Noah's brow arched slightly as he examined the sculpture. "This is... beautiful," he said, glancing at his father.
David nodded, his expression thoughtful. "A symbol of peace, Noah. I thought it was fitting. You've worked so hard to bring peace into our family, and I want you to carry that peace into this world."
Noah's fingers hovered over the smooth marble as he gave a slight, almost imperceptible smirk. "Thanks, Dad. It's... thoughtful of you."
Caroline smiled and stepped forward with her own gift. Her package was wrapped in soft, pastel hues.
As Noah unwrapped it, he uncovered a painting. The image was serene, a calm lake, surrounded by blossoming cherry trees under a pink sunset. The scene exuded tranquillity, the colours blending to show a sense of purity and calm.
"I commissioned this for you," Caroline explained, her voice soft. "I wanted you to have sothing that reminded you to slow down and appreciate the beauty around you, no matter how busy you get."
Noah tilted his head slightly, examining the painting. "It's... peaceful," he said, his tone calm.
Caroline smiled, mistaking his pause for awe. "Exactly. You've achieved a lot of great things. Noah, but I want you to rember to not lose yourself and find peace in the little things."
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"Thank you both," Noah said, masking his inner amusent with sincerity. "These are perfect."
David and Caroline exchanged glances, their expressions satisfied, completely unaware of the irony their gifts presented.
After celebrating his exams coming to an end, Noah heard a knock on the door.
"Who would it be at this ti?" Caroline thought aloud and tried to get up from the sofa.
"It's okay, Mom, sit down. I'll get it," Noah said, motioning for her to stay seated.
"Thank you, sweetheart," she replied, leaning back into her chair.
Noah walked to the door and opened it to reveal that Aiden was standing there, grinning ear to ear.
"Hey, man! What's up?" Aiden greeted.
"I'm good," Noah said, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you here?"
"I'm here to invite you to our class gathering. We're throwing a party at a five-star hotel," Aiden explained, the grin never leaving his face.
"Not interested," Noah said flatly, already beginning to close the door.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down!" Aiden said, sticking his hand out to stop the door. "I knew you were going to say that, so I ca here instead of texting you. You can't let leave empty-handed like this."
Noah sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a five-dollar bill. "Here, now you can go." He held the bill out toward Aiden, who stared at it incredulously.
"Bro! Not like that!" Aiden protested, stepping inside as Noah tried to push the door closed.
"Alright, then what do you want?" Noah asked, annoyed.
Aiden smirked. "You. At the gathering. It's going to be fun, trust . Plus, you don't want to miss out on seeing Layla and Mark. They're apparently back together, but the difference is that Mark's not as cocky anymore since… well, whatever it was you did to him."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Not interested," he repeated, about to slam the door again when a soft chi interrupted him.
[Ultimate Choice System has been activated!]
[Option 1: Go to the class gathering.]
[Reward: 51% shares in Crown Veridian Hotel]
[Option 2: Do not go to the class gathering.]
[Reward: 10% shares in Crown Veridian Hotel]
Noah blinked as the options flashed in his mind.
"Fine," Noah said, almost too casually. "I'll co."
Aiden's eyes widened with excitent. "Yes! I knew you'd do it just for . Let's go! The gathering starts in an hour, and it's only a thirty-minute drive from here."
"I'll go get ready," Noah said, walking off with a shake of his head.
An Hour Later
Noah and Aiden pulled up to the grand entrance of the Crown Veridian Hotel. The building shimred with lights, showing it's luxury.
Aiden was already buzzing with excitent as they stepped out of the G-wagon. "Bro, this place is insane. Look at it!" He gestured wildly to the pristine architecture.
"Let's just get this over with," Noah said, adjusting his casual yet stylish outfit.
Inside, the main banquet hall was packed with students and a few teachers including Miss Elara.
Aiden tried to drag Noah toward a group of classmates, but Noah sidestepped his grip and waved him off.
