Selene woke up with a pounding heart. The weight of last night’s media ambush still lingered in her chest. She hadn’t been able to sleep. The memory of Sebastian’s face—shocked, confused, and hurt—haunted her through every hour of the night. She knew she had to explain, had to find him before graduation. She refused to end her university life without clearing things between them.
She left the house early, hoping to reach Hillwood University before anyone else. The sky was still a dull gray, the sun not fully risen. She hoped the silence would give her a moment to breathe before the inevitable whispers began.
As Selene parked her GTX, she noticed the shift in the atmosphere immediately. Heads turned. Whispers buzzed. But no one approached her. No one dared meet her eyes—not even the members of the Glam Girls Club, who used to taunt her relentlessly. They stood at a distance, silent, unsure.
Selene held her head high and walked toward the Hillwood Investment Club’s HQ. Her heart beat faster with every step, hoping Sebastian would be inside, waiting like he usually did.
Inside the HQ, the familiar faces of her fellow club members greeted her—Kairo, Lana, Lucas, Irene, and the others. They turned to her with wide eyes, expressions filled with surprise and curiosity.
“Hey,” Selene greeted, trying to keep her voice steady.
“Hey,” Kairo responded, arms crossed. “So… Mondiego, huh?”
Selene sighed, already expecting the barrage of questions. “Yes,” she admitted. “I’m Selene Mondiego. Kian Mondiego is my older brother.”
“You’ve got some explaining to do,” Lana said, though there was no hostility in her tone, only genuine curiosity.
Selene nodded and sat down, her hands folded on her lap. “I didn’t want to live under my family’s name. That’s why I applied here with just my skills and portfolio. I wanted to prove to myself—and maybe to the world—that I could succeed on my own merit.”
Lucas whistled low. “Man, Selene being a Mondiego just skyrocketed our Pavilion to a new level. We’re flooded with investment offers.”
“Indeed,” Kairo agreed. “Some investors won’t stop calling me. They want to know more about our club, our members, everything.”
“I’m still shocked,” Irene added. “You hid it so well. Not even a clue slipped through during the recruitment process.”
Selene smiled faintly. “It wasn’t easy, but it mattered to me.”
They all nodded in silent understanding. Even with the initial surprise, it was clear the club supported her. The bond they had built through struggles and achievements over the past year was not so easily broken.
But amid the questions and conversations, Selene’s thoughts kept drifting. Her heart clenched tighter as she finally voiced the one question that had been eating at her since morning.
“Have you seen Sebastian?”
Everyone paused. Kairo shook his head. “No. We haven’t heard from him since yesterday. And you two were together, right?”
Selene nodded, her throat tightening. “We were.”
She tried to hide the worry in her eyes, but it was too late. They all saw it. Still, no one had answers.
The hours ticked by. Students came and went. The campus buzzed with preparations for the upcoming graduation ceremony. But there was no sign of Sebastian Ford.
Selene tried to focus on finishing her requirements, attending final meetings, and helping the club wrap up tasks. Yet, her eyes always wandered to the door, hoping he’d appear.
Graduation day arrived in a blur. The entire campus was transformed into a celebration ground. Students wore their robes with pride, families gathered with flowers and cameras, and professors beamed at their graduates.
Selene stood with the rest of the Hillwood Investment Club, smiling for the cameras, clapping for her classmates. Her name was called. She walked across the stage, received her diploma, and bowed gracefully.
But inside, her heart wasn’t celebrating.
She scanned the crowd, hoping—praying—for a glimpse of Sebastian. But he wasn’t there. He never came. No text. No call. Nothing.
Even as she stood among her friends, laughter ringing around her, she felt a hollow ache growing deeper.
Selene smiled through the tears threatening to escape. Her university journey had ended not with the joy she imagined, but with a heartbreak she never saw coming.
Later that evening, she returned to the HQ one last time, alone. The building felt different now—quieter, nostalgic. She stood in the middle of the room, taking it all in. Every moment spent here felt precious now. This was where they built their dreams, where they forged friendships, and where she fell in love.
She sat on the same couch where Sebastian had once held her hand, where he first asked her to be his girlfriend.
A soft sigh escaped her lips.
“If only you stayed, Sebastian,” she whispered into the silence. “If only you let me explain.”
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She grabbed it instantly, but it was just a message from Lana: “Dinner at my place tonight to celebrate. You’re coming, right?”
Selene didn’t respond right away. She looked at the screen, then out the window toward the horizon. There were new beginnings waiting. Her future was bright, full of opportunities—yet she knew a piece of her heart remained behind, in the shadow of a love unfinished.
She closed her eyes, silently hoping fate wasn’t done writing their story yet.
Because in her heart, she still believed in the promise that Sebastian made with that ring:
“Wherever we are in this world, time and fate will always bring us together.”
And Selene held onto that hope, just a little longer.