easy, confident smile, accepting the challenge without a hint of hesitation.
In that instant, the air was thick with gunpowder, tension ready to explode at any second.
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“Kaia, who do you think you are, coming and going as you please? Tobias and Grandpa aren’t here today. Let’s see who can protect you.”
