At the mixer, nearly eighty people from both companies gathered in the spacious event hall. While enjoying the buffet spread, they mingled and tried to get to know each other.
The best thing about a buffet is that people can move around freely and the seating isn't fixed. Throughout the event, Aiden Thompson stayed close to Grace Li, always maintaining a comfortable two-to-three-meter distance.
As the investment director, Grace took advantage of this rare opportunity to sit down with a few other senior directors from BM Capital. They discussed their latest investment projects, and even chatted about the recent hit Broadway show that was making waves in New York.
Aiden Thompson, however, had zero interest in mingling with BM Capital's team. Despite that, several female employees from BM Capital approached him, trying to strike up conversations. In less than thirty minutes, three women had already asked for his contact info.
"Hi, I'm Anne, an investment manager at BM Capital. Mind if we exchange contact info? We might have some opportunities down the line," one woman said.
Aiden smiled politely and declined. "Sorry, my phone's MIA."
Anne's face fell a bit. "Oh, no worries. Maybe next time."
Ryan, sitting nearby, rolled his eyes and sarcastically muttered, "'My phone's MIA'? Dude, seriously, you gotta come up with better excuses. It's 2025, who forgets their phone?"
Aiden took a sip from his drink and shrugged. "Sometimes you need an excuse that's so ridiculous, it's almost too good to argue with."
"Yeah, sure." Ryan took a big bite of his steak and continued, "That girl was cute, though. What's your deal?"
"Not interested," Aiden said, coolly.
Ryan's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait—no interest? You're saying you're not into her? Or, like, no girl in general?"
This was a regular thing—after just a few months of knowing Aiden, Ryan had already questioned his sexuality a couple of times.
Aiden didn't even look up, instead glancing toward another table where Grace Li was talking animatedly with Henry Taylor from BM Capital.
When Grace noticed Aiden's gaze, she looked over just in time to catch his eye. Aiden gave her a slight smile. Grace's gaze immediately dropped, as if caught doing something wrong, and a strange flutter of unease crept over her.
The lunch went on until 3 p.m., and by 3:30, the much-anticipated basketball game was about to begin. Players started heading to the locker rooms to change and warm up. Some were dribbling on the court to get into the groove, while others were stretching and shouting motivational phrases to pump themselves up, just like NBA stars.
John Lewis had signed up for the game as well. After changing into his jersey, he walked out of the locker room and bumped into James Shun from Nova Capital, who was holding his jersey and walking in.
James Shun and John had worked together before, so they were somewhat familiar with each other. James Shun broke the silence first. "Hey, John. You signed up for the game too?"
John adjusted his jersey and replied casually, "Yeah, see you on the court."
James Shun raised an eyebrow. "Seriously though, what's the deal with you jumping ship to BM Capital? I was shocked to see you here."
John shrugged. "Everyone's trying to climb the career ladder. BM Capital's a great place to be."
"True that."
John suddenly looked thoughtful and asked, "By the way, I've got a question for you."
"Sure, shoot."
"Is Grace Li dating that younger guy from your company?"
James Shun raised an eyebrow, surprised. "What? You still hung up on Grace Li?"
John scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Tsk, who cares about her?"
"If you don't care about her, why you asking?" James Shun shot back.
"Just curious. What's so special about a woman like her anyway?"
James Shun frowned. "A woman like her? What do you mean by that?"
John let out a dismissive chuckle. "An ordinary woman with too much confidence. A plain Jane with an attitude." He finished adjusting his jersey and stood up. "I'm gonna warm up. Catch you later."
"Yeah, sure."
After John left, James Shun entered a nearby locker stall to change. Just then, the door of the stall next to him opened, and Aiden Thompson walked out in a black jersey. He had a neutral expression, but inside, he was seething with anger. "In New York, there's no place for that kind of disrespect," he thought, his fists clenched. His eyes glinted with barely concealed rage.
The indoor basketball court was equipped with comfortable spectator seating. Employees from Nova Capital and BM had already taken their seats, eagerly awaiting the start of the game.
As soon as Aiden Thompson stepped onto the court in his sleek black jersey, a wave of excitement rippled through the female audience, especially among the BM Capital staff.
"He's so handsome! And so tall!" one of the BM girls gushed. "I couldn't stop staring at him when we were in the cafeteria earlier."
"I heard he's an Oxford MBA. Total brainiac."
"Look at that vibe—he's definitely from a wealthy family. A textbook rich, tall, and handsome guy."
"But he's so aloof. A bunch of people tried to get his contact info today, and he shot them all down."
"Whoa, that's cold."
"Yeah, but I heard he's a kept man."
"No way! An Oxford grad being a sugar baby?"
