Next Man, Better Plan novel Chapter 204

The elevator doors closed. The already small space felt even more cramped with two extra people.

The atmosphere was strangely tense until Alfred Walker broke the silence. "Steph... hey, fancy seeing you here. Out for dinner?"

Some of Quennel's friends were on good terms with Stephanie, and Alfred was one of them. He was known in their circle as an all-around good guy. Everyone knew she and Quennel had broken up after what happened at the Yates estate, but old habits died hard.

Stephanie nodded. "Alfred."

The top-tier elite had their own exclusive suites, which prioritized privacy and were on a different floor from the business dining rooms. Stephanie's floor came up first, and she got off with Hobart.

As the elevator continued its ascent, Alfred glanced at Quennel again and noticed his fists were clenched. The corners of his eyes were red, his entire body radiating a tightly controlled pain.

Alfred tried to console him. "Quennel, try to look on the bright side. Everyone goes through a few breakups in their life, right?"

Quennel remained silent, but that wasn't what he was thinking at all.

He and Stephanie hadn't just broken up. She had been stolen from him!

If Jonathan hadn't interfered, Stephanie would definitely still be waiting for him!

Tonight's get-together had been arranged by Benson. Benson spent most of his time doing research abroad and didn't know Quennel well, but he and Alfred were good friends.

Vivian hadn't come home last night, and she'd called him this morning, crying and begging for help.

Benson thought his sister was far too reckless, scheming against someone like Quennel. But she had sworn up and down that a drunk Quennel had made the first move.

Benson chose to believe his sister.

In situations like this, the woman was usually at a disadvantage. Not wanting to involve the family elders, Benson arranged the meeting and asked Alfred to bring Quennel along to sound him out.

While the others were playing pool, Benson sat down next to Quennel and said in a low voice, "Last night, you and my sister…"

The moment Benson spoke, Quennel knew what this was about. He lifted his gaze slightly. "I was drunk last night. I blacked out."

Benson hadn't told him the whole story, so Alfred had no idea what was going on. "What happened? Why are you two fighting?"

"Scumbag!"

"Tell your sister not to forget her pill!"

Benson's face changed, and he lunged again. Even if Alfred hadn't known why they were fighting before, he understood now.

After clearing the room, Alfred took on the role of mediator. "Quennel, you have to understand. Benson only has one sister. He has every right to be mad at you."

Quennel stuck a cigarette between his lips. The once-gentle man now wore a world-weary expression. He cupped a flame to light it and said nothing.

Alfred shot Quennel a meaningful look. "Why don't you two try dating? If it doesn't work out, you can always break up."

He was on Quennel's side. For one, Quennel was still nursing a broken heart, and a new relationship might be a good distraction. For another, if they were boyfriend and girlfriend, then what happened last night would be perfectly legitimate.