When Sienna woke in the hospital again, her whole body felt as if it had been torn apart and put back together.

A nurse was speaking to Lance, who stood with his back to her. "She has multiple soft tissue contusions and a mild concussion. Her previous allergy and car accident injuries still haven't fully healed…"

Lance's face showed genuine remorse and lingering fear.

When he saw Sienna open her eyes, he immediately stepped forward and said, "Enna! You're finally awake! I'm sorry… I didn't know you would run into something like this. Otherwise, I never would have hung up on you!

"Don't worry. I've already had those scumbags who attacked you sent away. I guarantee they'll never dare cause trouble again!"

Sienna stared blankly at the ceiling. Just as she was about to speak, the door opened.

Ashley walked in with reddened eyes. "Lance, the doctor said my dad's test report is out. There are some Eglurnia terms I don't understand. Can you help me with it?"

Lance looked conflicted. After a long pause, he said softly, "Get some rest, Enna. I'll be back soon."

With that, he left with Ashley. In the days that followed, he never came back.

One day, Ashley entered Sienna's hospital room alone. She wore a pretentious expression of feigned apology.

"I'm sorry, Sienna. These past few days, my dad needed a foreign specialist for consultations. I couldn't understand much of what they said, so I had to trouble Lance. Since you have no one around for you, let me take care of you."

"Don't bother," Sienna said coldly.

"Oh, don't refuse. This is what I owe you." Ashley poured hot water for herself.

Then, she continued, "If it weren't for your covering my shift, you wouldn't have been hurt."

Sienna looked at her and exposed her act with a chilly voice. "It's just the two of us here. Why are you still pretending?"

Ashley's smile froze before it slowly faded into a mocking sneer. "So, you did see all those posts? I thought you hadn't and assumed that was why you could stay so gracious.

"Since you've seen them, you should know your place. Even if Lance still somewhat loves you for now, with the way things are between him and me, he will be mine sooner or later. If you're smart, you'll step aside on your own and not make it too embarrassing for yourself."

Sienna smirked frostily and said, "Are you done? If so, please leave."

Seeing that she remained unaffected, Ashley steeled her gaze. "Since you won't take the easy way out, don't blame me for doing this!"

With that, she suddenly threw herself backward. Her forehead crashed heavily against the corner of the bed frame with a dull thud.

The next second, the door opened, and Lance walked in. He saw Ashley on the floor and Sienna sitting indifferently on the bed.

Shock took over his features as he exclaimed, "What happened, Ashley?"

Ashley leaned into his arms and cried pitifully. "I came to care for Sienna out of kindness, but she seemed angry that you've been spending these days with me, helping my dad. S-She pushed me…"

Lance instantly turned to shoot Sienna a glare. "Didn't I already explain the situation? Ashley's father is seriously ill. This is my family's hospital. It's only natural for me to help! Was it really necessary to lay a hand on her over something this small?"

Sienna felt a crushing sense of helplessness. "She's lying. I never touched her. She fell on her own."

Lance grew even angrier. "Sienna! When did you become so unreasonable? Why would she hurt herself just to frame you? What would she gain from this? You injured her and still won't apologize. Is that it?"

"I didn't do anything wrong. I won't apologize," Sienna shot back firmly.

Ashley was quick to play the saint. "Lance, forget it… We're classmates. There's no need for an apology…"

Compared to her magnanimous attitude, Lance found Sienna especially hateful at that moment. "Look at Ashley! You should take a leaf out of her book. Why are you so petty? When did you become such a person?"

Sienna's heart hurt so much that it had gone numb. Had she changed, or was it he who had changed?

"No matter what, I will not apologize," Sienna insisted.

A nurse happened to come in to change Sienna's dressing.

In his anger, Lance snapped coldly at the nurse, "Stop all medication for this room. Resume only when she agrees to apologize."

He then turned to Ashley, his voice softening. "I'll take you to get your wound treated first."

With that, he helped Ashley out of the room.

In the days that followed, no nurse came to change Sienna's dressing. Her body ached everywhere. She had no strength to transfer to another hospital and didn't want to worry her busy parents. So, she could only grit her teeth and care for herself.

As the wounds were not properly cleaned or medicated, they became inflamed and swollen. The agonizing pain often brought her to tears at night.

In her dreams, she saw only the Lance of the past. She saw the version of him when he was meticulously attentive and endlessly caring toward her.

But when she woke, there was nothing but cold air and relentless pain. Still, she never backed down from her refusal to apologize.

On the day of her discharge, she completed all the paperwork alone. As she stepped out of the hospital, she saw Lance arriving to pick up Ashley, who was also being discharged.

Ashley clung affectionately to Lance's waist. "Thank you, Lance. Without you, my dad could never have recovered so quickly…"

Lance smiled lightly and replied in a casual tone, "We're classmates. Don't stand on ceremony."

Sienna lowered her head, and all she wanted to do was to leave quickly.

But Lance spotted her at once and strode over to grab her wrist. "Why are you being discharged?"

Sienna yanked her hand free. "You dismissed the doctors and nurses. If I didn't get discharged, was I supposed to wait in there and die?"

