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Novel Catalog
Chapter_50
Ryan snapped out of his thoughts, his cheeks flushing slightly. He deemed it impolite to keep staring at a lady.
Yvette took out her earbuds.
Ryan, looking at her, asked, “I’m sorry. I was thinking about what you just said. How do you know Harry gave himself that name?”
He wasn’t the type to meddle or dig into matters unnecessarily, but today, his curiosity got the better of him.
“What do you mean? Could it be that Yvette was right, and he did choose that name himself?” one of the students asked.
Another added, “No way, it feels too…”
“I guess it’s possible…” someone murmured.
Ryan explained, “Harry, the owner of Sky Nimbus, is an expatriate. His entire family moved abroad years ago. He picked the Clusian name to make things easier in this country. His real name is possibly Lisandro.”
Yvette frowned slightly. She glanced at Ryan, seeing only curiosity in his eyes—no hostility. Her voice was husky and cold. “Just a wild guess.”
Bonnie whistled. “Wow, Yve, even your wild guess was precise. Maybe we should set up a booth under the academy bridge and make some big bucks…”
The crowd burst into laughter.
Yvette gave a soft chuckle, both doting and charming.
Someone else chimed in, “Come on, Bonnie. We’re the future of our motherland. Remember harmony, prosperity, and democracy.”
Bonnie put her hands on her hips, pretending to be fierce, which sent another wave of laughter through the group, finally bringing the room to life.
Just then, the waiter arrived with their dishes, bringing the topic to a close.
Waiters at Sky Nimbus underwent rigorous training and exams before starting work. They weren’t just trained in hospitality—they had to know everything about every dish, from the ingredients to the cooking procedure and even the origin of the name.
The lead waiter announced, “Everyone, here we have chicken Vesuvio, roasted squab, buffalo wings, meatball soup, shrimp remoulade, cedar-plank salmon, mushroom soup, and cioppino.”
He then clapped his hands, and a line of waiters placed a small bowl in front of each person. “This is our signature top-tier sunchoke soup, flown in from Jugrea this morning. Enjoy.”
The waiter then stood respectfully before Ryan and bowed slightly. “Mr. Lewis, if you need anything, please call me. I’ll be just outside.”
Ryan nodded, and within a minute, the waitstaff had silently exited the room in an orderly manner.
Once they were gone, everyone let out a breath. “No wonder this place is so upscale. Even the staff are professionals…”
Ryan invited everyone to start eating. They exchanged glances, feeling hesitant, except for one person. Yvette, with her headphones around her neck, crossed her legs, picked up her fork, and took a bite.
“Not bad,” she remarked.
Seeing this, Bonnie swiftly grabbed her fork and started eating too. The others followed suit, relaxing as they finally enjoyed the meal they had waited all day for.
As the evening went on, they drank wine, played games, and sang cheerfully, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
After a few bites, Yvette found a couch away from the crowd, lay down, covered herself with a jacket, closed her eyes, and fell asleep. The TV next to her was still tuned to the financial news channel.
Despite the rowdiness, everyone instinctively maintained a seven-foot distance from her, knowing her grumpiness upon waking was no joke.
Meanwhile, Ryan turned down an invitation to join the others and sat alone. He wasn’t one for lively interactions, and his classmates knew better than to push him.
Instead, his mind was preoccupied with a new chip research article Simon had shown him. The author was someone named “Siren.”
After reading it, Ryan realized that whoever wrote it was a physics genius. His mind kept replaying the data, scrambling and reorganizing it in an infinite loop.
Then, a loud, sarcastic voice interrupted his thoughts. “Oh, look who we have here. Isn’t this Mr. Lewis?”
The room fell silent. The music stopped, and even those playing games paused.
Ryan frowned slightly as he recognized the voice. “Ethan?”
A young man in his early twenties approached, flanked by a group of stylishly dressed individuals with an air of street smarts. They stood behind him, looking unfriendly, while Ethan casually found a seat.
“I thought a noble person like you would’ve forgotten lowly people like me,” Ethan Brooks sneered. “I just came over to say hello.”
Ryan’s expression was laced with disdain. “Get to the point. We’re having a private gathering with our department pals today. No outsiders are invited.”
Ethan smirked. “Well, since we ran into each other, how about we take a gamble?”
Ryan frowned. “I don’t gamble. Is he trying to start trouble? If I refuse, what if Ethan retaliates against my classmates?”
Sensing Ryan’s hesitation, Ethan leaned in, eyes gleaming with malice. “If you refuse, and your classmates happen to get hurt tonight, don’t blame me for it.”
The physics students shifted uncomfortably. They had heard of Ethan before—he was a junior in the physical education department with a notorious grudge against Ryan. The rumors went that Ethan’s girlfriend had fallen for Ryan and wanted to break up with him. Ryan, uninterested, had rejected her advances, but she had taken it so hard that she jumped into a lake and drowned.
Ethan, unable to let go, blamed Ryan for her death and had sought to make his life difficult ever since.
More than just a bitter rival, Ethan was the only son of Seacrity’s deputy mayor, Daniel Brooks. Spoiled and reckless, he wielded his power freely. While Ryan came from the influential Lewis family, neither could outright touch the other, but their clashes were never-ending.
Ryan clenched his fists, forced into a losing bet he had no interest in. Losing money wasn’t the issue—it was the potential humiliation of his family name.
Then, an unexpected voice rang out. “How about I take the gamble with you?”
The entire room fell into stunned silence.
Ethan scanned the room until his eyes landed on a figure curled up in an obscure corner, her jacket draped over her head. The legs peeking out from under it caught his attention. ‘Gorgeous…’
Aside from Ethan’s group, everyone else already knew who had spoken.
Ethan sneered. “You want to gamble on his behalf? You won’t even show your face, yet you boast like this? We’re betting far more than just a few thousand dollars.”
Yvette removed the jacket, stood up, and strode forward. The crowd instinctively parted for her.
Ethan was momentarily stunned. He had seen plenty of beautiful women, but none with such an impeccable face, a perfect figure, and an untamed aura. She was the embodiment of an angel and a devil combined.
Regaining his composure, he smirked, his tone now much softer. “Pretty lady, are you sure you want to gamble on Ryan’s behalf? Our bets start at 1.5 million dollars, with no upper limit, and we only accept cash. Have you thought this through?”
