Chapter 58 A Quiet Celebration
Chapter 58 A Quiet Celebration
“Did you eat cake? What about Zacharias? Is he with you?”
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“Yeah, we had a candlelight dinner tonight. We’re on our way home now. He’s driving, so he can’t talk, but he asked me to say hi to you.”
Anneliese hadn’t told her grandma about the divorce.
Zacharias had grown up under her grandma’s care.
If her grandma knew what he had become, she would be even more upset than Anneliese. Her health wasn’t good, and she lived so far away.
Anneliese didn’t want to worry her. She planned to go back to her hometown after the divorce, before leaving Oceaton, to spend time with her grandma and talk things through.
“That’s good. Oh, I sent you some money through WhatsApp. I had to ask my neighbor Lisa’s granddaughter, Emily, to teach me for half a day before I figured it out. You have to accept it, okay?
“Emily said, if you don’t, it’ll bounce back.”
Anneliese’s nose stung. “Grandma, I… got it!”
Her grandma had been tough her whole life. She never wanted the retirement money Anneliese gave her and only agreed to hire a helper after much convincing.
Life was already tight for her, yet she still wanted to send a gift for Anneliese’s birthday.
Worried she wouldn’t accept it, her grandma reminded her again before hanging up.
Anneliese opened the app, accepted the money, and sent a photo from her birthday to her grandma.
When she sat back down at the table, she noticed Jonathan hadn’t started eating yet. She looked at him in surprise.
“Mr. Fullbuster, don’t wait for me. The noodles won’t taste good if they sit too long.”
Jonathan looked at her. “How’s your grandma’s health?”
Anneliese paused for a moment, thinking that the higher a person’s status, the more polite and well–mannered they seemed to be. She nodded and smiled. “She’s doing fine, thanks for
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Chapter 58 A Quiet Celebration
asking.”
Jonathan gave a small nod and lifted his brow slightly. “Your birthday?”
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Anneliese smiled. “You know my situation. Sorry you had to hear me lic just now.” She meant lying to her grandma.
Jonathan didn’t comment. He just stood up. “Wait a minute.”
He picked up a square glass cup nearby and went into the kitchen.
Anneliese wasn’t sure what he was doing. Resting her chin on her hand, she didn’t wait long before he came back.
He set the glass cup in front of her. She saw something inside–rice grains sat at the bottom with a thin layer of oil on top.
Holding a cotton swab, Jonathan snapped the swab in half, dipped the tip in the water, and stuck it in like a wick. From somewhere, he pulled out a metal lighter.
With a flick of his wrist, the lighter clicked, and a small flame appeared at his fingertips.
“Want to light it yourself?” He handed her the lighter.
Outside, the last of the sunset faded. Through the small flame, his face looked hazy, but his long, sharp eyes reflected the fire, and it made her heart beat faster.
She felt almost drawn in.
Taking the lighter, her fingers brushed his for a moment, and the flame wavered.
She held it close to the cotton swab in the glass.
Like a candlewick, it caught fire immediately.
Jonathan took the lighter back from her hand, snapped it shut, and set it on the table. His voice was calm. “Go ahead, make a wish.”
Anneliese looked at him. He curved his lips in a small smile and gestured at the flame.
Sometimes, the atmosphere just made things feel strange.
Right then, Jonathan didn’t feel like someone she had just met. He felt more like someone she had known for years and maybe even someone close to her.
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Her eyes grew warm. Her lashes trembled as she quickly clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.
She shut out all distracting thoughts.
She wished for her grandma to live long and stay healthy; for Meatloaf to always be by her side; for her divorce to go through smoothly, and for a fresh start; for peace in the years ahead; and for the health and safety of the man who had spent her birthday with her.
It felt a little greedy, but she silently counted to three before opening her eyes and blowing out the flame.
Jonathan clapped, and the chandelier above lit up.
His gaze met hers across the table. Her eyes sparkled, and her lips parted as if she was deeply moved but didn’t know what to say.
“Jonathan…”
He raised a brow, and for the first time, thought his name sounded nice.
Then, he heard her say, sincerely, “You’re such a good person.”
The smile faded from his eyes, replaced by his usual cool, distant look. The corner of his lips tugged slightly. “Eat your noodles.”
