Estre resisted with all her might, but in the end, she couldn’t escape Jason’s clutches. He devoured


    her yet again, leaving nothing untouched.


    “Estre, Jason and Holly are an item now. Holly tweeted about it, and the Ledford family has


    acknowledged their rtionship,” Jesse informed her. Estre was utterly


    dumbfounded.


    She had thought she and Jason were an item, that despite not making their rtionship official, they


    were essentially lovers. Staring at Jesse’s phone, Estre was frozen for what seemed like an eternity


    before managing a forced, casual smile. “They do seem like a good match,” she said. Her heart ached,


    and though she tried to hide it, her voice and body were shaking uncontrobly.


    Suddenly, sitting upright in bed, Estre’s forehead was drenched in sweat. By the light of the bedside


    lamp, she nced at the pillow where Jasony in deep slumber.


    Bracing herself with her hands against the mattress, she tried to calm her racing heart. Then, wiping


    the sweat from her brow, she silently got out of bed.


    For so long, she hadn’t dreamt about the past, about that incident.


    Pouring herself a ss of water from the cab, Estre noticed the wedding band on her left ring


    finger-a, token of her bond with Jason. Holding the ss to her lips, she stared at the ring for a long


    time, then drank half the water before padding barefoot into the adjoining study.


    Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, she examined the ring on her finger. It was amitment


    ring, yet having just put it on that evening, it had triggered memories of the


    past.


    Estre gazed at the ring for a while longer, then crossed her arms and looked o bright moon through


    the window. The moon was full tonight, just as it had been f


    years ago.


    After the Ledford family and Holly had made their rtionship public, Estre didn’t confront Jason. He


    hadn’t sought her out either, probably feeling no need to exin himself to her. After all, they had never


    really started anything. No confessions were made. They were just ‘friends.’


    A weekter, when Korey threw a dinner party, they crossed paths again. Estre hadn’t wanted to


    attend, but with Jason and Holly’s rtionship now out in the open, skipping the event would have


    seemed petty.


    She might have lost in love but wasn’t about to embarrass herself. So she went.


    She spent the evening chatting with Jesse and Bryce, deliberately ignoring Jason and behaving like a


    total outsider-which, in truth, she was


    08:44


    Later, overwhelmed by the noise, she escaped to the rooftop for some air. Resting her elbows on the


    balcony railing, she enjoyed the cool breeze ofte summer. She was finishing thest sip of her


    canned beer when she heard footsteps.


    Tossing the empty can aside and turning around with a slight buzz, she saw Jason approaching. Back


    then, Jason was 23, and she was 19, a sophomore in college. Jason had been working at Nelson


    International for nearly two years.


    “Hey, it’s you!” she greeted him with a tipsy smile upon seeing Jason.


    Jason walked up leisurely. Estre, with a hazy look in her eyes, chuckled and said, “Congrattions!”


    Jason’s expression darkened. “That’s it?” After half a month without contact, was that all she had to say


    to him?


    Estre saw his mood sour and, thinking of how happy Holly had been that


    night-parading Jason around as if they were celebrating an engagement-she added, “You two really


    seem well-suited.”


    As her words fell, Jason’s face grew even more unapproachable.


    Estre watched him silently stand there. She knew he had a girlfriend, so she decided to leave the


    rooftop. “I’m heading back in then.”


    But as she brushed past Jason, he grabbed her arm and shoved her backward with such force that her


    back mmed against the railing. Pain nearly brought tears to her eyes, and her light buzz dissipated


    instantly. Had the railing been any lower, she might have fallen off the rooftop to her death.


    Before she could catch her breath, Jason’s icy voice hit her. “Estre, if you have something to say, just


    say it. There’s no need for sarcasm.”


    Estreughed incredulously. She’d only spoken a few words-a simple cong and ament about the


    couple’spatibility-and yet she was being use


    sarcasm?


    Suppressing her anger, she asked with a smirk “How was I being sarcastic? Tell me, am I supposed to


    say?”


    Jason shoved his hand back into his pocket. “If you’re unhappy about Holly and me, you


    can tell me.”


    Estre found this really funny. Jason was publicly with Holly, and the Ledfords had made it official.


    There was nothing left for her to say. What right did she have to be unhappy?


    She snorted, “Please, I’m not that entitled or privileged to be unhappy. How you want to


    live


    your life is entirely up to you. If my presence bothers you, I’ll just disappear.”


    They were good friends once, but now that he had a girlfriend, it was only right to keep


    their distance.


    08:44


    After saying her piece, Estre’s back still throbbed with pain, which turned out to be


    I


    internal bruising uponter examination. This incident was one of the reasons she distanced herself


    from Jason and stopped confiding in him.


    Jason was used to being coddled by others, a figure of authority within their circle. So, when Estre


    finished speaking, Jason’s reaction was as expected-furious.


    He stepped closer, pinching her face, asking, “Not entitled or privileged? If you’re going to vanish from


    my sight, what was the meaning behind all your actions before, Estre?”


    Estre’s temper red at his questioning and physical aggression. She tried to pull his hand away but


    failed, and finally, gripping his wrist, she retorted, “What did it mean? It was all just fun! With the Nelson


    family’s status and wealth, everyone in Ravenwood wants totch onto you, Jason. Who wouldn’t want


    to be your friend?”


    With a sudden burst of energy, Estre shoved Jason off of her. She could almost see mes dancing


    in his gaze when she locked eyes with him again.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Their eyes met, and the memory of how he’d just treated her fueled her defiance. “Jason, who do you


    think you are without the Nelsons backing you? What makes you think you can strut around


    Ravenwood with such arrogance? You think you’re so untouchable, perched on your high horse?”


    “And don’t get it twisted. You seriously didn’t think I had feelings for you, did you? Don’t tter yourself.


    Hanging out with you was no different than with anyone else. It’s just because you’re Mr. Big Shot


    Jason Nelson…”


    She couldn’t finish her sentence. A sharp p to her left cheek cut her off, and for a moment, Estre


    waspletely stunned. The sting of the p echoed through her.