Chapter 106

At 6:00 PM, a sleek black car waited near the entrance of Shoildon Airport. Kaia sat in the front passenger seat,eyes glued to her phone,while Adrian kept watch over the flow of people spilling out of the airport.

Eventually, Kaia set her phone aside and glanced over."Adrian, how much longer until your friend shows up?We've been here almost thirty minutes."

Earlier that day, Adrian's friend had called to say he'd be flying in tonight and wanted to catch up over dinner. Coincidentally, Kaia had invited Adrian out for a meal as wvell.

Trying to play fair, Adrian considered asking Kaia to join them, though he worried she might not be interested. In the end, he explained the situation,politely turned her down, and left the decision up to her.

To his surprise, Kaia didn't mind at all. She even volunteered to tag along to the airport and welcome his friend together.

Adrian couldn't have been happier. The woman he cared about was open to blending into his circle of friends, so he didn't hesitate to bring her along.

Adrian glanced at his watch. "Not much longer now.The flight should land in about ten minutes."

He turned to Kaia, checking on her. "Are you hungry?Want me to grab you a snack while we wait?"

Her lips curved into a warm smile as she shook her head. "Don't worry about me, Adrian. Let's wait until your friend arrives; then we can all eat together."

Inwardly, Kaia admitted she'd never be this patient if it weren't for the fact that Adrian's friend was also a Pine Hill University top student.

Watching Kaia's gentle, easygoing personality,Adrian's heart twinged with emotion. She must have been through a lot, or she wouldn't be so invested in going against Verena.

Adrian's thoughts were interrupted as he looked out the window and noticed a familiar figure. Wait, was that...

He squinted, fixating on a spot near the terminal doors.Gliding through the crowd was a striking woman,her white suitcase rolling behind her. Her height and effortless poise made her impossible to miss.

In a heartbeat, Adrian knew who she was. Miranda?She was back in town too? "Adrian. Adrian?" Kaia called Adrian a few times, but he didn't seem to hear her. She followed his line of sight and spotted the woman he couldn't take his eyes off, a fashionably dressed, confident young woman.

Even though Kaia understood Adrian cared about her,watching him get so absorbed by another woman's presence, especially one so beautiful, sent a small pang of discomfort through her.

She quickly masked her feelings, placing a light hand on his shoulder and putting on her most pleasant tone."Adrian, you can't seem to look away from that stunning lady.Is she your friend?"

"Huh?" Adrian glanced over, understanding that Kaia was referring to Miranda, and offered an awkward smile. "Not exactly. Someone like her is way out of my league."

"Way out of your league?" Kaia echoed in disbelief."Adrian, don't sell yourself short. You're one of the best people I know."

Adrian explained, "We actually attended the same university and even majored in the same field, but she was a year ahead of me. She made a name for herself early on, and everyone in our department admired her.During my freshman year, she gave an unforgettable seminar that really inspired us. Now, she's the CEO of AuroraNexus, which is a huge name in tech."

"AuroraNexus?" Kaia repeated, her eyes widening in awe. "That's the sixth-ranked conglomerate in the world,right? And she's so young,too!"

Her amazement drew a small,proud nod from Adrian."Exactly. That's why l've always looked up to her.She's honestly extraordinary, proving that women can excel just as much as anyone in the tech industry."

As the words "AuroraNexus CEO" echoed in Kaia's mind, a new idea started to take shape. If she managed to build a solid connection with someone of this woman's caliber, the thought of crossing the Bennett family or even Alec and Laura wouldn't bother her in the slightest.

After composing herself, Kaia offered to Adrian,saying, "If she means so much to you,why not take this chance to say hello?"

Adrian rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little embarrassed. "Truth is... we aren't exactly close.Wouldn't it seem odd to just walk up and greet her out of the blue?"

"Come on, why not?" Kaia encouraged him. "It's not every day you run into someone you admnire so much.You'll regret it if you don't at least introduce yourself.Besides, we're only going to say hi, not intrude on her time."

Adrian glanced at Miranda, who was steadily making her way toward them. He hesitated, but Kaia's enthusiasm finally won him over.

He swung open the car door and stepped out. "Alright then, let's go say hi."

A bright smile lit up Kaia's face as she hurried after him.

"Hey,Miranda!" Adrian called out as he hurried over to Miranda.

Miranda paused, turning to see who was calling her name, her gaze settling on Adrian with a hint of curiosity.

Face-to-face with someone he admired, Adrian felt all his confidence drain away, rubbing his head with a shy grin.

"You're back in town, Miranda? I was your junior at the university."

For a split second, Miranda's face went blank as she studied Adrian. A flood of confusion rushed through her thoughts. Who on earth was this guy? Frustrated,she realized she had absolutely no memory of him.

Still, Miranda kept her composure and greeted him with a practiced, pleasant smile. "Yeah, what a small world. It's been ages, hasn't it?"

Adrian's eyes widened in surprise. "So you actually remember me, Miranda?"

Of course, Miranda had no clue who he was,but she couldn't bring herself to admit it and risk offending him.

Miranda let out a friendly laugh, improvising smoothly."Outstanding people are hard to forget. And who could overlook such a bright, promising junior?"

Adrian hadn't expected Miranda to speak so highly of him, leaving him both stunned and thrilled. For a moment, all he could do was stand there grinning like an idiot.

While Adrian and Miranda slipped into conversation,Kaia stood quietly at his side, slowly realizing they'd forgotten all about her.

Kaia had more on her mind than a simple greeting.

She tugged gently at Adrian's sleeve, turning an enchanted look on Miranda. "Adrian, your senior is gorgeous! I can totally see why you look up to her."

It was at that moment that Miranda realzed Kaia was right there with them. After all, who didn't enjoy hearing a compliment about their appearance?

Miranda's polite smile was replaced by a look of genuine happiness.

"You sure know how to make someone feel special.Those compliments could lift anyone's spirits."Miranda glanced at Kaia, and then shifted her gaze to Adrian,her eyes now holding a hint of playful meaning.

Kaia shook her head, still beaming. "I mean every word.You really are stunning. The moment you walked through the crowd,you caught my eye."

Adrian caught Miranda's expression and quickly stepped in with introductions. "Miranda, this is my neighbor,Kaia."

Miranda shifted her focus back to Kaia and smiled warmly. "Well,you're absolutely lovely yourself."

As she spoke, she pulled her phone out of her bag to power it on.

Kaia was genuinely impressed by how down-to-earth Miranda was. For someone leading such a massive company, she was refreshingly approachable and kind.

The moment her phone flickered to life, Miranda saw a flood of missed calls from Verena.

A jolt of panic hit Miranda. Shoot, she'd completely forgotten to turn her phone back on,and Verena had been trying to reach her over and over.