Chapter 26 Valeria pulled her hand back and was about to leave . She had taken a step forward but had failed to escape Sebastian's reach . Sebastian took a step forward and blocked her path . At almost six feet two inches , his height gave him a great advantage . Bracing his hands on the wall on either side of her body , he pinned her against the wall . He leaned forward and looked at her . The distance between them was barely a hand's width . His gaze fixed on Valeria's face , and not a single expression had escaped his notice . " There's no one named Valeria Neal in Class B of the sophomore year . So , who exactly are you ? " he asked . Valeria's heart skipped a beat as she frowned . She racked her brain to think of a response . She had randomly told him she was in Class B when he had asked her about her class when they were at Beatrice's Ravioli . She just never thought he'd actually look into it . " Dr. Grant , I don't see how my high school or class has anything to do with you . We aren't that close , and you're overstepping your boundaries as my doctor . I … " Her eyes flashed before she continued , " I can press charges against you . " Sebastian smiled nonchalantly as he gave her an email handle . He then told her the email was used for internal complaints within his department . If she wanted to submit a complaint , it'd be handled much faster if she sent it there . Seeing that Valeria was silent , Sebastian reached out to pinch her chin . " Have you memorized it ? " Valeria's mind spun quickly as she lied , " My name used to be Valeria Wood . My last name was Wood , just like the one you get from trees . I transferred schools the following year and changed my last name . " I even gave you a love letter , but you probably don't remember it . There were a lot of girls giving you love letters back then , anyway . Are you satisfied with this answer now ? " Weaving her lies in threads of truth , Valeria's bright eyes met his . Although she looked calm , her heart was about to jump out of her throat . Valeria Wood was a real person who existed and had really given Sebastian a love letter . " It was during the second half of the school year , around May . You had been playing basketball at the school court when a ball hit me in the shoulders . It had been a hot day . " You had been wearing your light blue No. 9 jersey when you asked me if I was fine . I transferred schools after our final exams in July . My hometown's back in Juzale . Chapter 26 " Before I left , I had stopped you on the stairs and given you a book . I heard from classmates that you love reading mystery books , so I bought a Kieran Holt book from the bookstore by the school's entrance . I had slipped the love letter inside . " Just like most girls , I had a crush on you back then . I would always look at you from afar , but I doubted you had noticed me . I had been very plain and ordinary . " You were so much different than me , shining brightly as you stood at the center of attention … " Sebastian , it doesn't matter what my real name is . At the end of the day , I'm just an ordinary woman who used to have a crush on you . You didn't even recognize me when we first met . " Valeria choked back her sobs as she looked him in the eyes , not backing down for once . She had told him a truth that was laced with a lie . Valeria Wood was real , and she had given Sebastian that love letter . At the end of the day , Valeria Wood and Valeria Neal were the same . They were plain , ordinary people who would blush just from looking at Sebastian from afar . There had always been an unreachable distance between them . They were classmates , yet they barely spoke to each other . When they met outside of school , it was like they didn't know each other . Valeria Wood was Taylor's tablemate . Back in high school , Jane would always hang out with them . Valeria Wood had been hit by a basketball back then , and Sebastian had indeed walked over to ask if she was alright . Back then , Jane had been standing nearby . Hence , her truths were mixed with lies . It was unable to tell them apart . Even Valeria herself wasn't sure whether she was telling Valeria Wood's story or if she was just telling her own story through another name . Valeria couldn't keep her emotions in as her eyes turned red and a tear rolled down her cheek , landing on his hand . Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Sebastian let go of Valeria's hand . Feeling his wet fingertips , Sebastian sounded hoarse as he apologized , " I'm sorry . " A short moment of silence ensued . He remained rooted in place even after Valeria had left the restroom . His emotions were being tugged by something he couldn't quite understand . He wasn't sure if it was the self - deprecating and sorrowful look in Valeria's teary eyes or the trace of familiarity within her , but he felt reminded of someone . He was curious about the truth behind the sense of familiarity she exuded because she reminded him of Jane . Sebastian knew that Valeria wasn't Jane , but the thought possessed him as he tried to see the resemblance between the two utterly different women . Holding his hand up to massage his temples , he couldn't help but feel like something was wrong with his brain . It seemed the lie Valeria had come up with about being Valeria Wood had worked . Her relationship with Sebastian had regained its equilibrium . Throughout the month , she had seen him twice . During the first time , she had paid the hospital a visit to pick up Lucy's prescription . She had entered Sebastian's office and left the place within four minutes . Sebastian had treated her no differently than any other patient's family . He had coldly explained the foods Lucy had to look out for and how she would have to return for a checkup after two weeks . The second time they met was when Valeria and her colleagues went to a barbecue restaurant for a meal . Sabrina and Sebastian happened to be dining there too . Hence , both groups had decided to dine together . Valeria's colleagues had teased Sabrina for having a boyfriend and jokingly insisted that Sabrina pick up the tab . Sabrina's cheeks reddened as she exclaimed , " Sure . It's my treat today . " Then , she reached for Sebastian's arm to sit , but he pulled his hand away . She glanced at him , aware that Sebastian was known within their circle for keeping a distance from women . Since they were both at the appropriate age for marriage , their parents had been subtly pushing them to be together . 2/2 With Nicholas and Martha pressuring him , Sebastian would agree to hang out with Sabrina from time to time to either watch a movie or attend a play . Sabrina had racked her brain to think of ways for them to get along , but Sebastian remained cold and aloof . " Seb , I'd like some shrimp . Could you peel them for me ? I just had my nails done , so it's a bit inconvenient for me . " When Valeria heard Sabrina's sweet voice ring out , she tightened her grip around her fork as she continued eating . Through the corner of her eyes , Valeria watched as Sebastian gently helped Sabrina peel her shrimps before wiping his fingers with a towel . Sabrina smiled sweetly in response . Sebastian didn't like seafood , nor did he like shrimp . He had claimed to dislike the fishy smell in them . When they had ravioli together , he also refused to have any shrimp ravioli . Valeria suddenly recalled that Sebastian had never peeled any shrimp for her throughout the three years of their relationship . She knew he didn't like seafood , so she had never asked him to do such a thing . In fact , she had even stopped eating seafood after finding out he didn't enjoy them . Back when they were together , she would be overjoyed if she could go so far as to hold his arm or tug at his sleeves without being rejected . She had loved him too much and never thought about asking him to do anything . However , it turned out that a person could do things they disliked for the sake of someone they liked or even for their partners . Valeria felt slightly breathless as she got up to head to the restroom . Although one person was missing from their six - person meal , the atmosphere around the table was still as lively as before . Not long after Valeria had left , Sebastian stood up and said flatly , " I'm going out for a smoke . "