In another private room inside the Velvette Noire restaurant, laughter and the soft clink of glasses filled the air. Luna sat among her old school friends, the table buzzing with chatter as they caught up on years of life they'd lived apart.
One guy with a thin figure leaned forward, smirking. "So Peter, do you remember when you proposed to that girl from the next class and got rejected? Man, you cried for days in the dorm, heard she is getting Married next month"
The table burst into laughter. Peter groaned, covering his face. "Ugh, I'd actually managed to erase that memory. Don't bring it back. But hey—congrats to her, I guess. I don't care anymore."
Another friend in a checkered shirt tapped his glass. "Alright, alright. Let's switch it up—who's the most successful among us now?"
Someone called out from the far end, "I heard David's starting a company."
A voice from beside Luna added dryly, "Yeah, with his rich dad's money."
More laughter followed, mixed with a few raised brows. The jokes were light, but beneath them was the usual tension of comparison—jobs, salaries, relationships. Luna sat quietly, smiling at the memories but keeping her thoughts to herself.
Jennifer, as always the one with a sharper tongue, took a slow sip of her wine and then leaned forward with a smirk.
"So, Luna, what are you doing now? Got any job?"
Luna smiled politely. "Yes, I just started working at a hotel as a GRO—Guest Relations Officer."
Jennifer's perfectly shaped brow arched. "Oh. Hotel employee, huh? What's that—fifteen, twenty thousand a month?" she said in a sugar-sweet tone that couldn't quite hide the mockery underneath.
"At that rate, it'll take you years to buy a house or a car. Why don't you just get a rich boyfriend and save yourself the time and hadwork?"
The words edged with menace and mock sympathy. A few people chuckled awkwardly keeping heads down because they were not doing any better themself and everybody knew Jennifer was always a little jealous of Luna, because she was always admired by the guys and it irked Jennifer.
Luna replied calmly, her tone firm but composed, "No, I want to build something for myself. As I would rather want to rely on my own hard work, not wait around for someone else's help or sympathy."
Jennifer's smile faltered. Her brows drew together as she thought Luna was mocking her with an underlying meaning she raised voice carrying a hint of offence. "What are you trying to say? That I'm not working hard? That I'm living off my boyfriend's money?"
Luna met her gaze evenly. "I'm not judging you, Jennifer. If that works for you, that's fine. But I have my own path—and I'm proud of where I'm heading, even if it takes longer."
The table went quiet for a beat, the group sensing the subtle clash beneath the words. Bella stepped in quickly with a light laugh, trying to change the subject, "Alright, alright—no debates tonight. We're here to catch up, everyone is meeting after years, let's keep the atmosphere peaceful and memorable!"
The reunion ended short on a slightly awkward note after the small squabble between Luna and Jennifer. While everyone exchanged goodbyes and walked out of the restaurant, Luna stood by the curb with Bella, waiting for a taxi.
The evening breeze brushed past them as headlights from oncoming cars glimmered across the pavement. Just then, Jennifer approached them with her boyfriend by her side, her heels clicking sharply against the ground.
She gave Luna a disdainful glance, then smirked. "Still waiting for a taxi? You should really consider finding a boyfriend with a car. It makes life so much easier."
Her boyfriend, clearly smug, glanced away, but said nothing.
Luna forced a polite smile. "I'm good, thanks. I'd rather wait for a taxi than wait for someone to hand me a ride through life."
Jennifer's expression faltered for a moment, her smirk twitching at the edges, but she quickly recovered with a haughty laugh and tossed her hair. "Well, suit yourself. Enjoy the wait," she said mockingly as she slipped into her boyfriend's BMW with an exaggerated swing of her hips.
Just as Jennifer rolled the window down, perhaps to throw in one last jab, a low, powerful hum echoed through the street. A sleek black Maybach Exelero glided to a smooth stop beside Luna and Bella. The luxurious car gleamed under the streetlights, drawing gasps from everyone nearby. The window rolled down, and Alex stepped out.
Luna blinked, momentarily frozen. Dressed in a sharp suit, Alex looked effortlessly composed as he walked around the car and opened the passenger-side door.
"Get in," he said with a soft smile, his deep voice calm and casual—as if this kind of dramatic entrance was completely normal for him.
Still stunned, Luna automatically moved forward and slipped into the passenger seat, the interior smelling faintly of leather and something expensive she couldn't name. The door closed with a gentle thud behind her.
Bella blinked, still standing at the same spot left alone seeing Luna entering some strangers car she didn't know what to do.
As Alex slid back into the driver's seat and started the engine, Luna suddenly turned to him holding his arm in a worried expression on her face. "Wait! Bella—my friend! She's still outside!"
Alex glanced at his arm where Luna was holding but didn't remind her, with a faint grin. "Don't worry," he said smoothly. "She has another ride."
Luna twisted in her seat just in time to see Bella being waved into the passenger seat of Samuel's black Mercedes-Benz G-Class, her jaw half-dropped in confusion and awe as the door closed behind her.
Only then did Luna relax into her seat, still trying to make sense of everything, while Jennifer's stunned face, pressed to her window, slowly vanished in the rearview mirror.