This was the first time Jessie Sterling had ever accepted a card from someone outside her family.
She didn't hesitate, though. Wedding preparations were already on the agenda, and her relationship with Victor Morgan was a done deal. Wouldn't it be pretentious to refuse his card at a time like this? Besides, she had agreed to the arranged marriage because she knew her father wouldn't choose a son-in-law who would let her live a worse life than before.
"I'm a big spender, you know," Jessie Sterling muttered.
Even Quincy Sterling laughingly called her a "money shredder" at home, which just went to show how good she was at spending.
Victor Morgan stood outside, holding the car door open for her. "Perfect. I'm not good at much, but I'm good at making money."
Hearing this, Jessie Sterling let out a "pfft" and laughed.
She placed her hand on the arm offered to her and gracefully stepped out of the car.
Having slept all afternoon, Jessie Sterling wasn't very hungry.
Once they were in the private room at the Japanese restaurant, Jessie Sterling put down her chopsticks after trying a couple of pieces of sashimi.
"Not to your liking?" Victor Morgan asked.
Jessie Sterling shook her head. "I'm not hungry at all."
Victor Morgan's brow furrowed. He looked at the slender figure across from him, thinking Jessie Sterling was a bit too thin.
"I want an ice cream cone," Jessie Sterling said suddenly. It had just occurred to her that this restaurant chain offered free snacks.
Their ice cream cones had always been highly praised.
'I don't want a meal, but I do want a snack.'
Victor Morgan wasn't a man of many words, and he certainly didn't approve of Jessie Sterling's eating habits. But when he met her large, watery, innocent-looking eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say no and immediately prepared to ring the service bell.
"I'll go myself!" Jessie Sterling stopped Victor. "I think they have a new flavor. I want to go try it."
Victor Morgan had no choice but to relent.
Jessie Sterling never expected to run into Arya Thorne here.
She had met Arya Thorne a few times before when she went to Harvard University to visit Julian Grant.
But after she found out Julian Grant and Arya Thorne were dating, she never appeared before the two of them again.
Arya Thorne was out to dinner with a good friend. She hadn't been in a good mood for the past few days.
"So you couldn't get ahold of Julian Grant? Isn't that normal? He just got back to the country. He's probably busy taking over his family's affairs. Where would he find the time?" The person speaking was Arya Thorne's childhood best friend, Yara Finch. She knew that her friend still carried a torch for Julian even after their breakup years ago.
Yara Finch didn't think there was anything shameful about Arya Thorne being unable to let go. She had met Julian Grant and knew his family was anything but ordinary. Even a young lady like Arya, whose family owned a media company, was completely out of his league.
Besides, Julian Grant himself was very handsome.
With an ex-boyfriend who was so exceptional in every way, it was perfectly normal that Arya Thorne couldn't forget him.
Arya Thorne shook her head and poured herself a cup of sake. "But he's in Aethelburg now. Doesn't he even have time to meet up for a meal?"
A woman's intuition gave her a bad feeling.
In the past, even after she and Julian Grant had broken up and were living in different places, he had never been this cold to her.
It made her uneasy.
"Is there another woman in his life?" Yara Finch asked.
Arya Thorne propped her head on her hand. "He used to have a childhood friend."
"Didn't you say before that Julian Grant just saw her as a little sister?" Yara Finch patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry. The newcomer always beats the childhood friend. Since Julian and that 'sister' of his have known each other for so many years and never got together, it's probably not going to happen now either."
Yara Finch comforted Arya Thorne while scrolling through her phone.
"I heard from Keith Reese that now that Julian is back, his family might be planning to have him get married first," Arya Thorne said.
Before Yara Finch could react, Arya Thorne downed another glass of sake. "His mom always really liked that childhood friend of his. I'm worried..."
"Holy shit!" Yara Finch suddenly exclaimed. It wasn't because of what Arya Thorne had just said, but because of something she saw on her local city feed. "You know that alleyway across from the Imperial Palace, right? The place we went to take pictures the other day."
Yara Finch's family was in marketing and had a lot of business with Arya Thorne's family's media company. Yara herself was a minor internet celebrity in Aethelburg, often posting photos of her afternoon tea or travels online—the epitome of a wealthy beauty.
Arya Thorne: "Hm? Yes, I know it."
"Someone actually lives in that house!" Yara Finch exclaimed. "I was just scrolling through my feed and saw a post. Someone went there to take pictures today, and guess what? While they were taking photos, the main gate actually opened. Oh my god, can you get any more dramatic than that?"
Arya Thorne wasn't very interested. "Of course that house has an owner."
"The point is, I saw the poster reply in the comments that a gorgeous couple came out of that courtyard house." Yara Finch's voice was tinged with envy. "Probably some young master and miss from one of Aethelburg's elite families out for a stroll. To be able to buy a courtyard house in that location... Tsk, tsk, they must have money to burn."
Although her family also owned a company, their net worth was nothing compared to the old-money, elite families of Aethelburg.
Even her friend Arya Thorne's family was insignificant compared to these century-old houses with deep-seated foundations.
As Yara Finch chattered on, she noticed her friend wasn't reacting. She was about to show Arya Thorne the photo on her phone. The poster had been audacious enough to actually upload a picture of the young couple's backs when someone in the comments asked for one.
Although it was a bit blurry, Yara Finch could still make out the small crocodile leather crossbody bag the girl in the photo was carrying—a model not even available in the country.
An international influencer had made her want one on Instagram, but she couldn't bring herself to bite the bullet and buy it.
Turning her head, Yara Finch saw Arya Thorne staring at a girl in the dessert area.
"Know her?" Yara Finch asked casually.
Arya Thorne's heart was pounding. She never thought she would run into Jessie Sterling.
In truth, Jessie Sterling was hard to forget.
The first time Jessie had appeared before her and Julian Grant, she could sense that Jessie and Julian were cut from the same cloth. It was the aura of people from the same social class.
Julian Grant treated her like a little sister, taking care of her every need.
Besides, Jessie Sterling's beauty was truly unforgettable.
Her family's company had signed many A-list celebrities, but even the hottest young starlets on screen right now couldn't compare to Jessie Sterling's aura.
A young lady completely pampered by wealth and privilege.
Jessie Sterling was probably the only person who could wear haute couture as if it were everyday clothing.
"That's Julian Grant's childhood friend," Arya Thorne said.
As she said this, she looked down and sent a message to Julian Grant.
[Arya Thorne: Where are you?]
Julian Grant actually replied quickly this time. "Out for dinner."
Seeing the message, Arya Thorne couldn't help but let out a breath.
"They must be having dinner together," Arya Thorne said. "Julian is here too."
'So, did Julian reject my invitation tonight because of Jessie Sterling?'
As this realization dawned on her, she couldn't help but clench her fists.