Soon, the signature five-course meal of the five-star restaurant was placed in front of Rose.
The table was soon filled with mouthwatering dishes ranging from their famous hamburger, creamy macaroni generously garnished with shrimps, richly prepared jollof rice, perfectly roasted chicken, crispy fries, fresh salad, and several other delicacies, all accompanied by the restaurant’s signature drink.
“Your order has been served, ma’am. Please enjoy your meal,” the waitress who had taken Rose’s order earlier said politely, a warm smile remaining on her face as she offered a slight respectful bow before stepping aside.
Rose had purposely chosen a seat by the large window.
Her back was facing the other students dining inside the restaurant, giving her enough privacy to eat peacefully.
However, from where she sat, she had a perfect view of the entrance.
She could easily see anyone who walked into the restaurant, and they could also spot her if they looked in her direction.
Thankfully, because of the angle of the table and the window, no one could actually see the mountain of food arranged before her unless they came close.
“Time to dive in,” Rose murmured under her breath with a satisfied smile as she picked up her fork, eager to taste the creamy shrimp pasta first.
Just as she was about to take her first bite, her eyes instinctively drifted toward the entrance.
The smile on her face vanished instantly.
Walking through the entrance was none other than William… her ex fiancé.
Beside him walked a beautiful young woman with curly blonde hair.
Rose narrowed her eyes.
That must be Emily…
She immediately recognized the girl from the picture the academy had shown her earlier.
Emily… her assigned roommate.
That bastard, Rose cursed inwardly, her appetite momentarily disappearing.
She was about to tear her gaze away and pretend she hadn’t seen either of them when Emily suddenly looked in her direction.
Their eyes met.
Emily’s face immediately lit up with recognition.
“Fuck…” Rose muttered beneath her breath.
There was no escaping now.
Both Emily and William changed directions and began walking straight toward her table.
A few moments later, they stopped directly in front of her.
“Rose Hart?” Emily greeted cheerfully, extending her hand with a bright smile.
“I’m Emily. It’s nice finally meeting you.”
Rose hesitated for only a brief second before politely accepting the handshake.
“Nice meeting you too,” she replied calmly, although her expression remained unreadable.
I wonder what the hell she’s doing with William, Rose thought silently.
One thing I know for sure is that anyone associated with William is rarely a good person.
Emily glanced between Rose and William before speaking again.
“So… you two were engaged before?”
Of all the topics…
This was the one she never wanted to discuss ever again.
“We were engaged,” William answered before Rose could open her mouth.
Pride and arrogance dripped from his voice as he folded his arms across his chest.
“But not anymore. I’m now engaged to the real heiress of the Hart family.”
He glanced down at Rose with obvious disdain.
“She’s no longer part of the Hart family.”
Emily slowly nodded before looking Rose over from head to toe.
“Honestly, she never looked worthy of you anyway,” Emily remarked with a shrug.
“It’s obvious she’s rather crude.”
Her eyes shifted toward the table.
“Just look at how much food she ordered.”
A faint scoff escaped her lips.
“Thankfully, the real daughter of the Hart family has returned. Otherwise, you would’ve continued dealing with… this.”
Rose simply stared at the two of them without uttering a single word.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the fork she was holding.
For a brief moment, she genuinely considered standing up and throwing the creamy macaroni straight into William’s face.
But…
She resisted.
Neither of them deserved that much of her attention and besides she was starving.
She needed to eat.
Without waiting for a response, Emily smiled smugly before turning around.
“Let’s go, William.”
William shot Rose one final look before following after Emily.
The two soon disappeared deeper into the restaurant.
“That bastard…” Rose muttered beneath her breath with a cold scoff once they were gone.
“I’m more than happy not to be your fiancée anymore. You only get to be Ava fiancee because you both spent your heat cycle together.”
Trying to force herself to forget the unpleasant encounter, she picked up one of the roasted chicken laps and took a large bite.
The meat was unbelievably juicy.
As she looked at how tender and perfectly cooked the chicken was, another completely unrelated thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
I’m pretty sure your bedroom performance isn’t anywhere close to Dylan’s…
Rose froze.
Her eyes widened.
“…Fuck!”
Without thinking, she slapped both of her cheeks loudly.
Smack!
The sharp sound echoed across part of the restaurant.
A few nearby diners instinctively turned their heads.
Realizing what she had just done, Rose immediately lowered her head and pretended to be busy eating.
What the hell is wrong with me? she screamed inwardly.
How could I even think about something like that?!
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
Can he just break off the engagement already?!
Rose silently cried inside as she grabbed her phone from the table.
She quickly opened the engagement application.
Her eyes scanned the list.
She was matched with ten men but six had already terminated their engagements.
Only four names remained.
Prince Dylan…
…and the remaining three partners.
Rose let out a long, frustrated sigh.
Why haven’t they broken theirs yet?
Did they forget?
Or are they deliberately refusing to sign?
“It’s perfectly normal for a woman to have multiple partners before choosing a husband in this kingdom,” Rose reminded herself inwardly.
“But I’m not interested in any of that.”
“I don’t even want to get married.”
“Can they all just disappear already?”
“I’ve already signed my own cancellation.”
“The remaining signatures have to come from them before the engagements can officially become invalid.”
“So why are they taking so long?”
Deciding not to let unnecessary people ruin such an expensive meal, Rose pushed every troubling thought to the back of her mind and continued eating.
She enjoyed every single dish placed before her, occasionally taking small sips from the restaurant’s signature drink until her stomach was completely full.
Even then, there was still plenty of food left.
A few minutes later, the waitress returned with the bill neatly placed inside a small leather folder.
Rose glanced at the total without the slightest change in expression.
She calmly brought out her card and cleared the bill immediately.
The waitress smiled brightly after confirming the payment.
“Thank you very much for dining with us, Miss Hart.”
Rose gave a small nod before gesturing toward the untouched leftovers.
“Could you please help me pack the remaining food?” she requested politely.
“I’d like to store it in the refrigerator later. It would be a waste to throw away perfectly good food.”
“Certainly, ma’am,” the waitress replied with another respectful bow.
“I’ll have everything packed for you right away.”
With that, she carefully gathered the remaining dishes and headed toward the kitchen.
The moment the waitress disappeared from sight, Rose slowly rose to her feet.
She picked up her phone from the table before calmly making her way toward the table where Emily and William were seated.