Chapter 333
The evening breeze was fragrant, and the white dining tables glowed under the soft orange candlelight at the open-air bar, where laughter and clinking glasses filled the air.
The man weaving through the crowd, Curtis, was strikingly handsome in his crisp white shirt and black trousers, his distinguished features turning heads as he passed.
Ignoring the gazes directed at him, Curtis followed the beeping of his smartwatch, searching intently among the diners. Faces young and smiling flickered under the lights, but none were the one he sought.
Was she playing games with him? Showing up only to hide and make it difficult for him to find her?
In such a compact venue, where could she possibly hide?
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Suddenly, the beeping on his watch ceased, indicating that Leanne was more than five meters away from him.
Curtis felt like a lost traveler standing in the bustling center of the restaurant, scanning the room for her.
He moved past the dining area, around a decorative screen, and by a serene aquarium where the fish fluttered through beams of light against a backdrop of dark rocks and
sand.
A waiter, sporting a bow tie, approached and asked, “Can I help you with something, sir?”
Just then, the watch began to beep again, this time with a more cheerful melody. At the same moment, Curtis spotted her. Leanne was standing by the restroom’s outer wall, dressed in an off-the-shoulder red sweater that highlighted her delicate, pale shoulders and elegantly curved neckline.
The vivid poppy red of her sweater brought a flush of memories to Curtis, reminiscent of the red dress she wore on their wedding day, the first time he saw the allure of her mature femininity.
“I’m okay, I’ve found what I was looking for.”
Curtis walked over to her; she had light makeup on, her features delicate and soft, leaning against the wall like a skilled huntress waiting for her prey.
And he was the fish caught on her line.
Reaching her, Curtis pulled her close, their watches now barely inches apart, beeping in a synchronized, continuous rhythm, mirroring his rapidly beating heart.
“Leanne, are you here for me?”
“Why would I?” Leanne replied, “I just came to use the restroom.”
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09:24
Chapter 333
“Then why are you here?” Curtis questioned, “You said you weren’t coming.”
“I had plans to meet with a colleague here. Is that not allowed?”
Curtis took her hand, his fingertips brushing over the starry wristwatch he had given her as a birthday gift. It finally adorned her wrist on his birthday, a gift more precious than any other.
“That’s fine,” Curtis said, whether she was here for him or not, he was happy that she
came.
“I’m glad to see you.”
Leanne had earlier plans with Donna, who was juggling her duties at a public hospital and two kids at home. A private ophthalmology clinic was trying to recruit her, and she was torn. She wanted Leanne’s advice, so they decided to meet here.
Leanne couldn’t cancel at the last minute, so she changed the venue.
The continuous beeping of the watch seemed like proof of her scheming, chiming in her
ears,
“What exactly did you put in this thing?”
“A proximity sensor chip. It alerts me whenever you’re near.”
Curtis pressed a button on the watch, silencing it.
His smile hinted at amusement: “Though when I designed it, I never imagined you’d use it
on me.”