Bland's gaze, sharp and curious, only grazed her briefly before settling on Cordelia with a polite, "Lia."
Then, his attention turned to Merry, his eyes shimmering with a mix of amusement and affection as he teased, "Babe, why haven't you been answering my calls?"
Juliana was dumbfounded.
She must be hallucinating!
She stared at Bland in disbelief, eyes wide and unblinking...
Babe... Following his gaze towards Merry, Juliana saw her cheeks flush and her eyes sparkle the moment he entered.
Juliana was stunned.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing, shock leaving her mouth agape. She pointed at Merry, stammering, "You, you, you and him... You guys..."
Merry had already rushed to Bland's side, a hint of shyness on her face. Hearing Juliana's words, she responded, "Yep, this is my boyfriend. Sorry, your situation with Hanley might be up in the air, but my dream has already come true~"
With that, she looped her arm through Bland's, looking up at him, "Got caught up in something, how did you get here so early~"
Bland nodded, "Yeah, the film wrapped up early, and I couldn't wait a minute longer to see you, so I came straight here."
After exchanging a few words, Bland turned to Cordelia, "Lia, dinner tonight?"
Knowing Bland was coming today, Cordelia had already planned a dinner for the four of them.
Hearing this, Cordelia nodded, packed up her bag, and followed the trio out of the room, leaving Juliana standing there, utterly incredulous.
How could this be... How is it possible!
Merry was so average, how could she possibly end up with Bland?
Despite being an actor, Bland came from a wealthy family, a privilege that allowed him his whims in the entertainment industry!
What did Merry have that she didn't, even when Juliana considered herself superior?
Juliana had thought her boyfriend was the best she could do, but to her dismay, not only did Cordelia snag the founder of Fortuna Group, but Merry also managed to win over Bland?
Fuming, Juliana clenched her fists. Remembering her impending breakup with Hanley, she kicked a table in frustration, only to hurt her own foot.
Crouching down, she hugged her knees and began to cry.
-
For dinner, the group chose a local diner outside school known for its classic American comfort food, a place that had been around for years and was beloved for its flavors.
Sitting together, Cordelia asked, "So, where are you guys spending the holidays?"
Little Parrot had a fallout with her family and wouldn't be going back for the holidays. She had arranged to spend it with Bland instead.
This was also why Bland had come over today.
Since they were only given a week off school, they couldn't travel far. Plus, Merry had been buried in her books preparing for college entrance exams and couldn't afford to waste even these seven days.
Bland spoke up, "I bought a place in Greenmeadow, planning to spend the holidays there with Merry. On New Year's Day, I'll come visit you guys!"
Cordelia was relieved they wouldn't be far. After all, Merry was still a senior, and she worried about them running into trouble.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Love or Die: CEO’ s Daily Dose of Swoon (Cordelia)