His Naughty Lessons-Chapter 284: Unannounced Companion

[ A/N: the second half of this Chapter has been rewritten. If you have read the previous version, please note that the plot has changed, and part of the original reveals have been moved to a later Chapter. Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding! ]

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** Harper **

After following Tyler and Chelsea into the crowd, Harper joined the two for a bit of luxury bar-hopping, going around the various cocktail and dessert stations to sample treats of the evening. But when her companions started casually chatting with other guests in business jargons, she quickly got bored, and it wasn’t long before she slipped away to explore on her own.

A few sips of wine and some random small talks later, she found herself wandering off to the other end of the ballroom, where the crowds were thinner and the decor of the hall started changing subtly. The gilded wall paneling was replaced by carved wood, turning the extravagant atmosphere into a more natural ambiance, and the chandeliers overhead glowed a bit dimmer. Instead, tall windows reflected string lights hanging above, leading to a row of glass doors that opened ... to a rooftop terrace?

Curious, Harper stepped outside. And then she realized why the name of this venue was Garden Royale.

It really was a garden. Despite being on the fiftieth floor, its terrace was filled with real turf, rose vines, flowering trees, and a large fountain shaped into a waterfall cascading down the rocks. The whole space was a hanging oasis, dotted by park benches and even a tiny gazebo. Looking over to the horizon, it felt utterly surreal to soar over the city’s skyline at such height, surrounded by stars and all the earthly charm at the same time.

"Beautiful view, isn’t it? We’re standing at the most expensive wedding venue in the entire city, and it’s easy to see why everyone wants a photo of themselves tying the knot under a rose arch right here."

Harper swiveled at the unfamiliar voice behind her. A blonde woman in a royal blue dress was standing by the door, her face half obscured in the shadow. "Oh, and the reservations are always booked out at least a year in advance," she added. "Not that it’s of any relevance to you, I suppose, but that’s unbelievable especially given the price tag!"

The woman’s choice of wording was strange, and Harper could pick up a clear hint of superiority laced through with sarcasm in that tone. "Um, hi." She regarded her unannounced companion with a slightly alarmed puzzlement. "Have we met before?"

The woman sashayed forward. "You don’t remember me?" A smile stretched across her lips, though it didn’t look sincere at all. "Harper, right? We’ve met once at Eli’s graduation."

... Harper’s jaw fell to the ground.

Julie? Eli’s ex from back in college? Now that the woman had stepped into the light, the clues became obvious. The immaculately permed hair and sharply lined eyes, the ample curves highlighted by the figure-hugging dress. The sway of those hips that came naturally with every step as if she simply existed to be sexy. That was exactly what Harper remembered from four years ago ... and exactly Eli’s type back in the day.

Exactly the very person whose existence had troubled her for years, who almost made her miss out on her own chance with Eli entirely.

"It’s been a while," Julie continued as she closed the distance between them. "You’ve certainly grown up a lot, but I guess I happen to have a good memory with faces."

Harper clutched her wine glass. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Indeed, it had been such a long time. Condescending as she might sound, Julie was right — after four long years, that high school girl in wild hair and canvas shoes had grown into a career woman, standing here all polished up in an evening gown. But the past had a strange, almost comical way of catching up, at some of the least expected times and places. Even if that high school girl had already torn off the other half of the graduation photo and thrown it into the trash four years ago.

How ironic. Even though Harper knew all too well that this part of the story belonged in history, she still had to fight back an involuntary flinch when the memory she had buried for years suddenly came back to life. Even though she had believed Eli when he said that she was different, even though she promised him and herself that she wouldn’t dwell on all those playboy ventures he had warned her of before, she still couldn’t help but feel ... jealous, when she faced this woman in front of her in reality.

"Ah, it’s been a while indeed." Not entirely ready to process her emotions and handle such a surprise situation quite yet, Harper returned a courteous smile. "But I do remember now. Nice to meet you again, it’s always great to see alums from our college, especially at parties like this."

"You don’t say! A lot of us finance majors are very popular among the big investment banks, and we run into each other all the time." Julie tossed her hair back with what looked like a lot of smug air. "Not that you know too many faces in our field, I assume. But if you do, you’d recognize quite a crowd of alums at the gala. All here as business attendees from well known companies, of course, as opposed to tagging along as a plus-one."

There it was again, that condescending enmity she didn’t even bother to hide.

"But I’ve got to admit that you made a good decision as a plus-one." Julie lowered her voice suggestively this time, although there was no one else around them. "It’s definitely eye-catching to walk in on Eli’s arm, isn’t it? I know the feeling well."

The vicious sneer in her voice gave Harper a strange rush of goosebumps ... along with an oddly uncomfortable feeling that she didn’t quite know how to place.