Chapter 24
Lucas eventually left.
+15 Bonus
Not long after Celia finished handling her discharge paperwork, he received a notification that she had transferred the medical
expenses back to him. He didn’t want to accept it, but her next message left him without an excuse to refuse.
“Lucas, considering your financial situation, there’s no need to push yourself too hard. I can easily cover my own medical bills.
I’d feel guilty if helping me meant you had to take on another part–time job.”
Lucas lowered his head in embarrassment. Lately, the dreams he’d been having had grown more frequent, and his actions in real
life were starting to mirror the person he saw in those dreams.
But the man in his dreams was the heir to the Shaw Group–a rising star in the business world who could build an empire from
scratch even after severing ties with his powerful family.
Lucas, on the other hand, was just a penniless student who hadn’t even graduated yet.
Back at his dorm, he collapsed onto his bed in frustration. He couldn’t understand it—everything seemed to be heading in the
right direction, but in the span of one night, it all changed.
Outside, the usual post–class commotion began to pick up.
Glancing at the clock, Lucas realized classes had ended for the day.
Through the window, he could see small groups of students chatting as they walked by, their energy and youthful excitement
filling the hallways. The stark contrast between their liveliness and the suffocating stillness of his dorm only deepened his gloom.
The door suddenly swung open, spilling light into the dim room. The brightness reached across the space but fell just short of
Lucas‘ bed, hidden behind the door.
A group of his roommates entered, chatting as they went–some discussing their studies, others talking about random topics.
None of them seemed to notice that Lucas was already there.
As the evening wore on, the lights flicked on with a faint click.
One of his roommates, still unaware of Lucas‘ presence, muttered, “What’s up with Lucas today? He’s usually the most diligent one, but he skipped class all day and still hasn’t come back this late.”
Another laughed and chimed in, “Don’t you know? That guy’s been knitting a scarf lately. He just finished it a couple of days ago.
He’s probably out on a date.”
“A date? With that girl from the student council?”
