Free Web NovelChapter 323: Chapter 321: A Three-Person Brawl
After her afternoon class ended, Mia Grant followed the crowd of students heading out.
"Hey, Mia, is that your brother?"
Her roommate poked her arm. "He’s even more handsome in person than on TV! Is he mixed-race?"
Hearing the term "mixed-race," Mia Grant didn’t even need to look up to know who had arrived.
She quirked her lips. "I guess so."
"Well, we’ll get going then?"
"Mhm." She nodded and watched her roommates leave. They kept looking back every few steps, their gazes frequently landing on Silas Grant.
Standing by his car, Silas noticed their gazes and gave them a smiling nod in greeting.
Flustered, the girls nodded and waved back before quickly scurrying away.
Mia Grant walked down the steps and stopped in front of the man.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was just passing by and wanted to have dinner with you."
He reached out and naturally took the textbooks from her arms.
Mia Grant stood rooted to the spot, her gaze openly sweeping over him.
Many people nearby recognized Silas Grant. His profile had been rising sharply lately; he was already a regular on the financial news, and even more so recently.
This wasn’t a good place to talk. Mia Grant sighed and got into his car.
Silas Grant didn’t have a driver with him; he was driving himself.
Not until they had merged onto the main road did he speak, his voice calm and unhurried. "What do you want to ask?"
"Ask about what?" Mia Grant feigned ignorance.
The man chuckled softly. Although his eyes were on the road, he was watching her from the corner of his vision.
"You’ve been staring at me since before you even got in the car. If you have something to say or ask, just say it."
"Did you two fight yesterday? A mutual brawl? Or did you just beat him up by yourself?"
’Silas Grant didn’t look injured.’
’No, wait. There was a scratch on the back of his hand, right across that old scar.’
’The scratch wasn’t too deep, just beaded with blood, but he hadn’t bandaged it.’
’Other than that, she couldn’t see anything else wrong.’
’But Kian Keller had been so badly hurt last night, yet he’d still spent all that time wandering around outside with her without a single complaint.’
’Both of them were good at hiding their pain. If Silas Grant was hurt, he’d probably act just like Kian Keller.’
"It’s not as serious as you think. He returned to Jynsia, and as a friend, it was only right for me to go welcome him."
"We just had a simple exchange. There was some back-and-forth; it wasn’t a one-sided affair."
Silas Grant’s voice was nonchalant, but if she listened closely, she could still detect a hint of displeasure.
’She just didn’t know if that displeasure was directed at Kian Keller or at her.’
"He..."
Mia Grant had been about to say something—for instance, that Kian Keller was already injured, so why did Silas have to start a fight?
But she also knew that if she said it, he would probably get even more upset.
’Better not.’
"You’re not hurt, are you?"
Silas Grant had probably guessed what she was about to say and had already mentally prepared himself.
’There’s nothing to be done. No matter how angry she gets, Kian Keller is, after all, disabled. In her mind, that puts him in a weaker position, which triggers her protective instincts.’
’So, he knew she would subconsciously favor Kian Keller.’
He just hadn’t expected that after all that mental preparation, he would instead receive an unexpected question of concern.
His hands on the steering wheel tightened slightly. He feigned nonchalance, curling his lips into a smile. "I’m fine."
"How could you be fine?" Mia Grant muttered under her breath. "Aaron and his men aren’t useless pushovers."
"It doesn’t matter, as long as Kian Keller is the useless one."
"..." Mia Grant was speechless. She stared at him in astonishment, finding it hard to believe those words had come from his mouth.
’Silas Grant has always been an expert at putting up a front; his public pleasantries are always perfectly polished. A remark this blunt and insulting seems more in line with Yates Donovan’s style. It just doesn’t fit his image as an elegant and distinguished gentleman.’
"What is it?" Silas Grant tilted his head.
Mia Grant, still in a daze, was caught off guard as her eyes met his.
"Are you upset now?"
’Ever since that night he saw through her act, it’s like he’s torn off his own mask as well. It’s as if, from that moment on, we started being completely honest with each other.’
Mia Grant didn’t hold back, rolling her eyes at him. "You’re so childish."
Silas Grant never expected someone to use such a word to describe him, but surprisingly, it put him in a good mood.
Noticing her fatigue, Silas Grant drove her back to the university right after dinner.
Just before she got out of the car, Silas Grant asked about her plans for the next day.
’It took her a moment to realize tomorrow was Valentine’s Day. That must have been his whole reason for coming to Jynsia.’
’So, while he was ostensibly asking about her plans, he was actually reminding her that they already had a dinner date for tomorrow and that she shouldn’t make plans with anyone else.’
"But I never agreed to have dinner with you tomorrow. Besides, we already ate together today," Mia Grant said as she packed her textbooks into her bag. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
"Then we don’t have to eat. We could see a movie or go shopping. What do you want to do?"
"..."
Mia Grant looked over at him, and when she saw the teasing glint in his eyes, she knew he was saying it on purpose.
"Sure," she said, lifting her chin and playing along. "In that case, I’ll ask Yates Donovan to dinner tomorrow, and then I’ll see a movie with you."
Silas Grant couldn’t help but laugh, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
He mimicked her tone. "Sure."
Mia Grant frowned. "You actually agree? Seriously?"
’He really didn’t look angry.’
"I’m serious, you know," she added.
Silas Grant dropped the joking tone. "He’s not in Jynsia."
"Who? Yates Donovan?" Mia Grant had gotten a new phone, so her old chat history was gone, and she hadn’t seen any recent updates.
"Mhm. I ran into him at the airport last night."
The moment she heard the word "airport," Mia Grant’s heart skipped a beat. "...Did he get involved in the fight, too?"
’The thought of those three rivals running into each other... she couldn’t even imagine the scene.’
"No." Silas Grant didn’t elaborate. The car came to a stop, and he told her to go get some rest, wishing her goodnight.
Mia Grant, still lost in thought, nodded distractedly at his words.
She reached for the handle to get out but heard the CLICK of the door locks.
She froze for a moment, then turned to meet Silas Grant’s eyes.
Realization dawned on her. She pressed her lips together and said, "Goodnight."
His eyes crinkled with amusement. "So reluctant?"
"You’re the one who seems reluctant," Mia Grant retorted, holding out a hand toward him.
At this, Silas Grant smiled and leaned in.
Mia Grant draped her arms over his shoulders. As his lips descended, she noticed the dome light overhead and instinctively turned her head away.
His kiss missed, brushing against her cheek instead. He froze.
From an angle she couldn’t see, the dark eyes behind Silas Grant’s glasses slowly narrowed.
Mia Grant’s hand hovered near the dome light. After a moment, she started muttering, "How do you turn this light off? Where’s the switch?"
Hearing her voice, Silas Grant lifted his head from her shoulder.
His hand touched something, and before Mia Grant could react, everything went dark.
The inside of the car was pitch-black. Only the faint glow from a distant streetlight graced a corner of the window, like a sliver of hazy moonlight.
Silas Grant didn’t know why she wanted the light off. His eyes hadn’t yet adjusted to the darkness to make out her lips when she leaned in and kissed him.
