Chapter 127

So.

Rather than lending the black card to George and Helen, which might mean Eren would never be able to visit her house again, Gwen decided she'd rather let Helen and George continue waiting for their reservation.

They'd already waited so long; surely, a little longer wouldn't hurt.

Gwen's response surprised Eren slightly, but he didn't dwell on it.

At Winston's Dream Restaurant, the service was impressively fast.

Not long after they placed their order, exquisite dishes were brought to their table by attentive staff.

Gwen snapped a few pictures of the beautifully plated dishes before joining Eren to savor the flavors.

It had to be said.

To have built such a renowned reputation in New York, a city of countless culinary gems, Winston's Dream Restaurant truly lived up to its name.

The taste.

It was, without a doubt, the best Western cuisine Eren had ever eaten.

After the meal, the only minor downside for Eren was that the portions weren't quite enough for his appetite. In every other aspect, the experience exceeded his expectations.

For Gwen, dining alone with Eren at such a dreamy restaurant was an entirely different kind of experience.

Since they were rushing to make it back to school, Eren quickly drove Gwen back in the Aston Martin after the meal.

At the school parking lot.

"Huh!"

Just as Eren stepped out of the car, a voice filled with surprise rang out beside him.

A fiery-haired girl, brimming with youthful energy, leaned against a Hummer. Her stunning features and wild, untamed beauty gave her the appearance of a rebellious spirit. She blinked at Gwen stepping out of Eren's car and let out an incredulous sound.

Seeing the striking young woman, Gwen's gemstone-like eyes sparkled with delight. "Illya, you're better now? Why didn't you tell me you were back at school?"

"I wanted to surprise you, but who would've thought..." Illya trailed off, casting a meaningful glance at Eren before turning back to Gwen. "You'd end up surprising me instead."

This wild beauty, with her magnetic presence, was none other than Gwen's close friend, Illya.

Having finally recovered from her illness, Illya had rushed back to school, eager to surprise her best friend. She had kept her return a secret for the sake of this surprise.

But to her shock, before she could deliver her surprise, she stumbled upon one herself.

As soon as she arrived at school, she heard rumors flying around about Gwen leaving in Eren's Aston Martin. Adding to that, whispers about someone allegedly witnessing Gwen kissing Eren had also started circulating.

In high school, these kinds of rumors were as good as a declaration of romance.

How could this be? She'd only been on medical leave for a short time, and now her best friend had a boyfriend without her knowing a thing?

Impossible!

As Gwen's closest confidante, Illya refused to believe it.

But coming to the parking lot to "catch them in the act," Illya saw with her own eyes Gwen stepping out of Eren's car.

Her conviction wavered.

Could Gwen really have found a boyfriend and kept it from her?

On the other side, Gwen's gaze faltered under Illya's probing stare. Her expression mirrored that of a mischievous kitten caught stealing a fish snack—innocent yet guilty.

Illya blinked, then turned to Eren. "Are you and Gwen dating?"

What? That direct?

Eren was momentarily taken aback. Beside him, Gwen was flustered and quickly pushed Illya. "Don't say such things! My relationship with Eren isn't what you think."

Illya rolled her eyes. "What do I think? I just saw you step out of his fancy car. Don't tell me I imagined it—I'm not blind."

"Eren only drove me to the hospital," Gwen explained. "I told you, my mom is hospitalized."

"Huh!" Illya raised an eyebrow, her tone skeptical. "He drove you to see Mrs. Helen? So he's already met your mom? Gwen, you're unbelievable! I'm your best friend, and you didn't tell me any of this."

"To think I only heard about you two from rumors after getting back to school. If it weren't for those rumors, I wouldn't even know you two had gotten this far. No way! Gwen, you owe me an explanation."

Watching Gwen squirm under Illya's relentless questioning, Eren couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Ahem..."

Eren cleared his throat deliberately, interrupting Illya's interrogation.

"Illya, right? I heard from Gwen that you've been wanting to visit Winston's Dream Restaurant but couldn't get a reservation."

As he spoke, Eren turned his palm up. In a flash, the black and gold membership card appeared in his previously empty hand.

"Huh, magic? Not bad, no wonder Gwen fell for you..."

Illya's eyes lit up at the sudden appearance of the card, her impression of Eren shifting from "rich boy" to "interesting guy."

For high schoolers, an intriguing skill could sometimes be even more attractive than wealth—especially to someone like Illya, who came from a well-off family herself.

But in the next moment, her attention shifted entirely to the card in Eren's hand.

Her wide eyes gleamed with recognition, and she asked in disbelief, "Is that...?"

Eren smiled. "This is Winston's Dream Restaurant's black gold card. If you want to go there next time, you can borrow it from Gwen. Anyway, I've got things to do, so I'll leave you two to catch up."

With that, Eren handed the card to Gwen and walked off.

Watching Eren's retreating figure, Gwen glanced at the black gold card in her hand, understanding his intention immediately.

Just then, a shout came from the school gate.

"Eren!"

Looking toward the voice, Eren saw a chubby friend waving at him. Smiling at Gwen and Illya, he said, "My friend's calling me. I'll see you later."

"Mm."

Any plans Illya had to grill Gwen about her relationship with Eren were forgotten. Hugging Gwen's arm tightly, she pleaded, "Gwen, give me..."

(End of Chapter)

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