?Chapter 1405:


    “Is that the only way?” Melvin asked, feeling something sharp twist in his chest—an ache he couldn’t put into words. It was like a jagged de had sliced right through him and stayed there.


    “You don’t have to do it—if you want to be with me,” Jessica said, her gaze fixed and unwavering. “Otherwise, please block my contacts.”


    She couldn’t bring herself to block him. No matter how furious she was, she just couldn’t do it.


    Melvin pressed his lips together, hesitating for a long moment. Then, he finally said, “Got it.”


    He picked up his phone and blocked her contact. Jessica was right—if he couldn’t be with her, it was cruel to give her hope.


    Once he was done, the phone felt like a brick in his hand. His expression shifted, somethingplicated flickering in his eyes. His voice remained calm, but the weight was there. “It’s done.”


    Jessica’s lips twitched. Melvin had really blocked her. He sure knew how to break her heart.


    “Good,” she said, forcing her emotions down, refusing to look at him again. If she did, she might explode from everything bottled up inside.


    Ten minutester, Jessica was back in her room, pretending to pack.


    In reality, she was staring at the single grey tick on her screen, seething.


    She couldn’t help herself—she typed a long string of curses, all directed at Melvin, and sent it even though she knew it would never go through. It just made her feel slightly better.


    Just as she was about to exit the chat, a friend request popped up. The profile picture was a cartoon. The nickname was just a dot. She frowned slightly and typed out a message, “Who is this?”


    Jessica’s phone pinged with a quick reply: “Mel.” Her brow furrowed in confusion.


    Mel, as in Melvin?


    Her eyes darted to the door, a reflex, before she typed back, “What’s up?”


    Fresh chapters are live at gα?ησv???s


    Meanwhile, Melvin lounged on his couch, staring at her message, his mind a jumble. He wanted to chat, to connect, but words escaped him. Why had he even reached out if he was just going to freeze now?


    Jessica, growing impatient, sent another message. “Hey, you there?”


    Melvin’s thoughts raced, but he replied, “Just hoping we could be friends. Can I have that chance?”


    Jessica read his words, her heart a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite name. She tapped on Melvin’s profile, curious, but found it bare—no posts, no trace of him. As she scrolled, Melvin fidgeted, waiting for her response, his patience wearing thin.


    He decided to take a chance and headed to her door, giving it a gentle knock.<fn9222> The rightful source is f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn9222>


    “What’s wrong?” Jessica’s voice snapped from inside.


    “Open up, I need to talk,” Melvin said, tossing out a casual excuse.


    Jessica hesitated, not eager to face him, but the recent message nagged at her. She powered off her phone, set it on the bed, and slowly opened the door.


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