Kneeling for a Second Chance Novel

---- Chapter 293 Sebastian's voice was strained as he said, "Seth won't come to bother you anymore." He had seriously underestimated his possessiveness over Valeria. Whether it was the morally flawed Zion or the carefully chosen, all-around Seth, he couldn't accept either one. Just the thought of Valeria being close to those men drove him crazy. Valeria brushed Sebastian's hand away. As she leaned against the door with light behind her, her cold eyes watched him. calmly. The hallway was dark as the sensor light quietly went out. Sebastian's thin figure stood in the shadows.

Dressed in pajamas, he blended with the night like a lost ghost. The room's light behind Valeria was the only illumination. "The person bothering me isn't Zion or Seth. It has always been you, Sebastian . I've lived in this apartment for a year, and I really like it here. This is where I've built a stable life," Valeria remarked. "Who's going to leave? Me or you?" Her voice was calm, without the faintest ripple of emotion. However, to Sebastian, it was as cold as frost. "Tmay not have much money, but finding a new place with ---- Lenny won't be hard," she added with a calm, gentle tone.

She expressed the very words he least wanted to hear, stripping him of the will to take another step forward. Valeria went on, "Sebastian, I don't want to hate you-not in the past and not now. I just want to slowly forget you, so don't make me hate you." After a pause, she elaborated, "Hating someone is exhausting. I don't want to spend my whole life in hatred. 1 don't want to carry that weight forever." Her only wish was to put the unpleasant past behind her and live a quiet, warm life in Broburgh city with Selena. She had started her own company and moved on in her life.

Valeria still remembered how, a year and a half ago, she bought the place. It was the first home she had ever fully owned for herself and Selena. She decorated it exactly the way they liked. From the balcony, she could see the stunning sea view of Broburgh City, and at night, the sky and sea became one, dotted with the glitter of stars over the water. For the past three years, Valeria had lived a happy and fulfilling life. Margaret's condition had stabilized for the time being, and she had grown fond of this coastal city-her fresh start in life.

She didn't think of Sebastan often, though he still crossed her mind from time to time. She never forced herself to forget nor tried to banish his memory. Instead, she listened to her own. ---- heart and respected her own pace. She didn't shut herself off from meeting other men either. With time, perhaps she truly could bury Sebastian deep inside, shut the door, and let it become the past. She didn't want to hate anyone, nor end up like Jane. Jane was tired, and her days were steeped in hardship. She believed time would heal her wounds. Valeria didn't give Sebastian a chance to reply.

It was as if she had made up her mind. "T'll have my place rented out this week." Just as she was about to shut the door, Sebastian flinched. His stance wavered slightly, and when he spoke, his voice was low and hoarse. "I'll leave." Her fingers tightened around the handle. Through the narrow gap, she saw his pale fingers braced against the door, keeping it from closing. "T... I'll leave," he repeated under his breath. His voice trembled , but he forced it down to a whisper. "I'm sorry."