Chapter 8 Do Me a Favour

• Marc was a bit stunned. Aralyn Kingsley? Isn't she a big star now?
• His wife's bedroom even had a poster of her.
• It seemed worth attending the gathering.
• Aralyn had a beautiful singing voice and was really popular now. His wife was a fan, so meeting her could be a pleasant surprise.
• In three days, it would be Valentine's Day. Marc wanted to make it unique.
• If he could get Aralyn to come and sing a few songs for his wife, she'd be over the moon.
• "Alright then, send me the address, and I'll head over at noon," Marc said.
• "Noon's too late. The party's at Serene Villa, over a hundred kilometres from here."
• Gideon added, "We should leave now. We'll get there just in time for lunch."
• Without waiting for a response, Gideon dragged Marc to his BMW. "Get in."
• "You're doing well for yourself, driving a 7 Series BMW," Marc remarked.
• Gideon paused. "Not bad, recognising a car worth over 150 thousand dollars. Want to drive it yourself?"
• Marc shook his head.
• "Nah, I'll pass. Don't want you getting car sick."
• He'd been on plenty of special missions before, and his driving skills were top-notch, rarely going below 200 kilometres per hour.
• With Gideon looking so frail, he'd probably pass out before they arrived.
• "Haha, at least you know your limits. Get in," said Gideon.
• He was just being polite; he wouldn't really let Marc drive.
• If anything happened to the car, not even selling his kidney could cover it.
• Two hours later, the BMW pulled into Serene Villa.
• Most of their classmates had already arrived inside a luxurious private room, chatting and snacking on pastry.
• "Guys, guess who's here!"
• Gideon shouted dramatically as he entered, pointing at Marc behind him.
• "Oh my gosh, isn't this Pauper? You're not dead from starvation yet?"
• One of the male classmates exclaimed, standing up in surprise.
• Pauper' was Marc's high school nickname. Back then, he only ate one meal a day, saving the rest of his money for tuition.
• So, his classmates gave him that nickname and even placed bets on when he'd starve to death.
• Of course, these were just for fun, and when Marc was struggling, they would pitch in money to help him out.
• Despite the teasing, their bond remained strong.
• "Pauper, how've you been doing?"
• After Marc took his seat, a girl named Darielle Ashford asked with a playful smile.
• She used to be the class vice president and often teased Marc for fun.
• Marc had no idea how to explain his current situation, so he casually said, "Just getting by."
• Darielle giggled, then said thoughtfully, "Pauper, just getting by won't cut it. For someone like you, it's hard enough to succeed even if you try, let alone get by."
• The rest of the classmates burst out laughing.
• "Alright, don't tease him too much, or he might leave."
• Gideon said, sitting beside Marc and tossing his BMW keys on the table.
• "You all know Marc's situation isn't great. Let's not make him pay for such a fancy meal today."
• He patted his chest generously. "I'll cover his share!"
• Darielle saw the BMW keys on the table and squealed with delight. "Wow, class monitor, you're driving a BMW now? You've really made it!"
• Gideon waved it off modestly. "Nah, it's just over 150 thousand dollars. I'm just having some fun with it."
• Darielle's eyes sparkled even more. She said sweetly, "Class monitor, after the gathering, can you take me for a spin? I've never been in such an expensive car."
• Seeing Gideon nod, she felt thrilled and turned to Marc, saying, "Pauper, you should learn from our class monitor. Even if you can't afford a 150-thousand-dollar car, getting a 1500-thousand-dollar used car would be great."
• The classmates laughed again.
• Marc shrugged, not getting upset.
• Though they liked to tease him, they had all helped him financially back in school.
• Marc has always been clear about his grudges and gratitude, and he’s only ever been thankful to those who helped him.
• At this moment, the door to the private room opened, and a woman wearing sunglasses and a mask walked in.
• She had a great figure, a dazzling diamond necklace, and a Patek Philippe watch.
• Her bag was Chanel, and her clothes were from high-end brands.
• She removed her sunglasses, revealing enchanting almond-shaped eyes, and then removed her mask, showing a stunningly beautiful face. The male classmates were all taken aback, swallowing hard.
• Aralyn, the school beauty, looked even more radiant now. Spending a night with her would be worth ten years of life!
• Marc, however, wasn't as starstruck as the others. He glanced at her and then looked away.
• To him, only Iris mattered; other women were insignificant.
• Aralyn noticed his indifference, a flash of displeasure in her eyes. He seemed to disregard her in high school, and now he was still the same.
• "Marc, you're here too," Aralyn greeted him, though her tone was cold.
• "Almost ten years, and you haven't changed much."
• On the surface, it seemed like a harmless comment. But the underlying meaning was clear: Why are you still such a loser?
• Marc nodded and simply said, "Yeah."
• Darielle gave a thumbs up, grinning. "Our superstar sure has sharp eyes. Pauper is still a small fry."
• With a wry smile, Aralyn remarked sarcastically, "I really don't know why I liked you back then. Youth is truly ignorant."
• She then sat down, smiling mischievously at everyone. "Sorry, guys, I can only stay for a bit. Our company got a new boss, and I have to meet him this afternoon."
• The classmates sighed in disappointment.
• Gideon asked, "Aralyn, isn't your agency under Vermillion Group?"
• Aralyn nodded. "Yes, but it won't be called Vermillion Group anymore. A young billionaire bought it for 12 billion dollars and renamed it Egerton Group."
• Everyone gasped in awe at the young billionaire's grand gesture.
• 12 billion dollars! That's an amount they couldn't even dream of earning in ten lifetimes.
• Darielle, smirking, looked at Marc. "Pauper, your name has 'Egerton' in it too. Could it be your company?"
• Marc spread his hands. "Maybe it is."
• Everyone burst into laughter again.
• Marc always knew how to lighten the mood.
• Darielle burst into laughter, slapping the table with amusement. "Pauper, you're really playing along with me perfectly. If you weren't so poor, I might have considered making you my boyfriend, hahaha."
• Gideon covered his face, looking at Marc with a helpless expression. "Oh my goodness, we haven't even started drinking yet. How come you have make a move? I get that you want to show off in front of beautiful girls, but could you take it easy?"
• Aralyn glanced at Marc with a cold, mocking smile on her face. She stood up. "Alright, everyone, keep chatting. I have to go."
• The classmates quickly stopped laughing and stood up to see her off.
• Aralyn waved them down with a smile. "Stay seated, everyone. My bodyguards are outside. They'll take me."
• She blew a kiss and turned to leave.
• Marc stood up and called out, "Wait, I need a favour."