Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 680

"Alright, I'll call him one more time."

After laying on a heavy dose of sweet-talking, Piper finally secured her prize. "He'll be here in a minute."

"Just eat your food and stop causing a scene,"

Vanessa scolded them with fake authority.

In reality, she was secretly thrilled at the prospect of them showing off.

After all, she was the one who had introduced Piper to her new boyfriend. His presence would serve as a massive, glittering testament to her own elite social connections.

And that kind of power would only draw more desperate followers into her orbit.

A few tense minutes later, Piper's boyfriend actually arrived!

Clad in a razor-sharp tailored suit, gripping a premium leather briefcase, and sporting flawlessly styled, gelled-back hair, he looked like a walking billboard for corporate success.

"Babe, you made it!"

Piper practically leaped out of her seat, rushing over to loop her arms affectionately around his.

Out of the corner of her eye, she shot a triumphant, smug look at the captive audience watching their table.

"Ugh, he's just a guy with two eyes and a nose. What is there to be so damn proud of?"

Wyatt muttered darkly, but Cedric quickly elbowed him into silence.

If the other table kept their mouths shut, Mira's group was perfectly content to finish their meal and leave. They all had packed schedules and absolutely zero patience for needless drama.

"Good evening, everyone. Apologies for the delay. I appreciate you all waiting for me."

The man exchanged polite greetings with Vanessa and the rest of the table. He was just about to slide into the booth next to Piper, but Madison couldn't let the moment pass.

"Piper, since he rarely comes around, shouldn't you introduce him to your friends over at that table?"

The man's polished smile faltered slightly, a faint frown creasing his brow.

"Piper, are they friends of yours, too?"

he asked, turning his sharp gaze toward her.

Piper nodded and provided a painfully brief, dismissive introduction.

Upon learning that Mira and her group were mere freshmen who barely even knew Piper,

a wave of sheer apathy washed over the man's eyes.

"Well, since he pursued you, he clearly has excellent taste. I think I'll go have a little chat with him."

Without another word, the man pivoted on his heel and strode purposefully toward Wyatt.

Seeing him actually approaching, Mira found the entire charade so unbearably exhausting that she excused herself to the restroom just to escape it.

Wyatt, however, was already a hairsbreadth away from a violent eruption.

Harvey clamped his hands onto Wyatt's shoulders, pinning him down. "Hold it together. If you lose your temper now, you'll just look like an unhinged brute, and they win."

The man stopped dead in front of Wyatt, his voice dripping with condescension. "You're a computer science major, which means you'll likely end up in the tech industry.

But if you ever want to actually succeed in this field, you'll need to study abroad.

The international markets are lightyears ahead of what Mavaria has to offer.

So, figure out a way to get overseas. Right now, you don't even have the credentials to be in a relationship.

Look at me. I've already made it. I have everything you could ever dream of."

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a harsh, mocking whisper. "You can't compete with me. Do yourself a favor and give up on Piper."