Page 291 of In Love with a Cruel Billionaire

It rather reminded her of how Damen was, and she couldn't help smiling. This type of similarity with her brother, she would definitely welcome.

Diana:When I text you here, there's really no way anyone else would read our messages?

Matthijs:Given sufficient heads-up, not even if someone steals your phone.

Diana:In that case...I think I've got a crush on you, Professor de Graaf.

On the other side of town,the professor had just grabbed his car keys and was about to leave his place when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out, saw what she had texted, and threw the keys back on the console before heading back to the shower.

He had a boner to attend to, all thanks to his dark-haired troublemaker.

As for Diana, it wasn't until she was on her third class for the day when she noticed theNew Messageicon on her secret phone.

Matthijs:Fuck.

Diana went to her next class with a huge smile on her face, and her buoyant feelings, having spilled over to lunch, had her friends exchanging baffled looks.

"Are you alright?" Magnolia was frankly concerned. The last time she had seen Diana, the other girl had been crying her heart out. Fast forward to today, and Diana looked so blissfully happy she was in danger of floating off any second.

Diana couldn’t help feeling sheepish upon seeing Magnolia's frowning expression. "I'm sorry for worrying you guys the past few days."

Amine raised a brow."And?"

"I'm, um, okay now?" Diana had to fight back a silly grin when she saw Magnolia looking ready to strangle her. "I'mreallysorry for worrying you?" She saw Magnolia raise her hands threateningly and choked back a laugh. "I'm sorry, really sorry!" Diana clapped her hands together in a gesture of apology. "But that's all I can say."

"What do you mean that's all you can say?" Magnolia glared at her. "Youoweus an explanation, Diana Leventis."

"I—-"

Amine shook her head, a look of wry expression on her face. "Don't bother, Mags." She made a vague circular gesture towards Diana's face. "Justlookat her. It's all there."

Magnolia's blue eyes narrowed. The soft, bright light in her dark eyes, the brush of pale pink in her cheeks, and most of all, the lips that couldn't quite stop curving in a secret smile.

"You're in lust," Magnolia accused.

Amine, in the act of taking another sip of her hot soy milk, ended up sputtering instead. "Oh, for heaven's sake. She'sin love."

Magnolia wrinkled her nose in distaste. "One word:yuck."

Diana swallowed back a laugh, and seeing that the two were about to launch into their usual bickering, quickly made a move to forestall this, saying firmly, "It's neither." Her friends' heads simultaneously snapped towards her direction, so fast that Diana found herself taken aback, and she said weakly, "I'm justhappy?"

They crossed their arms over their chests, both of them wearingI'm-still-waitingexpressions on their lovely faces, and feeling obliged to elaborate, Diana said in a small voice, "There's a guy I like...and he likes me back."

One, two, three seconds passed, and then Magnolia and Amine burst into squeals and giggles, and Diana couldn't help giggling as well as the two engulfed her in big, warm hugs.

How did it start?

How do you know he likes you back?

Were you crying because you thought he didn't like you at first?

Did he hurt you? Did he grovel for you to take him back?

On and on the questions went that Diana had to throw her hands up in a pleading gesture. "Ican't.It's just...I want to keep things private for now."

"Spoilsport," Magnolia grumbled.

But Amine was looking perturbed. "He's not married, is he?"

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