When fate plays its hand
hand 587

Chapter 0587

+25 BONUS

Hansel raised an eyebrow before finally extending his hand, inviting her to dance with a courteous bow. Willow smiled, placing her hand in his, and the two gracefully moved onto the dance floor.

As Miranda and Madison returned from the restroom, they happened to witness the scene. They looked like a handsome couple, complementing each other well. It was quite a nice sight.

Miranda shifted her gaze indifferently. Suddenly, two hands appeared in front of her. One on the left, and the other on the right. Sam and Paul were both extending an invitation to her.

Madison was so startled she took a step back, effectively exiting the scene. This was a full–on competitive display, wasn’t it?

Sam smiled. “Miranda, would I have the honor of inviting you to a dance?”

Paul mirrored him with a slight smirk. “It seems I had the same idea as Mr. Cooper.”

Sam glanced at him, and Paul met his gaze without a flicker, the air between them thick with rivalry.

Miranda stood frozen, utterly baffled by the situation. Did they plan this?

She instinctively turned toward Madison, who looked at her with an apologetic expression. It was as if she was saying. “Sorry, Miranda, you’re on your own with this one.”

In the dim light and tucked–away spot, they might have gone unnoticed, but spectators at events like these had a way of sniffing out drama. Plus, this was impossible to hide.

“Oh my–what’s going on here? Dr. Jefferson and our Sugar Daddy?”

“Who are they asking to dance? Let me see… Oh, it’s Miranda Sutton, Well, that makes sense.”

Miranda was beautiful, academically brilliant, and someone who’d already published in “Science” as a first -year graduate student–of course, she was in demand. Not to mention, she was one of the seven campus belles chosen by popular vote.

“Now, this is entertaining! Truly entertaining!”

“They couldn’t write a drama like this!”

“The world is just one long romantic novel, isn’t it?”

A love triangle starring three prominent figures? The audience simply wanted to keep the show going!

Not far away, Hansel caught sight of the scene, and his hand instinctively tightened around Willow.

“Ouch!” Willow winced.

“Sorry,” he muttered, releasing her hand and leaving the dance floor without another word, leaving Willow stunned.

Miranda felt thoroughly overwhelmed. Looking at Sam, she saw the anticipation in his eyes, but it was to

Intense for her to process.

When she turned to Paul, she met his steady gaze. His dark eyes were as vast as the ocean, warmth and gentle amusement tucked beneath the surface. Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked away.

Chapter 0587

+25 ROHUS

“I’m sorry, both of you, but I’ll have to decline,” she said finally. “I just remembered I have some lab data to process.

You two enjoy the evening–I’ll be leaving now”

With that, she quickly turned and hurried out.

Sam watched her retreat, his expression darkening, but he found some solace. While she hadn’t accepted his invitation, she hadn’t accepted Paul’s, either.

“Tough luck, huh, Dr. Jefferson?” he quipped.

Paul’s expression remained calm. Despite Miranda’s refusal, he simply withdrew his hand, unruffled. “If something this small could make me lose hope, what would I do in the future?”

Sam frowned. “The future?”

“Indeed,” Paul replied with a faint smile. “We have all the time in the world.”

With that, he walked away.

“Oh, she turned them both down? Interesting!”

“Miranda’s got standards, huh?”

“If I had a‘ Science‘ paper to my name, I’d be even prouder–believe me.”

As the crowd muttered, they began to disperse. No drama meant no audience. Yet, as the crowd thinned.

two people remained in place, suddenly standing out among the receding onlookers.