chapter 5

It wasn't until Lydia looped her arm around his that Finlay finally tore his gaze away. His eyes glued greedily to her chest.

Then he asked, "Babe, why are you still wearing sunglasses today? Aren't your eyes uncomfortable?"

Instinctively, Lydia touched her sunglasses, offering a casual excuse. "I've been straining my eyes lately. My eyes are a little inflamed. The doctor said I should wear shades."

Hearing that, Finlay didn't question it further. He opened the passenger door, letting Lydia slip inside.

When we finally arrived at the restaurant, it was clear Finlay had gone all out. He'd booked a table at a five-star restaurant.

The moment we walked in, Aimee and Martha Doyle were visibly stunned by the lavish decor, their astonishment spilling out in endless oohs and aahs.

"Lydia, your boyfriend is amazing! He brought us to such a fancy place. You're so lucky!"

Finlay, however, turned to me with a casual glance. He asked, "Grace, do you like this place?"

Caught off guard, I stammered, "Well, if the food's good, of course I like it."

Finlay suddenly grinned. "Good. That's what I hoped. Otherwise, I'd feel really guilty."

I didn't get what he meant. Lydia shot me a nasty glare.

Whatever. It didn't matter. I wasn't friends with her anyway.

Inside the private room, Chris and the other two roommates had already arrived.

Finlay gave a quick round of introductions, and we all took our seats, breaking into smaller conversations.

I ended up sitting next to Chris. I couldn't help sneaking a few glances at him. He seemed even more bookish and refined than usual, his fair skin and delicate features catching my eye.

Apparently, he noticed me staring. His ears flushed red as he chugged water to mask his embarrassment.

Finlay smiled and handed me the menu. "Take a look—see if anything catches your eye."

Meanwhile, Lydia pouted dramatically.

She said, "You didn't even ask me what I want! I'm your girlfriend, after all. What am I to you?"

Finlay said nothing, simply handing her another menu.

He said, "Here, babe. Pick whatever you want. I'll order it for you."

Still not satisfied, Lydia pressed further, making him swear. She said, "Promise me this. Promise I'm the most important person to you, that you'll only ever love me, and that you won't even look at other women."

With so many friends watching, Finlay looked a little awkward, but he still coaxed her gently, "Okay, okay. You're my favorite. Didn't you say you wanted that new bag? I'll take you to buy it this afternoon."

Aimee and Martha, both hopeless romantics, started swooning again.

Aimee's eyes practically sparkled. "Lydia, you're way too lucky. We're so jealous!"

Martha leaned in, grinning. "Seriously, a rich, handsome guy and a gorgeous, wealthy girl—you two are like a perfect match made in heaven."

Lydia basked in their praise and leaned her head against Finlay's arm, looking smug.

She said, "Of course! My boyfriend says I should be the happiest woman in the world."

Suddenly, Finlay's other roommate, Edward Hart, turned to Lydia and asked, "I saw on your social media that you just went to the Mrilands. Did you go alone?"

Lydia laughed awkwardly. She replied, "No. My parents took me. They're usually so busy with the company. Only summer break gives them time to travel with me."

Aimee nodded sincerely and then said, "Lydia's family is loaded. Her dad's the CEO of a listed company. She just keeps a low profile and doesn't want us talking about it."

A listed-company CEO's daughter? Sure enough, when you were away from home, people could be whoever they claimed to be.

Chris quietly poured me a glass of water. "Your roommate's pretty naive, huh?"

I caught his meaning and looked up at him in surprise. A high-achieving, cold-looking guy cracking a joke—it was almost surreal.

I waved my hand dismissively and replied, "Yeah… pretty naive."

Just then, two burly men stormed toward us, their presence radiating hostility.

Before we could react, the one in front fixed his gaze on Lydia.

He shouted, "When are you going to pay us back the fifty thousand dollars you owe? You said two months. How long has it been? You don't answer our calls. Are you trying to skip out on us?"