Sherry Walsh stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.
With quick reflexes, Noah Sterling steadied her.
Sherry looked at him as if she’d seen a ghost.
In the private room.
Sherry asked, "Should I excuse myself?"
Noah stated his position directly. "I don’t keep any secrets from my girlfriend. If she can’t hear what you have to say, then I don’t need to hear it either."
Jane Jenkins had always suspected that Sherry and Noah’s relationship was fake, believing that she was special to him.
She couldn’t get in touch with Noah, so she’d had to hire soone to follow him and create an opportunity to talk.
Knowing Sherry would be bare-faced, she had deliberately put extra effort into her own appearance before coming over.
But to her surprise, Noah didn’t even spare her a glance!
"Noah, I..."
Jane Jenkins bit her lip gently, her eyes turning red.
She had the perfect look of soone who had been wronged.
Looking at the bubbling spicy broth, Sherry couldn’t take it anymore. "Miss Jenkins, I’m going to start eating. If you’re not sure what to say, why don’t you sit down and think it over while you eat?"
"No," Noah interjected. "This is our date. We don’t need anyone else."
"..."
Sherry was dumbfounded.
’She started to wonder if she had been seeing Noah through rose-colored glasses, never realizing he was such a smooth liar. Then again, it wasn’t surprising. Lawyers were like that. They’d say anything if it was to their advantage. She was the sa way.’
Jane Jenkins stood there, feeling terribly awkward.
But the private investigator she’d hired was expensive, and the cost was a significant burden for her.
She had to say what she ca to say and achieve her goal.
Recently, she had done a deep dive on him and discovered he was truly the cream of the crop among all the n she could possibly et.
’I can’t give up so easily!’
Sherry paid them no mind.
She started adding at and vegetables to the pot, occasionally asking for Noah’s opinion.
Jane Jenkins was left standing awkwardly to the side, as if she were being punished.
At that mont...
DING.
DING.
DING.
DING.
Noah’s and Jane’s phones chid with notifications at the exact sa ti.
Sherry plucked a cooked piece of at from the pot and popped it into her mouth, her eyes fixed on the two of them.
Just as Noah reached for his phone...
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
There was a knock on the private room’s door.
A mont later, a waiter opened the door, revealing Kent Phelps standing behind him.
Kent glanced at Jane standing off to the side, but he didn’t dare look too curious. He smiled at the group and said,
"I’ve been wanting to organize a class reunion, and I just made a group chat. I’ve already had so of our classmates add you guys."
"A class reunion? When?"
Jane’s eyes lit up.
’A class reunion was exactly what she needed.’
Sherry took a big mouthful of at.
’She silently wondered if this Kent Phelps guy was a plant brought in by Jane.’
"It depends on everyone’s availability. I was thinking soon, soti in the next couple of weeks. We can see when people are free."
Kent explained his plan.
He had indeed been planning this for a while.
His goal, however, wasn’t to reunite with old classmates, but to see Noah.
Among all their classmates, Noah was the only one who had truly made it big.
He was in a bit of trouble, but since they hadn’t seen each other in over a decade, he was too embarrassed to ask for help out of the blue. He hoped to use the reunion to re-establish their connection first.
"I just got back in the country, so I don’t have much going on. I’m free whenever."
Jane Jenkins agreed with a smile.
She had already decided to leave.
’Noah would definitely not go.’
They were all in their thirties now.
Kent had already sized up the situation. He quickly added, "Here’s the thing, a lot of people are busy, so not many might be able to make it. My suggestion is that everyone brings their families—spouses, kids, everyone. I’ll book a small resort so we can all have a proper good ti."
The mont he said that, Jane struggled to keep her composure.
Her carefully laid plans fell apart.
Noah, however, swallowed the refusal that was on the tip of his tongue.
He looked at Sherry, who was still eating across from him, and asked with a smile, "Are you free next weekend?"
"?!"
Sherry was bewildered.
’She thought this had nothing to do with her.’
Noah grinned. "If you’re free, I’m free."
Kent imdiately seized the opening. "And this lady is...?"
"Her na is Sherry Walsh. We’re in the sa field; both lawyers."
Noah explained.
"Lawyer Walsh, we classmates haven’t seen each other in over a decade, and I really want to organize a proper get-together. If you’re free, you absolutely must co. I know a private chef who’s an amazing cook. Just tell what you like to eat, and I’ll have him make it."
Kent’s tone was extrely courteous.
He could tell that Noah and his girlfriend were on good terms.
As for why Jane was here... it wasn’t hard to guess.
Her situation was likely similar to his own.
Noah was the most powerful connection within their reach.
"Oh, you don’t have to go to such trouble..." Sherry gave an awkward smile. "I’ll check my schedule when I get back, and we can figure it out then."
"Well... alright, then."
Kent didn’t feel he could press the issue any further.
He turned and left.
Jane Jenkins bit her lip, filled with a frustration she couldn’t voice.
She looked at the couple at the table.
Noah’s clothes were clearly bespoke.
His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his wrists, revealing an expensive watch.
And at an age when most n start to put on weight, he was still in excellent shape, with a sharp jawline.
’She really had misjudged him back in the day.’
’But, making a man who once had eyes only for her co back to her couldn’t be that hard, could it?’
Sherry glanced at Jane again. "Miss Jenkins, are you sure you won’t have so? It’s no trouble, just adding another pair of chopsticks."
"No, thank you. I won’t disturb you any longer."
Jane smoothed down her hair one more ti before turning to leave.
The mont the door to the private room closed...
"I’m not free on the weekend," Sherry announced.
"Got a blind date?"
Noah’s question made Sherry want to punch him!
"Kent only organized this reunion to get to ," Noah continued to explain.
"Then you go. Just say I’m busy and can’t make it." Sherry took a sip of her soda. "Besides, he said kids would be there. I can’t stand kids. They’re so loud."
"And yet you seem perfectly happy babysitting for Rory Linden," Noah said.
"That’s my godson. How is that the sa thing?" Sherry retorted. "Besides, how many kids are as well-behaved as Leo?"
The hot pot in front of them was a split pot. Coincidentally, both of them were eating from the spicy side, leaving the mild tomato broth almost untouched.
Sherry ate for another thirty minutes before putting down her chopsticks. "I’m full."
Noah also set his chopsticks down. "Then I’m telling you now: you’re coming with to the class reunion next week."
"I’m not going! This was supposed to be our farewell dinner!" Sherry refused flatly.
Noah said without a mont’s hesitation, "Then I’ll just have to tell your father that our relationship is..."
"Stop!" Sherry shot to her feet, exasperated. "Noah Sterling! How can you be so childish!"
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