Jasper turned his head to face Hayden and asked curiously, "Sir, why are we travelling all the way here to Channing from Mayberry?"
Hayden, a good-looking man with a dignified stature, replied smilingly, "To meet a friend."
Jasper was intrigued. "Is your friend a girl?"
"How did you know?" He blurted in surprise.
Jasper teased, "It's your girlfriend, isn't it?”
"You're talking nonsense!"
Jasper shot him a meaningful smile. "Sir, you can't hide anything from me. If you're not here to meet your girlfriend, why are you all dressed up? You even polished your leather shoes and used cologne today!"
Hayden shot him a resigned smile. "It really is just a friend. I knew her a few years ago when I was the military instructor in her university."
"I understand now. But Sir, you're a handsome and successful man with a military background... You're a lady-killer! It's as easy as snapping your fingers to make her your girlfriend," Jasper said, giving him a playful punch on the arm.
Hayden reminded him, "You can fool around out here, but don't speak out of line in front of her. Don't spoil my chances.”
"Fine. But why didn't you chase after her at that time? Why did you wait until now?" asked Jasper.
Hayden reminisced for a while before pouring out the whole story to Jasper, "At that time, she was still a university student and I was her instructor; it was inappropriate for a teacher to date his student. I went back to the military base after the military training ended. She was always at the back of my mind even when I was occupied with heavy training missions. It jogged my memory when I saw her interview in a business and finance tv show, so...” "So you travelled all the way here to meet her," Jasper chimed in. "You've talked a lot, but you still haven't told me who she is..."
Hayden replied, "Her name is Penny Smith. She's the CEO of Cross Group, but I guess you don't know her."
"I know her. She's the Business Goddess, isn't she?" Of course, Jasper had heard of her; she was a big cheese in the business world, known as the Business Goddess. With a peculiar expression, he chewed the cud before saying, "But I heard she's married."
Hayden narrowed his eyes. "I know. She's the only daughter in her family, so she was forced to find her parents a live-in son-in-law. That's why she married herself to a kept man. I don't care if she's married!"
You don't?
Jasper's face formed a twisted expression upon hearing his words. He was about to ask whether Hayden was going after Penny's hundred billion net worth, but he managed to swallow his words as it was better for him to not lay it bare. If he did,
Hayden would definitely get mad at him.
Forcing a simpering smile on his face, he remarked, "Sir, it looks like you truly love her!"
Hayden soon led Jasper and a dozen of his subordinates into the restaurant.
He fixed his lecherous gaze on Penny dressed in a sheath dress.
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