Chapter 4

Early the next morning, Vincent made a quick trip to his university campus. It was nearing the end of the semester, and he'd be graduating soon. There weren't many classes he needed to attend now. He'd made the trip to get a few things.

The moment he stepped through the doors of the academic building, he heard someone calling his name.

"Vince! Over here!"

Without even turning around, Vincent knew who it was—Tristan Murray.

Although they'd already talked online yesterday, this was the first time Vincent was seeing Tristan face-to-face following his rebirth. He couldn't help feeling a little emotional.

After turning toward Tristan, he froze for a moment.

Following his imprisonment in his previous life, Tristan was the only one who stuck by him. Even when his own family had avoided him like the plague, Tristan ran around trying to find a lawyer who could get him out.

"Why are you staring like that, Vince? I'm starting to get embarrassed. We're both straight, aren't we? Don't act like you've fallen in love with me," Tristan teased.

Vincent laughed. A warm feeling spread through his chest, though his tongue remained sharp. "Get over yourself, will you? I'd never be interested in you."

The two headed up the building together.

Suddenly, Tristan produced an envelope from his pocket and held it out with a mysterious smile.

"Remember our agreement? We said we'd go abroad and make something of ourselves together. Well, check this out. It's an invitation to join the top game design institute in Mendoria, and we both get one. Aren't I the greatest friend ever?"

Vincent accepted the envelope, which also contained an application form to fill out. A wave of emotion surged through him as he ran his fingers over the familiar logo.

In his previous life, he had voluntarily given up this opportunity because he wanted to stay with Samara. What a shame that had been.

"Thanks, buddy." Vincent clutched the envelope, his gaze determined.

This time, he wasn't going to let this chance slip by.

Grinning smugly, Tristan said, "I knew you'd say that."

Vincent chuckled. Heading abroad for his studies would not only make up for one of his greatest regrets from his previous life but would also put some distance between him and the people he didn't want to see. He'd be killing two birds with one stone.

"By the way, I've already started looking into the Jensen family's situation. I'll let you know as soon as I get the information," Tristan said, changing the subject.

Neither one of them brought up the email and messages they exchanged yesterday.

The two of them had become friends because of a game, and they had spent years pursuing the career they both loved.

Vincent was highly talented and hardworking as well. He had long since made a name for himself in the game industry. However, since he kept a low profile, no one besides Tristan knew his true identity.

Meanwhile, Tristan served as his strategist. He handled all the communication while Vincent focused on the technical side. The two formed a perfect partnership.

In his previous life, Vincent had used his secret identity to solve countless problems for Samara behind the scenes. Thinking about it now, he found his behavior then utterly absurd.

By the time Vincent and Tristan parted ways, the sky had already turned dark. Vincent still had the application form in hand and was inwardly contemplating how to bring it up with Walt.

Just as he reached the school gates, a familiar black sedan suddenly pulled up in front of him. His heart lurched.

Wasn't that Samara's car?

Just as he turned to leave, a door opened, and the driver stepped out to respectfully escort him into the car.

"This way, please, Mr. Harper."

Vincent had no choice but to approach the car. He immediately spotted Samara sitting in the back seat. He was busy trying to come up with an excuse to leave when she grabbed his arm and yanked him right into the car.

The door closed, and the lock fell. He was now stuck.

Samara had a strange look in her eyes as she looked at Vincent. She abruptly said, "I missed you."

The words exploded in Vincent's ears, making him agitated. She was so close to him, and the memories of the past came flooding back, suffocating him.

He clutched the application form, the paper crinkling loudly in the silence of the car.

Samara finally noticed the document in his hand, and her eyes immediately sharpened.

"You want to go abroad?"

Vincent never felt as pressured as he did now. He lifted his eyes to meet her confronting gaze. Despite his uneasiness, he firmly nodded. "Yes. I plan on going abroad."

Saying those words gave him a sense of relief, but at the same time, he keenly sensed the brewing storm.

Samara's expression darkened instantly. Anger churned in her eyes, but she didn't blow up right away. She fully understood that she'd made some grave mistakes in their previous life—and the pain she'd inflicted on him as a result.

Now that she had a chance to start over, she wasn't going to let Vincent leave her sight.

"I won't let you go."

She suddenly closed the distance between them and grabbed him by the neck with both hands, pulling him close. Without a moment's hesitation, she leaned in to press her lips against his.