Chapter 14 An Unexpected Reunion

• Soon, the trio arrived together at a restaurant near Jacaster University.
• The restaurant, Zesty Heat, was renowned for its spicy and sour cuisine. The food was delectable, and the service and decor were top-notch. It was considered an esteemed, long-standing establishment near Jacaster University.
• “My friend told me this place is pretty pricey. We might need to spend over a thousand per person,” Kelly said in a hushed tone.
• Although her family was reasonably well-off, she rarely dined in places like this.
• For her, a dining place where the average person spent two hundred would already be considered exceptional in quality.
• Alyssa couldn't help but gasp in surprise. “That's so expensive! Should we consider going somewhere else? We don't need a fancy place to fill our stomachs anyway.”
• “It's fine. We'll dine here. Today is your first day of school, so it's okay to splurge a little on lunch. Besides, slightly over a thousand per head is reasonable,” Finneas responded with a smile.
• Back in his university days, he had dined at Zesty Heat a few times with the school's management. Therefore, he held a certain fondness for the dishes here.
• As the trio entered the restaurant, a waitress with a pleasant expression promptly approached and escorted them to their seats in the main hall. She also handed them the menus.
• “Order whatever you'd like to eat. Don't worry about the price.” Finneas passed the menu to Kelly and Alyssa.
• To him, money wasn't an issue, as he could easily make a substantial amount of it whenever he desired.
• Watching the girls order their food, Finneas was also casually surveying his surroundings.
• Compared to the old wooden building in his memories, Zesty Heat had undergone another renovation. The carved mahogany was understated yet opulent.
• At that moment, they heard footsteps from the entrance.
• A group of leaders from the school management had walked into the restaurant.
• Beside the head of the school, Finneas spotted two familiar figures—Jayson and Sabrina.
• They were chatting and laughing as they entered the premises.
• Finneas' expression darkened when he recalled what happened earlier and decided not to go over and greet them.
• Suddenly, Jayson's eyes lit up as he walked toward him.
• “Finneas, what a coincidence! We just parted ways, and now we bump into each other again!” With a smile gracing his face, Jayson stepped forward.
• A hint of jealousy flashed in his eyes when he saw Alyssa and Kelly.
• Back in the university days, Finneas was already a prominent figure on campus and a heartthrob in the eyes of countless female students. Despite Finneas being in such a miserable state, he could still charm such beautiful girls even a decade later. Unbelievable!
• “Yeah, what a coincidence,” Finneas responded indifferently.
• Jayson noticed the change in Finneas' attitude but didn't pay much attention to it. He and I are worlds apart. We're not in the same league anymore. I'm the chairman of a publicly listed company. Why should I care about a pauper's opinion of me?
• “Mr. Yowell, who is this gentleman?” A leader from the school management approached and turned his gaze toward Finneas.
• Behind him was Sabrina.
• She looked at Finneas, her gaze as tranquil as if she were observing a stranger, devoid of the warmth she had displayed upon their meeting.
• “Mr. Walston, this is my former university mate, Finneas Lamorde!” Jayson introduced with a smile.
• “Your former university mate? Does that mean he's also an alumnus of Jacaster University?” Theodore looked surprised.
• “That's right! His name is Finneas. Back then, he was quite a prominent figure at our school. Everyone called him the campus hunk.” Jayson's tone was laced with a hint of sarcasm.
• “Is that so?” Theodore exclaimed with enthusiasm, extending an invitation. “Since we're all from the same school, shall we dine together at the same table?”
• “Since Mr. Walston has extended the invitation, why don't you join us in the private dining room, Finneas? It'll save you a meal's worth of money. As far as I know, the prices at Zesty Heat aren't exactly cheap!” Jayson smirked. Perfect. I'm glad Mr. Walston proposed that.
• He believed his status as a distinguished alumnus and financial contributor to the school would undoubtedly place him in the spotlight.
• The prospect of Finneas witnessing his success filled him with immense satisfaction. He was quite impressive back in the day, but what about now? He's nothing but a useless piece of trash! But I, Jayson Yowell, am a respected elite in society, and everyone looks up to me for my achievements.
• “Thanks for the invitation, but I don't think it's convenient since there are three of us here.” Finneas shook his head, gently declining.
• “No worries, they can join us too! The private room I booked is large enough to accommodate everyone.” Jayson grinned, shifting his gaze toward Alyssa and Kelly.
