Chapter 289
+25 BONUS
Chapter 289
The drones suddenly lit up, gathering together to form what resembled the cover of a book. Then a line of words appeared: [This is the story of…]
The drones changed position.
First, they showed a girl caring for what appeared to be a sick boy. The girl seemed afraid of needles, yet she continued donating her blood.
In the second scene, the boy was healed. They were getting married. The girl was seen sewing a suit for him and a gown for herself.
In the third scene, the boy took the girl’s gown and gave it to another woman before walking into the church with her.
In the fourth scene, the girl tried to hold back her tears as everyone laughed at her. Just then, another boy appeared. He handed her a handkerchief, but she turned away and left.
The fifth scene showed an auction. A precious bracelet belonging to the girl’s late mother came up for bidding. The boy from earlier and his new wife tried to bid it away from her. The girl begged them to stop, but they didn’t.
In the sixth scene, the Handkerchief Boy quietly appeared and bought the bracelet for her before vanishing into the crowd.
In the seventh, the girl thanked the Handkerchief Boy, who confessed his feelings. She shook her head and
avoided him.
In the eighth, the girl fought with her ex. They went to City Hall and court, but her ex kept skipping sessions, preventing them from finalizing the divorce.
In the ninth, the first boy fell ill. His family pressured the girl to help him again.
In the tenth, the girl won the case and left the man. She walked out of the court triumphantly.
In the eleventh, Handkerchief Boy reappeared, his heart open to her. The girl shook her head and walked away.
In the twelfth, Handkerchief Boy didn’t give up. He followed her, stopping whenever she stopped, walking whenever she did. Finally, she turned around, and he extended his hand.
The girl hesitated but eventually took it. They turned toward the sky… and faded into the night together.
The crowd of tens of thousands had already filmed and taken photos of the storybook. They remained mostly silent, staring at the night sky.
I was in a daze. It felt as though I had left my body, watching my entire life unfold before me as if narrated by someone else.
I tasted salt on my tongue and reeled, realizing it was my own tears.
The restaurant was quiet as well.
Blinking back tears, I focused on the man beside me.
I noticed others watching me–gazes of sympathy, pity, jealousy, anticipation, and even envy and contempt. These were likely the people who never thought I’d be a match for Soren.
They would never understand why Soren had poured so much of his heart into winning my affection.
I wanted to speak, but I was drowning in a flood of emotions. My tears continued to fall.
Chapter 289
Soren smiled gently, wiping my tears away.
“Why are you crying?” he asked softly. “Did you plan to say no? Was this too coercive for you?”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 290
+25 BONUS
Chapter 290
I shook my head. My mouth refused to move, but in my mind, I screamed, “No! That’s not true at all!”
Soleil sidled up to me. “God, Ren, you really are a master at wasting an opening. Hug and kiss her already, you dork!”
She shoved me straight into her brother’s arms.
Before I knew it, I was surrounded by him.
The crowd roared with laughter as Richard quipped, “Where are the rings, man?!”
I could no longer hold it in and laughed through my tears.
Then someone shouted, “The fireworks have started!”
Soren and I turned at the same time.
The night sky erupted again, this time with a dazzling display of colorful sparks shot from boats traveling down the river.
From our height, we could see the fireworks right before our eyes–sometimes even below us.
I thought they looked like transient flowers of flame, blooming just for us.
Then, toward the end, the fireworks formed words: [Happy New Year. May you have a bright year ahead!]
So much happiness and contentment–feelings that had eluded me for years–washed over me in those few minutes. Passion, excitement, and pure joy rose within me like a tide.
Then, when it seemed every firework in the world exploded at once, I heard the bell tolling, ushering in the new year.
Warmth spread over my skin as Soren kissed my cheek.
I heard him whisper in my ear, “Happy New Year, Taylor.”
All the walls around my heart crumbled, then shattered into smaller and smaller pieces, until it felt like they’d never existed.
I looked up and met his eyes. I…
My phone rang from my bag, pulling us out of the moment. I glanced at the screen–Jean.
I had completely forgotten about her call! Could it be an emergency?
“You should answer her,” Soren said encouragingly.
I nodded. “Okay.”
I picked up the phone. “Hello-”
“Did you see the drones?! That whole performance went viral! Best Boy Soren has Kenway–ed again! Now the haters and trolls are quiet!”
I had to pull the phone away from my ear. Her voice was so loud even Soren could hear her. He scratched the bridge of his nose, a little embarrassed.
My cheeks burned. “Yeah… I saw it…”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 290
“Girl, what is up with your voice?! Oh my God, were you crying?! Who the fuck bullied you at a time like this?”
“What? No! Nobody bullied me. I… I was watching the drone performance live, so, you know, I’m a little…” I coughed.
“That’s why you didn’t pick up!” Jean shrieked in pure excitement. “So, what’s going on between the two of you now, huh? Still in that situationship or something?!”
How was I supposed to say no?
Soren made his love for me known–not just in Metropolis, but across the country. How could I say no? Did I even want to say no? Or was I just clinging to old baggage?
I looked at Soren and smiled. “No, Jean. We’re dating now.”
