"Or maybe you should track down your ex-girlfriend. Lilith is a Lawson opera master now, rolling in wealth. Who knows? She might just let you drive a luxury car for once."
Rowan, Thorne’s ever-loyal shadow, wasted no time piling onto the mockery.
Lilith…
She was the girl I had admired for three years in high school. We were never officially together, but there had been something, an unspoken understanding, a quiet kind of encouragement. Maybe there had been ambiguity, but more than that, we had pushed each other forward.
She was the reason I had turned from a reckless middle schooler into the top scorer in the college entrance exam.
Back then, Thorne had chased after Lilith relentlessly, only to be rejected time and time again. Maybe that was why he had always tried to make my life miserable. But as one of the school’s strongest candidates for the provincial top scorer, the teachers had done their best to shield me from his pettiness.
"Don't talk nonsense!"
Before I could even respond, Thorne’s expression darkened. He shot Rowan a sharp glare. "I've been in frequent contact with Lilith lately. I even asked her about Cassius and she made it crystal clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. No ties, no connections, nothing."
Rowan chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, looking at him now, I can’t say I blame her."
I exhaled slowly, a weight settling in my chest. The urge to turn around and walk away was almost unbearable.
People always said high school reunions were nothing more than a stage for showing off and tearing others down. I never believed it.
After all, my university classmates and even those from my advanced studies had been normal enough.
Seeing that I remained silent, Rowan smirked and pressed on. "Don’t be too down just because you lost Lilith. Sure, you’ll never get the chance to drive Thorne’s Bugatti, but I own a Bentley worth over two million. I wouldn’t mind letting you take it for a spin, at least then you could say you’ve driven a luxury car before."
I let out a faint smile. "With my job, I doubt I’ll ever get the chance to drive a luxury car in this lifetime."
What a joke.
If I drove a luxury car today, by tomorrow, headlines would be plastered all over the internet: City Official Overseeing Belmond District 4 and Old Town Development Spotted Driving a Luxury Car.
"You’re surprisingly self-aware," Rowan sneered.
I met his gaze with a calm smile. "I only dropped by to check in on everyone. Now that I have, I won’t take up any more of your time. I’ll be leaving now."
With that, I turned to go.
But before I could take a step, Rowan, following Thorne’s silent cue, stepped in front of me, blocking my way. He shoved my shoulder roughly, a sneer curling at his lips.
"Where the hell do you think you’re going? If Thorne hasn’t told you to leave, you stay put."
At 1.85 meters tall and with a strict fitness routine, I barely moved, but the sheer audacity grated on my nerves.
Thorne smirked, his tone laced with amusement. "Don’t go just yet, Cassius. Lilith will be here later. Don’t you want to see her?"
"She never mentioned she was coming," I said instinctively.
Rowan let out a mocking laugh. "Like she’d tell you. Lilith is now a big name in Lawson's opera. I can’t even add her on WhatsApp. Only someone like Thorne has the connections to stay in touch. What makes you think you mean anything to her?"
"Actually, Lilith is my wife. We already have kids, twins, a boy and a girl."
"And I work for the city government," I continued. "I oversee the development of Belmond District 4 and the renovation of the old district."
I laid my cards on the table. Not to flaunt, not to fight back, but simply because I was tired of being ridiculed.
The moment the words left my mouth, silence fell.
Then, laughter erupted.
They laughed so hard they had to wipe the tears from their eyes as if I had just delivered the punchline of the century.
"You’ve got some nerve spouting that kind of nonsense!" Rowan sneered. "Now, I really can’t let you leave!"
Thorne doubled over, struggling to catch his breath. "Stay put! When Lilith gets here, I want to see you say this ridiculous lie to her face!"
Looked like I wasn’t going anywhere.
Fine. If they wanted to make fools of themselves, I’d let them. There was no point in arguing; they wouldn’t believe me anyway.
But I couldn’t help myself. I glanced down at my attire and asked, "Looking at the way I’m dressed, don’t I seem like someone who works for the city government?"
