Chapter 0308 +25 BONUS

The same waitress from last night greeted us with a bright smile. “Good morning! How was your night? You two were so sweet together at dinner.”

My face heated up, remembering my over-the-top display of affection. It had been fabricated to make Noah feel bad, and yet…

Before I could respond, Noah jumped in. “Our night was wonderful, thank you,” he said smoothly.

The waitress beamed, clearly delighted by what she perceived as a happy couple. I opened my mouth, ready to say something carefully crafted to hurt him, but the words died on my tongue. I could still feel the phantom sensation of Noah’s arms around me, his hand brushing my skin, his fingers pinching that sensitive spot.

“It was… nice,” I said softly, surprising myself.

We ordered breakfast and coffee, falling into an uncomfortable silence once the waitress left. I focused on my omelet, trying to ignore the way Noah’s eyes kept flicking to me. Once we finished, the waitress came to take our empty plates. “How about dessert?” she asked, piling the dishes onto her arm.

I glanced at the dessert menu, my eyes landing on a chocolate-filled croissant. It did look tempting…

“No, thanks. I’ve already eaten plenty,” I said, pushing the menu away.

Noah, noticing my apprehension, nudged my foot under the table. “Come on, live a little. I know how much you like the pastries here.”

My eyes widened slightly. He… remembered. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Goddess, he remembered.

I hesitated, then nodded to the waitress. “Okay. I’ll have the chocolate croissant, please.”

As I ate the pastry, I could feel Noah watching me over the rim of his coffee cup. I kept my eyes down, focusing on the flaky layers and rich chocolate filling. It was delicious, I had to admit, but my mind lingered on that small revelation: he remembered.

“You’ve got a bit of chocolate,” Noah suddenly said, his voice low.

Before I could react, he reached out, his thumb brushing the corner of my mouth. The touch sent a jolt through me, and I froze. Noah’s eyes met mine as he brought his thumb to his mouth, licking off the chocolate.

My face felt like it was on fire. I was supposed to hate him, to be cold and distant. But at that moment, all I could think about was how it felt to wake up in his arms that morning, the familiar warmth of his body against mine.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, quickly looking away with a red face.

We finished our breakfast in silence. As we left the bistro, I caught sight of our reflection in a mirror. We looked like any other couple—standing close, matching our pace. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to imagine that we were just that: a normal, happy couple on a trip to visit family.

But we weren’t. And I couldn’t let myself forget that in just a few days, I would be refusing to return to Nightcrest with him, whether he remembered that I liked the pastries or not.

The drive to my parents’ estate was quiet. I stared out the window, watching the familiar landscape of Silvermoon pass by. Noah kept his eyes on the road, seemingly lost in thought.

Finally, as we pulled up to the grand gates of my childhood home, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Home, at last, real home. Not a prison. The end was close, and yet… why did I feel so disappointed? So empty?

The car had barely stopped when I heard my name being called. I looked up from gathering my bags to see my sister running toward us with a bright smile on her face. But as she got closer, my eyes widened in shock. There, cradled in Lily’s arms, was a baby.