Nathalie was utterly baffled. Did Luke think she was somehow in league with the man? The man had applied pressure, and suddenly Luke was bending over backward for her?


    She couldn''t hold back any longer and asked what had been nagging at her: "I want to know the identities of the boy and girl involved in that notorious college tragedy from years ago."


    Luke''s face showed a flicker of difort, as if he was being forced to spill the beans. "The girl was from an ordinary family, I think her name was Maya. She was quite the beauty, really driven, and acted as the ss leader. The boy, on the other hand, was the heir to a wealthy family. He fell head over heels for her at first sight and exploited her family''s money troubles to get her to have his child. Unfortunately, when the truth came out, the girl felt too ashamed to bebeled his mistress and, tragically, ended her life."


    This version lined up perfectly with the rumors Nathalie had heard.


    Feeling a pang of disappointment, she continued to dig deeper: "Who was the young heir from the Stewart family? What was his name?"


    "I can''t recall."


    "Really?" The man in the wheelchair let out a cold chuckle.


    "Lincoln... Stewart."


    Shock shed in Nathalie''s eyes. "Lincoln, as in the descendant of the Stewart family from the Capital?"


    Luke nodded, looking defeated.


    "So, where is he now?"


    Luke hesitated before answering. "The college scandal was massive. A young heir like him couldn''t bear the blow to his pride and fell seriously ill. He''s been stuck in a hospital for years."


    Something didn''t sit right with Nathalie.


    The man gave her a nudge, steering her toward the truth. "If Lincoln was so concerned about his reputation, how could he have acted so shamelessly towards the girl? Luke, are you trying to deceive us?"


    Nathalie was caught off guard. Was this man actually helping her?


    Luke started to sweat. "It''s been ages, some of the details are foggy."


    The man fiddled with the ring on his finger, his voice icy. "Foggy memory? Then


    you must''ve forgotten about the star of the night back then, huh?"


    Luke''s face went pale. "I... I need to think this through."


    This time, he revealed the deeper truth behind the tragedy. "The college incident was moreplicated than it seemed."


    "Lincoln was a physics prodigy, a


    rising star, and he fell in love with the


    belle of the literature department. They were truly in love, but their families were worlds apart. Lincoln''s parents had other ns for him, wanting him to marry someone suitable, and fiercely opposed the rtionship."


    ine


    "Lincoln finally persuaded his parents to let him marry Maya. The two lovebirds nned to tie the knot after graduation, and Maya was expecting. But just as she was ready to walk down the aisle, Lincoln had a car ident, suffered grave injuries, and ended up in aa


    "The Stewart family pointed fingers at Maya, iming herte-night craving for spicy chicken wings caused the ident. With the family''s usation, the media and the public turned on Maya."


    "Maya, already devastated by the


    loss of her love, sank into severe postpartum depression after the birth. In a desperate bid to clear her name she made the ultimate. sacrifice. She set herself on fire in the campus square."


    "Tragically, after her death, the Stewart family swept it all under the rug to calm


    the storm. The tale faded away from public memory."


    Luke wrapped up his story, nervously ncing at the man.


    The man paused before asking, "Is that everything?"


    Luke nodded, letting out a heavy sigh.