Chapter 2 Luciana stared at Thiago with wide , unblinking eyes like a frightened fawn cornered in the woods . She was suddenly struck with fear but had said too much to back down now . Swallowing her nerves , she bit down on her lower lip again and repeated in a soft , trembling voice , " A b - boyfriend … " Thiago looked down at her , his gaze lazy and amused . A ghost of a smirk played on his thin lips . " Say that again . I didn't quite catch that . " Off to the side , Hugo ran a hand through his hair , clearly annoyed but unable to resist stirring the pot . " She said she has a boyfriend , someone she's seeing romantically- " " You've got great hearing , haven't you ? Didn't realize you've been wearing a hearing aid . " Thiago shot him a sideway glare . Hugo fell silent . Meanwhile , Nigel , who had been silent this whole time , finally recognized Thiago . He quickly cut in , " Wait , you're Thiago Langston , right ? I'm Nigel Carrington , a senior in biomedical science . It's nice to meet someone from the master's program . " At that , Luciana snapped her head over . Master's program ? Weren't she and Thiago in the same year ? Had he already graduated from Crestwood University ? Instead of answering Nigel , Thiago wore his usual indifferent smile . He pointed at Luciana and asked , " Does she really have a boyfriend ? " Nigel , always quick to read the room , glanced subtly at Luciana , silently asking if she wanted him to step in . She quickly nodded in agreement . Unfortunately , their silent exchange didn't escape Thiago's attentiveness . He let out a quiet , mocking laugh . " Oh , Luciana . I guess it's really been a while . I didn't think you'd get so good at making up things out of thin air . And you even found yourself a partner in crime to back you up . " Luciana felt her cheeks burn fiercely , completely out of her control . Instinctively , she lowered her lashes and pressed her head down even more . 1. is was it - she would pack up her belongings and move to another planet . Nigel picked up the basketball at his feet and returned it to Thiago , quickly seizing the rare opportunity . " I've been really interested in your company's latest patent on tumor immunotherapy . I'm wondering if you're open to having a chat about it . " Thiago leaned back lazily , a playful smirk curling at the corners of his mouth . Just as Nigel braced himself for a rejection , Thiago smiled and said , " Sure , why not ? Let's do it now . Consider the meal on me- the fallen easel " A momentary awkward silence lingered in the air . Hugo looked at Thiago in disbelief . A meal with a stranger ? Initiated by Thiago himself ? for the sake of Luciana quickly crouched down to gather the fallen easel , not daring to meet , eyes with Thiago again . At this point , she was just trying her best to make herself as small and invisible as possible . Then , without warning , a vast shadow swept over her like a looming storm cloud , ruthlessly blotting out the summer sun . The familiar pine scent filled her nose . When she finally braced herself to look up , she saw Thiago with his hands resting on his slightly bent knees as he leaned over to look down at her . Their noses were barely inches apart as he uttered , " Why don't you join us , Luciana ? " What ? Not long after , Thiago and Hugo walked ahead with Luciana and Nigel following behind . The four headed toward the campus exit . A curious Nigel asked , " Luciana , do you know Thiago ? " " Yeah . He transferred to my high school in his senior year , " Luciana replied quietly , still not eager to have lunch with them . " Thiago and I were the same year , so how is he taking his master's now ? " " He did his undergrad in Ubrurg , which was supposed to take three years , and graduated a year early . He just started his master's here at Josendale . Both of us are in the same major , studying under Professor Dibble . " " Oh … " she replied absentmindedly . Thiago graduated a year early from Crestwood University in Ubrurg and even managed to get an exception to be admitted to the biomedical science graduate program of Jorendale University . So , were his terrible math and physics scores back in high school all just a joke ? Laxiana wasn't exactly a science prodigy herself , but she had patiently helped him with problems every time she saw his grades . Back then , Thiago always insisted he didn't need her help , but she thought he was just shy . It turned out he genuinely never needed it . No wonder she always questioned how someone could consistently score just enough to pass every exam . It seemed he had deliberately held back . Chapter 2 In that fleeting moment , memories from her senior year of high school surged into her mind . 2/2 Her younger self , clutching her homework , shamelessly scooted over to Thiago's side . " Stop napping ! Why aren't you doing your homework ? Practice makes perfect . The more you do , the quicker you learn . " Thiago's expression was cold . " I don't need to . " She was persistent . " Says who ? If you have any questions , you can just ask , and I'll teach you . " Thiago was speechless at her stubbornness . Snapping back to the present , Luciana clutched the hem of her shirt , her head dropping lower as her face flushed a Seriously , what had possessed her back then to be so forward with Thiago ? She would give anything to hop in ep red . some sense into her overly bold teenage self ! A sharp headache suddenly struck Luciana , followed by a dull ache in her stomach . She winced inwardly . If she had known the day would turn out like this , she would've checked her horoscope before leaving the house . Soon , the four settled into a casual bistro just outside the campus . machine and smack Luciana and Nigel sat on one side of the table while Thiago sat directly across from Luciana . Just a lift of her eyes and she would be able to right into those dangerously charming eyes of his . His eyelids , faintly hooded , cast soft shadows that deepened the captivating power of his gaze . stare 110 After ordering , Nigel took the lead in making conversation with Thiago , most of it circling around advanced topics in biomedical scie THER It was then that Luciana learned that Thiago hadn't just studied abroad ; he had also founded Altigo Group , a cutting - edge icals now holding several national patents . On top of that , he was the only son of the richest family in Jaxwell . Thiago wasn't just well - known at Jorendale University . His name echoed through all of Jaxwell - maybe even the whole country . Nigel courteously poured him some juice . " I wonder if your company has any internship positions available for the upcoming winter break . I'd really love to give it a try . " Thiago looked up to ask Hugo . " Do we ? " Hugo swiftly handed Nigel a name card . " We do . Just contact me when the time comes . " When Nigel took the card and read it , he gasped , " It's you , Hugo Barron . I'm sorry I didn't recognize you earlier . " " it's all good . " Hugo waved in dismissal before scrutinizing Thiago with a long , skeptical look . Thiago was acting extremely peculiar today . Was he … into Nigel ? Noticing his stare , Thiago swept a cold glance at his business partner . " Admiring my charm ? Falling in love yet ? " Hugo raised a brow , his sinile particularly ambiguous . He lowered his voice and returned the jab , " Look who finally has an interest in someone . Have pigs started to fly ? " " Mind your own business , " Thiago replied . Hugo stayed quiet . While the men chatted , Luciana silently focused on her meal . If possible , she would've gladly crawled into a hole and vanished . Just then , her phone lit up with a message . Vivian : " Luci , where have you been ? Why is the booth closed ? " Luciana : " Just ran into a friend . Nigel and I are having a meal with him . Do you want to join us ? " Vivian : " Nah . I've just wrapped up here , and I'm pretty knocked out . I don't feel like going back to the dorm . Can I crash at your place ? " Luciana was renting a small one - bedroom apartment in an old residential neighbourhood near campus to get around the dorm's 10:00 pm curfew , especially on nights when she worked late . Luciana : " Of course , go ahead . You have my keys . " Vivian : " Okay . Love you . " Seeing those cheesy words from her best friend , Luciana couldn't help but smile , momentarily forgetting the awkwardness of her situation . A pair of soft dimples appeared on her cheeks . She was sweet , effortless , and entirely unaware of the charm she exuded . Across the table , a low , teasing voice cut through the moment . " What's with the smile ? Texting your boyfriend ? " Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!