Lance sighed helplessly. "Why are you so stubborn? If you would just apologize, you wouldn't have to suffer like this."

"I did nothing wrong. I won't apologize."

Lance's expression hardened. "Are you sure you won't?"

"Absolutely," Sienna affirmed.

"Fine," Lance huffed with a resolute nod. His tone carried a hint of resentment and reproach. "Since you're so stubborn, then don't send me messages or call me for now. We should both take time to calm down."

Sienna felt a deep desolation. So, he was going to give her the cold treatment, huh? She looked at him and suddenly found it all so absurd.

She uttered each word clearly. "Don't worry. It's not just for now. From now on, I will never contact you."

With that, she turned and walked away.

Lance hadn't expected her to be this unyielding. He instinctively wanted to follow her, but Ashley grabbed his arm.

She reminded him, "Lance, didn't you say you wanted to teach her a lesson? She's so willful because you spoil her. Leave her alone for a few days, and she'll come to her senses."

Lance stopped in his tracks. Yes, he had indeed thought that way. He had pampered Sienna for three years, and her temper had only grown worse.

Upon being reminded of this, the slight sense of panic he felt from the look in Sienna's eyes was gone with the wind. He withdrew his gaze and, in the end, did not chase after her.

When Sienna returned home, the house was still empty. Her parents were still busy with the immigration procedures.

There came a call from Fiona, and she sounded jubilant. "Enna, the college in Linton has accepted your application. The immigration paperwork is almost done, too. We can leave in a few more days."

When Sienna heard this, she felt an unprecedented sense of relief.

Over the next few days, she began carefully packing her things. She threw away every gift Lance had ever given her—dolls, jewelry, handwritten letters, and even the galaxy projector he had stayed up several nights to make.

She didn't keep any of them. It was as if by discarding them, she could bury the foolish version of herself along with the past.

Just as she finished clearing away all of those, the doorbell rang. She opened the door to see Lance standing outside.

The two stared at each other for a long time. The atmosphere grew heavy and still.

In the end, Lance gave in first.

He sounded tired, and the tone of his voice carried a faint, almost imperceptible hint of resentment. "Enna, how can you be so heartless? You never shot me a text or called me these past few days. Do you have any idea how depressed I was?"

In the next moment, he reached out to hug her. "Alright, I'm sorry. You don't need to apologize, either. Let's not fight anymore, okay? I can't stand this…"

Sienna stepped back to avoid his touch.

Seeing the calm, unreadable look in her eyes, Lance felt a sudden sense of inexplicable panic. He quickly pulled out a velvet box from his pocket.

"I bought you a gift. Don't be mad at me anymore. Our class is having a gathering tonight, and I came to take you with me. After this, everyone will go their separate ways. It'll be hard for all of us to meet again."

Sienna hadn't planned to go. But when she considered the fact that this might be the last chance to meet with her classmates, she eventually agreed.

At the entrance of the restaurant's private room, one of their classmates, Jasmine Polk, was using tarot cards to tell their fortunes.

Ashley was there, too. She cheerfully went over and said, "Tell me about my love life!"

Jasmine shuffled the cards and laid them out. "You have a good suitor coming your way, but you'll need to take the initiative to seize the chance."

Ashley smiled meaningfully and replied, "I thought so, too."

As she spoke, she glanced at Lance before walking into the private room.

Lance seemed intrigued as well. Smiling, he held Sienna's hand without asking and said to the classmate, "Go on. Tell us how our relationship will turn out."

This time, Jasmine shuffled the cards and let Lance draw three cards. Shortly after seeing the spread, her expression turned hesitant and troubled.

Lance urged, "Say it."

Jasmine had no choice but to oblige. "The cards show… that you may face the risk of breaking up soon…"

Lance frowned hard and tightened his arm around Sienna. "Nonsense! I would never break up with Enna in this lifetime!"

He then lowered his head to say to Sienna, "Don't believe any of that, okay?"

His words caused the corner of Sienna's mouth to twitch ever so slightly. There was an imperceptible shadow of a smirk that vanished as quickly as it appeared.

He would never break up with her, but she would.

After they sat down, the class monitor asked Lance to order the food. He took the menu and ordered several signature dishes, and all of them were Sienna's usual favorites.

He even specifically instructed the waiter, "Don't add walnuts to the dessert. My girlfriend is allergic to them."

In that instant, Sienna stiffened ever so slightly.

Beside her, Ashley suddenly let out a soft laugh. "You got it wrong, Lance. I'm the one who's allergic to walnuts."

The atmosphere in the private turned awkward, and silence ensued.

Lance was taken aback for a moment before explaining to Sienna in the most natural expression, "Lately, I've been busy with her dad's hospitalization. So, we often ate together. It was just an unintentional mix-up, so don't take it to heart."

Sienna looked down and hummed slightly in acknowledgment but said nothing.

It was no longer natural for him to remember her allergen as her boyfriend. However, it had become natural for him to remember another girl's preferences and taboos.

Fortunately, she no longer felt hurt.

After the meal, everyone lingered in the bittersweet mood of farewell. No one wanted to leave. Someone suggested playing Truth or Dare by spinning a bottle, and the atmosphere grew lively again.

