Chapter 10
Jaxon’s face went deathly pale.[]
He stared at those words like he could burn a hole through the paper.]]
She knew? When did she find out?
No wonder–no wonder she’d changed schools, no wonder she’d been acting so weird![]
After a long moment, he crumpled the letter and threw it in the trash, then lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, trying to suppress the strange agitation in his chest.[]
Suddenly, his phone rang–it was Sophia.]
“Jaxon, did you see the campus forum? Riley, she…” Sophia’s voice was urgent.[]
“I saw,” Jaxon cut her off, his tone ice–cold, “Whether she’s hot or not has nothing to do with me. We already broke up.“[]
He hung up and walked to the window, looking out at the bustling campus.]]
Everything was going according to his plan…]
Except for Riley figuring out he’d been using her for practice, everything else was on track.]]
He and Sophia were at the same college, he and Riley had broken up, and now he could openly pursue Sophia. So why did he feel so empty inside?]]
He irritably stubbed out his cigarette and told himself over and over again:[]
Riley was just a substitute, not worth wasting his emotions on.
Meanwhile, in Harvard’s library, Riley was focused on reading academic texts.[]
Suddenly, a cup of hot milk tea appeared in front of her.[]
She looked up to see Ethan smiling gently: “Even studying needs breaks.“[]
Riley paused, then quietly thanked him.[]
Ethan sat across from her and opened his notebook: “I heard you’re looking for economics references? I happen to know a professor whose classes are perfect for freshmen.“]]
Riley’s eyes lit up: “Really? That would be amazing.”
They chatted for a while before Ethan suddenly asked: “The injuries on your hands… were they from a fall?“[]
Riley’s smile faded slightly, and she unconsciously touched the scabbed wounds: “Yeah, accidentally fell down some stairs.“|[]
Ethan didn’t probe further, just pulled out a tube of scar cream from his bag: “This stuff’s great for scars. Give it a shot.“[]
Bed War? Hey! Hip Please My Payback!
3.44
Chapter 10.
Riley took the cream, warmth spreading through her chest.[]
She suddenly realized that here, nobody knew her past, and nobody would mock her because of Jaxon.]
She could truly start over.]]
It wasn’t until late in the evening that Riley finally shut her heavy Macro textbook and rubbed her aching eyes.
The library was still brightly lit, but most students had gradually left, with only a few still buried in their books.]
She checked the time–10:30 PM, thirty minutes until closing.]
“Studying this late again?” A gentle male voice came from beside her, Ethan stood by her table with two cups of hot coffee.
He slid one cup toward her and smiled softly: “Wake–me–up.“[]
“Thanks.” Riley accepted the coffee, her fingertips accidentally brushing his. She instinctively pulled back, but then relaxed.
Over the past month, Ethan always seemed to “run into” her at the library, sometimes bringing drinks, sometimes just sitting quietly across from her reading.]
At first, she’d been guarded, but gradually she realized he was different from others.
He never pried into her past, never looked at her strangely, and never seemed interested in her looks–like he simply… cared about her.
“How’s your research paper coming?” Ethan sat across from her and opened his notebook.]
“First draft’s done, but I still need to verify some data,” Riley sipped her coffee–bitter with a hint of sweetness, caramel macchiato, her favorite.
She paused and looked up at him: “How did you know I like this flavor?”
Ethan pushed up his glasses, his eyes crinkling with a gentle smile: “I saw you order it at the cafeteria last time.“[]
Riley was stunned. She hadn’t even noticed that detail herself, but he’d remembered.
