All for Her

Crossed Wires & Private Dancers​

Yvonne wasn’t the type to ghost someone after a night together, but truth be told, the combination of finals week and a myriad of petty distractions had left her with little bandwidth for anyone.

Amidst the chaos, Aaron still faithfully delivered bento boxes to her every day. Around noon, she’d always spot his white car waiting near a corner of the campus gates.

The meals were different each day—exquisite and aromatic. It occurred to Yvonne that she hadn’t ordered takeout in quite a while.

Her previous haphazard lunches had been replaced by these delicious, carefully prepared meals. She had to admit, even she was starting to depend on them.

But she knew Aaron’s kindness came with an agenda. On the surface, she’d send him polite “thank you” messages, but behind the scenes, she was quietly investigating his motives.

Even the most delicious food could be laced with poison.

As for Sebastian, perhaps because adults are experts at masking their emotions, or perhaps because he simply didn’t care, he seemed to treat the entire incident from that night as if it never happened. He continued to pick Yvonne up from school as usual. However, the usually reticent man now offered a few more words of caution.

“Be careful on your way.”

“It’s windy and cold, wear more layers.”

But the person who commanded most of Yvonne’s attention was Ezra.

He’d recovered well. The brat was still sweet-talking an, begging for another round. But after a half-teasing probe from Yvonne, which brought back memories of that wild, passionate night, he immediately shook his head in mock terror, pleading, “No, no, no!”

He’d been incredibly busy lately, practically invisible. Rumor had it his agent had landed him a suitable drama, and his schedule was packed solid.

While he was physically absent, he’d periodically send Yvonne little gifts—some handmade chocolates, a small wool-felt animal. The gifts weren’t expensive, but they were thoughtful.

After school, Yvonne found Sebastian waiting in the usual spot.

The car’s black exterior was as stern and steady as the man himself. The window rolled down, revealing his serious face and the impeccably tailored suit. Yvonne knew he must have just come from a meeting.

A powerful CEO, forgoing his driver, finding so much free time to wait at the school gates just to pick her up.

Yvonne shrugged helplessly and got into the car.

The interior smelled faintly of Sebastian; he didn’t use car air fresheners. With the windows up and doors closed, in the confined space, Yvonne couldn’t escape his scent—his cologne.

Even sitting in the back seat, she could smell it.

She turned to look out the window, avoiding him, and mumbled, resting her head on her hand, “I’m not going home today.”

“Why not?”

“A classmate is having a birthday party at a bar.”

“Which bar?”

Yvonne named the bar, watching his face. As expected, the old man started griping, hands on the wheel.

“Yvonne, you know how dangerous those places can be. You should go less.”

He studied the girl, her precise makeup, and was abruptly reminded of that awkward night. He lowered his gaze, softening his tone slightly before speaking.

“Fine, go. But don’t drink too much. Call me when you’re done.”

“Alright. Then please just drop me off there.”

Yvonne spoke softly. Looking at Sebastian’s stern face, she chose to remain silent.

She didn’t really want to engage with him. The old man loved to lecture, turning trivial matters into grand pronouncements. Listening to his admonitions was irritating.

The ride was silent until Sebastian dropped Yvonne off at the bar entrance.

As she got out, she heard his faint, almost whispered warning:

“Yvonne, don’t make me worry too much about you.”

Yvonne didn’t frequent this bar, but it was a favorite of her high-society friend.

The friend, a young heiress from the upper crust, disdained conventional celebrations. With a wave of her hand, she’d rented out the entire place and casually hired several male models to dance provocatively on the central stage.

Rows of expensive liquor were brought out. Her friend, a playful soul, snapped her fingers casually towards the gyrating models on stage.

Instantly, the men clad in thin silks and chiffons began shedding their clothes, exposing their toned bodies under the dizzying lights. Their muscles, a healthy honeyed hue, gleamed under the lights, slicked with oil.

Their suggestive movements, fiery dance routines, and deliberate, teasing winks… The provocative acts incited cheers and raised glasses from the audience below. The atmosphere was reaching a fever pitch.

Opened bottles sprayed alcohol everywhere. The music grew louder, the bass throbbing. The roar was deafening—cheers, alcohol, and the mesmerizing dance of the male models.

Yvonne, glass in hand, quietly retreated from the crowd and found a secluded corner, quietly eating a piece of cut fruit.

She knew the men on stage couldn’t hold a candle to her adorable “pets.” Though their dancing captivated the guests, Yvonne felt no interest whatsoever.

Settling quietly in her corner, chin in hand, she indifferently raised her phone and recorded a video of the sexy dancers, planning to send it to Bianca.

Bianca was always her top contact. Without a second thought, Yvonne sent the freshly recorded video.

She hadn’t anticipated that a message from Aaron would arrive at that exact moment. The video was sent directly to him!

Yvonne froze, her drink halfway to her lips. She stared, stunned, at the chat interface and the… compromising video. A few seconds later, snapping back to reality, she immediately held down the video and swiftly recalled it.

But even though it was recalled promptly, Aaron had already seen it.

[Yvonne, what are you doing?]

Beneath the pale, weak message was a notice: ‘Yvonne recalled a message.’ After a long moment, Yvonne watched the ‘typing…’ indicator appear and disappear with no response. She finally replied coldly, brushing it off:

[Hanging out with friends at a bar.]

Is thiswhat you call hanging out? Aaron thought.

He had just finished a symposium with his team on the latest trends. He was tired and had habitually messaged Yvonne. He never actually expected a reply, but the video that arrived was shocking.

Beneath the shock was a feeling of acute embarrassment and a heavy, uncomfortable feeling in his chest. His hands hovered over the keyboard for a long time, unsure how to respond.

He wanted to muster the courage to demand what she was watching, but when it came down to it, his hands trembling, all Aaron managed to type was:

[Have fun.]

Boring. So utterly boring. Yvonne, who had been anticipating a more dramatic reaction, saw this reply and, unaffected, drained the last of the low-alcohol fruit cocktail from her glass. She then feigned nonchalance and casually added:

[Aaron, you really didn’t see that video, did you?]

A call came through immediately. Yvonne tapped ‘answer,’ and Aaron’s clear, refined voice came through.

“I saw it.”

Aaron’s admission was blunt. Yvonne continued,

“No thoughts?”

“...”

“You should know, Aaron, this is just who I am.”

“Yvonne, I know. I just… I can’t seem to see through you. I don’t understand what you’re doing.”

Yvonne gave a light laugh. She was about to say more, but Aaron on the other end had already hung up.

The video must have been too much of a shock for him. Looking at the blackened screen of her phone, Yvonne shook her head and turned her attention back to the fiery spectacle on the main stage.