Watching You Burn In Regret novel Chapter 212

She was lying on her side, breathing evenly, her face peaceful. Dressed in fluffy white pajamas, she looked delicate and serene, the very picture of a cherished dream girl. With her talent and beauty, it was no wonder she had been the object of so many people's affections.

He remembered back in high school, watching boy after boy nervously approach her, blushing as they handed her love letters. After she walked away, he would intercept them, casually striking up a conversation to learn their names and classes. Then, he would record their names in the school's disciplinary ledger, the reason always listed as "early dating." These boys would inevitably be summoned, along with their parents, for a stern talk with the principal, and would emerge with their ears being twisted by a furious parent. No parent or teacher at that time would have approved of teenage romance.

He had been in love with her even then, but he didn't want to distract her from her studies—and he certainly wouldn't let anyone else distract her either. He had single-handedly discouraged nine out of ten of her potential suitors this way. After he graduated, Jasper Crestwood's younger brother, who was in the same grade as Seren, had unknowingly continued the tradition for him.

He had cleared the path for her from the shadows, allowing her to navigate her school years peacefully. She, of course, had no idea he even existed. He never disturbed her, content to watch her from a distance, the sight of her enough to melt his heart. His only ambition back then was to become the best, to be worthy of her, to be able to offer her a stable and happy future.

But he had been one step too slow.

Thankfully, it wasn't too late. Fate had been merciful and given him a second chance.

Pulling his thoughts back to the present, Lennon picked up a jacket and stepped out onto the balcony. On his way, he passed the studio, where a painting lay on the redwood table, held down by ebony paperweights. The paint was still wet; it had clearly been done just hours ago. His eyes were immediately drawn to the inscription: *Lanterns as bright as day, faces as familiar as always. From dawn to dusk, year after year.*

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