I was stunned, looking down at a small box wrapped in dark gray velvet with subtle silver patterns printed on it.
I didn’t immediately take it.
Ferris’s expression wasn’t as proud as usual. He looked at me and spoke somewhat unnaturally: “I forgot… yesterday was your birthday.”
He said these words extremely softly and slowly, as if it took all his strength.
I looked at him, complex emotions rising in my heart.
.
After he finished speaking, he placed the box in my hands.
“You don’t have to accept it, and you don’t have to respond,” he said. “It’s just the first time I… wanted to do something to make amends.”
Howered my head and slowly opened the box.
Inside was a pendant necklace set with moonstone, the silver chain delicate and flexible, the pendant small but warm and lustrous, very much like a point of light on the sea surface at night.
“Why this?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“You said it the first time you came to this beach.” He looked toward the distant horizon where sea met sky. “You said you loved how the moon looked reflected on the water.
I was stunned.
That was just an ordinary conversation.
I hadn’t expected him to remember–nor had I expected that on a day when I had almost forgotten my own birthday, he could still give me this belated “I remember.”
The wind tousled my bangs.
I said nothing more, just carefully put on the necklace.
Terris glanced at me, didn’t say something like “do you like it” but spoke softly:
“Happy birthday, Aurora.”
Getting into the car to go back.
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Chapter 123
I was visibly disappointed, watching the rearview mirror until the beach completely disappeared from view before
looking away.
Terris sat beside me, wanting to say something about the birthday, but in the end said nothing.
“What would you like to eat later?”
“Anything is fine.”
I had no appetite.
“Then we’ll just eat whatever.”
Ferris had the driver take us to a private restaurant he frequented.
Throughout the meal, I barely ate anything.
Ferris didn’t know how to celebrate someone’s birthday either.
On the way back, he had someone bring over a cake.
When we arrived at the villa.
I saw the cake placed on the dining table.
I was somewhat surprised.
Ferris said nothing and went straight to his study.
Only then did I take out my phone and discover that Adrian and Cynthia had called me many times. Because it was on silent, I hadn’t received the calls.
Worried they might be concerned, I called Cynthia back first
“Aurora, you finally answered! Why did you leave last night? Are you okay now?”
“Something came up last night, so I left early. My phone was on silent, so I didn’t hear the calls.”
Cynthia breathed a sigh of relief: “That’s good then.”
“Mm–hmm.”
After chatting with Cynthia for a while, I called Adrian and told him about what happened today.
Adrian was silent for a moment, then asked: “Give me your brother Linus’s address, I’ll find a way to get him out.”
“I went there a few days ago and found the security there very tight. It won’t be easy to get him out.” I paused. “My
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Chapter 123
recent behavior has aroused l’erris’s suspicion. He seems to have increased the manpower there considerably. I need to first find a way to make him lower his guard against me.”
“Alright, after you succeed, we’ll figure out how to get Linus put.”
Adrian didn’t know how long he could stay here.
He had come back under the pretext of handling a project, and once the project was done, it would be time to return.
“Okay.”
After we agreed, I hung up.
I stood on the balcony, took a deep breath, then prepared to wash up and rest.
When I turned around, I saw Ferris had somehow appeared there, looking at me meaningfully.
(4)
12:31 C
