The Return Of Adrian Raines

2. Happy Anniversary

Rachel Crawford was the second-richest student on campus, her father ranking just below Charlie's in both wealth and influence. The two men had been close friends and business partners for years, making their families nearly inseparable.

Her silky blonde hair cascaded gracefully to her hips, swaying gently with every elegant step she took. Beneath perfectly shaped brows, her light blue eyes carried a quiet authority that demanded attention without a single word. Every click of her designer heels echoed through the corridor as she carried herself with the effortless poise of a queen.

The lively atmosphere that had filled the hallway moments ago seemed to vanish the instant she arrived. An invisible pressure settled over the crowd, silencing whispers as every pair of eyes turned toward her.

"What exactly is going on here, Charlie?" she asked, her calm voice carrying an unmistakable edge of anger.

Charlie licked his lower lip before flashing an amused grin. "Hey, babe. What are you doing here?"

"We already talked about this," she replied quietly, shooting him a warning glance. "I'll handle him. Step aside."

Charlie shrugged carelessly before stepping away, deliberately driving the tip of his shoe into Daniel's side one last time.

Daniel let out a quiet groan, forcing himself to endure the pain. He pushed himself upright with unsteady movements, brushing the dirt from his clothes. Yet despite standing before her, he couldn't find the courage to meet Rachel's eyes.

"...Rachel," he murmured, barely above a whisper.

A faint sigh escaped Rachel's lips. Whatever emotion had lingered on her face disappeared in an instant, replaced by a mask of complete indifference.

"Are you hurt?" She asked.

Daniel shook his head.

She had always been the only person willing to stand beside him. While the rest of the university mocked and despised him, Rachel never hesitated to defend him. She had never hidden their relationship either. Everyone on campus knew they were together because she had proudly introduced him as her boyfriend countless times, always insisting that she believed in him when no one else did.

"Good." The single word left her lips without warmth.

Something about the coldness in her voice made Daniel's stomach tighten.

Finally gathering enough courage, he looked into her eyes. "I was actually on my way to see you," he said with a small smile that failed to hide his nervousness. "I prepared something special for you, but I had to finish my shift first—"

"I'm breaking up with you." Her words sliced cleanly through his words.

Daniel froze.

For a moment, it felt as though the world around him had stopped moving. His heartbeat faltered, his breathing caught in his throat, and every thought inside his head dissolved into emptiness.

"...What?”

"You heard me." Rachel's expression remained unreadable. "Judging by the look on your face, I'd say you heard every word."

Daniel blinked repeatedly, his mind spiraling into confusion as panic slowly tightened around his chest. "But, Rach—"

He instinctively reached for her, desperate to understand what was happening.

Rachel recoiled before his fingertips could brush against her, retreating as though he were something filthy.

"Don't touch me," she said coldly. "You disgust me."

A mocking snort escaped Charlie.

Soon, the laughter of the students around them followed, echoing through the hallway.

Rachel paid them no attention.

Her gaze swept over Daniel from head to toe before she spoke again.

"Have you looked at yourself? You stink."

Daniel stared at her in disbelief.

Never— not once— had she spoken to him this way.

What changed?

He lowered his eyes to his clothes and gave a faint nod. The sticky soda soaking his shirt clung uncomfortably to his skin.

"...Right," he murmured. "I'm sorry."

He forced out an uneasy smile. "I just... I don't understand. Why are you suddenly breaking up with me? This wasn't part of the future we planned together."

Rachel let out a humorless laugh. "You don't understand?"

One perfectly shaped brow lifted as she looked at him as though he were putting on a performance.

"What a terrible liar."

She folded her arms across her chest. "You already know why. You just want to hear me say it out loud."

Her voice grew colder with every word. "Fine. Since that's what you want, I'll tell you."

She took a slow step toward him. "Let's face reality, Daniel. You're hopeless.

You're poor, surviving on one pathetic part-time job after another. If it weren't for your scholarship, you wouldn't have even stepped foot inside this university."

She paused, allowing every word to sink in before continuing.

"And somehow, despite having nothing, you still lack both pride and courage. If you're going to be poor, shouldn't you at least have something else going for you?"

Her lips curled into a mocking smile. "Or did you convince yourself that a handsome face was enough?"

