Chapter 375

Dr. Handsome: You once said that after you got your securities license, some firm would hire you as a professional trader. You even promised to help manage my investments. So, how’s all that going?

Dr. Handsome: Don’t get me wrong–I’ve been losing pretty badly lately, and I’ve finally realized I’m just not cut out for trading stocks myself. I figured it’s time to hand things over to a real pro.

After sending those messages, Jamison stared at his screen, his handsome face thoughtful.

Would this come across as too abrupt? They hadn’t spoken in ages; it made sense to have a believable reason to reach out after all this time.

He hesitated for a moment, a slight frown creasing his brow as another thought struck him. His long fingers hovered over the keyboard again.

Dr. Handsome: Haven’t seen you around lately. Not even any market analyses from you anymore. Don’t tell me you got married and decided to become a full-time housewife, dedicating your life to domestic bliss?

When Ivy finally stepped out of the bathroom, twenty minutes had passed.

She peeked into the bedroom–empty.

Where’d he go? He takes a shower and then just disappears instead of going to bed?

Her hair was still damp, which wasn’t good for her health. She grabbed the hairdryer from the dresser, sat down, and started drying her hair, deciding not to bother looking for him just yet.

Once her hair was dry, Ivy caught her reflection in the mirror.

She’d been back for a few months now, and her hair had grown a lot–thick, glossy, and jet black, making her skin look even paler by contrast.

With the new semester starting soon, she worried she might not blend in with the other students. She made a mental note to get a trim, hoping to look more like an undergrad and less like someone’s older sister.

After getting everything done, she noticed Jamison still hadn’t returned. Curious about what he was up to, she decided to go find him.

08:25

Just as she reached the bedroom door, her phone chimed.

She turned back, picked it up from the bedside table, and tapped the screen.

Junk text.

But at the top of the screen, a familiar penguin icon caught her eye.

She’d set her group chats to silent, including the “Stonks Only Go Up” chat–so if the penguin was showing a new message, it had to be a private one.

A private message…

A suspicion flashed through Ivy’s mind, and a sly smile tugged at her lips. She opened WhatsApp–sure enough, it was Dr. Handsome.

So that’s why that guy disappeared after his shower. He’d gone off somewhere, created a fake profile, and was now playing some silly role-play game with her?

Ivy snorted softly, not in any hurry to go looking for him now. Instead, she settled comfortably against the pillows, ready to have a little fun of her own and see who would outwit whom this time.

Dr. Handsome: How have you been? Haven’t seen you online in ages.

Dr. Handsome: You once said that once you passed your securities exam, you’d get hired by a firm as a professional trader. You even said you’d manage my money. How’s that going?

Dr. Handsome: Don’t take this the wrong way–I’ve just been losing a lot lately and realized I’m not cut out for this. I need a pro to handle things for me.

Dr. Handsome: You haven’t posted in ages–not even any stock picks. Did you get married and decide to retire from the game, settle down as a full-time homemaker?

Four messages in a row.

Ivy read through them, her brows drawing together in mild exasperation.

So he was still hung up on her going back to school, and now he’d gone undercover to fish for information.

Of course she was planning to take the exam–she’d never wavered on that. But taking exams, going to classes, and working at a trading firm weren’t mutually exclusive.

The year she was abducted, it had been the summer before her senior year of college. Now, returning to campus, she was simply picking up where she left off. There were only a few classes left from the first semester–next semester was practically a breeze.

No reason she couldn’t do it all.