Chapter 175

They could see godfathers and believers walking around. Enrique believed in Christ and used to come to pray with his elders when he was young. Under his father’s influence, Bowen might not be extremely devout, but he still came to worship every year and made donations.

Most of the godfathers here recognized him on sight. “Mr. Turner, are you here to pray today?” a godfather asked.

“I’m here to fulfill a vow for my father, and I’ve brought some friends to admire the roses,” said Bowen.

The godfather led them to a grand hall, where there were many believers.

Bowen led Aubree into the hall to fulfill their vow. As Aubree gazed up at the statue high above, she thought, ‘To be granted a second chance at life is beyond human power. Maybe this truly is God’s intervention. God took pity on how wretched and powerless I was before, and gave me another chance!’

With that thought, she stood beside Bowen, seeking peace of mind.

Closing her eyes, palms pressed together, she prayed silently, ‘If God truly can see, then let me settle all the scores and find justice in this life.’ Standing in the middle, Bowen quietly cracked open one eye to steal a glance at Aubree beside him. He knew exactly why he was here: first, to give thanks for her return to his side; second, to pray for their future together.

After completing their prayers, a godfather served as their guide, leading them through the church grounds.

After touring the church grounds and seeing most of what they had to offer, Bowen checked the time and bid farewell to the godfather. “I’d like to take Aubree to see the Rose Garden,” he said.

The godfather smiled serenely, “An excellent choice. The roses are at their peak this season – truly a magnificent sight.”

Walking along the flagstone path, Bowen moved forward, almost brushing against Aubree. “After my father retired, he loved coming here to pray. He donated quite a sum to the church, and the godfather even specially arranged a private courtyard in the back just for him to stay in.

“Now he only visits occasionally, but the courtyard is still kept clean and reserved for him.”

At first, Aubree had no idea why Bowen was telling her all this. Now, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes – so it had all been part of his plan from the very beginning.

The mountain air was chilly, but the roses bloomed vibrantly, each one vivid against the stark, desolate landscape, making their beauty stand out all the more.

“Wow,” Aubree gasped in admiration, quickly pulling out her phone to snap a few carefully angled shots.

Standing behind Aubree, Bowen acted on impulse and raised his phone to snap a photo.

The picture showed only her profile. Without thinking, his finger gently caressed her face on the screen before he set it as his wallpaper.

“It’d be even more beautiful if it snowed,” Aubree murmured, reluctantly putting away her phone.

However, soon delicate snowflakes began drifting down from the sky.

“It’s snowing!” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with delight. She reached out to catch a couple of flakes in her outstretched palms, then turned back to Bowen with a radiant smile.

His breath hitched, his fingers twitching in his pocket with a restrained impulse.

Watching this scene, Bowen instantly regretted putting his phone away a moment too soon.

Snowflakes dusted Aubree’s hair and clothes, her cheeks flushed pink from the cold. With half her face buried in the scarf around her neck, she looked utterly adorable.

Bowen’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he smiled and replied, “Yeah, it’s snowing.”

Bowen narrowed his eyes at the sky – the snow was coming down harder now.

Amidst the white snow and roses, Aubree’s spirits soared – she couldn’t stop smiling. She dashed over and thrust her phone into Bowen’s hand. “Bowen, could you take some photos for me?” she grinned.

Without waiting for a reply, she scampered back beneath the frost and struck a playful pose.

Bowen didn’t offer a single reminder, happily indulging Aubree with his own phone. He took photos to pass the time. Meanwhile, he discreetly snapped a few pictures of his own.

It wasn’t until Aubree, contentedly scrolling through her phone to select photos to post on social media, that Bowen finally looked down at her.

“Bree, looks like we’ll have to stay at the church overnight,” he said.

Aubree’s smile froze instantly.

“The good news is, the courtyard I mentioned is habitable,” Bowen said with a faint, apologetic smile. “The bad news? There’s only one room.”

He gave her an apologetic look. “Seems you’ll have to make do with sharing a room with me tonight, Bree.”

Aubree’s expression completely shattered. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me?’ she thought.