The cup was instantly in Yvette's hand. Tobias saw only a blur as she moved. When he looked again, she held the cup. Yvette, maintaining a straight face and raising an eyebrow, gazed at Sophia.
Sophia panicked. Yvette's intense stare made her feel insignificant. She struggled to retrieve the cup, but Yvette's grip remained immovable. Realizing the situation was dire, Sophia grabbed her bag, muttering curses as she stormed off without looking back.
Tobias stood dumbfounded. Yvette had effortlessly dismissed Sophia, while his attempts had failed. After Sophia left, Tobias sighed in relief. Finally, it was over. Turning to Yvette, he expressed his gratitude. "I'm glad you showed up. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known how to handle that."
Tobias generally got along well with his students. Given his young age, he rarely acted strictly unless a student seriously misbehaved. He considered Yvette more a friend than a typical university student.
Yvette handed Bonnie a milkshake and glanced at the relieved Tobias. Calmly, she said, "If you don't like something, don't do it. Why make things so difficult?"
Tobias froze, silent for a moment, before smiling wryly as he looked at Yvette, who had settled onto the couch. His tone was melancholic. "Easier said than done. Many things in life are beyond our control." Whether he referred to the blind date or something else was unclear, but he seemed sorrowful.
Bonnie, nearby, had no idea what they were discussing. It was just a blind date—why the philosophical musings? She gave up trying to understand and sipped her milkshake.
Yvette took a sip of her milkshake, enjoying the sweetness. She wasn't usually one to interfere, but she felt compelled to speak that day.
Tobias said nothing more. He sat and drank his coffee. The three sat in silence, each enjoying their drinks. Then, Tobias received a phone call, hastily bidding them farewell before leaving.
After finishing their drinks, Yvette and Bonnie approached the campus entrance, where a black MPV was parked. A man emerged and walked toward Yvette. Reaching her, he bowed respectfully.
"Ms. Zeller, please come with me. Mr. Chambers is waiting." The man was Lucas, impeccably dressed in a suit. He looked at Yvette with admiration. He was the one who had brought her back. Even then, he sensed she was extraordinary.
In just a month, Yvette had accomplished a great deal. She won the Frixyia competition. The Sullivan family went bankrupt and were evicted from Seacrity. She compelled Rebecca to act, resulting in Victor's apology. She even clashed with Daniel's son, prompting intervention from Simon, Wyatt, and Jeremiah, leading to Daniel's downfall. Recently, she won a piano competition. Lucas hadn't witnessed it, but he learned from Zachary that Yvette knew the world-renowned pianist Bryan, who had even video-called her in support.
Each event solidified the fact that Yvette was far from the simple country girl they had assumed. Lucas stared blankly at her delicate face, lost in thought. Only her voice broke through his reverie. Her tone was cold. "What's the matter?"
Lucas knew persuading Yvette wouldn't be easy and braced himself. He'd shamelessly beg if necessary. However, before he could, she said, "Let's go."
Lucas's heart leaped. He was ecstatic, though puzzled by her quick agreement. He was relieved he wouldn't need to resort to his plan; the embarrassment before onlookers would have been immense.
Yvette turned to Bonnie. "You head back." Bonnie nodded, taking their shopping bags and walking away. Yvette entered the car. Lucas climbed into the passenger seat, so focused on Yvette that he didn't notice Winona and a group of girls watching from the entrance.
"Winona, wasn't that man your family's butler? The one who brought your art supplies?" one girl asked.
"Yeah, I think so," another chimed in.
"He wasn't here for you? Why did he leave?" another questioned.
They'd only glimpsed Lucas closing the car door, seeing little of what transpired. They saw only a silhouette. Everyone was perplexed.
Only Winona knew for whom Lucas opened the door. She recognized Yvette instantly. Clenching her fist, she maintained composure. "He was bringing me something. I asked him to check on Yvette, to see if she needed help," she explained with a smile.
The girls showered Winona with compliments.
"Winona, you're so kind. Don't listen to those on the forum. They're framing you because they're captivated by Yvette," one said.
"Exactly. Don't let it bother you. No matter how impressive Yvette is, people will support you," the other added.
Winona remained silent. Finding an excuse, she slipped to a quiet corner of the sports field, biting her lip as she called Nellie.
Meanwhile, Nellie played cards with Blake, a local gangster. They'd had a mutually beneficial arrangement for years; Nellie used Blake for shady dealings, and he appreciated her. Nellie didn't feel for Blake, but he had genuine feelings for her. He readily did as she asked—including investigating Yvette.
Unfortunately, Blake's information was inaccurate. The Yvette he described differed greatly from the real Yvette. Their "planning" always ended in bed.
Nellie, in a nightgown, got her phone and answered. Blake reached for her, but she signaled him to wait. "Hello? Winona, why are you calling so late?" Despite Nellie's attempt to mask her voice, Winona detected the unusual tone.