[Valerie's POV:]
Aside from his parents and Sebastian, I'm one of the few who've known him since he was little.
I was there when he shut himself off from the world—because he knew exactly how people looked at him.
I saw the moment he chose to stop hiding, to stop running, and to start working toward a better life.
And now, I'm here, watching him shine.
Yes, I felt a little jealous seeing the girls cheer and squeal for him… but the pride I felt watching the students support him drowned out every bit of that jealousy.
My chest tightened, and a smile stayed on my face the whole time.
He never cared about what people thought of him. But every time someone called him weak or mocked him, it felt like they were stabbing the most fragile part of me.
I hated every single one of them. And I didn't just hate—I fought back. I hurt more than a few who dared to treat him like he was anything less than someone worthy of love and respect.
But now… I don't have to protect him anymore.
