The girlfriend turned out to be Lana. Larissa wondered how she forgot that October 23rd was Lana's birthday.

As she recalled the past, she clenched her handbag so tightly that she began trembling. Before she left the Seymours, she had spent every October 23rd hiding under the covers of her blanket in her room. She refused to watch the joyful occasion happening outside her room or listen to the laughter that echoed outside. They were nothing but a reminder of how unwelcome she was in that family.

As old memories and negative emotions arose, her breathing turned shallow. Despite the warm temperature of the venue, she began to shiver.

Just then, Lucas cleared his throat in the microphone, which silenced the audience immediately. The abrupt silence brought Larissa back to her senses. She got to her feet, deciding to slip away quietly before Lana noticed her. However, before she went far, she ran into someone. A faint, familiar, manly scent filled her nostrils.

She froze in her tracks.