In truth, Diana had never been in a relationship, but she felt that establishing a persona of being "experienced" would save her a lot of trouble with blind dates.
A deeper thought surfaced: if she actually had a legitimate boyfriend, would Maya finally back off? Would she stop treating Diana like a "thief in the house" who was constantly prying after and plotting against William?
Julian Harrison was so shocked he nearly spilled his drink. He let out an exaggerated yelp. "Oh boy, which wild kid moved that fast? What does he look like? Where's he from? How'd you keep him hidden so well? Why haven't you brought him out for us brothers to inspect?"
"We broke up," Diana lied casually, her expression serene.
"Everything was fine, why the breakup?"
Annoyed by his prying, Diana took a sip of the pungent whiskey and dropped a cold remark: "It was just for fun. I wasn't serious."
The moment those words left her lips, the noisy atmosphere in the booth seemed to hit a pause button. A weird silence hung in the air for several seconds.
Diana's spine stiffened. She felt a highly invasive gaze sweeping over her through the haze of smoke, slow and deliberate.
Subconsciously, she turned her head and collided straight with Jasper Sterling's half-smiling eyes.
What are you looking at?
She was a bit baffled. These scions spent their days immersed in wine and women; which one of them didn't go through partners faster than she flipped through a book? Why was it that when she said "just for fun," it suddenly became scandalous?
It was likely because she usually disguised herself too well as a delicate, obedient porcelain doll, shielded within an ivory tower by William. Hearing such "femme fatale" rhetoric from her caused a collective glitch in their perception.
Jasper Sterling tapped his long fingers on the table, his tone playful. "I see. You've grown up. How many have you 'played' with?"
The question was so blunt it practically had the word "impertinent" written all over it.
Not to be outdone, Diana kicked the hot potato right back. "You're the expert here, Jasper. Why don't you tell me how many you've played with first?"
When it came to the push-and-pull of such social settings, Jasper was a grandmaster. The corner of his mouth curled into a lazy arc, his voice low and magnetic. "I don't play with men. I can't give you a reference point."
"..." A total defeat.
"Tsk tsk, our little sister really demands a new level of respect," Julian lamented with a weary face, looking as if he had personally witnessed a pet rabbit learn how to bite. "You were only so big when you were a kid, and in the blink of an eye, you're already navigating the world of games with such ease."
Diana shot him a look. "When you were twenty-two, were you busy meditating in a Zen temple?"
"Damn, that stings," Julian laughed heartily. "Fine, since you like to play, tell me. I've got all kinds of premium male models on hand. I guarantee I can pick one you'll be satisfied with."
In reality, Diana had a benchmark in her heart—a template replicated after William.
He had to be restrained, gentle, and possess the eternal patience of a spring breeze.
But that name was a taboo. She had to go the opposite way, so she blurted out, "My taste has changed. Now I like them a bit wilder, unreasonable—preferably with a bit of a rebellious streak."
"Oho," Julian smiled meaningfully, casting a glance to his side. "Those criteria... why does it sound like you're reading Jasper's resume?"
Diana's heart skipped a beat.
She truly only wanted to describe the polar opposite of William; she hadn't intended to lead the conversation toward Jasper Sterling at all.
A burst of laughter erupted around them. Someone, eager for chaos, chimed in, "Lord Jasper, did you hear that? Miss Diana is giving a clear hint. Are you going to give her an answer?"
Diana stiffened her neck and turned around.
The light in the booth was dim, and the orange ambient lamps cast an ambiguous shadow over the man's deep features.
Jasper was sunk into the sofa, the collar of his smoke-blue shirt unbuttoned, exuding a sense of relaxed decadence. He had a cigarette between his teeth, and his narrow black eyes stared at her from behind the flickering sparks with an unreadable expression.
Diana opened her mouth to defend herself, but he took the cigarette away with two fingers. His voice carried a slight rasp, like sandpaper over wood. "Got a crush on me?"
Diana: "..."
This misunderstanding was large enough to fill the Mariana Trench.
He flicked the ash against the rim of his glass, the greyish-white debris falling into the amber liquor. He dragged his words out slow and long: "Better give up on that. I don't mess with my friends' sisters. It's a matter of principle."
Who would want to be messed with by you?
Diana thought to herself that even if she were to fall in love with a stone lion, she wouldn't set her sights on this moody ancestor.
However, as her gaze swept across the corner, she remembered Maya's scrutinizing eyes. A thought flickered—if the whole circle believed she was into Jasper Sterling, it might accidentally serve as a perfect cover for her unspeakable, secret feelings for William.
