A Childhood Promise, A Cold Comeback Chapter 08

A Childhood Promise, A Cold Comeback Chapter 08

The next time I saw Lucas was at a welcome-back gathering hosted by a friend.

As adults, our conversations had evolved from gossip to matters of legacy and enterprise.

The soft lighting and sweet wine made for a pleasant atmosphere, so I’d lingered a little longer—until an uninvited guest walked in.

A palpable tension descended over the private dining room.

My friend beside me leaned in, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. “Haze, I swear, no one invited him.”

I nodded—I’d figured as much.

My friend sighed in relief, her tone dripping with disdain, “They’ve become social poison. Their families are in decline, and their own conduct hasn’t helped.”

“Especially Coco—she clings to Lucas like he’s the last man on Earth, and she’s suspicious of every other woman around him.”

I tilted my head, and sure enough, Coco was trailing behind Lucas.

Catching my look, she offered a practiced flinch, then met my eyes with a venomous glare.

Lucas seemed oblivious, striding straight to the seat across from me and sitting down.

The others rushed to keep the conversation going, so I stood up and excused myself to the restroom for some peace.

It wasn’t long before someone followed me out.

Coco hadn’t changed a bit.

Pigtails in a cutesy style, makeup designed to look innocent, and a plain white dress to match—she was still stuck in high school mode, even a year later.

What she didn’t realize was that this circle didn’t care about “innocent little flowers.”

Profit was everything.

She was outdated, useless; her emotional value had been overtaken by what she could offer financially. So she’d been discarded—it was that simple.

Coco’s eyes blazed with jealousy, as if she wanted to tear me apart, “Hazel. Lucas is still obsessed with you. You must be thrilled.”

I stared at her reflection in the mirror, speechless.

If shedding a few tears and spouting some sentimental lines counted as “pining,” then Coco’s idea of love was seriously warped.

Something seemed to click for Coco, and her expression shifted—she actually looked smug, “But you don’t know, do you? Lucas set up the whole transfer thing back in high school just to keep me from having to see you.”

“He orchestrated it all, you know. The whole ‘bullying’ drama in high school? It was just to get you out of my sight.”

I remained calm, because I truly didn’t care anymore.

Yes, that was it—I didn’t care.

Lucas, Coco… they’d only drift further from my life from now on.

And I was confident I’d leave them far behind, forever.

Coco’s eyes narrowed with rage, “What’s with that reaction?”

“What gives you the right to be so above it all?”

“You’re only better off because your family has money! Other than that, you’re nothing—you can’t even keep a man!”

She grew more and more furious, raising her hand to slap me—but someone grabbed her arm mid-swing and threw her back.

Silas stepped in front of me, staring down at Coco, who’d fallen to the floor, “I’ve recorded everything. You’ve insulted and attempted to assault my fiancée—I’m pressing charges.”

“You may explain yourself to the authorities.”

I looked at Silas’s tall figure in front of me and had to suppress a smile.

He’d clearly dressed up to see me, matching his accessories and outfit colors to mine.

It was silly, but endearing all the same.

The police arrived soon after, sirens blaring.

My concerned friends, having come to look for me, emerged into the hallway just as the officers were leading a struggling Coco toward the patrol car.

She thrashed and screamed, “How dare you touch me?! My husband is Lucas Sullivan—the only heir to the Sullivan family!”

“Let me go! I’m going to find my husband…”

Everyone’s eyes drifted to Lucas, shared understanding in their gazes.

But Lucas just watched the woman he’d doted on for years get arrested, his expression completely numb.

No words, no attempt to stop it—he knew better than to get involved.

I stared for a moment, and in that instant, the boy I’d once loved in my youth crumbled into nothing.