Chapter 7

Helena opened her mouth a few times trying to explain herself, but she ultimately said nothing. I just raised my glass politely and said, "If Anthony didn't mind, why would I?" I then dipped my head down and took a huge gulp of my beer. My phone wouldn't stop ringing throughout dinner, so I took it out and checked the notification panel. They were all messages from Helena. "I only brought him along because it was convenient. Don't think too much about it." The next read, "If you mind, I won't bring him along next time anymore." I scrolled all the way down to the last message. Her final message to me was, "Let's go home together after dinner." I cleared my throat before replying, "There's no need. You can go back with Jaxon. I drove here." Then, I focused on dinner for the rest of the night, paying no heed to her subsequent messages anymore. Everyone chatted amicably during dinner as they brought up shared memories of the past. Meanwhile, Anthony drank until his eyes started getting red with emotion. He suddenly stood up and lifted his glass toward me in a toast, saying, "I remember that you used to be my star student back in the day. You've always dreamed about studying and working overseas, but for some reason, you suddenly decided to stay." After pausing for a while, he continued, "But luckily, you're finally realizing your dreams and going overseas now. I'm so proud and happy for you! "Here's my toast to you. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. I hope your future is as bright and shining as the stars in the sky!" I chuckled and raised my glass as well, feeling a little emotional. Then, I finished every last drop in the glass. However, at that moment, Helena looked shocked. She looked as if she'd just heard something completely unbelievable.