Chapter 3 At 10:00 pm , Valeria lay on the bed and opened her long - neglected Telegram account . There were a few messages from Luke . Luke : " Jane , we're having a class reunion next week at Evening Breeze . The details are all in the Telegram class group . You're the only one we're waiting on . Are you coming ? " Luke : " I've messaged you a few times , but you're not replying . Jane , you can reach out to us old classmates , if you're having any difficulties in life . We'll help however we can . " Valeria opened the class group chat and saw the steady stream of messages . She had actually considered leaving the group before , but with all 10 She had actually considered leaving the group before , but with all 48 classmates around , her sudden departure would have stood out . That said , she hardly ever logged into this account anymore . Scrolling up through the messages , she found exactly what she expected . No one mentioned her at all . Back in school , she'd been like air , but not the kind that people could ignore . Because she'd been so fat , even though she had tried so hard to make herself invisible , whispers and snickers always followed her . Fatty , pig , tub of lard … It didn't matter what she did ; just walking past was enough to spark hushed giggles and remarks . Valeria hadn't always been overweight . She'd been average - sized back in middle school , but after a serious illness and an overdose of steroid - based medication , her body ballooned . Meanwhile , Sebastian's name was the one mentioned the most in the chat . He always ended up being the center of attention wherever he went . He was always described with words like golden child , campus heartthrob , wealth , and power . Sebastian and Valeria had always stood at opposite extremes . Clicking on his profile photo , she noticed that it was an old picture . He probably didn't use Telegram much either . Before she knew it , Saturday arrived . It had been a hectic week . In the end , Garment Hall's management decided to accept the first version of the draft and signed the contract . Unsurprisingly , Sabrina's version of the draft had been rejected . Sabrina wasn't happy about it , but L & M's co - partner , Nathan Ford , invited everyone out for a celebratory dinner . The venue happened to be at Evening Breeze , a trendy new hotspot in the city for dining and entertainment , Valeria felt a flicker of familiarity at the name , but there was no way for her to wiggle out of this company dinner , especially with Nathan attending . At about 7:00 pm , the private room was bustling with activity . Everyone raised their glasses in celebration , and Valeria had two drinks as well . At the same time , in a neighboring room , Sebastian had arrived late . The room was filled with their old classmates , and they started egging him to drink the moment he stepped in . However , that was all they dared to do . No one pushed him when he shook his head in rejection . He explained in a calm , aloof manner that he couldn't drink in case he got called into the hospital later . Several female classmates blushed and stealthily snapped photos with their phones . Whether it was at high school or Stredview University , the attention had always been on Sebastian . He had the looks , brains , and a powerful family background . Someone asked , " Do you have a girlfriend now ? " Someone else mentioned , " As a doctor , he's probably too busy to date . " " I heard you're in cardiothoracic surgery . Isn't that exhausting ? " asked Yelena Quinn , the class beauty back then . Her cheeks were flushed as she looked at him shyly . It was obvious to everyone in the room that Yelena liked him , and someone even teased her , which made her blush even more . There happened to be an empty seat next to her . Sebastian merely nodded and glanced at her , but he seemed not to recognize her . The private room was spacious , with card tables and karaoke equipment . He walked straight to a single - seater couch . He'd had a media interview earlier in the afternoon , so he was still dressed in formal business attire . Slipping out of his black suit , he draped it over the chair . His pale blue shirt only served to accentuate his features . Leaning back , Sebastian massaged his temples with a faint weariness before he checked his watch . He wasn't particularly interested in the reunion . He had only come because Luke had invited him repeatedly , and because he happened to be free . Yelena felt a little disappointed by Sebastian choosing not to sit next to her . Luke walked over and handed Sebastian a glass . " Have some water . " " Thank you , " Sebastian replied politely . " We're all old classmates . There's no need to be so formal , " Luke replied , patting Sebastian's shoulder . The two of them exchanged a few polite words . Luke's family was in the furniture business and had dealings with the Grant Group in the past . He really wanted to get closer to Sebastian , even if the current heir was Alexander Grant . Sebastian might not have been involved in the family business at that moment , but everyone knew that he was the biological son of the Grant family , unlike Alexander , who was adopted . Sebastian wasn't even the latest to arrive . As more classmates trickled in , he would instinctively look up . He didn't know what he was hoping for , but he seemed to be waiting for a certain someone to walk through the door . The room buzzed with laughter and conversation . The last classmate to arrive was a female classmate . Luke went over to toast her , and she quickly downed two glasses of wine . Someone teased , " Lily Carter , how did you become fat ? " " Yeah , I barely recognized you . You must have put on dozens of pounds . " Sebastian's head jerked up at the word " fat " . His eyes flickered with a trace of unexpected disappointment . A strange irritation stirred in his chest , and he poured himself a drink . Sitting on the couch , he drank glass after glass . The platinum watch on his wrist gleamed faintly . With his eyes cast down , he seemed to radiate an air of aloof elegance , so much so that some of the women in the room felt their hearts flutter . Yet , they didn't dare to approach him . Yelena summoned her courage and walked over . " Sebastian , I have a relative with a heart condition . Could I bring them to see you during your clinic hours ? " Sebastian frowned slightly . He looked up and answered coolly , " My appointments for next week are full . If it's serious , they could get an emergency slot . " " I see . " She wanted to say more , but she noticed his indifference . In the end , she returned to her seat , disappointed . Meanwhile , Luke was busy acting as the host . He handed out little gifts to everyone , which were discount membership cards for his family's furniture brand and some cutlery sets . " Hey , can anyone get in touch with Jane ? I'd like to send her a gift too , " Luke said . Sebastian had been tired all day . The alcohol was making his head buzz as he leaned back and rested with his eyes closed . However , the moment he heard that name , his brows furrowed . It was like an alarm going off in his brain , jerking him wide awake . " Jane ? You meant that fatty ? I still remember when she tried to run 800 meters in high school . What a sight that was … " The one who spoke was a male classmate called Horace Parker . He stopped abruptly when his gaze met a pair of cold eyes staring right at him . Horace felt as though his throat had been gripped tight and shut his mouth awkwardly . He only assumed that he had been too loud and had disturbed Sebastian's rest , but soon , the whispers started up again . Valeria , of course , hadn't come to the reunion . She would never know that even after " disappearing " for seven years , her name could still stir up so much talk . Then , a woman hesitated before saying , " I heard that Jane might be dead . " The room fell eerily silent for a few seconds . It felt as if time had stopped . " What ? Dead ? That can't be . " " No wonder she never shows up at these reunions . I messaged her privately , too , but she never replied . So , she's really … " The group collectively sighed . " It's true . Six years ago , I was at the hospital because my grandmother wasn't well . I saw her there . She was skin and bones but had a huge belly . At first , I thought it might have been a tumor . " The woman paused with a soft sigh . " Poor thing . " The atmosphere in the room grew heavy . Someone glanced at Sebastian and asked , " Hey , don't we have a doctor in our class ? Sebastian , if she really had a tumor , would it have been terminal ? I remember her family didn't have much money either . I guess we know why no one's heard from her now . She's gone . " Everyone looked at Sebastian , who froze in place .