Besides, she was certain Jasper was just teasing her using that "little secret" of hers.
So, she simply went along with it, replying expressionlessly, "Oh. Then I'm heartbroken. What a shame."
Julian nearly choked with laughter; he clearly didn't take it seriously. After all, with Jasper's malicious personality—finding joy in bullying his "sisters"—any sane person would run the other way. You'd have to be possessed to actually have a crush on him.
"Alright, Jasper, stop acting like you're some paragon of virtue. When have you ever had a shred of 'principles'?"
Jasper didn't take offense, letting out a light chuckle. "How do you know I don't?"
"If you do, I'll call you 'father' on the spot!" Julian declared decisively.
Because there was a "minor" (in terms of psychological age) sister present, Julian arranged for everyone to leave before midnight.
Everyone had been drinking. Julian was about to call a designated driver for Diana when he spotted Jasper, who hadn't touched a drop of alcohol. He shoved Diana toward him. "Perfect. The big Buddha here didn't indulge tonight. Jasper, you get the girl home safely."
Thinking of the painful lesson of his "extortion" last time, Diana waved her hands repeatedly. "No need to bother, I can call a car myself..."
Before she could finish her refusal, Jasper lowered his eyes slightly, giving her a cool, sidelong glance. "What? Afraid that in the dead of night, you won't be able to keep your hands off me?"
Diana: ?
She looked at him with an expression of pure absurdity. "Where would I get an idea like that?"
"Since you don't have the heart of a thief, why are you afraid to get in the car?" Jasper's expression practically screamed: Explanations are just cover-ups; you're definitely lusting after my body.
He grabbed his high-end suit jacket from the sofa, tossed it over his shoulder, and walked toward the underground garage with a leisurely stride, a cigarette still in his mouth.
Diana could only follow him like a bullied little tail.
Even after sitting in the passenger seat of that high-performance beast of a car, she still hadn't figured out the logic.
Not getting in the car means I want to assault him? Then if I wanted to cut ties with him, would that mean I love him to death?
This kind of twisted logic could probably only be found in a freak like Jasper Sterling, who could sleep in a bar.
Jasper put out his cigarette before getting in. He casually tossed his suit jacket onto the passenger seat.
A cold woody scent mixed with a faint hint of tobacco hit her full-on. Diana subconsciously hugged the garment, which still carried his warmth, and turned to glare at him.
"Hold it." Jasper expertly started the engine and shifted gears. The sports car glided smoothly into the neon depths of the east city.
The space inside the car was cramped. Diana could only fold his jacket neatly and rest it on her knees.
She felt it was too awkward not to speak, but after searching her brain for a long time, she realized she and Jasper had absolutely no common language.
Talk about work? Talking about liquid hydrogen drones in the middle of the night felt too much like overtime. Talk about rumors? She couldn't exactly ask him if he really almost killed someone back in the day.
Regarding Jasper Sterling, the circle was full of awe for his family background and secrecy regarding his personality. Word was he had experienced a horrific tragedy at the border as a child, where his mother had sacrificed herself. This had left him with a naturally destructive streak of violence in his character.
William never let her ask about these things; every time she got curious, he would tap her on the head and scold her.
In the east city, the name Sterling was a "get out of jail free" card, and Jasper Sterling was the man holding that card, ready to punch a hole in the sky at any moment.
Lost in thought, Jasper's hand suddenly reached toward her without warning.
Diana shrank into a ball in fright, her back pressed hard against the car door.
Jasper lifted his eyelids and shot her a look. "What are you dodging for?"
His long fingers bypassed her and deftly clicked open the storage compartment.
His well-defined knuckles and the green veins on the back of his hand looked powerful under the cool glow of the dashboard. He pulled out a tin of mints, peeled one open with one hand, tossed it into his mouth, and sneered, "In a situation like this, shouldn't I be the one afraid of being taken advantage of?"
"..." Diana sat up straight and muttered softly, "I'm just afraid I might accidentally take advantage of you."
Jasper's dark eyes narrowed slightly, a low hum vibrating in his throat. "Why don't you try it and see?"
Did she even have the guts to try? Besides, she wasn't crazy.
When the car stopped at the gates of The Knight family estate, Diana moved with incredible speed to get out. She placed the jacket neatly on the seat and waved. "Drive safe, Jasper. Bye!"
Then, she ran into the house without looking back.