Chapter 918: Chapter 918 Event
A hush fell over the crowd as the car came to a slow stop near the main gate.
Whispers rose.
"Whose car is that?"
"Looks like a Ferrari... or maybe a Lamborghini?"
"No way anyone here owns that."
And then, to everyone’s shock, Carrie appeared.
With her modest blouse and jeans, her beauty was as radiant as ever, but it was the car she walked toward that stunned the crowd into silence.
Without hesitation, she opened the passenger door, slipped gracefully inside, and shut it behind her.
The engine growled once more, and the sports car pulled away, leaving a trail of stunned faces in its wake.
"Was that... Carrie?!" someone gasped, voicing what everyone else was thinking.
In moments, the courtyard buzzed like a hive.
The angelic girl who had always seemed so pure, so untouchable, had just been picked up in a car worth more than most of their families’ homes.
Speculation spread like wildfire. Who was driving?
Was Carrie secretly dating someone powerful, someone rich?
By the time evening fell, Carrie’s name would be on everyone’s lips, her mysterious departure the hottest rumor across the entire university.
And with all this change surrounding her, someone very special to Carrie’s heart finally began to notice as well.
That night, Carrie returned home far later than usual.
The clock hands were already pointing to ten when Ross’s red sports car pulled up in front of her house.
The ride back had been quiet, filled with little moments—her hand brushing against the leather seats, her heart racing whenever Ross glanced her way.
By the time he stopped in front of her gate, Carrie’s cheeks still held a faint warmth.
"Goodnight, Carrie," Ross said, his smirk lingering like a mark he left behind without touching her.
"Goodnight," she whispered, clutching her bag a little tighter before stepping out.
The car’s engine roared to life again, and she stood there a moment longer, watching the taillights disappear down the street before she finally turned toward the house.
She hadn’t expected anyone to be awake, but when she pushed open the door, she was greeted by the glow of warm lamplight.
"Carrie. You’re finally home," her mother’s voice floated toward her.
Alexa stepped into view, her eyes dancing with amusement.
"Someone’s been waiting for you tonight. He’s been here for hours."
Alexa smiled and teased at the same time, a mother’s pride shining faintly behind her words.
She couldn’t hide her delight that her daughter had become so sought after, so noticed, so admired.
Carrie paused, her heart thumping faster. "Oh?" she murmured, though a part of her already suspected who it might be.
She slipped off her shoes and walked deeper into the house.
The soft hum of the clock filled the silence as she rounded the corner into the living room.
And then she saw him.
He sat quietly on the sofa, his posture straight yet relaxed, waiting with the kind of patience that spoke volumes.
His eyes lifted the moment she entered, and their gazes locked. In that instant, memories rushed back—afternoons filled with laughter, whispered secrets under the summer sun, and the first time her young heart had ever fluttered with something she hadn’t understood back then.
It was him.
The man who had taught her what it meant to feel, who had carved his place in her heart long before she even realized it.
The one who had once shown her what love could be.
Carrie froze in the doorway, caught between past and present, her breath catching softly in her throat.
"Zack." Carrie’s voice carried a mix of surprise and softness as her eyes fell on the handsome young man waiting for her on the sofa.
Zack rose to his feet at once, his gaze locking onto hers.
There was relief in his eyes—he had been waiting hours for her return—but beneath it was something else, something raw.
"Carrie," he said, his voice lower than usual, tight with emotion.
"I heard what happened today on campus. You... you got yourself a boyfriend, and you didn’t even tell me? I had to hear it from your mom."
His words struck her like a small blow. Carrie felt a pang of guilt twist in her chest.
Zack had always been there—through her laughter, through her tears, through all the little milestones of her life.
He was her best friend, the one constant she could always lean on.
And now, seeing him stand before her with hurt flickering in his eyes made her heart ache.
"Yeah..." Carrie admitted softly, her voice trailing as her lashes lowered.
She didn’t want to lie, but she also couldn’t bring herself to say Ross’s name.
"It just happened recently." She forced a small smile, desperate to smooth over the tension. "Did you eat already?"
"I did," Zack answered, but the edge in his tone hadn’t dulled.
He sank back onto the sofa, folding his arms across his chest.
The gesture was casual, but Carrie knew him too well—he was protecting himself, hiding his disappointment.
"So who’s the lucky guy? Is it someone from school? I asked your mom over and over, but she wouldn’t even tell me his name."
Carrie drew in a quiet breath and walked toward him, settling gently at the other end of the sofa.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her heart restless under the weight of his stare.
"No," she said, steady but cautious. "He’s not from school... he’s not even from the city."
The room fell into silence for a moment.
Zack leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped tightly together.
He looked at her as though searching for the truth in her expression, as though hoping she would laugh and say it was all a misunderstanding.
But Carrie only offered him the smallest of smiles, refusing to say more.
"I see..." Zack muttered, his voice softer now, almost defeated. He looked away, staring at the carpet as if it held answers he couldn’t find.