I never finished high school, but somehow, I got into Stanford University and joined a top-secret project team. Six years later, when the project wrapped up, I finally had a chance to breathe for the first time in what felt like forever.
Of course, with their old-school mindset, my parents figured it was the perfect time for me to find a wife. So, they set me up on a blind date with my first love from high school. We met a few times, and the conversations weren’t terrible.
But then, one day, as we were meeting again, I got cut off by a Lamborghini Aventador worth over $20 million. The driver slammed on the brakes, causing me to rear-end them.
I stepped out of my car, and, of course, who else would step out of the Lamborghini but Shane, my high school classmate, and my blind date?
Lyla Quinn with Shane Matthews?
Lyla immediately recognized me, looked at my car, and sneered. "Luke, your parents really have no shame. You’re driving a junky domestic car, and they still dare to set me up with you?"
Shane, always the one to stir the pot, walked over and laughed. "A top-notcher at Oxford, huh? What happened? You used to be so impressive, but now you’re driving a domestic car? Do you even know how much my Lamborghini costs? Can you afford to fix it?"
——
[Hey, Luke, we agreed. See you at noon! -xx]
I slid into the back of my Prestige Elite, checked my WhatsApp, and smiled.
The message was from Lyla Quinn, my high school classmate. She went to a local university in Silverstone City and now teaches at an elementary school.
My parents thought she was a great match, so they got her contact info and suggested I reach out.
I remembered Lyla as that sweet girl, always wearing white dresses and bouncing around with a ponytail. Her first love face was impossible to forget.
After adding her on WhatsApp, I checked out her photos.
Even after six years, she still had that innocent, first-love vibe.
She seemed to think well of me, too and was even surprised I reached out. She took the initiative and asked me to grab dinner.
We met a few times after that, and it was easy to get along.
One time, while we were shopping, she even hooked her little finger around mine, and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t help it. I was too busy with work to think about dating, so when someone like Lyla came around, it was easy to get charmed.
I even started thinking that if I married her, maybe I could get her to join me at work.
Today, we had another date planned.
If things went well, we might even start calling this a relationship. With just a month left before my break was over, I wasn’t sure if we’d be talking about marriage anytime soon.
My driver, who also doubled as my bodyguard, noticed me grinning like an idiot and said, "Luke, I gotta remind you, with your job, you don’t meet a lot of beautiful women. Don’t rush it, alright? Take your time. It’s a good thing."
I just grinned back, not saying much. Honestly, I wasn’t great with words anyway.
Andrew Walker, my bodyguard, continued, "And the woman you marry has to go through a political review. Not sure if she’ll pass that."
"Lyla’s a teacher. How could she not pass the review?" I interjected.
I felt a bit irritated by what he said. It seemed like Andrew wasn’t a fan of her.
After a few dates with Lyla, he told me to think it over carefully.
Because of that, I couldn’t help but add, "Lyla’s great. Every time we go out, she saves money for me. She refuses my gifts when we shop, but when she sees something for her students, she buys it without hesitation."
"Alright, alright, I didn’t say anything." Andrew shook his head, chuckling.
Just then, the intercom buzzed. "Andrew, a black sports car is speeding towards you. Be careful!"
And then, I heard the roar of an engine.
A black sports car swerved right in front of us, cutting us off at a sharp angle, and then slammed on the brakes.
