SWDnovel Chapter 547: Tragic Past
Chapter 547: Tragic Past
Lana gave a faint chuckle. After all, she was only teasing him. Then she gently closed her book. "I’m sorry."Her voice was calm. "I don’t like you romantically."
The answer was direct, yet it wasn’t cruel. Quinn lowered his head slightly.
Although he had already expected this outcome, hearing it directly still hurt. For a brief moment, disappointment flashed across his face.
Then he forced a smile. "That’s alright."
His voice sounded somewhat strained. "I have already expected this response."
Slowly, he put the ring away.
Meanwhile, Lana simply continued acting normally, as if nothing unusual had happened.
Oddly enough, that made Quinn feel even worse.
It was as though his confession hadn’t shaken her in the slightest.
After several minutes of awkward silence, Quinn suddenly asked,
"Are you in a relationship?"
The reason behind the question was simple.
While sitting in Lana’s room, he had noticed a photograph on her bedside table. The photo contained Lana and Lucian together.
At first glance, it looked ordinary. However, after thinking about it carefully, something felt strange.
Lana was already extremely wealthy. There was no practical reason for her to continue living with Lucian.
Yet she stayed in Lucian’s mansion. That alone spoke volumes. Lana followed his gaze.
When she realized what he was looking at, she chuckled softly. "Yes."
A smile appeared on her face. "He’s my boyfriend."
She had no intention of hiding the truth. The moment Quinn heard those words, he sighed deeply.
Now he finally understood how thoroughly he had lost. Compared to Lucian, he stood no chance.
After collecting his thoughts, he looked toward Lana.
"Would you be interested in hearing about Lucian’s past?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Lana’s attention immediately shifted.
Interest appeared in her eyes. "Sure."
Quinn smiled faintly. Then he began speaking. "When Lucian first returned to his biological family..."
His expression became complicated. "The very first thing he saw was that fake heir occupying his position."
Lana listened quietly. Quinn continued.
"Back then, Lucian directly asked his parents a question."
A bitter smile appeared on his face. "He asked whether they wanted him or the fake heir."
Lana’s brows rose slightly. Quinn nodded. "Their reaction was actually quite interesting."
He imitated their tone. "’How can you make us choose between the two people closest to us?’"
Quinn laughed coldly. "However, Lucian saw right through them."
Another smile appeared on his face.
"He looked at them and said, ’There’s no need to continue this performance. You’ve already answered my question.’"
Lana quietly listened. "’Even now, you’re still defending the fake heir.’"
As Quinn recalled the past, his expression became increasingly unpleasant. "Do you know what happened afterward?"
Lana shook her head.
Quinn sighed. "The fake heir staged a suicide attempt. He cut his wrist."
The room immediately became quieter.
"As a result, everyone blamed Lucian."
His voice contained obvious anger.
"Even after finally returning home, Lucian wasn’t allowed to stay comfortably inside the villa."
Hearing this, Lana folded her arms. "What a terrible person."
Quinn nodded heavily. "Not only that."
He continued. "Later on, whenever the fake heir became upset, the family would pressure Lucian into apologizing."
His voice became mocking. "Apparently, every emotional breakdown suffered by the fake heir was somehow Lucian’s fault."
Lana raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
She looked genuinely curious. "What was that person’s name?"
If she were ever to cross paths with him, she would teach him a good lesson. At the same time, her heart ached for Lucian.
Quinn answered immediately. "Simon Lee."
The moment Lana heard those words, she froze. Her fingers stopped moving.
A complicated expression flashed across her face. How could she possibly not recognize that name?
Simon Lee.
In her previous life, after the Lee family moved into a villa near hers, she had developed a crush on him.
To be more precise, Simon was significantly older than she. Back then, she had been young and naive.
Simon often guided her and occasionally helped her. Those small acts of kindness had eventually caused her to develop feelings for him.
Thinking back now, she could only shake her head inwardly. ’What terrible taste I had.’
At that time, she had been busy with countless matters and had paid little attention to the conflicts surrounding Lucian.
However, now that she thought about it carefully, she and Lucian might have crossed paths long before they officially met.
The realization felt strangely amusing. Meanwhile, Quinn continued speaking.
"Eventually, Lucian gave up on that family. He moved in with his non-biological grandparents instead."
His voice softened slightly. "But the family still didn’t leave him alone."
Quinn clenched his fist. "Even after all of that, they continued treating him unfairly. Do you know something ridiculous?"
Lana looked toward him. Quinn laughed bitterly.
"Because they cut off some of his support, Lucian had to walk from his grandparents’ residence all the way to the university every day."
His eyes reflected admiration. "It was an incredibly long journey. Whether it was summer or winter, whether he was almost going to faint from heat stroke or dying from cold... he persisted and never returned to his biological family."
Lana clenched her fist. Because for the first time she realized that while she wasn’t looking... her boyfriend was hurt so much...
A glint flashed past in her eyes, and she vowed...
’One day I will deal with the Lee family!’
In her past life, Lucian never mentioned the Lee family because by that point he had already dealt with them.
A trace of respect appeared in Quinn’s gaze. "But throughout all of it, he never complained. He never showed sadness. He never begged."
He shook his head. "It was as though none of those hardships mattered to him."
Quinn suddenly laughed. "Honestly, after knowing him for so many years, I’ve learned one thing."
Lana tilted her head. Quinn smiled.
"Lucian is ridiculously stubborn."
A look of admiration appeared on his face.
"No matter what Simon did. He simply refused to break."
And somehow, that stubbornness had allowed him to survive everything that should have destroyed him.