His Unveiled Passion

Quentin invited them to dine at a well-known restaurant that evening.

The restaurant could be found within a classic Orkfordian garden.

Unevenly-shaped stones seemed to stretch on forever, paving the way to the restaurant.

Exquisitely carved gazebos were artfully scattered throughout the courtyard. In the middle of the garden, there was a lake that was a lush shade of green, and white water lilies floated on its surface.

Occasionally, one could see fish swimming between the stems, causing ripples on the water's calm surface. There was an elegant-looking stone bridge spanning across the pond.

It was already dusk by the time they arrived at the restaurant.

The dying sunlight bathed the entire courtyard in a golden glow, its light painting the garden in various shades of warm colors.

"You've outdone yourself, Quentin. This place is absolutely beautiful," Sienna complimented with a smile.

Quentin replied, "My friend owns the place. It's not open to the public."

Naomi shot Quentin a cool look. "Another one of your female friends, huh?"

Quentin hastily defended himself, explaining, "Female friend? No! His name is Torin. He's a guy."

"He's returned to the country?" Henry asked.

Quentin answered, "Yeah. He started this restaurant almost immediately after he returned to the country. They offer Helodonia dishes here. It's pretty good."

They crossed the stone bridge and took a stroll down the garden, chatting as they enjoyed the scenery around them.

The garden was massive. It was an Orkfordian courtyard inspired by the gardens at Solaria. The garden was simple yet elegant, with its graceful scenery.

"You've been here? Who did you come here with?" Naomi glared at Quentin, jealousy lacing her tone.

Quentin couldn't help but smile at her tone. He loved seeing her jealous. She was so feisty and adorable that he just couldn't help himself sometimes.noveldrama

Still, he answered honestly, "I came here once with Torin. It was just us. There were no girls involved. Even the servers were men."

Naomi was pleased with his answer.

"Henry, you know Torin, too?" Naomi asked, turning to Henry. Then, she furrowed her brow and wondered aloud, "Why haven't I heard of him?"

"I do, but we aren't close. He's Quentin's friend from university. We're from the same cohort, but he wenDabroad to further his education after graduation," Henry replied.

"I see." Naomi nodded thoughtfully.

They arrived at a gazebo where several dishes had already been laid out.

"I called ahead and ordered for us. These are the house specialities. figured it'd be better if we could just dig in immediately after spending the whole day at the amusement park," Quentin elaborated.

"That's smart of you," Naomi praised as she pulled out a chair for herself and sat down.

Sienna smiled. "How thoughtful of you, Quentin."

Henry pulled a chair out for Samantha. As a result, Samantha ended up sitting next to Sienna.

Henry then made himself comfortable next to Samantha.

Stephen and Tessa sat next to each other.

Quentin remained standing as he said, "Hang on. The dishes are served, but where is Torin? Let me give him a call,"

Steam was still wafting from the dishes, so it hadn't been long since they were placed on the table.

After Quentin made the call, an unfamiliar man approached them, calling out, "Quentin!"

"Let's get the introductions out of the way. This is my classmate from university, Torin Covington. He's also the owner of this establishment," Quentin said.

Torin was about six feet tall and dressed in casual wear. He was wearing a white T-shirt paired with dark gray jeans. He had cropped his hair short, accentuating his handsome yet striking features. He looked like the typical heartthrob.

Naomi's eyes lit up. "We've got a looker here!"

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Quentin instantly cut in, "Torin, this is my girlfriend, Naomi."

Torin chuckled and teased him. "Look at you declaring your territory so quickly. Are you seriously jealous because I got one measly compliment from her?"

Quentin shrugged. "I can't help it. She's the love of my life."

He then continued to introduce Torin to Stephen, Tessa, Henry, Sienna, and Samantha before taking a seat.

They enjoyed their dinner together, chatting merrily throughout the course of their meal. Once they were done, Naomi suggested heading to the bar for a couple of drinks.

Alas, Henry spoke up. "Samantha can't drink. She has a curfew to abide by. It's getting late, so I'll have to drive her back to her dorm."