Chapter 7

With that, Sebastian helped the shaken Maureen to her feet and turned to leave, leaving Leona in the increasingly cold water, who was slowly losing all her strength.

When Leona finally regained consciousness, she found herself staring at the sterile white ceiling of a hospital room.

A few classmates were gathered around her bed. They were visibly relieved when they saw her awake. "Leona, you're awake! Thank goodness! You scared us to death!"

It turned out that those classmates had happened to pass by the lake and saw her unconscious body being washed ashore. They quickly called for help and got her to the hospital.

"We tried calling your parents, but the call didn't go through... So we, um, we took the liberty of calling Sebastian…" one of the classmates explained awkwardly.

Another added, his tone tinged with disbelief and anger, "We told him you were in the hospital and asked him to come. But he said that you two had broken up, and you have nothing to do with him!"

Leona quietly listened, her expression unreadable. When she heard the words "nothing to do with him," a faint, almost imperceptible sneer tugged at her lips.

Look at that. That was the very same guy she had loved for so many years.

When he didn't love her anymore, his heart was harder than the rocks at the bottom of the lake.

Her classmates saw the look on her face and felt both uncomfortable and sorry for her. They began offering words of comfort.

Leona propped herself up and gave them a reassuring smile.

"Sebastian's right. We've broken up. From now on, I don't have anything to do with him," she said softly.

Her classmates exchanged uneasy glances, still not believing it. "How is that possible? Didn't you two make plans to go to Northsea University together?"

Leona lowered her gaze and quietly replied, "No, he and Maureen are going to Northsea University. I applied to…"

Before she could finish, the door to the room was suddenly flung open.

Leona's parents rushed in, their faces full of worry. "Nana! What happened? How did you fall into the lake? You scared us half to death!"

Her parents surrounded her, asking about her condition and making sure she was okay. Leona reassured them, but her mind wandered.

In a daze, she thought she saw a familiar tall figure by the door, wearing that black jacket she knew so well.

But when she looked again, the doorway was empty, and the only people passing by were medical staff and patients.

After confirming that Leona was fine, her parents completed the discharge paperwork.

Leona thanked her classmates and bade them goodbye.

For the next week, Leona focused on resting at home while she connected with a senior from Southsea University in her new student group chat, learning about the campus as well as booking her flight.

Her parents, watching her busy, seemed hesitant but eventually spoke up. "Nana, Sebastian's family is holding a celebration party for his college admission, and they've invited our family. What do you think?"

Leona stopped packing for a moment, then nodded quietly. "Okay, I'll go."

On the day of the party, Leona and her parents arrived on time with their gifts.

When she saw Sebastian, they merely nodded at each other without exchanging a single word.

Their parents immediately noticed the awkwardness and assumed their kids must have had some kind of disagreement.

Trying to smooth things over, Sebastian's mother, Olivia Walters, grabbed Leona's hand and laughed. "Nana, come over and sit here. Seb's just a little obstinate. You two will be going to university together soon, so make sure to be more considerate of each other, okay?"

Henry Kane, Sebastian's father, also patted Sebastian on the shoulder. "You should give in to Nana."

Sebastian silently stood to the side, his expression as cold as ever. He didn't even glance at Leona.

Leona took a deep breath, about to tell them she and Sebastian had broken up, when suddenly, the door opened with a commotion.

Holding a huge bouquet of bright sunflowers, Maureen walked in looking gorgeous and radiant. She greeted Henry and Olivia politely. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Kane! Sebastian, I've come to congratulate you!"

As soon as Sebastian saw Maureen, his cold expression melted away, and his eyes softened. Without waiting for a response from his parents, he naturally said, "You're here. Come in."

He completely ignored Leona and her parents, walking straight past them as he led Maureen in.

Henry's and Olivia's smiles turned awkward as they quickly ushered Leona's family inside. "Oh, come in, come in, please sit…"

The entire evening, Leona's parents couldn't take their eyes off Sebastian and Maureen.

They watched how Sebastian served Maureen food, how he drank on her behalf when others offered her, and how they whispered intimately to each other.

Gradually, their expressions shifted from confusion to understanding, and then to a deep sorrow for their daughter.

When Leona went to the restroom, her parents pulled her aside. Her mother, Teresa Burton, whispered, "Nana, tell me honestly, what's going on with you and Sebastian? Is he deliberately trying to make you jealous with that girl? You two have been childhood sweethearts for so long. Don't let something insignificant get between you."

Leona thought about the countless breakups and reconciliations over the years. Each time they briefly made up, it was always followed by him becoming even more hurtful toward her.

She shook her head, her voice tired but resolute. "Mom, this isn't something insignificant. I'm really ending things with him for good."

Then, she took a deep breath and finally revealed the decision she had kept buried for so long. "Actually, I changed my college application. I'm not going to Northsea University. I'm going to Southsea University."

Her parents were shocked, unable to speak as they stared at her.

Southsea University? That was a thousand miles away from Northsea University!

Before they could say anything, a loud gasp followed by a sudden crash echoed through the center of the hall.