Mia flashed a smile. "It was very rushed when we got married. It was during the summer break. He's picking me up tonight, and you'll know who he is when you see him."
She was deliberately keeping her hubby's identity under wraps from everyone. If she spilled the beans, she wouldn’t get a moment's peace tonight.
Some didn’t want to give up, trying to pry more about Mia's husband, but she remained tight-lipped. Being Andre's wife was enough to move the spotlight onto her for the evening.
Some tried to fish for info from Jade, who was staring at these bothersome folks. Where did they get the nerve thinking she'd betray her friend, spilling the beans about Mia's husband?
In a place unfamiliar to Jade, two men stood behind the decorative green plants, watching the women here. One of them was Pete, whom Leo couldn’t stand the sight of.
Pete, holding a bottle of wine and hiding in the shadows with his friend, had been admiring Jade's face. "Can't help but mess with her, huh? Been like that since the first time you laid eyes on her."
Pete looked at Jade's face as he began to fantasize about everything about Jade. "What should I do to get close, touch her, mess with her?"
He glanced at the laughing women, then at the deserted hotel pool. During the summer, it would have been bustling with people. Now in winter, it was empty.
A man on the side scoffed, "Wanna get close to her? It’s a piece of cake. She's so innocent, a slight set-up and she'll fall right into your lap."
Pete’s eyebrows shot up with excitement, "Got any bright ideas?"
"Got no shortage of bright ideas for you."
The two snickered, clinking their bottles together.
Mia was not to be trifled with in class. Everyone had heard tales of her punching people. Leo had also been punched by her three times, and it was rumored that on two occasions, he had to take a medical leave and be hospitalized. If one wanted to win her over, one had to best her first. Otherwise, if she got mad and let her fists do the talking, you'd probably end up in the ER.
Leo knew he’d have to drink with everyone tonight. The last round hadn't produced a clear winner, so they were going for another.
"Last round was a draw, let's do bottled ones this time. Loser pays 10 grand. You game?" someone pointed at Leo.
With a grin, Leo placed an empty can on the table. Considering everyone was a student, he said, "Ten grand is steep. Since this is a reunion, let's keep it at a grand per round, no need to go overboard."
People assumed Leo was afraid of losing. "Mr. Leo, you're not afraid to lose, are you? If you can't afford to lose, put the two ladies next to you on the table, let us get a taste of protecting girls, hahaha."
People started cracking jokes about Mia and Jade. For Leo, this was a direct insult to his friends.
His grin faded instantly when he heard the taunts. His face turned stern and he looked up, his eyes filled with anger. "You say I can’t handle losing? If you guys really want to up the ante, let’s do a round for 500 grand. Whoever loses first, pays 500 grand. You game?"
He smirked at his classmates, his gaze finally resting on the guy who was teasing Mia and Jade. The guy who was just laughing at Leo was suddenly frozen. 500 grand? Wasn't that a bit much?
He could handle a 10 grand round, but a 500 grand one? If he lost, he'd be down half a mil.
However, judging by Leo's expression, he wasn't joking.
"Why not, sounds thrilling." Pete walked over, patting the guy Leo was challenging, "Guz, you can't miss out on such a fun game."
"Pete, I..."
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