22#22

22

The young woman adopted the elderly lady's surname, becoming Leslie Jeffries.

Under the older woman's nurturing, Leslie flourished and became robust.

Upon reaching her sixteenth year, the elderly woman passed on.

Leslie paid her respects as a devoted grandchild would, remaining by her side until the very end.

However, following this, Leslie found herself on her own once more.

At 18, she excelled academically, finishing at the top of her class in the entire region and securing a place at the nation's most esteemed university.

It was there that she encountered Denver, who had come back to his alma mater as a distinguished graduate to give a lecture.

The instant Denver caught sight of Leslie in the crowd, his typically sharp mind went fuzzy.

For the first time ever, Denver was at a loss for words. He couldn't tear his gaze away, couldn't think clearly—he just stood there, transfixed.

The audience began to murmur, uncertain about what was happening to the guest speaker.