Kneeling for a Second Chance Novel

---- Chapter 336 Valeria heard his low, urgent voice and froze for a second. She felt that it was pressing against her. "T bought the spiced apple cider. Then, I noticed a row of craft shops, so I went to take a look," came her response. "Just wait for me by the pudding stall. I'll be there soon." "Okay," Sebastian responded. "I'll wait here for you." After hanging up, he rubbed his brow. Out of habit, he reached into the pocket of his slacks , wanting to light a cigarette to suppress the itch in his throat and the unease rising within him. However, his pocket was empty.

Everything felt so ethereal. Valeria would never love him the same way she had when they were young. It felt as though she might turn and leave at any moment. Their marriage seemed to be nothing more than Sebastian's last form of consolation. Standing in the heavy summer night, Sebastian let the stifling wind blow against him. Strangers constantly passed by him. A young couple was holding hands, laughing and teasing each other. The girl had laughed happily, playfully nudging her boyfriend. Next to him was a stall being run by a plump young woman.

A fan was blowing as her boyfriend stood beside her, helping ---- her out by shouting for customers. Sebastian looked around at the thousands of glowing lights before him. Something seemed to collapse inside of him. At that moment, his eyes filled with tears and reddened. He finally understood what he had lost back then. The Jane who had once loved him so deeply had already disappeared , never to return. Sebastian didn't want to admit it, but he couldn't deny the truth, It wasn't Gabriella who caused the scars in Valeria's heart. It was him.

Valeria wasn't upset tonight because she saw Gabriella , but because Gabriella's presence had forced her to recall the past. She remembered when she had been falsely accused and labeled as a thief, unable to clear her name. Then, he suppressed the only piece of evidence that worked in her favor. She had asked him countless times back then whether he believed her. At the time, Sebastian had hated that question. It was already in the past, so why did she have to bring it up constantly? Did it really matter whether he believed her?

Sebastian had sent Gabriella abroad and erased the traces of that incident from the campus. What difference did it make if he said he believed her now? It ---- was already over. And now, he regretted it. He regretted not telling her back then that he did believe her. Would it mean anything now? Sebastian walked to a nearby convenience store and bought a pack of cigarettes . The doctor's warnings meant nothing to him. He bit one between his lips, leaned against the wall, and took a deep drag as he stared at the bright lights of the night market in the distance.

There he stood, in the quiet, dim corner, while the crowd bustled with joy just a short distance away. He was a solitary man, swallowed by the shadows as the smoke blurred his face. Meanwhile, Valeria had bought her spiced apple cider. Then, she managed to pick up a bowl of oatmeal with nuts that she had eaten back when she was in university. She hadn't expected that this dish would still be available. However, when she gave it a taste, it wasn't as tasty as it once was due to the ingredients used. 'The only good thing was that it was cheap.

When she arrived at their meeting spot, she didn't see Sebastian. She pulled out her phone and called him. He immediately answered and asked, "Is there anything else that you want? I'll come over and join you." ---- "Nope, that's all." As Sebastian was tall, he easily stood out in the midst of the crowd with his shirt and stunning looks. Valeria spotted him as soon as he walked over. She quickly approached him and handed him a portion of the spiced apple cider. "Here. Have this first."