"Word is, he's hooked up with some rich older woman."
"Ugh, of course. Hot guys like him are never available for us."
Grace Li overheard the chatter from the girls sitting nearby. Only now did she realize that a lot of people had tried hitting on Aiden Thompson earlier. As for the supposed "rich older woman" they mentioned—who could that be? Could it be Evelyn Garcia? But Evelyn had a new fling, so there's no way she and Aiden were still involved... right?
"Oh my God, he's coming this way!" one of the girls squealed.
Pulled out of her thoughts, Grace Li looked up and saw Aiden Thompson walking straight toward her. She froze for a moment. He was wearing his black jersey, which accentuated the sculpted muscles in his arms and the lean, powerful lines of his legs. His pale complexion seemed to glow against the dark fabric. Grace couldn't help but think his skin looked even better than hers. But that wasn't the point—why was he coming over here?
Aiden handed her a small bag and said, "My clothes and phone—can you hold onto these for me?"
"Sure," Grace replied, a bit flustered, taking the bag and clutching it tightly on her lap.
Some players on the court wore extra layers under their jerseys to stay warm, but Aiden was just wearing the jersey. Grace couldn't help asking, "Aren't you cold?"
"I'll warm up once I start running."
"Oh, okay."
From the side, Olivia chimed in enthusiastically, cheering him on. "Aiden, you've got this! Go Aiden! MVP! MVP!"
Aiden smirked and gave a quick reply, "Got it."
As he headed to the court, Daniel Chou, sitting not far away, glanced in their direction briefly before looking away again.
On the court, BM Capital's players stood out in their bright red jerseys, while Nova Capital's team donned sleek black uniforms. Every player was tall and well-built, but even in this crowd, Aiden Thompson was impossible to miss.
The game opened with a tip-off at center court. Aiden Thompson and John Lewis stood inside the circle, facing off. The referee, holding the ball with both hands, stood between them.
Before the jump, John Lewis rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms, glancing at Aiden with a smug expression. To him, Aiden was nothing more than a pretty boy riding on the coattails of a sugar mama. He figured there was no way this guy could even touch the ball, let alone pose a threat.
Aiden, on the other hand, stood calm and collected on his side of the circle. His lips curved into a faint smirk, and there was a subtle but unmistakable sharpness in his eyes.
The sharp blast of the referee's whistle cut through the air as the ball was tossed high. John Lewis leaped with full confidence, reaching out to swat the ball. Just as his fingers were about to brush it, Aiden, with a solid height advantage of several inches, sprang up effortlessly and swatted the ball behind John Lewis, leaving him grasping at thin air.
The crowd erupted into cheers. The chants of "Aiden! Aiden! MVP! MVP!" echoed throughout the gym. John Lewis's cocky grin was instantly replaced with a furious scowl. Gritting his teeth, he spun around, determined to block Aiden.
But Aiden was faster—and far more agile than John expected. He darted down the court, weaving effortlessly past defenders. Ignoring John's attempt to block him, Aiden pulled off a quick pivot and slipped right past him.
The ball came flying toward him, and Aiden caught it with precision. John lunged forward to steal it, but Aiden coolly executed a between-the-legs dribble, followed by a smooth spin move. Before John could react, Aiden leaped into the air and sank the ball straight through the hoop with a clean, flawless shot.
The gym erupted in applause and excited screams.
"That was amazing!"
"He's incredible!"
Even the female employees from BM Capital couldn't help swooning at Aiden's performance. They squealed and cheered, completely captivated by his fluid movements and undeniable charisma.
Nearby, some of the BM male employees grumbled under their breath.
"Whose side are you even on?"
"Oh, come on, don't be such a buzzkill. It's just a game."
"Exactly! It's a friendly match—does it really matter who scores?"
Meanwhile, Olivia was busy snapping pictures and recording videos on her phone, capturing every highlight. She turned to Grace Li, barely able to contain her excitement. "Boss, who knew Aiden was this good at basketball?"
Grace watched Aiden on the court, mesmerized. It had been years since she'd last watched a basketball game. Back in school, her roommates would drag her to watch the campus heartthrobs play. Those games were always brimming with energy—cheerleaders hyping up the crowd, fans clapping inflatable sticks, and everyone chanting encouragement. Back then, she'd feel a fleeting crush whenever a guy made a spectacular play.
But this… this was different. It wasn't just a nostalgic thrill. This was something much deeper, far more intense. Watching Aiden move across the court with such grace and confidence stirred emotions in her that she hadn't felt in years. At 30, she thought she'd outgrown this kind of fluttery, teenage infatuation. And yet, here she was, her heart racing. Aiden's magnetism was undeniable, pulling her in like nothing else ever had.