"So you do rember." Sebastian Forrest gently tapped the tip of my nose. "You little ingrate. You just tossed that box of chocolates because you couldn’t give it to the person it was ant for, didn’t you?"
His words hit the nail on the head, and my cheeks flushed.
"It’s because I heard you weren’t going ho for the New Year, so I... I..."
Sebastian Forrest finished my sentence. "So you took pity on and gave them to as a charity case, right?"
"That’s not it at all!"
"Yes, it is!" Sebastian Forrest huffed, though his voice was laced with a hint of a smile. "And to think I actually believed you’d finally seen the light, realized what a scumbag Theodore Grant was, and wanted to jump into my arms instead..."
Hearing him joke about it, I knew he was just teasing and wasn’t actually trying to dredge up the past.
"Even if I did give you the chocolates on a whim, what does that have to do with Lena Leighton?" I asked, looking at him curiously.
Sebastian Forrest didn’t keep in suspense. "It was Valentine’s Day, wasn’t it? You gave chocolates, so I felt I had to give you sothing in return. I went to a flower shop and bought you a bouquet, thinking I’d give it to you. A proper exchange..."
I watched him, my eyes fixed on his face. A bitter smile touched his lips as he continued, "But when I got back with the flowers and was about to ask you to co downstairs, I saw you trailing after Theodore Grant, chattering and laughing with him..."
I let out a dry laugh, rembering that day all too well.
That Valentine’s Day, I hadn’t thought Theodore Grant would co to campus, so I’d casually given the chocolates to Sebastian Forrest. Worried he’d get the wrong idea, I even specifically told him I was on a diet and couldn’t eat them, so I needed his help to finish them off.
I thought that would prevent any misunderstanding.
But I never expected—
Sebastian Forrest had misunderstood anyway.
And then, later, Theodore Grant had suddenly shown up at school...
"So what happened then?" Afraid he would start raking up old coals, I quickly changed the subject. "Don’t tell you turned around and gave that bouquet to Lena Leighton?"
’So that must be what happened.’
’First, Sebastian Forrest misunderstood my intentions. Then, Lena Leighton must have misunderstood his, thinking the flowers were for her.’
’That’s how the rumor started.’
"What are you thinking? , give her flowers? As if."
"Huh?" I was taken aback. "So you didn’t give her the flowers?"
"Of course not."
Now I was completely baffled.
"Then how..."
Sebastian Forrest pressed his lips together. "I don’t really know, either. I just tossed the bouquet into a trash can. But later, the rumor started that I had given flowers to Lena Leighton... I guess she must have fished them out of the trash?"
"..."
I was torn between laughter and exasperation. How could he even guess sothing like that?
Back then, Lena Leighton was the campus belle.
On Valentine’s Day, she probably received enough gifts to fill a sack.
Why would she do sothing like digging a bouquet out of a trash can?
As if sensing my disbelief, Sebastian Forrest frowned. "Then you tell . Why did the bouquet I threw in the trash end up in Lena Leighton’s hands? If she didn’t dig it out, who else could it have been?"
"Couldn’t it have been so other guy who picked it up and decided to regift it?" I offered another possibility.
But Sebastian Forrest clearly wasn’t interested in any of this, nor did he care what the truth was. "I don’t care who dug it out of the trash. The point is, Lena Leighton and I have absolutely nothing to do with each other."
"But have you ever spoken to her?"
"No." Sebastian Forrest leaned closer to . "Back then, you were the only one I wanted to talk to."
His sudden sweet-talk made the tips of my ears burn. I quickly pushed his shoulder away. "Be serious!"
"I am being serious."
I ignored him and frowned slightly. "In that case, it’s even weirder..."
"What’s weird?"
"Do you rember what Lena Leighton called you just now?"
At my words, Sebastian Forrest frowned as well, clearly understanding what I ant. "That is suspicious."
The way she said his na, "Sebastian"... only soone intimately close would call him that.
So far, besides his parents and elders, I hadn’t heard anyone else address him with such familiarity...
Even Claire Miller, who grew up with him, just calls him Sebastian, plain and simple.
"Looks like this woman is bad news," Sebastian Forrest said with a frown.
I nodded in agreent, a sense of worry blooming in my heart.
Even if Lena Leighton was a famous actress, both at ho and abroad, she was still just an actress. She couldn’t possibly make any big waves in front of Sebastian Forrest, at least.
So, she must just be a pawn being pushed forward by soone else.
But who was the person behind Lena Leighton?
What were they trying to do?
Right now, we knew nothing.
Not to ntion, Sebastian Forrest had just had a falling-out with his father, effectively cutting ties with the Forrest Family. His situation was already precarious. If another unknown enemy appeared...
"I haven’t heard you say it yet..."
Just as I was sinking into worry, Sebastian Forrest suddenly poked , a grin playing on his lips. "Why don’t you say it and let hear?"
"Huh?" For a mont, I didn’t register what he ant. "Say what?"
"Call Sebastian."
"..."
’First he wanted to call him ’hubby,’ and now ’Sebastian.’ I was torn between laughter and exasperation. The Sebastian Forrest before was poles apart from the rebellious, aloof, and dignified "prince" of the Kington Circle I rembered!’
"Stop ssing around..."
"I’m not ssing around." The smile on Sebastian Forrest’s face deepened. "Go on, hurry up and let hear you say it."
Just then, a tily phone call ca to my rescue.
I quickly pushed away Sebastian Forrest’s advancing handso face and stood up, my cheeks red. "I have to take this call."
The call was from the psychiatric hospital.
It was about my brother, so of course I had to answer.
"Hello, is this Miss Joyce?"
"Yes, it is." I nodded quickly, then imdiately asked, "Dr. Donovan, has sothing happened to my brother?"
"Don’t worry, Miss Joyce, your brother is fine. In fact, he even ntioned your na today..."
My face lit up. "My brother rembers ?"
"It seems so, but..." The doctor’s tone shifted. "There is sothing a bit unusual that I feel I should discuss with you..."
My heart tightened. "What is it?"
"I rember you ntioned the na ’William Westwood’ to before. I brought it up to your brother today, but he didn’t have much of a reaction. Theodore Grant, on the other hand..."
The doctor paused, as if organizing his thoughts and choosing his words carefully. "Are you sure your ex-husband and your brother don’t have so kind of grudge between them?"
His question made a little uncertain.
But just a while ago, my brother had been desperately trying to convince to get back together with Theodore Grant. Logically, their relationship shouldn’t be that bad...
’A grudge?’
’That’s impossible.’
With that thought, I nodded. "Yes, Dr. Donovan, I’m sure."
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