"Then who is she?"
Seb was even more curious than Yolande.
"That's his date's twin sister. She's also Owen's first love, Seraphina Thorne."
It was just a guess on Claire's part, but she was fairly confident she was right.
"Owen actually had a first love?!" Yolande was stunned. Considering how quickly Owen cycled through girlfriends, she figured he was the type who never cared much about romance.
He always gave off the vibe of a total player.
The three of them casually ordered their food, highly entertained as they eavesdropped on Owen and his ex.
In truth, Seraphina was drowning in regret. She couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different if she had just listened to Owen back then and left her parents. Would she have been able to keep this handsome man?
"Owen, I know you're disappointed in me. For years, I've been second-guessing the choice I made."
"But you don't understand. I craved my parents' love so desperately growing up. As long as they gave me even the slightest bit of validation, I was willing to..."
"I know you can't understand it. I'm sorry for wasting your good intentions back then."
"I haven't dared to return to Cabinda all these years because I knew I couldn't face you."
Seraphina's eyes welled with tears.
They had all grown up, and Owen was even more handsome than she remembered.
The regret gnawing at her heart only grew stronger.
If only they hadn't broken up.
"And you think you can face me now?" Owen toyed with his lighter, a mocking gleam flashing in his eyes as he looked at her.
The only reason Seraphina was back was because her sister, Jocelyn, had returned.
He didn't care what kind of game the two sisters were playing, but there was zero chance he was getting back together with Seraphina.
Whether she came back to Cabinda or not made no difference to him.
"I've always longed for where I truly belong. I could never let it go."
Seraphina looked at Owen, her eyes brimming with guilt. "I'm sorry, Owen."
Owen still hadn't touched his silverware. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You simply chose the people who were more important to you."
"I..." Seraphina offered no excuses. "I missed you so much these past few years." "Missed me?" Owen eyed her up and down.
He stared until she squirmed uncomfortably in her seat before finally speaking. "Seraphina, we broke up."
"You do realize that, right?"
Seraphina's face stiffened. "I know. You don't need to remind me."
"Owen, I just... I want to be friends."
"Are you having regrets?" Owen felt absolutely no curiosity about whether Seraphina had lived well out of town these past few years.
Seraphina stayed quiet, but internally, she was eaten alive by regret.
If her parents hadn't manipulated her, if she hadn't been so desperate for their breadcrumbs of affection, maybe she and Owen would have already...
Owen came from money; of course he had the luxury of doing whatever he pleased.
But for her, retaking the college entrance exams and going to an out-of-state
university hadn't been an easy ride.
And the struggle had nothing to do with her grades.
The truth was, Seraphina was incredibly bright. She was a top student.
When she retook the exams, she had easily gotten into a top-tier university out of state.
But as a girl born and raised in Cabinda, she had a terrible time adjusting to life elsewhere.
At first, she couldn't even stomach the local food.
The people there rarely spoke the
dialect, and even though
stand accents were similar she
still struggled to understand them.
The outgoing, boisterous girls there frankly didn't have much patience for someone
as introverted and timid as she was.
Thankfully, no one at the university actively bullied her.
Truthfully, once she was free from her parents' control, her life should have been smooth sailing.
But somehow, her sister Jocelyn had still managed to reach far enough to make things difficult for her.
After graduating, Seraphina had desperately wanted to return to Cabinda, going so far as to apply for
a master's program at The Cabinda. University.