Chapter 217
Tessa figured Aurelia would chicken out.
“Go on, have some fun. I need a breather,” Stephen encouraged her.
“Alright, I’ll go,” Aurelia replied. She wanted to bond with Ryan, so she didn’t hesitate.
A thought struck Tessa, and she suddenly suggested, “To keep things fair, let’s split up. I’ll team up with Mr. Walker, and Ms. Corin can pair up with Cassian. Let’s have a friendly match.”
She was doing this to get to know Ryan better, and hopefully build a connection quickly.
Of course, she trusted her bond with Cassian enough to make this arrangement.
So she didn’t mind Cassian being on the same team as Aurelia at all.
She made sure to explain her reasoning, “Cassian’s got a reputation for being amazing at golf. I was worried Mr. Walker might be at a disadvantage, so I wanted to balance out the teams.”
Tessa’s words subtly implied that Aurelia was the weak one on the field.
Ryan didn’t comment.
Cassian had no objections since it was Tessa’s arrangement.
Aurelia saw right through Tessa’s little scheme and smirked. “That’s not really fair, is it?”
“So, Ms. Corin, how do you want to split the teams?” Tessa arched her brow, confidence written all over her face.
“Mr. Walker and Mr. Locke can go head–to–head,” Aurelia spelled it out. “And I’ll take
you
on.”
Tessa was taken aback by Aurelia’s bold request.
‘Does she seriously think she can take me on?‘ Tessa scoffed inwardly.
Back when she was at that international bank, golf was basically her second language. She coul people.
floor with most
‘Can’t believe Aurelia’s actually throwing down the gauntlet. Where’s all that confidence coming from?‘ Tessa mused.
‘Guess it’s time to knock her down a peg before she gets too cocky, Tessa thought.
“Fine, let’s see what you’ve got,” Tessa grinned, her competitive streak kicking in right away.
She had zero doubt she’d come out on top against Aurelia.
Ryan couldn’t help but take notice of the showdown. “Interesting, very interesting! Let’s draw lots to decide which team goes. first.”
“Works for me,” Cassian replied.
Looks like the
guys are up
first.
Ryan grinned, “Let’s show the ladies how it’s done.”
Both of them could hold their own on the green.
10:32 Tue, Dec 30 RD
Chapter 217
Ryan was a die–hard golf fan. Whenever he had some downtime, he’d play a few rounds.
But no matter how good you were, going up against someone as naturally gifted as the technique, was a whole different story.
who had both the suruh and
Cassian clinched the victory in the end.
He nailed it in just three strokes.
Everyone was blown away by that performance.
Even though Ryan lost, he was totally convinced and didn’t complain one bit. He even took the initiative to invite Cassian for another round, and the two of them got a lot closer after that.
When it was the ladies‘ turn, even Stephen came over to check out the action.
Cassian handed his golf club to Tessa. “Here, try mine. Maybe it’ll give you a lucky edge.”
Tessa looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with happiness. “Okay.”
She shot Aurelia a smug, mocking look, a smirk playing at her lips.
If it were anyone else, Tessa might’ve let them off easy, just to let them keep their dignity.
But when it came to Aurelia, Tessa wasn’t about to go easy on her.
“Your turn, Ms. Corin,” Tessa said, gesturing for her to step up.
Aurelia didn’t hesitate. She stepped up and took her shot without a second thought.
Just like when she was tackling those questions earlier, Aurelia’s swing was crisp and decisive.
Tessa was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Aurelia’s stance to be so textbook perfect, and her shot was right on target.
Ryan couldn’t help but applaud. “Nice one, Ms. Corin!”
By the time Aurelia’s second shot landed, Tessa’s face was already starting to look a little grim.
Ryan was already cheering, “Nice shot, Ms. Corin!”
Even Stephen started clapping.
Cassian didn’t say a word, but his gaze was locked on Aurelia, tracking her every move.
On her third stroke, Aurelia holed it, another perfect shot.
“Another eagle! That’s insane!” Ryan was blown away. He’d never seen anything like this before.
Aurelia rested her club on her shoulder, turned to Tessa, and said breezily, “Ms. Rowe, thanks for the match.”
Tessa pressed her lips together, her face a storm of frustration.
Her earlier swagger had completely vanished.
Cassian leaned in and said softly, “Winning or losing doesn’t matter. Mr. Walker already set up a game with me.”
That was the whole point of today, anyway.
Tessa nodded, complicated emotions flickering across her face.
10:32 Tue, Dec 30 RD
Chapter 217
Eventually, Tessa took her turn.
Even with Cassian’s club, on a par–5, she missed the hole after five shots.
Her score was nothing to write home about.
That was way off from her usual game.
Her mindset was off, and it threw her whole game.
If she’d gone first, she might’ve managed an eagle herself.
But with such a mediocre result, everyone’s focus had shifted elsewhere by the time she finished.
Ryan was chatting with Aurelia, telling her she played a great game.
ENCHAN
He even mentioned that her swing was kind of similar to Cassian’s, and asked if they’d trained with the same coach.
Aurelia paused for a moment before answering, “No.”
‘It was Cassian who taught me,‘ Aurelia thought.
Cassian, standing off to the side, caught her answer and a subtle smile played at his lips.
Aurelia stayed totally unfazed, letting the topic slide without missing a beat.
The game really brought everyone together.
Ryan warmed up to Tessa a lot compared to earlier.
Of course, Cassian was the real reason behind it all.
Nobody dared to underestimate Tessa with Cassian by her side.
But Stephen wasn’t showing any warmth at all.
Even when Tessa tried to strike up a conversation, he just brushed her off.
He was totally aloof.
No matter how Tessa tried to test the waters, Stephen never softened up.
It left her feeling pretty bummed.
Cassian caught the look on her face and comforted, “Professor Horton’s got that proud streak and isn’t quick to let people in It’s nothing against you. Just take your time. There’s no need to force it.”
Tessa nodded. “Yeah, I get it.”
She really was getting ahead of herself.
Academia was a massive place with sky–high standards. Fitting in was no walk in the park.
Yeah, she’d have to play the long game.
Besides, her degree spoke for itself. She knew she’d get her chance eventually.
Unlike some folks who didn’t even qualify for a ticket in.
10:32 Tue, Dec 30 RD.
Chapter 217
That little annoyance faded away in no time.
That evening, when Tessa got home, she found Alina in the middle of chewing ou
серет.
“What’s with the temper?” Tessa asked.
098
Alina had been bottling it up all day, and now she finally had someone to complain to. “It’s that Mrs. Porter again! She’s always picking on me. I seriously have no clue what I ever did to piss her off.”
“What happened?” Tessa asked.
Alina finally explained what was going on.
Today was the monthly get–together for the socialite circle, and Alina was the one in charge.
She figured with Cassian, the tech world’s rising star and her future son–in–law, her status among the socialites would skyrocket.
But when the time came, only a handful of ladies showed
- up.
The main socialite clique, with Mandy leading the pack, totally bailed on the event.
When Alina called to ask, they just gave the usual excuse that they had something going on.
But later, when Alina went to the spa with a few other ladies, she bumped into those same women all chilling at the salon.
Clearly, they were dodging the get–together on purpose.
And when they got caught, Mandy didn’t even try to make excuses. She straight up said she was worried her family’s business might get caught up in drama.
Alina didn’t even have to say it. Tessa already knew exactly what she was talking about.
Yeah, it was all because of that fireworks fiasco.
Everything Alina had worked so hard for went up in smoke because of that mess.
“Mom, don’t worry. I’ll make sure they look up to me again,” Tessa reassured her.
AD
