She was still lost in thought when a sudden tap on her shoulder startled her. From the firm pressure alone, she could tell it was a man.

Turning around, she froze. Quentin stood right behind her, smiling warmly. Quentin—top of his class in business from an elite overseas university, heir to the Hudson empire. But why on earth was he here, at a medical school? Questions stormed through her mind, but she held them back. To Quentin, she was Lilah, a stranger.

And yet, his eyes told a different story. They carried a warmth and familiarity that unsettled her.

Then, breaking the silence, Quentin spoke. “Elliana,” he said softly, “what a coincidence.”

Elliana stiffened. His voice was just as warm as she remembered, his features just as refined and gentle. But he had called her Elliana. How could he know? Her thoughts spun. She replayed every memory she had of him. There was no way he could have linked Lilah to her true self. How had he pierced her disguise?

As if sensing her confusion, he reached out and lightly ruffled her hair. “You’ve grown up,” he said with a smile. “But your face, your little expressions… They’re the same as when you were small. I knew it was you the moment I saw you.”

When she was small? She’d been playing the part of a useless, ugly girl since she was five. If Quentin remembered her from when she was little, he had to be talking about the time before that.

Before she turned five, her mother had arranged her engagement to Raylan. Because of that, she had visited the Hudson estate quite often. And yes, she had seen Quentin there many times. Quentin was Raylan’s age, and the three of them spent much of their childhood together. She remembered clearly—Quentin had always been her shield, stepping in whenever someone tried to pick on her.

Their paths had separated when her charade began. She hid away in the Jones family backyard, while Quentin went abroad to study, and they drifted apart. Years had passed. Childhood had slipped away. Her engagement to Raylan had collapsed in ruins. Quentin had long faded from her memory. Yet, here Quentin was, showing her the same kindness he once did.

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For a moment, she thought of ending the ruse. She even allowed herself a faint smile, ready to admit the truth.

But before she could speak, Quentin leaned close, his breath brushing her ear. “The truth is, I’ve always known. That whole act of being useless and ugly—I saw through it. I’ve kept your secret all along,” he whispered.

He pulled back, his bright smile unwavering.

Elliana’s smile faltered as she searched his face. Her heart raced. Never had she imagined Quentin could be so perceptive. He had carried her secret all these years without a word. The revelation hit her hard. The gentle boy she remembered was not the man standing before her now. If he knew her act, what else might he know?

A chill crept down her spine. Behind that polished kindness, a far more dangerous man could be hiding. For more chapters visit fι?dnοvel.net

He wore his mask, and she would wear hers. Her smile returned, calm and composed. “How did you know?” she asked lightly, concealing the storm raging within.

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