Chapter 14

It was already past 11 PM after Grace Li had finished her late-night snack. She originally wanted to give Aiden Thompson a ride, but it was too late, and she still had work tomorrow, so Aiden insisted she didn't need to.

At this hour, hailing a cab in New York was practically a mission impossible. Aiden stood by the curb, staring at his phone, but no one was accepting his ride request. People rushed by on the street, and the neon signs in the distance flickered nonstop. Taxis sped past one after another, all with passengers inside.

Just then, a sleek G-Wagon pulled up next to him, the window rolled down slowly, and the driver's face lit up with surprise. "Yo, Aiden! You gotta be kidding me, is that really you?" he shouted excitedly.

It was Anthony Miller, Aiden's high school buddy.

Aiden smiled slightly, his lips curling up. "Long time no see, bro. Didn't expect to run into you here."

"What are you doing out here at this hour?"

"Just finished a late-night snack and was trying to grab a ride, but no luck."

Anthony immediately waved for him to hop in. "Come on, don't wait around. Get in, we'll catch up on the way."

Aiden opened the passenger door and got in. Anthony was practically bouncing in his seat. "Man, you've been in New York for two months, and you didn't hit me up? You're killing me, dude!"

Aiden shrugged, his tone casual. "Been busy looking for a job, getting settled in. Haven't had time."

"Wait, didn't your family open a branch here in New York?"

Aiden leaned back in the seat, one hand resting on the window, his eyelids half-closed. "Nope, I had a fallout with my dad. Ran off and ended up here."

"You're kidding! What happened?"

Aiden smirked. "Just some differences in how we see things. Don't ask for the details. Anyway, I'm just a regular finance guy now. If I don't work hard today, I'll be sleeping on the streets tomorrow."

"Damn, that's rough. So, where are you staying?"

"Got a small apartment in Brooklyn, nothing special."

"Wait, what? You're okay with that? Brooklyn's got some sketchy neighborhoods."

Aiden chuckled. "What can I do? Just got here, tight on cash. Had to settle for something. Been living there for two months, got used to it."

"Man, you're tough. I gotta give you props."

Aiden glanced at the time. "Alright, enough about me. Find a good spot to drop me off, and you can head home too."

"What are you talking about? With our history, I'm definitely taking you home. You've been out of the country for so long, we finally run into each other, we gotta catch up!"

Anthony drove Aiden back to his apartment. As they walked in, Anthony looked around. The building looked pretty average from the outside, but the duplex inside was decent.

He couldn't believe Aiden had fallen out with his dad and had been living here for two months. He asked with genuine concern, "So, what's your plan now?"

"For now, just gonna focus on work and get settled in," Aiden said, grabbing a can of soda from the fridge and handing it to Anthony. He cracked open a beer for himself.

Anthony frowned. "Hey, why are you giving me soda? I want a beer too."

Aiden pointed to the car. "You drove here, man. In New York, drinking and driving's a big deal. Fines, license suspension, maybe even jail time. I'm not about to get you in trouble."

Anthony slapped his forehead. "Duh, how could I forget?"

He took a sip of the soda and then asked, "So, where are you working?"

"Nova Capital."

"I know that place. It's pretty well-known. I was at the SunRay listing event today. I heard Nova Capital and BM co-invested in that project. It's been huge."

"Yeah, that project's been getting a lot of buzz lately."

"Speaking of which, my dad gave me some money recently to invest. I'm stuck between the secondary market and the primary market. Got any advice?"

Aiden shook his head. "I'm not one to give investment advice, but since you asked, if it were me, I'd probably look into the projects we're working on."

"Really? That's awesome! I trust you, man. If there's a good project, you better think of me—I'll definitely be your LP."

Aiden smirked, thinking to himself, this guy's quick to commit. "Sure thing, I'll keep you in mind if something comes up."

Anthony was still curious. "So, what's your role at Nova Capital?"

"Bottom of the ladder. Mostly organizing documents and running errands."

Anthony's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you serious? You're an Oxford MBA, and you're starting from the bottom?"

Aiden remained calm. "In New York, there are tons of finance grads from top schools. If you want to climb, you gotta take it step by step."

Anthony looked around, a hint of sympathy in his eyes. "Man, you used to live in a big mansion, and now you're in this place. That's gotta be a tough adjustment. You handling it okay?"

Aiden took a sip of his beer, gazing out the window at the bustling city. "Honestly, it's not that bad. I've learned a lot during this time, experienced a different kind of life. It's been pretty interesting."

"You've been here two months, and your dad hasn't reached out to you? Does he want to make up?"

Aiden snorted. "I'm old enough to walk my own path. Besides, my sister's still there, and she can help with the company. I don't think my dad's missing me much."

Anthony slapped Aiden on the shoulder. "Hey, no matter what, if you need anything, don't try to handle it all alone. Hit me up, man. We're bros."

Aiden felt a warmth in his chest, raising his beer can to clink it with Anthony's. "Thanks, bro. That means a lot."

