Chapter 20 – The Return of Nathan Cole

Nathan stepped through the entrance of his old school, the familiar scent of polished floors and the distant chatter of students filling the hallways. But this time, he wasn't the same.

No longer Nathan Smith, the quiet guy who kept to himself. No longer the boy who would nap through lectures and avoid unnecessary interactions. Today, he walked in as Nathan Cole. Confident. Charismatic. And most of all, unapologetically himself.

The moment he entered, eyes turned. Whispered conversations spread like wildfire, students nudging their friends, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Is that... Nathan Smith?"

"No way—he looks completely different!"

"Wait, hold up, that's not Nathan Smith. That's Nathan Cole. The heir to Cole's Group!"

Nathan ignored the murmurs, his steps unhurried as he made his way to class. He wasn't here to make a scene, but he also wasn't going to hide anymore.

Inside the classroom, Lilian sat near the window, absentmindedly scrolling through her notes. She had been hearing the whispers, but she wasn't particularly interested—until she felt a presence near her.

Nathan casually slid into the seat beside her, resting his elbow on the desk and tilting his head toward her.

"Morning, Lilian."

Her fingers froze for a split second. That voice—it was the same. But when she turned to look, her heart skipped a beat.

Gone was the lazy, messy-haired Nathan Smith. In his place was a young man with neatly styled hair, sharp eyes, and an aura of effortless confidence. He was dressed sharply, his uniform worn with precision, and his signature lazy smirk had turned into something... more refined.

Lilian narrowed her eyes. "Tch. And what do you think you're doing?"

Nathan chuckled. "Talking to an old friend."

"Oh, really? And here I thought you were some rich guy who just likes messing with people."

"Hey, I'll have you know, I'm a changed man." Nathan leaned back in his chair. "No more sleeping in class. No more keeping to myself. I'm here to start fresh."

Lilian scoffed, crossing her arms. "Start fresh? What does that even mean?"

Nathan shrugged. "It means I'm not disappearing again. Simple as that."

Something in the way he said it made Lilian pause. It wasn't just some empty statement—it felt like a promise.

But she wasn't going to let him off that easy.

"Well, that's great and all, but don't think I've forgiven you just yet."

Nathan grinned. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

It didn't take long for the news to spread.

During breaks, students kept sneaking glances at Nathan, some even gathering the courage to approach him.

"Hey, Nathan! Are you really the heir to Cole's Group?"

"Nathan, you've changed so much! What happened?"

"Wow, you're actually pretty cool now."

Nathan entertained them with brief, charming responses, never letting himself get too caught up in the attention. He had only one real focus today.

And she was currently pretending he didn't exist.

Even at lunch, when a few girls shyly tried to sit with him, Nathan smoothly excused himself and walked straight toward Lilian's table.

He plopped down next to her, setting his tray down like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Mind if I join?" he asked, already eating.

Lilian sighed. "Do I even have a choice?"

Nathan smirked. "Nope."

Her friends exchanged curious glances. This was not the Nathan they remembered. This Nathan was casual, charming, and strangely persistent.

And then, to their shock, he slid a small dessert onto Lilian's tray.

"Here. You like these, right?"

Lilian blinked, staring at the dessert.

Her friends were practically vibrating in their seats. "Wait, wait, hold up—did Nathan just give you his dessert?!"

Nathan stretched his arms lazily. "She's had a long morning. A little sugar should help."

Lilian's face turned slightly pink, but she quickly masked it with a scowl. "You're awfully nice today. What's your deal?"

"No deal." Nathan shrugged. "I just figured I should treat you better. You deserve it."

Her heart did an involuntary flip. But she shoved a spoonful of dessert into her mouth to keep herself from reacting.

Her friends, however, were losing their minds.

"Okay, but—are we just gonna ignore the fact that Nathan Cole is, like, openly flirting right now?"

"Lilian, you have to say something. This is crazy."

Lilian gritted her teeth. "I have nothing to say."

Nathan only chuckled.

After school, Nathan casually fell into step beside Lilian.

She glanced at him. "What now?"

"Just walking with you."

"Why?"

"Because I want to."

She rolled her eyes but didn't push him away.

They walked in comfortable silence, the evening air cool against their skin.

At one point, Nathan instinctively reached out and pulled her back before she could step onto the road without looking.

"Careful."

Lilian froze. The warmth of his hand on her wrist sent a shiver up her spine.

Nathan, however, acted as if nothing happened, stuffing his hands back into his pockets.

"See? What would you do without me?" he teased.

Lilian huffed, crossing her arms. "I was fine on my own."

"Sure, sure." Nathan smirked.

A Late-Night Message – The Persistence of Nathan Cole

That night, Lilian lay in bed, scrolling through her phone, still trying to process everything.

And then—

Nathan: "Goodnight. Sleep early, okay?"

She stared at the message.

Simple. Nothing dramatic. But it was enough to make her feel... something.

After a long moment, she finally typed back—

Lilian: "Okay."

Somewhere across town, Nathan lay in bed, hands behind his head, smirking to himself.

"This time, I won't disappear again."

Meanwhile – A Different Kind of Attention

But while Nathan was busy rekindling his bond with Lilian, someone else was attracting attention in an entirely different way.

Lucien sat at the edge of the rooftop, watching as a group of students exchanged information near the old gym building.

They weren't normal students. They were looking for someone.

And from the fragments of conversation he caught, he knew exactly who they were looking for.

"Nathan Smith... doesn't exist." one of them muttered. "So where the hell did this guy come from?"

Lucien's eyes darkened.

"Tch. Looks like we've got a problem."

The chapter ended with him pulling out his phone, dialing a number, and muttering—

"Hey, we need to talk. Now."

End of Chapter 20.