"Go have your fun, Aiden. I'll be over here, enjoying my evening," Noah said with a calm smile as he moved toward an unoccupied table near the corner.
Aiden threw his hands up in frustration. "Fine, be the mysterious loner, but don't co crying to when you're bored!" he called, heading off to chat with others for a while.
'This guy... I will co back to chill with him after a few minutes,'
Noah sat on the chair, his eyes wandering to the neatly arranged desserts on the table before him. A glint of amusent crossed his face as he reached for a slice of cheesecake.
'Let's see how good this chef really is. If the desserts here are bad, I'll have to change the chefs—can't let my hotel's reputation suffer,' Noah thought, taking a bite.
The rich, creamy texture and perfect balance of sweetness brought a satisfied nod to his face.
'Alright, they're safe for now.'
As he enjoyed the peaceful solitude, Ms. Elara, his forr teacher, spotted him from across the room.
Her warm smile lit up her face as she approached him.
"Hey, Noah," she greeted, standing by his table.
Noah looked up, flashing her a grin. "Hello, Elara."
Her eyebrows shot up in mock surprise. "Elara? Just because school's over doesn't an I'm not your teacher anymore."
"Of course not," Noah replied smoothly, the grin never leaving his face. "You'll always be my teacher. But now, you're not Miss Elara, are you?"
She laughed, shaking her head. "You rascal. Still as cheeky as ever."
"Cheeky? ? Never," Noah said with innocence as he gestured to the empty chair across from him. "Care to join ?"
Ms. Elara hesitated for a mont before sitting down. "Alright, but only because you look like you're plotting sothing. Soone has to keep an eye on you."
Noah chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Plotting? No, I'm just critiquing desserts. Want to try the cheesecake? It's passable."
She laughed again. "Passable? This is a five-star hotel dessert."
"The stars don't matter if the sun is out," Noah said, lifting the tiramisu with his fork and examining it closely. "Let's see if this one ets the standards."
He took a bite, his expression briefly serious before a playful glint appeared in his eyes. "Hmm… decent, but the balance of cocoa is a little heavy on the top layer. I'd give it a 7 out of 10."
Ms. Elara shook her head, smiling. "Look at you, acting like so big-shot food connoisseur. If I didn't know better, I'd think you secretly own this place."
Noah leaned in slightly, his grin widening. "Well, I might. You never know."
She raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "You've always been mysterious, Noah. It's part of your charm, I suppose."
Noah leaned back in his chair, a playful glint in his eyes. "Part of my charm, huh? Tell , Elara—did I manage to charm you?"
She paused before an amused expression ford on her face. "Charm ? Noah, I've spent years teaching students with personalities bigger than yours. You've got a long way to go."
Noah chuckled, resting his chin on his hand. "So, you're saying there's a chance?"
She laughed, shaking her head as she got up to walk away. "Goodnight, Noah. Don't let the desserts go to your head."
Watching her leave, Noah smirked to himself, muttering under his breath, "Guess I'll take that as a maybe."
Returning to his plate, he couldn't help but think how amusing it was to tease her—it wasn't every day you got to fluster your old teacher.
'If it wasn't for the reward, I wouldn't be in this place right now.' He thought, before returning to his dessert.
...
As Elara walked away, her heart raced, and she tried to compose herself. 'That damn rascal,' she thought, biting her lip to hide the smile threatening to surface.
'How is he so confident? I've never had a student this daring before. I didn't expect him to say that in the least.'
"Elara?" a voice called out, breaking her thoughts.
She turned to see her colleague and close friend, Ms.Greenwood, approaching her with a curious look. "Why are you grinning so much? Did Noah tell you a funny joke or sothing?"
Elara blinked, trying to hide the slight blush that crept up her cheeks. "Oh, uh… yeah," she replied, waving it off casually. "He said sothing… amusing."
Ms. Greenwood raised an eyebrow. "Amusing? You've been grinning like a teenager who just got asked to prom. It must've been a really good joke."
"It was..." She said, before changing the topic to the party.
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