Eric walked down the steps of the faculty building after class. His white shirt had begun to fade, and the knees of his jeans were visibly worn. Even so, his clothes were clean and neatly pressed. Amid the sea of students dressed in designer brands, he stood out like someone who didn’t belong. “Psst… look, Issa. Your ex is walking by.” Christine nudged Issabel’s arm with a mischievous smile. Issabel, who was standing with Christine and Xavia, immediately turned her head. The moment she spotted Eric, her expression turned cold. “Forget it. I don’t want to talk about him anymore.” Christine chuckled. “It’s funny, isn’t it? You used to be crazy about him. Now you look disgusted just seeing his face.” Issabel’s jaw tightened. Three years ago, during freshman orientation, she had been the one to fall for Eric first. His quiet, composed demeanor had captivated her. In fact, Issabel herself had begged him to turn their friendship into something more. But everything chang

The following day, the police came to take Eric’s statement about the attack. They asked several questions, but most merely covered information that had already been circulating since the previous night. From the way they conducted the interview, Eric could tell their visit was little more than a formality. Not long after the police left, the vice rector of Astraea Velora University arrived with several people. He explained the findings of the university’s internal investigation. Any students proven to have been involved would face disciplinary action in accordance with university regulations. The university also provided compensation to cover Eric’s treatment and recovery. Before leaving, the vice rector asked Eric not to take the matter any further. In return, the university promised to give him special consideration and ensure that he could complete his studies without difficulty. Eric understood what he meant. Astraea Velora University was not an institution he could take on

At Trinity Hospital, the two men were still seated beside Eric’s bed. Some time passed before the younger man finally spoke. “The longer I look at him, the more he reminds me of his father.” The old man beside him did not answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on Eric’s face. A few seconds later, the corners of his lips slowly lifted. “They do look alike, but his father wasn’t this handsome.” The younger man chuckled. “You finally admit it, Uncle.” He studied Eric’s face again. “I think he takes after his mother more. He has his father’s nose, but definitely not his eyes.” The old man nodded slowly. “It’s a good thing he looks more like his mother.” He smiled. “If he looked too much like John… I’d have trouble telling them apart.” The younger man laughed softly. Eric kept his eyes closed. He had never actually fallen asleep after the two men entered. He could hear every word they said. John. That name had come up several times in their conversation. The two men co

Eric and Xavia’s eyes met again. They exchanged small nods. Noah looked at Xavia. “Miss Xavia, I owe you my thanks for everything you’ve done for Eric.” Xavia paused before shaking her head. “I haven’t done much.” Noah did not argue. He simply nodded once before lifting his teacup. “All right. Let’s put our curiosity aside for now and eat. We’ll still have the rest of the evening to talk.” Yarta was the first to nod. Eric sat back down, while Xavia slowly drew her gaze away from his face. Only after Noah picked up his spoon did the others follow. Dinner eventually came to an end in a much calmer atmosphere. The servants began clearing the table as Noah placed his napkin beside his plate. No one stood immediately. Yarta glanced at Noah several times, seemingly waiting for his old friend to resume their conversation. Instead, Noah turned to Eric. “Eric, show Miss Xavia around the mansion. There are still plenty of places you haven’t seen yourself.” Eric nodded. “All righ

The more Eric thought about it, the clearer the answer became. The corners of his lips slowly lifted. He raised his teacup and thought to himself. ‘Grandpa… so you’ve already made your move.’ Their conversation continued into the afternoon. As Andreas and Dominic were preparing to leave, Robert arrived with several gift boxes. The two exchanged a glance before accepting them. “If we get gifts every time we come over, we’ll feel bad about visiting too often,” Andreas said with a laugh. Dominic immediately hugged his gift box to his chest. “If you feel bad, I’ll just come more often instead.” All three laughed. A little later, Andreas and Dominic said their goodbyes. After seeing them to the front of the mansion, Eric headed straight to Robert’s study. The middle-aged man immediately stood when Eric entered. “Is there something I can help you with, sir?” Eric sat down. “Where’s Grandpa? I haven’t seen him all day.” “Mr. Brown is visiting several families,” Robert replied