Chapter 3 Luciana looked up from her phone and met Thiago's lazy but cool gaze . In the depths of those eyes , she saw her own little reflection flickering like a flame . In that brief moment , under the sunlight streaming through the window , the gleam in his eyes seemed to shimmer brighter than stars in the night sky . She bit her lower lip and lowered her head . " No , it's not him … I don't have one , actually … " Hugo's interest in stirring the pot reignited . " Luciana , didn't you say you had a boyfriend earlier ? Or are you … secretly crushing on Nigel ? " Nigel pressed his lips into a faint smile . " No. I'm dating her best friend . I heard she and Thiago went to high school together . I suppose … she was just stunned by how good - looking he is and got completely tongue - tied . " " Oh , I see … " Nigel dragged his vowels , his eyes repeatedly darting between Luciana and Thiago . A guess surfaced in his mind . Luciana was so embarrassed that she instinctively felt the urge to curl her body up . She kept her head down , shoveling food into her mouth to distract herself . The earlier conversation about biomedical patents had wrapped up when Hugo casually scrolled through his phone and tossed a question to Thiago . " Hey , Monica's asking if you're free to grab a drink at Vellum . " At that , Luciana's hand froze in mid - air , still holding her fork . That single sentence carried more weight than it appeared . The Vellum Room was the infamous hangout for Jaxwell's richest heirs . Just reserving a booth cost six figures . And Monica Dibble , senior in the biomedical science department and daughter of the department chair , Kevin Dibble , was one of the most talked - about beauties on campus . Thiago , seemingly unfazed , pulled a cigarette from a sleek case . His long , defined fingers held it lightly but precisely . He studied it with a faint smirk tugging at his lips , his eyes glinting with something unreadable . ive way he lounged there - with half arrogance and half ease - was infuriatingly magnetic . Before he could answer Hugo , Luciana pierced the silence by standing up . " Excuse me . I need to use the restroom . " Thiago narrowed his eyes slightly , his gaze trailing after her retreating figure . He fixed his eyes on her white skirt for a moment before he wordlessly placed a cigarette between his lips . Receiving no response , Hugo nudged him again . " Hey , are you going or not ? " After a long beat , Thiago turned his head , pulled the cigarette from his lips , and stuffed it into Hugo's mouth instead . The mockery in his expression was unmissable as he replied lazily , " Like hell I am . " Hugo had no words . Meanwhile , Luciana sat frozen on a toilet seat in the women's restroom , her body stiff For a moment , time seemed to grind to a halt . No wonder her stomach had been hurting earlier - her period had come early without warning ! The air conditioning in the bistro had been set unreasonably low , yet sweat now beaded along her forehead . This was bad . She didn't have a sanitary pad . Things could be manageable so long as she layered some toilet paper in the meantime , but the worst part was the small , unmistakable red stain blooming on the back of her white skirt ! She met her crush again after three years , and in just one afternoon , she had pretended to have a boyfriend , only to get caught , and been ambushed by her period with a bloodstain as proof . Was there anyone more unlucky than her ? The three guys proceeded with their meal for another 30 minutes , yet there was no sign of Luciana . Curious , Nigel asked , " What's going on with Luciana ? She's not having diarrhea , is she ? " Hugo guessed , " Maybe she accidentally fell into the toilet bowl ? " " Yeah , and then she stuck her hand out and pulled the handle to flush herself away , " Thiago chimed in . His contribution to the conversation rendered the other two at a loss for words . After a few seconds of silence , Thiago rose to his feet . " I'm going to the restroom as well . " Instead of heading to the restroom as he said , he walked out of the bistro and turned into a convenience store . After some time , a young woman was about to step into the bistro but was immediately drawn to a man standing by the door . His broad Chapter 3 shoulders , narrow waist , and long legs made for an exceptionally striking figure , and she couldn't take her eyes off him . She stole a second glance at him , and the man smiled at her . " Excuse me , could you do me a favor ? " Her heart skipped a beat as she focused on him . The next moment , she blurted , " A - Are you Thiago ? " Thiago curled one side of his lips . " A fellow student at Jorendale ? " The woman nodded eagerly , " Yes ! I'm from the business- " 2/2 Before she could finish , he slipped a small package into her arms . " Help me out and give this to someone named Luciana inside the restroom . " " Oh , okay . " The woman dubiously took over the item , suppressing her overflowing urge to ask , " Is she your girlfriend ? " Inside the restroom stall , Luciana finally mustered up the courage to take several sheets of toilet paper and use them as a quick makeshift pad . She planned to wash off the small bloodstain at the sink later . Just as she stood up , a knock came from outside the door . " Are you Luciana ? " Luciana opened the door , revealing half of her flushed face . " I am . And you are … " The woman handed her the package of sanitary pads . " This is from Thiago . He told me to give it to you . " What the heck ? After a while , Luciana stood quietly by the sink , her naturally soft , fair face now flushed a deep , bright red . She was doomed . Thiago must have seen ve bloodstain on her skirt when she left her seat earlier . Blood surged to her head , flooding her with overwhelming embarrassment . If it weren't for her phone still sitting on the dining table , she would've bolted by now . Suddenly , she heard a familiar and melodious male voice outside the women's restroom . " Come on out , Luciana , " Thiago called . Luciana was startled . If she hadn't been holding onto the sink , she probably would've collapsed to the floor . Instinctively , she answered , " Luciana is gone ! " Really ? Almost instantaneously , she was engulfed by the embarrassment of her own stupidity . She closed her eyes , pretending she was in a dream . A soft chuckle escaped Thiago's lips . " You're not coming out ? If you take any longer , someone's going to suspect something and call the police to launch a crackdown . " With no other choice , Luciana quietly exited the restroom with the sanitary pads still in her arms . She inched closer to him . " Thanks , Thiago . " He seized her arm . " Hold on . " She looked up at him , confused . Though she was five feet seven inches , she was still a head shorter than Thiago , who stood at six feet two inches . From this angle , she had a good view of his pronounced Adam's apple . Luciana instantly averted her gaze . " What's wrong ? " Thiago slipped off his light blue button - up that he wore over his white T - shirt and casually tied it around her slender waist with a loose knot . " Done . You're good to go . " Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!