He hadn’t expected to gain something unexpected before leaving.
The food arrived quickly. Jonathan sat alone, quietly eating his meal.
Niamh and Elmer’s sudden appearance had given him an excuse to stay and eat here instead of leaving right away.
Elmer led Niamh to a table by the window, where they could look out over the sparkling city lights of Coralis.
The view was breathtaking, a dazzling tapestry of color spread out beneath the night sky–everything laid out before Niamh’s eyes.
But her mind kept drifting, unable to focus on the beauty outside.
Coralis meant something special to her.
Her cousin, Nestor Benson, lived and worked here.
Carlisle the Quinn family’s loyal driver, assistant, bodyguard, and even
hacker–was also here.
The entire Quinn family had moved from Aldonia to Coralis, leaving her the only one behind.
But that was inevitable.
After all, she was no longer a Quinn./
Niamh sighed, drawing her gaze back from the window. Almost absentmindedly, her eyes flickered over to Jonathan.
She was surprised to see him sitting alone, eating his dinner with impeccable
manners.
Where was Marina?
Earlier, when she hadn’t seen Marina, she’d assumed she’d gone to the restroom to touch up her makeup.
But Jonathan wasn’t the type to start eating before Marina returned.
Could it be that, on a night like this, the two of them had argued?
Niamh thought back to her own college days with Jonathan, and even after they got married, she’d never dared to argue with him..
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In that sense, Marina was braver than she’d ever been.
A wry, self–deprecating smile crossed Niamh’s lips as she turned her attention back to her meal.
As she looked away, Jonathan lifted his eyes to the window seats, his expression unreadable.
Niamh was laughing and chatting with Elmer as she ate.
The food in Jonathan’s mouth suddenly tasted bland and joyless.
Meanwhile, back in Aldonia-
Aldenville.
Marina still hadn’t left her studio.
She’d spent the entire day clutching her phone, jumping at every notification–news alerts, advertisements, any sound at all–checking her calls, WhatsApp, and messages over and over, terrified she might miss something.
She was waiting for word from Jonathan.
Today was Valentine’s Day.
He would absolutely reach out. She was sure of it.
Back in Coralis.
The night sky was deep, the city below a mesmerizing ocean of lights.
At the top of Nimbus Summit, Elmer glanced at his phone’s clock as he ate, trying to look casual.
“It’s almost time…”
“What is?” Niamh looked up, puzzled. “What’s about to start?”
“The meteor shower.”
Elmer hadn’t even finished speaking when Niamh, suddenly as giddy as a child, pressed herself to the glass, searching the sky.
“Where? Where’s the meteor shower?”
Whoosh-
Bang!
A firework exploded over the city, painting the night in a burst of color.
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Niamh froze in wonder.
She turned to Elmer, and saw him flash her a mischievous grin.
There was no meteor shower tonight, but instead, a spectacular drone and fireworks display lit up the sky.
In the end, the drones arranged themselves into glowing letters:
Niamh, Happy Valentine’s Day!
All around Nimbus Summit, guests glanced at Niamh with obvious envy.
The colorful lights caught Jonathan’s face just as he was setting down his fork.
He looked positively green.
Niamh was stunned, delighted, and moved to tears–she never imagined Elmer would do something like this for her.
“This is the most romantic Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had,” she told him, her voice trembling with emotion.
She was grateful to Elmer–not least because the drones hadn’t spelled out “I love you” or anything too overwhelming.
Niamh understood he didn’t want to put that kind of pressure on her.
Her mascara was streaked with tears, so she excused herself to freshen up in the restroom–just as Jonathan happened to walk by.
Niamh pretended not to see him and started past.
Suddenly, Jonathan caught her by the arm.
“I set off fireworks for you, too…”
Chapter 379
Chapter 379
