Ronald Richardson sat beside Murray, feigning nonchalance as he glanced to his left, where Haley Bertie was asking Jean Harry if she wanted some cake.Jean agreed, and Haley stood to fetch a slice from the table. Just as his hand reached for a piece of red velvet cake, Ronald abruptly stood up, stretched out his arm, and snatched the slice Haley was eyeing.In front of everyone, he offered it to Emily, "Try this? The best cake in Sandviken."Emily internally scoffed at his childishness but accepted the cake without a change in expression. Having only eaten lunch that day, she was famished and didn't care whose cake it was.Besides, she was a stranger to this group and unlikely to cross paths with them again, so she wasn't bothered.She tasted the cake, finding it delightfully soft and sweet but not cloying, perhaps the best red velvet she'd ever had.Undeterred by Ronald's public slight, Haley Bertie even smiled at Emily, asking warmly, "Do you like it?"Emily's eyes widened in surpri

Suppressing the tumultuous anger brewing within her, Emily steadied her emotion. Having spent a year by Murray's side, she had studied ways to appeal to him. Although most attempts backfired, there was one tactic that never failed: showing vulnerability. Emily lowered her gaze to compose herself, then looked up again with a façade of frailty and helplessness, her doe-like eyes pleadingly fixed on him. Murray let out a faint chuckle, discarded his cigarette, and with three swift strokes, Emily found herself safely on the table. The night's victor was Murray. The crowd, led by Beau Acheson, began to cheer. "Gibson is unbeatable in everything he does, a source of envy for ordinary folks." Baird Brooke added fuel to the fire, "Murray has to treat us to late-night snacks tonight." Murray, discarding his cue, nonchalantly agreed, "Whatever." 

Murray chuckled, "Just by asking one extra question, how does that mean I'm interested?"Stacey laughed along, "I know you asked because of Ronald."Murray cleared his throat, neither confirming nor denying.Stacey, as if struck by a sudden thought, perked up. "Do you think Ronald is after this girl because she reminds him of Jean from the past?"Murray stared ahead, his expression unreadable. "Not sure."Stacey turned to him, her gaze laden with meaning. "Do men always fancy girls in their early twenties?"Murray's lips curled slightly. "Not necessarily. It depends on the person. A woman's allure isn't tied to her age."Stacey was pleased with his response, affectionately brushing her hand against his handsome cheek.Seizing the moment, she asked a question that had lingered on her mind for a long time. "Why haven't you shown any sign since I returned? What are you waiting for?"Murray was briefly taken aback, then smil

Emily's eyelids drooped, a single tear tracing down her cheek, shimmering briefly before falling to the floor.Murray watched the tear disappear into the darkness, unmoved.He leaned forward to grab Emily's phone, unlocked it in front of her with a few taps, then tossed it back onto the table, his voice cool and detached, "I really dislike these little games of yours!"Realization dawned on Emily as she saw the images of the man and woman in the photo album. In her haste to lock the screen, the interface had stopped on the photo of Stacey and the man at the restaurant. Murray had stumbled upon these photos using her phone and assumed she was scheming, intentionally trying to slander Stacey.Understanding the reason behind his anger, Emily found herself regaining composure.She laughed, her voice even colder than Murray's, "Did I take the phone and show it to you myself?"Murray didn't respond, just stared at her.Emily co

After that night, Murray stopped contacting Emily. Remembering his definition of their relationship, Emily didn't feel the need to impose herself when he didn't require her presence. She continued her daily dance practice, preparing for her graduation performance.Despite Ronald Richardson's warning about his mother possibly visiting her school, Emily didn't take it too seriously. The day arrived for the first dress rehearsal of their graduation showcase. As the lead dancer and the soul of the performance, she felt the weight of expectation. Nervousness was inevitable.Backstage, she practiced controlling her facial expressions in a corner, as this was her only weakness. The "Metamorphosis" dance demanded significant emotional range and complexity, and her expressions were too calm to resonate with the character."You can't just practice in the mirror; that only results in superficial expressions," came a voice.Emily turned to see an elegant