Chapter 217 Boyfriend from the Sky
Willow's defiance did something unexpected to Kaelen. It lit a fire in him. He was determined to win her over. To him, winning a woman was proof of his charm, and he wasn't about to believe he lacked any.
Kaelen was used to getting what he wanted. Born with a silver spoon, smart, good-looking, and with a fat inheritance, his life was pretty sweet. His pride was deep, even if he hid it behind a humble facade. The idea of a woman turning him down? Unthinkable.
'You might look down on me today, Willow,' he thought, his eyes hardening, 'But tomorrow, you'll be at my feet.'
"Willow," he said, flashing a well-practiced smile, "It's a real honor to have you here tonight. Shall we go inside? I've set up a special auction at the Brighter Futures Ball in your name, with all the money going to underprivileged kids."
He knew the way to a woman's heart was through compliments and a bit of flattery. And that kind of flattery often needed a lot of cash, which was why rich guys never seemed to have trouble getting attention from women.
Tonight, he planned to make Willow famous under the guise of charity. He figured once she got a taste of the spotlight, she'd see him differently. Maybe material stuff wouldn't impress Willow, but what about something more abstract, like honor and prestige?
"I'm afraid I can't go in just yet," Willow said, sounding sorry. "I'm waiting for someone."
"Oh?" Kaelen raised an eyebrow. "Another Link Family member? As far as I know, the Brighter Futures Ball has never involved government officials."
The event was known for its wealth and celebrity, way too high-profile for a government official to risk showing up.
"I'm waiting for my boyfriend," Willow said calmly.
Kaelen's cool slipped. "You have a boyfriend?"
"Of course," Willow said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm twenty. It's not that unusual, is it?"
It wasn't unusual. But Kaelen's intel said Willow was single. As he tried to wrap his head around this, Nicholas frowned. "Willow, since when do you have a boyfriend? Why haven't I heard about this?"
"Since when do I need your permission to date, Nicholas?" Willow shot back. "You never tell me about your girlfriends."
"Willow, cut the crap!" Nicholas snapped, losing his patience. "Don't think I don't see through your little act. You expect me to believe you suddenly have a boyfriend? Let me be clear, tonight is about you and Kaelen. You can't just make up a boyfriend out of nowhere!"
His reprimand was aimed at Willow, but the real message was for Kaelen: Willow was bluffing. This so-called boyfriend was just a last-ditch effort to throw him off.
Kaelen, sharp as ever, got the hint. He found Willow's desperate move almost funny. Even if she did have a boyfriend, it wouldn't change his plans. He was set on making her his wife.
"So, Willow's got herself a last-minute boyfriend," Kaelen said, a confident smirk on his face. "I wonder what kind of guy he is? How does he stack up against me?" He was sure no one could compete. Willow's made-up boyfriend didn't stand a chance.
"Kaelen, you're worth a hundred billion dollars, right?" Willow asked, her tone all innocent.
"That's a bit of a stretch," Kaelen replied, trying to sound modest. "It's not exactly a hundred billion in cash, more like the total value of my assets. As Erin once said, and I totally agree, when you have that kind of money, it's not really yours. It's society's trust fund, and you're just managing it. So yeah, I guess you could say the public has trusted me with a hundred billion dollars. But I'm still nowhere near Erin and Adam!"
Despite his fake humility, a flicker of pride showed. Not many guys his age in Golden Valley could brag about that kind of wealth.
"My boyfriend's wealth is five times yours," Willow said bluntly. "And he's ten years younger. You don't even come close, Kaelen."
"Impossible!" Kaelen shot back, his amusement turning to skepticism. "There's no one in Golden Valley, in their early twenties, with five hundred billion dollars. If such a person existed, I'd have heard of them."
"Kaelen, you live in your little Skyscape City bubble," Willow said calmly. "No wonder you're out of touch. The world is full of people like you, living in their own little worlds, clueless about what's really out there."
Kaelen didn't take the bait. "Well, I'd love to meet this impressive boyfriend of yours."
Right on cue, a thunderous roar filled the air. They turned to see twelve white helicopters descending on the Starlight Voyager, flying in formation, lights flashing, a flashy display of wealth and power.
Kaelen and Nicholas stared, wondering which big shot was making such a grand entrance. Willow glanced at her phone. A new message from Skyview: [I'm here.]
She looked up at Kaelen, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "No need to wait any longer, Kaelen. My boyfriend's here."
Kaelen tore his gaze from the aerial show, his curiosity piqued. "Those helicopters belong to your boyfriend? He sure knows how to make an entrance."
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