No Escape from Love

"You're questioning me now?" Alex's brows furrowed further, his eyes darkening with a trace of resentment. "You don't go home either. Why is that? Your mom has been worried sick."

I was taken aback as the answer seemed obvious. "I don't go back to the Hastings residence because I'm not a Hastings. That isn't my home."

The car fell into an uncomfortable silence.

As we reached the university gate, I unbuckled my seatbelt and was about to get out when Alex called out to me, "If you're worried about your surname, you can always change it to Serena Hastings," he said in a firm voice that left no room for argument.

I glanced back at him but said nothing. Grabbing my things, I stepped out of the

car.

Alex was getting dumber by the day.

Was this really about a surname? He only saw things on the surface. Hastings Group was bound to fail with that kind of thinking.

I spent the entire walk back grumbling about Alex before finally pushing open the door to my dorm room.

"Serena, you're finally back!" Lila exclaimed, leaping at me as soon as I stepped in.

"What's up, Lila?" I tossed my coat onto the bed and collapsed onto it.

After a day like that, I was too exhausted to say much.

"Get up," Lila demanded, pulling me to my feet by the collar. "Get up and explain."

"Explain what?" I asked, feeling a bit anxious.

"You're from the Hastings family?" Lila asked, stressing each word.

I wanted to avoid the question, but since Alex had already exposed me, there was no way out. Besides, after everything that had happened today, I realized Lila was on my side. As my only true friend, I didn't want to hide anything from her.

"My mother... is Alex's stepmother," I said hesitantly.

I didn't want to hide anything from Lila, but it wasn't something I'm proud of, and I

was afraid she might see me differently if she knew.

"I'm not actually a daughter of the Hastings family. My mom married into the Hastings family, and I lived with them for a few years. After I went to university, I've never gone back."

"Why?" Lila asked, surprised. "But that's the Hastings family!"

The Hastings family... What a prestigious name. They were the largest business empire in Grandview and even all of Alderland. The Hastings family's wealth was something many people dreamed of their whole lives.

I felt as if my soul had been ripped out, and I collapsed onto the bed.

Remembering all the cold treatment I received from the Hastings family, my eyes welled up. "Lila, I hate feeling like a guest in my own home."

Lila, sensing the tremor in my voice, seemed to understand. She lay down beside me and faced me.

"I'm not really a daughter of the Hastings family, Lila. If I could, I'd just be Serena."noveldrama

"But you are Serena," Lila said, gently wiping away my tears. "Serena, you're an adult now. You have the right to choose how you want to live. If you don't want to go home, the dorm is always a good option."

I nodded, smiling softly. "Yeah, and I have you here with me."

Lila smiled back, nodding. We

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chatted for a while before she suddenly asked, "Serena, based on everything you've told me, it sounds like your relationship with the Hastings family isn't great. So, why did Alex announce to everyone that you're a daughter of the Hastings family?"