Chapter 13
Lily Whitmore stood not far away in a white dress, delicate and fragile as ever.
But she wasn’t Scarlett.
Before Sebastian could fully process his disappointment, Lily had already thrown herself into his arms.
He stiffened-barely perceptible, but there.
With practiced ease, he pushed her back gently, his tone cool and politely distant. “What are you doing here?”
Lily looked up at him, eyes full of hope. “I asked your assistant for your flight schedule. I wanted to make sure to be here
the moment you landed.”
She bit her lip, eyes shimmering with forced grievance. “Sebastian, are you… not happy to see me?”
“No,” he said as he adjusted his cufflinks, stepping away from her touch. “But the wind’s strong tonight. You shouldn’t be
out in this condition.”
“The treatment team you arranged did wonders,” she said, twirling in place. The hem of her dress fluttered like white
petals.
She reached for his sleeve. “If you’re not too busy… will you come with me somewhere? I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”
Sebastian glanced at his watch.
Scarlett hadn’t come to pick him up. She was probably still mad.
The pearl necklace clearly hadn’t been enough. He’d have to try harder.
That Napoleon cake from her favorite patisserie. The newest limited-edition bag. Maybe even-
“Sebastian?” Lily’s voice broke his thoughts.
He gave a nod to his assistant, murmured a few instructions under his breath, and followed her to the car.
Outside the window, the city blurred past, but Sebastian wasn’t paying attention. His thumb absently rubbed the screen of
his phone.
Scarlett’s last message was still just that transfer. Not a word. Not even a punctuation mark.
The car stopped in front of a luxury hotel.
Sebastian frowned. “Why are we here?”
Lily smiled and said nothing, pulling him toward the entrance.
When the banquet hall doors opened, he stopped in his tracks.
The crystal chandeliers sparkled blindingly above. The entire venue had been transformed into a romantic confession
scene-
A champagne tower. Rose petals. Heart-shaped balloons.
Guests in evening gowns turned as he entered, their eyes flickering with curious excitement.
13.00
Then the screen lit up.
Photo after photo:
-In the library, Sebastian leaned over to explain a textbook to Lily, sunlight soft across his face.
-In the rain, he held an umbrella tilted toward her, letting the storm soak his own shoulder.
-On graduation day, the rare smile on his lips as he stood beside her.
Each photo was candid. But looked unmistakably intimate.
Lily walked onto the stage, face flushed. Her voice trembled slightly with nerves. “Sebastian… do you remember the first
time we met?”
“I was feeding a stray cat under the cherry blossom tree… and you stood there watching for the longest time…”
Sebastian’s expression didn’t change.
Of course he remembered.
He had just been thinking about which girl to use as a shield to avoid the constant confessions.
“You only ever took water from my hands… only looked at me during your speeches…” Lily continued, her cheeks pink.
“Everyone said we were perfect together. And… I always liked you too.”
Gasps swept through the room.
Guests whispered excitedly-
“She’s so bold! Confessing to Mr. Reed in public…”
“She must be confident he likes her too. Otherwise, no one would dare.”
“I mean, he’s always doted on her. If she becomes Mrs. Reed, we’d better stay close…”
Lily inhaled, summoning her courage. “I was going to confess after graduation, but then the accident happened… All
these years, you’ve taken such good care of me. I know there’s something between us.”
Sebastian’s eyes turned cold.
So it wasn’t just his assistant. Everyone had misunderstood. Even Lily.
She took out a small velvet box from her pocket, voice trembling with emotion.
“So tonight… I want to ask you-”
She never finished. Sebastian had already stepped onto the stage.
The room fell silent. All eyes turned to the man whose presence seemed to shift the atmosphere with every breath.
He stood in front of Lily, calm and terrifyingly composed. “I’m sorry, Lily.”
“I can give you almost anything,” he said, looking directly into her eyes, “but not this.”
“I don’t love you.”
Chapter 13
10.000.
