Chapter 23
As the new year approached, people who worked in other cities were returning and Wintervale was buzzing.
Even Wintervale High School was getting livelier.
Bryce took Grace back to her old school, Wintervale High School.
She knew the road so well, with its buttonwood trees standing on either side, their leaves already withered and yellow. Grace graduated from here more than 9 years ago.
“Why do you wanna come here?” Grace wondered and asked.
Though Bryce was also from Wintervale, she remembered that he had gone abroad long ago. Why was he emotionally so attached to Wintervale High School?
Bryce shook his head and denied all of Grace’s answers. Then, mysteriously, he took her hand. “You’ll see after we get inside. It’s kinda a little secret of mine.”
Grace followed behind him suspiciously. This was her old school, and she wondered if there would be anything in there to surprise her.
They came in front of the woods. Grace looked at those huge trees and said in astonishment, “How come I don’t remember these trees?”
Bryce smiled and said, “Because they didn’t belong to the school before. They were outside the walls. But someone
0.00%
O
|||
O
Chapter 23
288 iVouchers
climbed those old walls and accidentally destroyed them, then, these trees ‘moved in!”
“So no one rebuilt those walls?”
“I guess people thought it wasn’t easy for these trees to survive in such a condition, and it was lucky that they lived on.”
Then, Bryce pointed at the new walls not far from them. “I bet those are the new walls they built.”
Grace nodded. Standing under a tree, she could see the schoolyard from there.
“I can see the schoolyard from here.”
Bryce beamed and nodded gently. “Yep, that’s right.”
A bold idea emerged in Grace’s mind. She looked at him with uncertain eyes.
“Were you watching me before? I thought you went abroad.”
Bryce nodded and then smiled and said, “That was why I would come back every year.”
“So, when I went to college… You came back too?”
“Hmm, but the guards from your college wouldn’t let me stay for long.”
“You did so, for how long?”
“For 7 years.”
“Since when?”
30.46%
O
*t
O
<
Chapter 23
1288 Vouchers
Bryce pointed to an old tree not far away. “I happened to pass by when you confessed to Antonio.”
Bryce told a white lie because he was not sure that Grace would be able to afford all of his deep love for her all at once.
In the beginning, in Bryce’s eyes, she was just a plucky little girl from the Kauffman family. To fulfill her father’s last wish, she gave up the comfortable life to which she was entitled.
Later on, he witnessed all the efforts she had made to improve herself, so she didn’t have to rely on Antonio’s power.
Then, he watched her develop a secret crush on Antonio. It was a difficult time for her, and his own feelings were attached to it.
The very last time he saw Grace at Wintervale High School was when she confessed to Antonio. Whether it was youthful indiscretion or true love, her actions were enough to impress Bryce.
But he was not resigned to it, and he was mad and jealous of Antonio because he had won her heart, her pure love. Later on, when Bryce heard about Antonio’s fiancée, he rejoiced.
When he heard what Zelma had done, he was furious. He wanted to fly back and have Antonio beaten up.
He had to wait, however. When Barrett remembered him, he would have an excuse for approaching the woman he loved, and he would not have to watch her from afar.
Plus, Bryce was lucky to have a weak opponent who would push the love of his life away.
54.77%
+x
O
|||
O
Chapter 23
***
288 iVouchers
A warm feeling surged within her. She had no idea that someone had been paying attention to her during her awkward teenage years.
For those sorrowful years, it turned out that she wasn’t alone.
Bryce had been back in the country for almost half a year. At first, because of Antonio, Grace hesitated to accept Bryce’s love.
