Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 3

Before hopping out of the car, | learned from Wallis that the chance to meet the big shot was courtesy of her knocking back vodka last night.

When it came to her career, she had always been one to go all-in.-

In fact, | had occasionally caught glimpses of Hogan in the financial news over the past couple of years — the guy with the Midas touch, never taking a hit. Especially after taking over that internet behemoth half a year ago, he had been making waves in the investment world.

It was no surprise that the former finance wiz kid has become the darling of the capital scene. It was both expected and totally reasonable.

That was also one of the reasons he was the belle of the ball at last night's alumni gathering.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

By all accounts, as his ex who was supposed to be out of the picture, | should have kept my distance. But seeing Wallis‘ face caked in makeup, | bit the bullet and went upstairs.

| figured, we were just a no-name indie game studio; Hogan probably wouldn't have the time to meet with us personally. Turned out, my hunch was spot on.

Inside the meeting room, three spiffy-looking execs sat in a row, listening patiently to Wallis and me pitching our hearts out. Q&A, back and forth the whole shebang took a good two hours.

One of the execs escorted us downstairs, where Wallis, smooth as ever, made lunch plans with him. | just stood there, grinning awkwardly.

Then, a sugary voice hit my ears, “Xaviera, is that really you?” | turned around and there they were Hogan and Cecilia, not too far away.

Hogan was all dressed up, his suit tailored to perfection, enhancing his already impressive stature, with his chiseled features making it hard to look away.

Next to him, Cecilia, in a sky—blue blouse and black slacks, exuded both innocence and a touch of sass.

On closer inspection, the sapphire cufflinks on Hogan’s wrist subtly matched Cecilia’s blue earrings.

Quite the pair — if you ignored that brief flicker of displeasure in Hogan’s hawk-like eyes.

As they came closer, Cecilia, ever the curious one, asked me, “Xaviera, are you here to talk business?” Pretty sharp.

Wallis, quick on the uptake, sensed something off. Stepping forward, she reached out to Hogan

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with a grin, “Mr. Zade, I've heard so much about you from Xaviera. It’s an honor to finally meet you in person.” Standard Wallis schmooze, but today, she was about to hit a brick wall.

Sure enough, Hogan gave her a cursory glance and looked past her at me, his voice dripping with sarcasm, “Oh, really?” Thinking back to my own overconfident bluster last night, | felt like | wanted to sink into the

floor.

“Have you guys had lunch yet?” Cecilia chimed in enthusiastically. “Our company canteen is legendary. Why don’t you stay and eat before you go?”

That was when | realized Hogan had already brought Cecilia into his company fold.

Apriceless opportunity for a senior still in college.

He was already looking out for her.

| remembered how back in the day, I’d shamelessly seek him out in the library, only to be seated across from him as if I'd tarnish his high-and—mighty image.

Back then, | took pride in that, considering it an honor.

“No, thanks,” | managed to find my voice, “we have another appointment soon, so we'll be on our way.”

After signaling Wallis with a glance, | caught a glimpse of her ‘you can’t be serious’ expression. Once we were back in the car, Wallis stared at me, clearly not amused, “Not going to explain yourself?”

“He’s not going to invest in us,” | sighed, “I didn’t want you to waste your effort.”

Wallis frowned, hesitated for a couple of seconds, then her mouth dropped open, “No way. Xaviera, your scumbag ex is Hogan?” The cat was out of the bag.

“Great,” Wallis concluded, “What if Hogan actually reads our project proposal?”

We locked eyes, suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation.

Because in our romance game, one of the lead male characters, the finance genius, was written as a ‘simp’ — the kind who tried everything he could but never won over the girl he loved.

The game’s prospects didn’t look too bright.

All | could hope for now was for Hogan to swiftly toss the project proposal in the bin without a second glance. At least then, we wouldn't be accused of deliberately causing trouble.

With Hogan’s clout in the investment world, he could indeed make things very difficult for us if he wanted to.