When fate plays its hand

hapter 0721

Miranda’s lips curled into a self–mocking smile.

Paul’s breath hitched from this. For some reason, the slight smile at the corner of her lips gave him an inexplicable pang of unease. It was as if… he had missed something important.

When they finally left the factory, the evening was setting in. The guard shift had changed; the cheerful, talkative older man was off duty, replaced by a quieter, younger guard. Perhaps due to his shy nature, the young man silently took the keys, put them away, and opened the gate for them.

The evening sky was a deepening shade of gray, casting a somber glow over the bare branches along the road. Miranda and Paul walked side by side, with silence stretching between them.

Paul opened his mouth as if to speak but hesitated. He sensed her shifting mood, yet he didn’t know its cause, so he stayed cautiously quiet.

Suddenly, Miranda looked up with a smile. “Thank you, Dr. Jefferson, for the thoughtful birthday gift. It’s meaningful, and I really like it. In return, let me treat you to dinner. What would you like?”

Paul watched as she went from quiet contemplation to a warm, radiant smile in the blink of an eye. mood had been carefully composed.

He was momentarily taken aback until Miranda asked again, “Well, have you decided?”

“Let’s go for Dolorianese. Can you handle spicy food?”

“Sure!”

Her

After leaving the restaurant, Miranda exhaled into her hands and wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck. Seeing this, Paul started to take off his own scarf to drape it over her shoulders, but she stepped back with a smile.

“Nor

need, Dr. Jefferson. I’m not cold.”

He looked at her, puzzled. Yet before he could question it, she was already walking ahead. Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

The sky was fully dark, and the cold wind swept in, casting a faint mist under the streetlights. The two of them walked along the bank of the Elgerson River, strolling together.

When Miranda reached the bridge, she slipped her hands into her coat pockets and glanced back at Paul. “Dr. Jefferson, haven’t we walked this path before?”

“Yes,” Paul nodded.

“When was it?”

“In the summer, when I bought you ice cream.”

Miranda couldn’t help but laugh. “Your memory is always impressive.”

Paul wanted to say that he only remembered the important things, anything unimportant didn’t stick. But before he could, Miranda was already darting ahead, stopping at a small street vendor.

“Two, please,” she said while taking out some cash to pay.

1.2

Then she returned to Paul, extending one hand with a smile. “Here–since you bought me ice cream in the summer, I’m treating you to baked potatoes in the winter. It’s a fair trade.”

They were even now.

Paul took it. “Thank you.”

By the time they reached the apartment building, it was 10:00 pm, and the moon hung high in the sky.

“Miranda?” Paul suddenly spoke, stopping her.

“Yes?” She turned to look at him. “What is it, Dr. Jefferson?”

“The question you asked earlier on why I gave you the necklace, I’d like to answer again, if I may?”

Miranda’s heart skipped a beat. “Why…”

“Because it’s your birthday, and I wanted to give you something truly special. Diamonds are beautiful, but anyone with enough money can buy them. They don’t do you justice.

“You deserve the world’s best and most unique gift because that’s what you are. You’re one of a kind and the best there is.”

“Dr. Jefferson…” Miranda’s gaze softened, her expression now showing both uncertainty and wonder. Paul continued, “There are things I’ve wanted to say, but I held back. Yet, right now, I suddenly feel like telling you. Would you like to hear it?”

When Miranda met his deep, steady gaze, her heartbeat quickened beyond her control. After a long pause, she smiled at him and said, “Alright, go ahead. I’m listening.”