The first person chosen was Sienna.

"Sienna, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

A classmate grinned and asked, "Do you have anything especially happy to share lately?"

Sienna looked up and calmly replied, "Yes. I'm about to throw something away."

"Oh? Why are you happy about throwing something away? Did Lance give you a limited-edition gift, and you're about to throw it away because you got bored with it?"

Everyone laughed, clearly taking it as a joke. Sienna did not bother to explain further.

But Lance felt unsettled after hearing her words. He was about to speak when the game moved on, and the bottle pointed to Ashley.

"I'll choose dare!" Ashley declared fearlessly.

"I dare you to do the most thrilling thing you can think of to someone here."

Upon hearing the dare, Ashley's lips curved in a sly smile. Her eyes landed on the untouched slice of cake in front of Sienna.

The next second, she suddenly grabbed the cake and swiftly smashed it straight onto Sienna's face before anyone could react.

Caught off guard, Sienna let out a startled cry. A thick layer of cream was instantly smeared across her face, leaving her in a humiliating mess.

The entire private room fell silent in shock.

"What the hell are you doing, Ashley?" Lance was the first to react, shooting to his feet and yanking Ashley back with anger and disbelief.

But Ashley just looked innocently at him. "Didn't you all tell me to do the most thrilling thing I could think of? Isn't this thrilling?"

Sienna's whole body trembled—not because of the sticky cream, but from the raw, blatant humiliation. Slowly, she wiped the cream from her eyes. When her vision cleared, she locked her gaze on Ashley's expression of fake innocence.

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, Sienna raised her hand and delivered a tight slap across Ashley's cheek. The sharp smack echoed throughout the room.

"Is this thrilling enough?" Sienna's voice was icy, carrying a faint tremor but cuttingly clear.

Without looking at anyone else, she grabbed her bag and turned to leave. She headed straight for the restroom. She rinsed her face again and again with cold water, trying to wash away the sickly sweetness and the stench of humiliation.

When she was finally clean, she planned to go straight home, but Lance caught up with her at the hotel entrance.

"Enna! I'll drive you back."

"No need."

"Don't be upset at me. It's late. How are you going to get home?" Without waiting for a reply, Lance forced her toward his car.

Just as he opened the passenger door, Ashley came running after them. Tears swam in her reddened eyes pitifully. "I'm sorry, Sienna. I was just joking earlier. I didn't think you'd be so angry. I'll never do it again. Please don't be mad, okay?"

Sienna stared at her frigidly, saying nothing.

Ashley then turned to Lance, her voice softer and more fragile. "Lance, it's hard to get a cab here, and I'm a little scared. Could you give me a ride, too?"

Lance glanced at the icy Sienna, then at the tearful Ashley.

In the end, he sighed and said to Ashley, "Get in."

Sienna looked at him in disbelief and felt her heart break painfully. He had seen everything. He had been there when Ashley had provoked and humiliated her. But still, he agreed to her request.

Upon getting Lance's consent, Ashley immediately broke into a smile.

But instead of opening the back door, she turned to Sienna and said, "Sienna, I get carsick. Can I sit in the front?"

Lance barely hesitated before turning to Sienna. "Enna, you sit in the back."

In that instant, a crushing sadness swept through Sienna. She suddenly remembered the night Lance had first gotten his driver's license and secretly taken her for a drive.

That night, under the dazzling starry sky, he had pulled her excitedly into the passenger seat. "Enna, this is my passenger seat. From now on, it's yours alone. No one else can ever sit here."

His eyes had been bright and sincere, with her smiling face reflected in them. His words still echoed in her ears, yet now, he was personally letting another girl take the seat he had sworn belonged only to her.

It seemed that promises only counted when love still existed.

She laughed, and tears began to fall.

Lance caught that fleeting smile and felt a sharp stab in his heart. Meanwhile, Ashley was already covering her mouth and getting into the passenger seat, pretending to feel unwell.

He had no time to think further and quickly got into the driver's seat to start the car. The vehicle moved smoothly down the road, but the atmosphere inside was heavy and silent.

Halfway through the ride, Ashley suddenly let out a pained moan and shifted slightly in her seat.

Her voice trembled with feigned agony. "Lance, I think my skin hunger is acting up again… I feel so awful. Please, help me…"

As she spoke, her hand began to reach toward Lance.

Lance immediately swerved away, his voice sharp. "I'm driving! Don't mess around!"

Through the rearview mirror, he shot a glance at Sienna. She was staring out the window, as if she was completely unaware of what was happening in front.

Ashley whimpered louder and louder. "But I really can't stand it! Ugh… Please, just once! Help me…"

Lance's brows became tightly knitted, his expression strained. The car was filled with Ashley's muffled sobs and moans.

At last, he seemed to yield. He took a deep breath and said to Sienna, "Enna, close your eyes. Don't look."

Sienna jolted slightly, but she gave no response.

Taking her silence as consent, Lance steadied the wheel with one hand and lifted the hem of his shirt with the other. He caught Ashley's groping hand and pressed it firmly against his taut abs.

"Go ahead," he said.