"I'm not hungry!" I snapped.

"Come on, let’s just order something anyway, yeah?" David offered again with that same charming smile.

I returned a polite smile. “No, it’s okay. I’ll just have a drink.”

“You sure? Because judging from your pale face, I’d say you're definitely hungry. It’s already lunchtime! I’m ordering food anyway, okay?” David said, sounding a bit more insistent this time.

Stay calm, El. Don’t let yourself get swayed by this smooth-talking playboy. I reminded myself firmly.
The truth was... my stomach *was* starting to growl.

David waved over the waiter to order me a latte. Just as the waiter approached, my stomach let out a soft growl. I quickly cleared my throat, trying to cover the sound, but it was too late—David had heard it.

“Along with the latte, I’ll take two portions of steak, one tiramisu cake, one cheesecake, and a plate of French fries,” he told the waiter confidently. Once the order was placed, David turned his eyes on me.
“So… do you really dislike me that much?” he asked, “You even refuse a simple lunch invitation. And it's pretty obvious you’re hungry.”

I didn’t answer. Just gave him a weak smile and shrugged.

“Don’t just smile. If you came all the way here to meet me, the least you could do is accept my lunch offer.”

I sighed in defeat, hiding my irritation. “Fine, I’ll take your lunch offer. But only if you agree to answer my questions.”

“Wait a sec… don’t tell me you came here because you *need* something from me?” David smirked.

Ugh. I could already see his ego inflating. He was starting to realize I actually did need his help.

“Yes, I need your help,” I admitted, though I hated having to speak politely to someone younger than me. No one on campus knew David was a year younger, except Amelie.

“So it must be something serious, huh? You actually came all the way here just to talk to me in person.” His expression sharpened. “Must be urgent.”

Exactly what I was afraid of—David now looked overly confident, knowing I was desperate.

“Yes. I’ve been scammed by someone.”

David’s brows furrowed. “Scammed? So why come to me? Why not go to the police? Why drag me into this?”

God, talking to David was night and day compared to talking with Sebastian. David’s blunt and cheeky tone made me miss Sebastian’s calm and respectful demeanor.
Funny, really. David looked like an innocent, polite guy on the outside, while Sebastian gave off bad-boy, don’t-mess-with-me vibes.
Why am I comparing them again?

“Because… I think you know the scammer.”

David’s expression shifted. “Wait, are you accusing me of being friends with a con artist now?”

I exhaled sharply. “Let me finish before jumping to conclusions.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender, giving me the floor.

“Here. Look at this,” I said, pushing my phone toward him. “Look closely at the girl next to your ex in this picture. Do you know who she is?”

David took my phone and stared at the photo. His brows knitted as he seemed to focus and recall something.

“Where’d you get this photo?” he asked, sounding surprised.

“That’s not important. Let’s just say someone who knows you gave it to me. Just answer my question,” I dodged, even though I had no idea who sent it to Amelie. I had to lie—everyone’s safety depended on it.

David grinned with a slight smirk, dimples on full display. “Wow, so you came for help but you’ve already been digging up info about me?”

I almost burst out laughing. Unbelievable! This guy was not only arrogant, he was also completely full of himself.

Stay calm, El. Don’t let him get to you.

“Can you just answer the question already? No need for small talk. I’m *not* interested in your life.”

David chuckled. “Okay, okay, don’t get mad. Relax. You’re scary when you're mad.” He tapped the phone again. “Honestly? I don’t really remember when this photo was taken. Probably a few months ago. That girl you’re pointing at... she’s one of my ex’s friends.”

“You know her, right? You *do* know her?” I interrupted, then immediately realized I’d cut him off. “Sorry, that was rude.”

He tilted his head thoughtfully. “Her name… I think it was Cassie? Or Sylviana maybe?”

I smiled in satisfaction. Bingo. That was Sylvia.

“Sylvia. Her name is Sylvia. You're right,” I said.

David gave me a puzzled look. “You know, you actually look really pretty when you smile. Why don’t you smile more often?”

I instantly wiped the smile off my face. No way was I letting him think I was smiling *at* him.

“She’s the one who scammed me. That’s why I wanted to ask you about her.” I snatched my phone back.

David seemed deep in thought. “Scammed you… like, money?”

Just then, the waiter came back with our food, cutting the conversation short.

As we both glanced at the plates being set down, David leaned in again and added seriously, “But El… I don’t actually know her. I mean it—I don’t *personally* know Sylvia. We’ve never talked. I’ve only seen her hanging out with my ex a couple of times. That’s it.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Not even once? You’re sure?”

“I swear. Never had a conversation with her. She always looked kind of aloof, to be honest. Just because we were in the same photo doesn’t mean I knew her.”

Something about his tone was surprisingly genuine.

“Okay,” I nodded slowly. “That actually helps.”

David smirked again, grabbing a fry from the plate. “Told you this lunch would be worth it.”

As I poked at the fries on my plate, I hated to admit it—but the food smelled amazing. My stomach wasn’t even pretending anymore; it growled in approval.

I picked up a piece of steak and took a bite. Instantly, my taste buds lit up.

“Good, right?” David asked with that smug smile, clearly proud of his choice.

I nodded reluctantly. “Okay… I’ll admit. This is really good.”

David grinned, pleased with himself. “Told you. I’ve got great taste. In food and in people.”

I rolled my eyes, swallowing another bite. “Don’t ruin it.”

He laughed. “Fine, fine. I’ll shut up—for now.”

There was a short silence between us, but it wasn’t the awkward kind. Just… a pause. A breather.

I glanced at the cheesecake he ordered and sighed. “You know, I didn’t expect to be eating this well today.”

David raised a brow. “Is that your way of saying thank you?”

I smirked. “Maybe.”

He chuckled, then pointed at me with his fork. “Come on, say it properly. I wanna hear it.”

I shook my head in disbelief, then finally muttered, “Okay. Thank you. For the food.”

David leaned back in his seat like he’d just won a prize. “There it is! You’re welcome. And don’t worry—I won’t make you pay me back.”

“I wasn’t planning to,” I said flatly, but the corner of my lips tugged upward just a little.

“See? You do have a sense of humor,” he teased.

I rolled my eyes again, but this time… I wasn’t annoyed.

***