Chapter 75

It was a typical Wednesday afternoon in the college student union, with students bustling about, studying, or chatting with friends. Sarah and her friends, Alex, Emily, and Jack, sat at a table, surrounded by notes and laptops, brainstorming ideas for the upcoming charity gala.

Sarah, still reeling from her earlier conversation with Nicholas, tried to focus on the task at hand. But her mind kept wandering back to the pain and hurt she had seen in his eyes.

"Okay, so we need to decide on a theme," Emily said, pulling Sarah back to reality.

"How about a masquerade ball?" Alex suggested.

Sarah shook her head. "I don't know, guys. That's been done before. Can't we come up with something more original?"

But as they tossed around ideas, Sarah realized that everyone was still fixated on Nicholas's idea—a silent auction with exclusive items donated by local businesses, paired with a live performance by a popular artist.

"I don't know why we're still considering this idea," Sarah said, frustra