Chapter 9 Overshadowed

"Well, I'll see you then," Sara said. She didn't want to be left alone with Thompson any longer.

Sherry, who hadn't expected Sara to agree so easily, was stunned to hear that. "Are you that happy today? Haven't you been too busy lately? I'm not even sure if you're home. Are you sure that I won't be holding you up?" she asked nervously.

"I'm fine. I'm just having dinner with Thompson," Sara replied over the phone. She knew she couldn't let the dinner drag any longer than necessary.

"Where are you, Sara?" Sherry's voice suddenly became shrill and enthusiastic.

Without a second thought, Sara replied honestly, "Well, we are..."

Some moments later, as she sat facing Thompson, she cursed Sherry in her mind.

As soon as Sherry heard that Sara was having dinner with Thompson, she insisted on joining them. And now, because of that, Sara couldn't leave.

Sara smiled politely and said, "A friend of mine will be joining us shortly. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure. We're all friends here," Thompson replied casually.

During their dinner, Thompson kept talking about her emotional issues. But after they'd had a few glasses of wine, she was finally able to change the topic of their conversation.

A while later, Sherry came rushing to the restaurant. The moment she noticed Thompson, she tidied herself up. She strode over to them in her stilettos and said in a charming voice, "Hi, I'm Sara's friend. My name is Sherry. I've heard a lot about you. You look so much more handsome in real life than on TV!"

Sherry was no coward. Whatever the situation, she knew exactly how to deal with it.

Upon listening to Sherry's introduction, Thompson smiled and said to Sara, "Your friend here is very interesting."

Not knowing the meaning of his words, Sara just smiled awkwardly.

"Now that your friend is here, you wouldn't mind if I call one of my friends over, would you?" Thompson asked all of a sudden, changing the topic. He had a smile on his face, but there was a wicked glint in his eyes.

Stunned to hear that, Sara didn't notice the flash of cunning in his eyes. She couldn't believe that he had changed the topic of their conversation so smoothly once again. She thought since Sherry was already here and Thompson was the one treating, she couldn't refuse having dinner with his friend.

So, she smiled and answered, "Of course, I don't mind."

Her reply made Thompson smile. "All right, I was only teasing. Come on, let's all have a drink. It's a great honor to dine with two beautiful ladies like you,"

he said and gracefully finished the wine in his glass.

Sherry could drink an entire barrel if she wanted to. She wanted to impress Thompson, so she lifted her glass and poured all of the wine down her throat, gulping it in one go.

Watching Sherry drink, Sara hesitated. She couldn't handle her alcohol very well. Usually, Jacob would stop her after she had just one glass of wine. But then, he'd also mock her later for getting drunk so easily.

Now, regardless of what she was doing and who she was with, her mind kept dwelling on memories of Jacob.

"Hi! Thompson, looks like you have quite the company. Hello, Miss Sara," someone said in a soft voice. When Sara turned and saw the two people walking towards them, she nervously drank the whole glass of wine she was holding.

The wine turned warm as it traveled down her throat. It made her feel dizzy and red with embarrassment.

The two people were none other than Alice and Jacob. Was it a coincidence that they had come to the same restaurant?

Alice gave Thompson a warm smile before turning to Sara. "I heard you weren't so good at handling your alcohol, but you're drinking so well!"

Sara could hear the sarcasm in Alice's compliment, but she just gave her a tight smile.

Jacob's jaw clenched, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned to Thompson. "Thompson, it's a surprise to see you here."

It hadn't been long since Thompson had returned from abroad, and he wasn't as fond of Chinese cuisine as he was of continental cuisine. That was why Jacob found it incredible to see him in a Chinese restaurant.

Thompson stood up and said, "Nothing is a hundred percent absolute."

As Sara looked at the two bickering men, she felt her heart flutter. It was obvious from just their appearance that both men were from elite families. Jacob was dressed in a neat suit, which made him look handsome yet cold. Just his aura was enough to intimidate people.

Thompson, on the other hand, looked like a vampire. His skin was paler than paper, and his lips were a slight tint of pink. His deep-set blue eyes made him a beautiful sight to look at. Any girl would gladly fall in love with a man like him.

Sherry, who had been fawning over Thompson until now, fell silent after seeing Jacob. She stared blankly at the man in front of her. She had always wanted a man like him in her life. Now, she thought that she could finally have him.

She dug her red nails on her flesh while keeping her gaze fixed on Jacob. She bit her lips and looked at him seductively, as though she could make him fall in love with her with just her gaze. However, Jacob kept a straight face and looked at her with his usual icy stare. His chiseled face, sharp high nose, and thin lips made him look like a celebrity.

Unexpectedly, Sherry's face turned more and more red as she continued to stare at him. She felt like she was falling more and more in love with him with every passing moment.

All of a sudden, without realizing what she was even doing, Sherry stood up. Sara was taken aback by her sudden reaction and asked, "Are you all right, Sherry?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm okay. I just wanted to ask, since we're all friends, why don't we have dinner together?" As she spoke, she gave Jacob a warm smile.

Jacob usually didn't care much for conversations with strangers, let alone dining with them. But this time, the situation was different and he agreed immediately. "All right, let's do that."

After saying that, he sat next to Thompson with Alice, while Sara and Sherry sat on the opposite side of the table. The air around them had suddenly turned cold and heavy.

Without any hesitation, Sherry turned to Jacob and started the conversation. "Hello, it's nice to meet you. I'm Sherry, a good friend of Sara's."

She then gave Sara a hug and asked, "Aren't I your best friend?"

"Of course you are!" Sara said with a smile, looking at her excited friend.

Jacob glanced at Sherry reluctantly. She wasn't inspiring or amazing, nor was she indifferent and superior, like Sara.

Sara was charming and elegant, but it was difficult to get close to her. Wherever she went, people followed her. As for Sherry, she was beautiful but simple and innocent. Without a doubt, Sara's presence overshadowed Sherry's beauty.

"Okay," Jacob replied with a small smile.