When fate plays its hand

On a cold winter evening, in an old neighborhood where the streets emptied after 900 pm and the street lights flickered on and off, Paul couldn’t help but worry about Miranda’s safety So, whenever he had the chance, he’d make sure to go downstairs and wait for her

Though her return time wasn’t fixed, she was usually only about 20 to 30 minutes late. Tonight, though, she was two hours behind schedule. And to make it worse, she had gotten out of Sarriscar

Paul had a feeling something must have happened to her on the way back

The chilly night wind bit the air, and Paul noticed how fed her nose had gotten “Let’s go. It’s freezing Let’s get you inside.”

Miranda nodded and blew into her hands to warm them, then turned to say goodbye to Sam

Under the dim streetlights, Miranda and Paul walked side by side, and their steps were in perfect sync. As they made their way down the hallway, the motion–activated lights flickered on, and occasional murmurs of conversation could be heard in the distance.

Sam stood still and watched them disappear into the night. He couldn’t help but recall how she had spoken about Paul with such admiration.

At that thought, a flicker of bitterness passed through Sam’s eyes. Back then, he had hesitated because of her relationship with Hansel. Now, was he going to watch her fall into Paul’s arms?

Sam had planned to take things slowly and wait for the right moment. But now, he couldn’t bring himself to wait any longer. The longer he delayed, the more complicated things could get

He’d already paid for his hesitation with six years of waiting. After Miranda’s breakup with Hansel, was he really going to make the same mistake again?

The moment he turned toward his car, the darkness in his eyes was replaced by resolve. It was as though he’d made up his mind.

On December 25th, the heart of winter, the cold had truly settled in. As they said, “It’s the time when the cold really bites.”

The year

was winding down, with New Year’s Eve just around the corner. But for Miranda, this day had another special meaning–her birthday.

Early in the morning, the first person to wish her was her father, Lionel. Still curled up in bed, she answered his video call.

“Happy birthday, Mimi!”

“Thanks, Dad,” she replied.

“I’ve already sent your gift. Be sure to pick it up when you get a chance.”

With a grin on his face, Lionel stood in his kitchen with an apron. The beige tiles of the villa’s kitchen were visible behind him.

“You got me a gift? What is it?”

He chuckled. “Want to know? Open it and find out for yourself!”

“Still keeping it a secret?” Miranda pulled the blanket tighter around her. She rolled around in her bed and wrapped herself into a cozy ball.

“What secret? Who’s keeping secrets?” At that moment, Mindy walked over and peered into the camera.

Lionel laughed. “It’s just a secret between me and my daughter. Don’t be too nosy.”

Mindy teased, “What secret? You probably bought a new-”

“Hey! Don’t spoil the surprise!” Lionel interrupted her.

Miranda raised an eyebrow. “A new what? A computer? A tablet?”

Lionel’s eyes widened. “How did you know? Were you spying on my shopping history?”

She had casually mentioned last week that her tablet was too big and that she wanted a smaller one for portability. Little did she know, her father had been paying attention and bought her the new one she wanted. This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

“Thanks, Dad! That’s a great gift. I love it!”

your mom…

Lionel chuckled. “I was planning to surprise you, but then your

Mindy wasn’t upset, and she smiled. “Your dad really went all out this time. He did his homework and ⚫ spent hours on a live stream just to snag a big discount coupon. In the end, he even paid with his own

savings.

His wallet must be hurting.