Chapter 113

When Jared and I walked in, Aiden and his four friends quickly stood up and greeted us. “Hi, Victoria, Jared.”

All the young guys blushed when they saw me, and their voices weren’t nearly as loud as before. The girl with glasses sitting next to Aiden stared at me, looking completely stunned.

“Victoria, Jared, this is Sophia Langley, my girlfriend,” Aiden said, scratching the back of his head, his face turning red. Teenagers in the throes of first love blushed at the drop of a hat.

Watching them, I couldn’t help but remember the night I first met Jared. It was during intermission backstage. Jared had walked in with a few people from the student union. Back then, I thought he was just another college guy, but there was something different about him. He looked at me with a gentle smile, and in that moment, my cheeks burned and my heart skipped a beat. But that rush of excitement from back then had long since been drowned in the still, lifeless waters of our marriage.

I smiled and made some polite small talk, while Jared also put on a gentle and courteous front. Sophia looked pretty innocent and spoke in a soft voice, but I knew she wasn’t the girl Aiden would end up marrying. In my previous life, this part never happened. Maybe things would turn out differently this time.

“Victoria, Mom and Dad want me to come back home to work. What do you think?” Aiden asked, worry written all over his face. “Honestly, I don’t really see a future in that. I wish I could learn the ropes of business from Jared instead.”

Jared, sipping his coffee, gave a faint smile and said, “Yeah, if you’re interested, I’d be happy to show you the ropes.”

“No way,” I cut in, putting a stop to Aiden’s wishful thinking. “Right now, your top priority is finishing your studies. You’re just a sophomore. There’s still a long way to go.”

I didn’t want Aiden to get his hopes up, because by the time he graduated, we would already be divorced. If they made promises now, it would just turn into a joke in the future.

Jared turned to look at me, his gaze fixed on my face for a few seconds, as if searching for something in my expression.

Aiden looked a bit down, but he didn’t dare argue with me. He just put on an obedient face and mumbled, “Okay.”

Seeing Aiden so disappointed, I secretly swore to myself that I’d work hard to build my business. I didn’t want to be the kind of sister who spoils my brother, but if I ever had the ability, I would definitely give him a hand.

The meal was pretty fun. Everyone was young and full of energy, and the conversation flowed easily. As we were leaving, I reached into my bag, pulled out a gift, and quietly slipped it to Sophia. Sophia’s face flushed with embarrassment as she tried to refuse, but in the end, she still took it.

“Victoria, we might take the train back to Braylin this afternoon. We’ll visit Yvonne next time,” Aiden said.

I nodded. “No worries, just stay safe, and come hang out again next time.”

They left in Jared’s car with his driver, so when it was time for Jared to head back to the office, Jared had no choice but to ride with me.

“Those guys could barely string a sentence together when they saw you,” Jared teased from the passenger seat.

I shot him a look, a little annoyed. “What are you trying to say?”

Jared’s eyes flicked over to my slightly low-cut neckline. “Don’t wear clothes like that again. They’re not right for you.”