Chapter 140: Tooting His Own Horn

Gazing into Jared's unwavering eyes, Hilda finally nodded. "I trust you!"

Jared smiled, gently patting her head. His gaze conveyed brotherly affection.

Moments before quitting time, Hilda received a call from Yolanda, urging her to hurry; many classmates had already arrived. Hilda asked for the location and learned the reunion was at the Glamor Hotel.

This caused Hilda to hesitate. They planned to split the reunion's cost, and the luxurious hotel would be expensive. She considered it wasteful.

Only after Jared persuaded her did she agree to go. They drove to the Glamor Hotel in a secondhand Ford.

At the hotel entrance, they found Yolanda anxiously waiting. Yolanda was surprised to see Jared, expecting him to be injured—or worse—after his altercation with the Crimson Dragon Gang the previous night. He was completely unscathed.

"Weren't you beaten up last night?" she asked suspiciously.

"Didn't I tell you the Crimson Dragon Gang fears me? They wouldn't dare attack me," Jared said with a smile.

"What a boast!" Yolanda scoffed, disbelieving him. She suspected he'd paid them off.

"Believe what you want," Jared replied, refusing further explanation.

"It's Hilda's reunion, and you arrive in a Ford? Even a taxi would be better! Look at this parking lot—is there a car as shabby as yours?" Yolanda exclaimed, exasperated. She'd expected Jared to somehow make Hilda look good, not make her the subject of ridicule.

Jared remained unfazed. "What's wrong with a Ford? We support local brands!"

"I think this car is pretty good," Hilda interjected. "It's much more comfortable than the bus. Let's go!"

Yolanda ceased her criticism. The three entered the hotel.

A dozen people were already in a lavish private room, chatting and laughing. One man stood out: his hair was neatly parted, and he wore a gold watch. He was the center of attention. This was Lincoln Palmer, Hilda's ex-boyfriend, attending the reunion as Michelle Henderson's boyfriend.

"You're so lucky to have such a great boyfriend, Mich! Lincoln was the campus heartthrob!"

"Exactly! He was respected even when I started, and I had a crush on him!"

"Look at his watch! It must cost hundreds of thousands. He's so successful!"

"And he has his own company! Incredible!"

They showered Lincoln and Michelle with praise.

Lincoln, seemingly modest, said, "I have to work, too. I'm not that successful. And this watch? It's only a little over three hundred thousand. A friend got it for me from Sumanthova."

His tone, however, clearly indicated he was boasting. Everyone recognized the braggadocio, but no one dared to comment. They simply listened as he tooted his own horn.