Chapter 2Years Gone By

"Sienna?! Oh my god, Cade, how many powerful people do you know that I don't?"

"First Sienna, now Seraphina... but..." She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "I heard Seraphina has someone she loves."

"But he disappeared, and she's been searching for him for years, turning the city upside down. I remember hearing his last name was... Grant. What a coincidence, Cade, your original last name was Grant too!"

I dropped my gaze, cutting off her fantasy. "Don't get any ideas. There are a lot of people with that name."

"So, are you going to her birthday party tomorrow?"

"No."

She looked disappointed but seemed more fascinated by my connections.

A chilly autumn wind rustled, sending fallen leaves skittering across the pavement. I pulled my coat tighter, my hand instinctively going to my neck, which suddenly felt cold.

Under Penny's relentless questioning, I finally unsealed the past I had deliberately buried deep in my heart.

"I had a crush on Seraphina Sinclair. Back when I was a boy."

"It was a complete and utter failure."

On the first day of university, during introductions, student after student went on stage, confidently sharing their hobbies and dreams.

When my turn came, I felt a wave of shame.

My family was poor. My mother died in childbirth. My father raised us alone. When I was a sophomore in high school, he was diagnosed with cancer. My older sister, Clara, dropped out of school to work and pay for his treatment, but the mountain of medical bills was still crushing us.

When I stepped on stage, my palms were sweating. My stammering introduction made the other students laugh.

"Where did this hick come from? Is he actually wearing a floral shirt? That's so out of style. Hasn't he ever heard of fashion?"

"I saw him on move-in day. His family seemed really poor. Two of the wheels on his suitcase were broken, but he couldn't even afford a new one..."

"He can't even introduce himself properly. Get him off the stage already, he's wasting our time!"

I stood there helplessly, clutching the hem of my shirt, my face burning. My dad and sister had taken me shopping for this shirt before I left for school. I told them it was too expensive, but my dad just smiled and paid. "Don't worry about the money. Wear something nice on your first day. Make a good impression."

It wasn't cheap—almost two hundred dollars, half of my living expenses for a month.

Humiliated, I turned to leave the stage when a clear voice cut through the chatter.

"Who said it's ugly? I think it looks good."

Everyone fell silent. I followed the voice and saw her. Seraphina Sinclair, leaning back in her chair with a lazy confidence, chewing gum. As she spoke, her eyes were fixed on me.

In that moment, the world seemed to fade to grey. All I could see were her bright eyes and the slight smile on her lips.

Penny nodded thoughtfully, shaking my arm with excitement. "So that's when you started crushing on her? A beautiful girl defending you when you were in trouble... I would've fallen for her too."

I took a calm sip of tea.

Actually, no.

My real connection with Seraphina began during winter break. I was working at a car wash to earn tuition money when the sound of an argument grew louder. A car screeched to a halt in front of the shop.

A meticulously wrapped bouquet of flowers was thrown from the window, landing squarely on my head as I bent over to adjust a machine.

"Seraphina, what's with the attitude? I came back to make things right with you, and this is how you treat me?"

Seraphina's dismissive laugh floated out. "Wyatt, I picked you up from the airport so your parents wouldn't lose face. What makes you think I was waiting for you to come back?"

"We promised we'd go to an Ivy League school together, but you left for Europe without a word. You have the right to chase your dreams, so don't I have the right to chase love?"

Wyatt scoffed. "Love? Don't tell me the great Seraphina Sinclair has fallen for someone else."

Seraphina turned her head, and her gaze met mine as I rubbed my sore head.

She smiled suddenly. "You thought I couldn't live without you?"

"Wyatt, let me tell you something. From now on, I can be with anyone but you."

With that, she got out of the car, pulled a black velvet box from her pocket, and tossed it to me. "It's yours."

Wyatt was so angry he was on the verge of tears. "The little brother washing cars on the side of the road? Him too?"

Seraphina's reply was flippant. "Yes."

Wyatt got out of the car, his eyes red, and disappeared into the crowded street. He didn't look back, so he didn't see Seraphina's gaze linger on his retreating back.

From that day on, I became Seraphina's little follower.

She was paying me to be part of her act. As long as I played my part well, the money was good.