Chapter 986

Vivian Dempsey cursed Victor Laurent inwardly. Just as she was about to speak, Jasmine Valentine murmured something under her breath.

"What did you say?" Vivian tilted her head closer to Jasmine.

Jasmine traced circles on the tablecloth with her fingertip. "I was wondering if you'd like to visit our old high school with me. Are you free?"

Vivian's eyes lit up. "Of course!" Then she suddenly turned to Victor, who was pretending to be invisible. "Why don't we drag him along too? Bet he hasn't stepped foot on campus since graduation."

Victor's back instantly broke out in a cold sweat. He'd been chatting animatedly with a classmate precisely to avoid Vivian's matchmaking attempts.

"Victor!" Vivian raised her voice.

The classmate beside him nudged him playfully. "She's calling you."

Victor turned stiffly, feigning ignorance. "Huh? What?"

His terrible acting made Vivian roll her eyes. Just as she was about to call him out, a server entered with their food.

Victor seized the distraction like a drowning man grabbing a lifeline. He immediately buried his face in his soup bowl, gulping it down as if his life depended on it.

Vivian smirked. "Playing deaf, are we? Then I'll take that as a yes. You're coming with us later."

Victor nearly choked. "If I show up at school looking like this, people will stare..."

"Oh, so now you can hear?" Vivian narrowed her eyes.

Victor rubbed his nose in frustration. Lately, he'd been slipping up constantly around Vivian.

"Well? Are you coming or not?" She drummed her fingers impatiently on the table.

Defeated, Victor nodded. His gaze flickered to Jasmine, only to find her eyes fixed adoringly on Vivian.

The scene reminded him of something Vivian once said—even friendships could be possessive. At least they were both girls, or he might actually feel jealous.

"Sounds fun. The more, the merrier," Jasmine said softly, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes.

Their table's commotion soon drew the attention of other classmates. The loudmouth beside Victor immediately proposed, "Why don't we all go? Give our old homeroom teacher a surprise!"

"Are you sure it'll be a surprise and not a shock?"

"Perfect! I can finally show my boyfriend our famous cafeteria."

"Sorry, I've got a meeting this afternoon..."

Amid the lively debate, Evelyn Carter watched from afar as Vivian got sandwiched between Jasmine and Victor. She sighed helplessly.

Matchmaking was proving much harder than she'd imagined.

Alexander Hamilton was meticulously peeling shrimp for Evelyn when he noticed her troubled expression. "I felt the same way when I visited them at the hospital last time."

It wasn't that he didn't want to help—Victor was just hopeless. If it were him, he would've noticed Jasmine's special attention toward Vivian ages ago.

Evelyn gave him a sympathetic look. "You've had it rough."

"Not rough," Alexander deadpanned. "Just cursed."

He picked up a piece of steamed fish, carefully removed the bones, dipped it in wasabi soy sauce, and placed it in Evelyn's bowl. Watching her enjoy it, he couldn't resist taking a bite himself.

Instantly, his face twisted in agony.

Evelyn burst out laughing. "Even I can't handle that flavor. What possessed you to try it?"