Anthony took a sip of his soda, eyes lighting up. "By the way, how's your network here in New York?"

"Just got here two months ago, haven't met many people yet."

"What do you mean, you've met me! Next Friday, there's a high-end cocktail party in Manhattan for the finance industry. Lots of Wall Street big shots will be there. I got the hookup. I'll bring you along, you'll meet some people. It'll be good for your career."

Aiden thought for a moment, then nodded. "Sounds good, I appreciate it. I've been meaning to expand my network."

The Wall Street cocktail party for financial elites is held four times a year at an upscale, multifunctional private club in Manhattan. The event gathers a mix of financial professionals and individual investors eager to share industry insights and expand their networks in a relaxed yet lively atmosphere.

Aiden Thompson walks into the club with Anthony Miller. As soon as they step inside, the buzz of the scene hits them. Some people lounge comfortably in booths sipping cocktails while discussing market trends, others are gathered around custom-made game tables, fully focused on a game of Texas Hold'em, and others are at professional pool tables, elegantly showing off their skills. The whole vibe feels like a grand, sophisticated social event.

Their arrival catches a few eyes. A man in a custom pink Armani suit holding a martini strides up to greet them with a big smile. "Yo, Anthony! Long time no see! It's been forever, huh?"

Anthony Miller smiles back. "Eric, good to see you, man. Been so busy lately, I hardly have time to breathe."

Eric's gaze shifts to Aiden Thompson, giving him a curious once-over. "Who's this handsome guy?" he asks with interest.

Before arriving, Aiden Thompson had specifically asked Anthony not to reveal his identity. So, Anthony simply says, "This is a buddy of mine, Alex."

Eric grins wider. "Since he's one of Anthony's guys, he's family." He turns to Aiden with a playful grin, "Hey, man, how about a drink? Their Tequila Sunrise here is wicked—wouldn't want you to miss out."

Aiden Thompson remains aloof, not enjoying Eric's scrutiny. "Nah, thanks. I've got plans, maybe next time."

Eric shrugs and teases, "Ooh, this guy's got that cool vibe." He pats Anthony on the back. "Catch you guys later. Let's hit up a dive bar sometime."

After Eric leaves, Anthony Miller turns to Aiden Thompson. "That guy, Eric, he's an investment partner at KinZ Capital. Seems like he's pretty interested in you."

Aiden Thompson doesn't hide his discomfort. "Not interested in him, that's for sure."

Anthony laughs. "Don't worry, Eric may be... well, let's say unique, but he's got his act together." After a pause, he adds, "By the way, I've never been quite sure if you're straight. I mean, you're handsome, but I never see you hanging out with any girls. Back in high school, the prom queen was into you, and you turned her down. Makes me wonder if you're just not into girls."

Aiden Thompson raises an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

"Look at you. You're this good-looking guy, but I've never seen you all buddy-buddy with a girl. I know you were at Oxford, but even in high school, you turned down the girl of our school—what gives?" Anthony says, analyzing it.

Aiden Thompson deadpans, "I'm not into guys either."

Anthony smirks. "Well, maybe you're just asexual."

Aiden Thompson doesn't respond, but when Anthony mentions asexuality, his mind suddenly drifts to a certain person. He quickly dismisses the idea that he might be asexual.

Anthony Miller leads Aiden to a booth with a great view. He glances at his limited-edition Rolex, frowning. "Man, these guys are lagging. They're later than me." Even though Anthony isn't a financial professional, he interacts with people from the industry regularly. Before the event, he made sure to tell a few friends he'd be introducing someone new, but now, it looks like he's the first one here.

Just then, a man walks up with a professional smile. "Hey, Anthony, didn't expect to run into you here. Small world, huh?"

Anthony Miller stands up and gives him a friendly hug. "Hey, Daniel! Long time no see. How's everything?"

"Last time I tried to get you to grab a bite at Strip House, but you were too busy. Let's do it next week. Their dry-aged steak is banging," Daniel Chou says with a grin.

"Definitely. I've been craving it," Anthony agrees.

Daniel looks at Aiden Thompson across from him and smiles at Anthony. "I've got some friends talking about emerging fintech projects, so I'm gonna go join them. We'll catch up later."

"Sounds good," Anthony nods.

Once Daniel walks off, Anthony turns to Aiden. "That guy? Do you know him?"

Aiden shakes his head. "Never met him."

"He's Daniel Chou, partner at BM Capital. Just got promoted. He's a big deal. But there's another detail you might be interested in," Anthony continues.

"What's that?" Aiden asks casually.

"He's married to Mia Wen. They had a wedding in Hawaii two weeks ago."

Aiden seems uninterested. "Who's Mia Wen?"

"Come on, dude, Mia Wen is the girl who chased you all through high school! She was the prom queen. Back in the day, she was the talk of the school."

Aiden barely reacts. "Oh. Don't really remember."

"Man, you've got a terrible memory," Anthony jokes.