• The two girls had bright, sparkly eyes that exuded youth and innocence, not to mention their stunning beauty.
• More importantly, they seemed to have a close connection with Finneas. This prompted Jayson to consider them his target. If I could spend a night with the two of them...
• A hint of lust briefly flickered in Jayson's eyes.
• Even though Jayson eventually concealed it well, Finneas still noticed the lustful desire on his face.
• His gaze turned icy in an instant. With an indifferent voice, he said, “Did you not hear me when I said it's not convenient?”
• Upon hearing that, Jayson narrowed his eyes. He didn't expect Finneas to speak to him so harshly.
• To Jayson, he was doing Finneas a favor by inviting him to dine with him. Look at the state you're in now. How dare you speak to me like that?
• However, he didn't show signs of anger. Instead, he wore an apologetic expression and responded, “Finneas, I know things haven't been easy for you lately. Maybe seeing me doing well brings up some old feelings. But hey, we're university buddies, right? I just wanted to catch up with you! Are you still hung up on what went down years ago? Yeah, we had our disagreements, but that's ancient history now! No need to hold onto that stuff.”
• Jayson wanted to demonstrate his magnanimity. After all, as chairman of a publicly traded company, he was ready to leave their past behind.
• All the school leaders were thoroughly impressed with how Jayson handled the situation. Even Sabrina couldn't help but marvel at his demeanor.
• Meanwhile, Finneas couldn't help but knit his brow. He finally got a clear grasp of Jayson's character. What a two-faced schemer!
• Instead of wasting time and energy on pleasantries, Finneas icily warned, “Go away!”
• “Finneas, you...” Jayson's smile stiffened, irritation surging within him. How arrogant. No wonder you're struggling financially and can't get ahead in life!
• “You don't have to be so rude, do you?” Theodore frowned, thinking Finneas was just uncouth.
• Sabrina, too, furrowed her brows and stepped forward. “Finneas, we were all classmates from university! Jayson invited you with good intentions, wanting to catch up. Why do you have to behave this way?”
• “Sabrina, did I not express my intention clearly?” Finneas looked at Sabrina, his eyes filled with disappointment.
• Back in the day, Sabrina was one of his very best friends.
• No matter what happened, she had always steadfastly stood by his side, but everything had changed now.
• “You're far too full of yourself,” she said indifferently.
• Even though she understood Jayson's intentions, she still sided with him.
• After all, Jayson was now the chairman of a publicly traded company, while Finneas was just unemployed.
• She didn't feel as though she had done anything wrong. You have only yourself to blame for your lack of power and influence. Blame your own incompetence, Finneas, instead of pointing fingers at others.
• Sabrina turned to Jayson and said, “Forget it. Let's not force Finneas if he doesn't want to die with us. We don't belong to the same world anyway.”
• Jayson wore a gloomy expression, unwilling to let go of an opportunity to rub it in Finneas' face.
• In fact, he imagined how Finneas would be in awe of his wealth and power, perhaps even groveling at his feet. Little did he expect Finneas would humiliate him in front of so many people by asking him to scram. How dare he embarrass me like this?
• Suddenly, a middle-aged man with silver hair briskly walked into Zesty Heat.
• The elderly man, sporting gold-rimmed glasses, walked in with steady steps.
• This individual was none other than Simeon O'Dorney, Finneas' former professor.
• A stir of emotion filled Jayson's heart when he noticed Simeon from a distance. Immediately, he waved and called out cheerfully. “Professor O'Dorney, over here!”
• Upon hearing this, Simeon quickly made his way over. When he caught sight of Finneas, his face registered surprise once again.
• “Professor O'Dorney, it's been a while!” Finneas stood up, showing ample respect for his former mentor.
• Back then, nearing fifty, Simeon treated Finneas with utmost care and attention as if he were his prized protégé.
• He would always think of Finneas and share with him the good things that came his way.
• Thanks to Simeon's care, Finneas made a name for himself at Jacaster University, even among a plethora of talented individuals.
• In other words, this elderly man was one of the individuals Finneas held in the highest regard in his life.
• Initially, Finneas planned to visit him personally. He was surprised to run into him at the restaurant.
• “Finn, where have you been all these years?” Simeon cast a glance at Finneas, his expression somewhat complex. He was my most promising student back in the day. What has become of him now? And why did he abandon Natalie? She was such a great girl.