Estelle froze the moment she stepped out of the hospital entrance. Under the dim glow of the streetlights, she spotted a familiar figure leaning against a black car — hood up, face partly hidden by a cap.
"Dranred?" she whispered, disbelief flickering in her voice before it hardened.
"What are you doing here? Are you trying to cause another scene?"
Dranred looked up, a faint smile curving his lips — not of joy, but of melancholy.
"A scene? Is that what I've become to you now? You make it sound like we never meant anything."
"What do you call this then?" she snapped. "You're here, waiting outside my workplace like a stalker. You know I'm getting married."
"That's exactly why I'm here," he said softly. "You're getting married… but not to me."
Estelle drew in a sharp breath. "Do you still think we can go back to the way things were?"
"Why not?" he countered, stepping closer. "We never truly ended. What happened between us was fate's cruelty, not ours. You know what we had was real, Estelle. We still feel it."
He reached for her hand, but she pulled it back before he could touch her.
"You're hopeless," she said coldly. "Look at yourself, Dranred. The man I knew wouldn't chase after someone who's already chosen another. Whatever we had—it's gone. You should learn to look at someone else. You're famous, adored… surely someone else can love you."
He gave a hollow laugh. "You've changed. You're stronger now. The Estelle I knew—one sweet word and she'd forgive me in a heartbeat."
"I'm not that naïve girl anymore," she said, her voice steady but her eyes glistening.
Dranred nodded, pain flickering in his gaze. "Then I guess this really is goodbye."
He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a small box. Gently, he caught her hand and pressed it into her palm before she could resist. His grip was firm, desperate.
"What is this?" she asked, staring down at the tiny box.
"The first thing I ever bought with my salary when I started playing basketball," he said quietly. "I meant to give it to you back then. Now that you're getting married… I guess it's time to let it go."
Without waiting for her reply, Dranred turned away and opened his car door. Before stepping inside, he pulled out an envelope — the same one he had tried to give James. Estelle's eyes lingered on the box in her hand.
Something inside her stirred — a warmth, a pain, a memory she thought she had buried.
No matter how much she denied it, her heart still ached for him.
"Why are you giving this to me?" Estelle asked, her brow furrowing as she stared at the small box in her hand.
"Because it's yours," Dranred said simply. "I bought it for you. Do whatever you want with it."
Before she could respond, he pulled out an envelope and held it out to her.
"What's this?" Estelle asked, suspicion flickering in her eyes.
"Test results," he replied. "And information about Rosette's eye donor. We can schedule her operation anytime. I tried giving it to James first—but you probably already know how that went."
"Let me guess," she said quietly. "He refused?"
"As expected." Dranred's lips curved into a tired smile. "You'll have to talk to him yourself. Don't let him waste this chance. I'll take care of all the expenses."
He took her hand gently but firmly and placed the envelope in her palm before she could pull away.
"If you're doing this just because—"
"I'm not," he interrupted, his voice steady but low. "If Rosette matters to you, she matters to me too."
"Why?" Estelle pressed. "You don't owe her anything. If this is about guilt—"
"I told you, it's not." His tone softened, almost pleading. "Rosette deserves to see the world again. She's family to me. If there's something I can do for her, I will—without hesitation."
Estelle looked away, her throat tightening. "Even if you do this, you know it won't change anything. The past can't be undone."
"I know," he said, nodding slowly. "Just like we can't bring back what we had. I've accepted that. Just… convince James to say yes."
He turned and opened the car door, his movements calm but heavy with finality. Before getting in, he glanced back at her.
"Oh, before I forget—don't forget to send me an invitation to your wedding."
He smiled faintly, lifted a hand in farewell, and drove away.
Estelle stood frozen, lips parted, her chest tightening with emotions she tried to bury. She watched his car disappear into the distance, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the envelope. She was the one who chose this path, she reminded herself. There's no reason to feel sorry for him… or for herself.
"Hey, you're still here?"
Bryan's voice startled her. She spun around quickly, shoving the small box into her bag before facing him with a smile.
"Bryan."
He nodded toward the envelope in her hand. "What's that?"
"Oh, this?" she said, glancing down at it. "Dranred gave it to me."
"Dranred? He was here?" Bryan's eyes darted around, scanning the parking lot.
"He left already. He just wanted to give me this — it's about Rosette. He found a matching donor. We can finally schedule her operation."
Bryan's expression flickered — part relief, part unease. "I see… that's good. Our team's been searching for a donor for months."
"He's always treated Rosette like a little sister, even before," Estelle said softly. "So it's not surprising he'd help."
"That's good news then," Bryan replied, though his tone carried a trace of disappointment. "She can finally have her operation."
"Yeah," Estelle murmured. "It is good news. But James… he won't accept any help from Dranred. Not after everything that happened."
"Then he'll just have to learn to put his pride aside," Bryan said, crossing his arms. "Rosette's recovery is what matters most."
"I hope it's that easy," Estelle replied, her voice faint. She looked down at the envelope again, unease tightening her chest.
She knew James — his pride ran deep, and so did his anger. And with the finals just days away, both were about to collide head-on with Dranred once more.