Chapter 354

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Some were shocked , others in despair , but only Lexie beamed with delight . Her eyes sparkled with pleasant surprise as she gazed at Aria
She had always wished Fryderyk to bring a girlfriend back .
Lexie continued , ‘ My eldest granddaughter’s gone into showbiz . Now the only way to see her is to turn on the TV .
‘ Alice always thinks I’m playing favorites and is always on guard against me .
‘ So , I hope that Fryderyk can marry early .
‘ Finally , Fryderyk has found someone he liked . But this girl looks hard to get . Fryderyk must work hard !
As Lexie kept staring , Aria politely nodded .
Aria shot Fryderyk a cold , warning glance .
Fryderyk met her gaze , silently assuring her he had everything under control .
Seeing the two of them exchange glances , Lexie beamed even more brightly .
‘ Fryderyk still has a chance , ‘ she thought to herself .
“ Let’s go , ” Aria said , taking the lead as Caleb and Owen fell a step behind her .
As Derek walked along cheerfully after them , Terry shot him a puzzled look and grabbed him by the arm . He asked , “ Where do you think you’re going ? ”
Derek grinned cheekily . “ Terry , I’m still on my runaway streak . Dad has banned my credit cards , so I only follow them . Goodbye . ”
Terry was speechless .
What could he even say ? All he could do was watch in silence as Derek disappeared into the distance .
Lexie kept her eyes on Aria’s retreating figure until she finally disappeared around the corner , reluctant to look away even then .
By now , no one was paying attention to Derek spraying others anymore .
With the warm weather , that little splash wasn’t enough to give her a cold .
Amanda was so embarrassed that she was unable to bear it another second . She hurriedly said her goodbyes and fled the scene .
Lennox’s three classmates exchanged meaningful glances with him before quietly slipping away .
Barry caught up to her , looking utterly confused . He asked , “ Amanda , what the hell was that ? You actually proposed a marriage of convenience to Fryderyk in front of everyone . I thought you were just joking ! ”
Amanda rolled her eyes at him and said , “ Don’t talk such nonsense . I just wanted to marry Fryderyk first and see if love grows later . How was I supposed to know he already had a loved one ? ”
Barry asked , “ So , what now ? Are you gonna give up ? ”
Amanda shrugged and said , “ What else can I do if I don’t give up ? Try to beat Aria and win his heart ? I don’t like him very much . Why spend time chasing
after him ? ”
If he said yes , it was great . If not , on to the next .
Looking at Barry , Amanda got even more excited . She continued , “ Besides , Fryderyk’s already twenty – seven . You know what they say that guys start
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losing their mojo after twenty – five . Honestly , It’s probably the best he turned me down . I should just find a boyfriend under twenty f
Barry’s two classmates stood frozen to the side , wide – eyed and barely daring to breathe ..
Only then did Amanda realize there were others present . Her face instantly flushed as she slapped Barry on the back and shouted , “ Why didn’t you tal me they were right here earlier ? ”
Barry shrugged helplessly and said , “ You were excited just now . I didn’t have the heart to interrupt . ”
Amanda jabbed a finger at him and snapped , “ Stay right there ! ”
Then she hurried off in her heels , the sharp clicks echoing as she rushed away .
Just a few steps down the hallway , Amanda instinctively turned her head , only to lock eyes with Aria and others .
In that instant , Amanda staggered and nearly fell .
Her eyes went wide with panic and she thought , ‘ Wait … Didn’t they already leave ? Haven’t they ? Why are they coming from that direction ? ”
Amanda couldn’t stand it another second . Hurrily , she kicked off her heels and ran away .
She thought , ‘ Oh my God , so awkward ! ‘
Aria went to pay the bill , but the receptionist refused to accept her payment , so she had no choice but to find the manager .
In the end , she didn’t pay .
Caleb and Owen both wanted to pay the bill , but Caleb was quicker and beat Owen to it .
As the group walked back into the hall , they couldn’t help but overhear a conversation .
Derek , the only one under twenty – five present , let out an awkward chuckle . “ Actually , that’s not entirely accurate .
“ Guys like Caleb and Owen , who work out regularly still have a healthy body after thirty . ”
Caleb and Owen were speechless .
They shot Derek a piercing glare , telling him to shut up .
Derek rubbed his nose , putting on his innocent look .
‘ Seriously ? I was just sticking up for them ! Why did they glare at me ? ‘ he thought , feeling wronged .
Aria walked forward calmly .
At that moment , the door opened and a few young people stepped inside .
The experiment was a complete success , so Sebastian and a few classmates came to celebrate over a meal .
Sebastian’s eyes lit up instantly when he suddenly spotted Aria . Turning to his classmates , he said , “ Hey , I’m gonna go say hi to my friend . You guys go ahead and order a table . ”
Of course , Sebastian’s classmates had no intention of leaving . After all , it was rare to see him this excitement .
They exchanged glances and crept closer .
This gossip was too juicy to miss .
As Sebastian walked , he thought to himself , ‘ Calling her ‘ Ms. Saxon ‘ sounds too formal , maybe I should just use her name !
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“ Aria , ” Sebastian said as he approached with a slight smile . “ Hello ! ”
Aria gave a slight nod . “ Hi . ”
Seeing them heading toward the exit , Sebastian scratched his head and asked , “ You guys done with your meal already ? ”
Aria replied , “ Yeah , we’re leaving . ”
Sebastian thought to himself , ‘ If only I’d come an hour earlier , we could’ve had dinner together !
He looked up and met a pair of scrutinizing eyes , instantl
feeling a sense of fear .
They were very likely to be rivals in love .
Even though , deep down , Sebastian admired Owen .
He was the first to look away . Turning to Caleb with a polite smile , he greeted him , “ Hello , Caleb .”
Caleb nodded . “ Hello . ”
“ Hey , Derek . Long time no see . ”
Derek nodded and said , “ Hi , long time no see . ”
After greeting the others, Sebastian turned to Aria and said , “ My grandpa’s cough has gotten so much better . All thanks to you . He wouldn’t have recovered so quickly without you . When are you free ? I’d like to treat you to dinner to thank you . ”
Derek thought to himself , ‘ Damn , he wants to have dinner with Aria ? ‘
Derek sidled up to Owen and whispered , “ Owen , did you see that ? That guy totally snubbed you , no way that wasn’t on purpose ! ”
Owen replied , “ I know .”
Derek thought , ‘ His grandpa’s cough was just treated this morning , and now , after bumping into her this afternoon , he’s already asking her out to dinner .
He must have other intentions . ‘
Derek leaned in and said to Owen , “ Don’t worry . I’m totally on your side . I promise I won’t switch sides . ”
Owen said coldly , “ Well , thanks . ”
Derek noticed Sebastian’s innocent demeanor and emphasized , “ Owen , this guy’s just twenty – four ! You’d better watch out ! ”
Owen said nothing .
Caleb , overhearing the conversation was also speechless .