She looked him straight in the eye. "You're nothing but a broke coward."

Her voice softened only slightly, though it somehow made her words even crueler. "And let's not forget... you don't even have a family."

A painful silence settled between them.

"Did you honestly think that I, Rachel Crawford —the daughter of one of the wealthiest and most respected families in the country— would lower myself enough to marry a nameless man?"

"...What?" The single word barely escaped Daniel's lips.

His heart seemed to stop beating. In all the years they had been together, Rachel had never once mocked his background.

Not once had she made him feel ashamed of not knowing where he came from.

Yet now, she had turned the deepest wound of his life into a weapon against him.

Rachel closed the remaining distance between them.

Her beautiful eyes, once filled with warmth whenever they met his, were now as empty and cold as a bottomless abyss.

"Let's be honest with each other for once, Daniel."

She looked down on him without the slightest trace of pity.

"You're nothing more than an unclaimed dog."

Something inside him shattered.

His breathing grew shallow as his mind went blank. The sting behind his eyes became unbearable, tears threatening to spill at any second.

But he refused.

He refused to let them see him cry. "...Rachel." Her name slipped from his lips in a broken whisper.

He didn't know what else to say.

Her words seeped into his heart like poison.

He had heard people call him that countless times before. But hearing it from the woman he loved more than anyone else… it hurt in a way he had never thought possible.

He searched her face one last time, desperately hoping to find even the smallest trace of the kindness he had fallen in love with.

There was nothing.

Only cold contempt stared back at him, enough to burn away the last pieces of hope he still clung to.

"Look what I found!" One of Charlie's lackeys held up an envelope with a triumphant grin.

A chorus of laughter immediately broke out around them.

He unfolded the neatly handwritten letter and cleared his throat dramatically. "'My dearest Rachel...'"

Daniel's eyes widened. "No—"

The boy ignored him and continued reading aloud. "'Ever since I met you, I always knew you would be the one to give me the peace I never knew. I thank my stars everyday for blessing me with a love as perfect as you—'"

Daniel's fists clenched. "Give that back!"

He lunged forward, but before he could reach him, Rachel strode over and snatched the letter from the student's hand.

For a brief moment, Daniel thought she was protecting it.

Instead, without the slightest hesitation, she tore it cleanly down the middle. Then again, and again.

Tiny pieces of paper fluttered through the hallway like falling snow before settling across the floor.

"...Rachel." Her name seemed to be the only thing he could make out.

It wasn't just a handwritten letter she had destroyed. She had ripped apart every sincere feeling he had poured into those pages.

Rachel remained unmoved. "What else did you hide in that little cage of yours for our anniversary?" she asked, pointing toward the janitor's closet.

Charlie flashed a grin. "You heard the lady."

His followers hurried over and rummaged through the closet.

A few moments later, they emerged carrying everything Daniel had carefully prepared.

A small vanilla cake, Rachel's favorite flavor. A bouquet of fresh flowers, and a silver necklace adorned with tiny diamonds.

Charlie picked up the necklace between two fingers before scoffing. "This thing is obviously fake."

He casually tossed it aside.

"No!" Daniel's voice rang through the hallway. "It's real!"

"Oh?"

One of Charlie's followers picked up the shopping receipt that had fallen from the gift bag.

"Looks like our poor little scholarship student actually spent some money." His eyes widened as he read the total. "One thousand dollars."

The surrounding students gasped.

Charlie narrowed his eyes at Daniel. "Where did you get that kind of money?" He stepped closer. "Did you steal it?"

Daniel remained silent.

Charlie clicked his tongue impatiently. "Huh? I'm talking to you, dog."

Before Daniel could answer, Rachel spoke. "How much did you spend altogether?"

Daniel frowned in confusion. "...What?"

She looked at the gifts one last time before letting out a quiet breath. "Actually... never mind."

She unlocked her phone and tapped across the screen for a few seconds.

Daniel's own phone vibrated almost immediately, she had sent him money. He stared at her in confusion.

"I calculated everything you've ever spent on me and doubled the amount." Her expression remained cold and detached. "Five thousand dollars is more than generous."

She slipped her phone back into her handbag. "From this moment forward, we're even."

She met his gaze one last time, her eyes devoid of warmth. "And don't ever speak to me again.”