“You… you… you’re not dead?” Nadia glanced at Kayden’s hand on her arm, feeling its warmth, and asked, utterly shocked.
Kayden’s brow puckered at her words and he asked, annoyed, “Who said I was dead?”
“But!” Nadia quickly touched Kayden’s face before he could stop her. Then she held onto his arm closely and said with a hurt look, “I thought you were dead! I can’t believe you’re still alive! I was heartbroken for so long and barely left the house. I really thought because of me, you had died!”
Kayden froze for a moment, then let out a cold laugh, shaking his head helplessly. He brushed off Nadia’s hand and said, “If you’re done here, I’ve got things to do.”
“No, wait! Where are you going? I’ll come with you!” Nadia clung to him like a piece of gum again. She felt a lot better now as if a lingering question had finally been answered.
“Nadia!” Suddenly, a sharp voice sounded behind them.
Both of them froze. Nadia turned around at once and saw a middle-aged man in a white suit standing there. His hair was neatly combed and was wearing glasses. He was in his forties, yet he appeared to be in his thirties, probably due to his work.
“Dad!” Nadia exclaimed, then said mischievously, “I almost forgot…”
Hank Garcia adjusted his glasses and looked Kayden up and down for a moment before asking, “Who is he?”
Nadia looked at Kayden and pulled him even closer to her. “He’s my friend!”
‘Friend?’
They had only met once before, and that first encounter wasn’t particularly pleasant. And now they were friends? Kayden was confused but said nothing, simply observing them.
“Friend?” Hank stared at Kayden, noticing that Nadia was still holding his arm. Their closeness surprised him. He was a handsome guy, but judging from his outfit, he clearly wasn’t good enough for his daughter. How could he possibly allow his daughter to date someone like this?
He let out a snort, stared at Kayden, and asked bluntly, “Are you looking to date my daughter?”
Kayden was completely caught off guard by the question. Nadia, on the other hand, turned all red, and her heart started pounding at this question. She said at once, “Dad, what are you talking about? We’re just friends, that’s all. Just friends!”
As she spoke, she instinctively looked up to see Kayden’s reaction. But Kayden stood there like a statue, showing no reaction at all, even his gaze had remained expressionless.
Hank raised his hand, and Nadia stopped talking. Then he said sternly, “Nadia, don’t forget who you are. Not just anyone can be your friend. Your friends should at least have some power or influence in Inassea. Remember what I told you, your future depends on the company you keep.”
Then, he checked the time and added, “Let’s go. Professor Flores’s lecture is about to start. All the invited attendees are influential figures in the medical community in the Southwest region. Professor Flores is even more extraordinary. As a university lecturer, his lessons might be difficult for the students to grasp, but his expertise is invaluable for the medical field. Attending his lectures is simply a privilege. We shouldn’t be late.”
As he spoke, Hank shot a condescending glance at Kayden, as if looking at some foolish country bumpkin.
Kayden hesitated for a moment, then interjected, “Who are you talking about? Professor Flores… Is it the Professor Flores from Inassea University?”
Hank adjusted his glasses with a smug smile, saying, “That’s right, the very same. However, someone like you wouldn’t have been invited. You wouldn’t even have the chance to meet someone of his stature.”
To Hank, Professor Flores was practically a god-distinguished, highly respected, and one of the best in the field of medicine.
Kayden was speechless. If only Hank knew that the esteemed Professor Flores he admired so much was actually Kayden’s student, his reaction would surely be priceless. However, that wasn’t what’s important now. Since Professor Flores was holding a seminar, Kayden decided he’d go see him.
Before Kayden could say anything, Hank tapped Nadia gently and whispered, “Go to the lecture with me.”
Nadia was surprised. Then she pouted and said to Hank in a spoiled tone, “No way! I don’t even like those boring lectures. It might be an incredible opportunity for you, but to me, it’s just a waste of time. If you want me to go, then I want Kayden to come with me!”
“What?” Hank’s eyebrows furrowed deeply. He snorted and said, “Absolutely not! I’ve already told you, this kind of event isn’t open to just anyone.”
As he spoke, he intentionally sized up Kayden again, making it clear that he didn’t think Kayden was fit to go with them.
What he didn’t know was how much Kayden’s presence would elevate the prestige of the event.
Nadia became upset and said angrily, “If you wouldn’t let Kayden come, then I won’t go either! I’ll just hang out with Kayden.” She held Kayden’s arm tightly, leaning closer to him, clearly defying her father.
Hank let out a deep sigh and gave in. “Alright, fine!”
Nadia giggled, her face lighting up with joy like a flower in full bloom. Today, she felt genuinely happy, and all her previous gloomy feelings had completely vanished. She wasn’t sure if this had something to do with seeing Kayden again.
“However,” Hank added, “I need to lay down three ground rules. First, when we get there, don’t speak out of turn. If anyone asks you anything, stay quiet. I’ll do all the talking. Second, don’t touch anything. It’s not about the money. If you break something, you’ll bring me immense humiliation. Third, keep your distance from my daughter. I don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about you two.”
Kayden stared at Hank, somewhat at a loss for words. All these rules imply that he was embarrassed to take Kayden along. This couldn’t be more ridiculous. The mighty Defender of the South was looked down on like this.
Nevertheless, he had no intention to argue with Hank. After all, Hank meant no harm-he was just being protective of his daughter. Nadia smiled even brighter at Hank’s words and replied, “Got it, got it! Alright, let’s go already, old man.”
With that, she grabbed Kayden’s hand and pulled him into a black Audi A6L.
Just as they settled into the car, the door suddenly swung open with a loud bang.