Chapter 20
On the way back, the atmosphere inside the car was somewhat silent.
Braelynn gazed out the window at the scenery rushing past, her feelings complicated.
The toughness she had shown when facing Zachary earlier gradually faded, replaced by a deep sense of exhaustion and melancholy.
After all, he was someone she had once truly loved and lived with. Things ending up like this was never what she wanted.
“Regretting it?” Alexander suddenly spoke, his voice betraying no
emotion.
Braelynn snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head. “No. I just feel… a bit tired.”
Alexander was silent for a moment before saying, “Someone like that isn’t
worth it.”
His way of comforting was still direct, even a bit clumsy, yet it strangely dispelled the inexplicable sadness in Braelynn’s heart.
J
“Mm.” She responded softly, turning to look at his focused profile as he drove. “Thank you… for earlier.”
Alexander didn’t reply, but his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightened slightly.
After this incident, Zachary seemed to have finally quieted down.
Perhaps it was because the overwhelming affairs in America forced him to leave for a while, or maybe he had finally come to terms with reality.
01.00
Chapter 20
Braelynn’s life and work returned to normal, and without his harassment, everything flowed even more smoothly.
Her teamwork with Alexander became increasingly seamless.
The dock warehouse project successfully transformed into a comprehensive center integrating logistics, small–scale processing, and trade. Although still modest in size, the profits were considerable and the cash flow gradually stabilized.
Their relationship also quietly changed in the course of daily interactions.
Alexander still didn’t talk much, but he would silently set down a cup of hot milk when she stayed up late reading documents.
When she accidentally cut her finger, he would frown and fetch a band- aid, his movements a bit rough but careful.
During social gatherings, he would discreetly shield her from all ill- intentioned drinks.
Braelynn, too, would worry when he went out to handle tricky matters, and she always remembered his favorite beef pie from a small shop, bringing one back for him whenever she could.
A subtle, unspoken affection flowed between them, understood by both, yet neither broke the delicate barrier.
That day was Braelynn’s birthday.
She had almost forgotten. When she woke up in the morning, only Henry and Maria had sent her birthday wishes on her phone.
She prepared to head to the project site as usual, but when she opened her apartment door, she saw Alexander leaning against the wall outside, as if he’d been waiting for a while.
“Don’t go to the site today.” He looked at her, his tone natural.
Chapter 20
“What’s wrong? Is something up?” Braelynn asked in confusion.
288 Vouchers
“I’m taking you somewhere.” Alexander said simply, turning and heading downstairs first.
Braelynn didn’t understand, but she still followed him.
Alexander drove her to a secluded cliff by the sea.
The view here was spectacular, with the endless blue ocean and circling seagulls in sight.
On the flat ground at the edge of the cliff, a simple barbecue grill had been set up. Beside it was a small ice bucket, chilling a few cans of beer and some fresh seafood.
“What’s this?” Braelynn looked at Alexander in surprise.
Alexander looked a bit uneasy, turning his gaze away. He took a small box from his jacket pocket and handed it to her, his voice still gruff: “Take it. Birthday.”
Braelynn was stunned, accepting the black velvet box with no logo.
She hadn’t expected him to remember her birthday, let alone celebrate it in this way.
She opened the box, and inside lay a necklace.
The chain was a simple silver one, but the pendant was a smoothly polished obsidian, irregular in shape yet exuding a raw, wild beauty, reflecting deep light in the sun.
The gift wasn’t expensive, even a bit rugged, but it inexplicably matched Alexander’s style and struck a chord in Braelynn’s heart.
“How… did you know today was my birthday?” Her voice was slightly hoarse.
01 00
Chapter 20
258 Vouchers
“It’s on the marriage certificate.” Alexander replied dryly, his ears tinged with red. He picked up a can of beer and handed it to her. “It’s quiet here, no one will bother us.”
The sea breeze played with Braelynn’s hair as she held the obsidian pendant, still warm from his touch, and looked at the man who had prepared all this for her yet still wore a cold, hard expression. Her heart felt full, warm and swelling.
The feeling of being quietly cherished, treasured in his own way, was unlike anything she had ever known.
“Thank you,” she looked up, her eyes sparkling at him. “I really like it.”
Alexander saw the smile on her face, and for a moment his gaze softened before returning to its usual state. He lowered his head to fiddle with the grill, mumbling a quiet “Mm.”
The two of them sat at the edge of the cliff, eating fish and shrimp that were a bit charred but tasted good, drinking cold beer, and watching the sea and sky merge in the distance.
There were no fancy words, no romantic confessions, and most of the time, they were silent.
Yet a silent understanding and warmth quietly flowed between them.
As the sun set, Alexander drove Braelynn back to her apartment.
The car stopped downstairs. Braelynn unfastened her seatbelt but didn’t get out right away.
She turned to look at Alexander, whose features seemed especially deep in the twilight, and said softly, “Today was the most special birthday I’ve ever had.”
Alexander’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as he turned to look at
0101
Chapter 20
her.
ve Wandta
Their eyes met in the dim car, and a long–suppressed emotion seemed to crackle in the air.
Braelynn’s heartbeat involuntarily sped up.
Alexander slowly leaned toward her, carrying a faint scent of tobacco and
sea water.
Braelynn didn’t shy away, even closing her eyes slightly.
However, the expected kiss never came.
Alexander simply reached out and gently tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, his fingertips brushing her earlobe and sending a subtle shiver through her.
His movements were restrained, yet carried a sense of cherishing.
“Go on up.” His voice was lower and huskier than usual. “Get some rest early.”
Braelynn opened her eyes and met his deep, unfathomable gaze, emotions surging within, yet forcibly suppressed by him.
Her face grew warm. She nodded, opened the car door, and got out.
After a few steps, she turned back and saw Alexander’s car still parked there, the window rolled down, and he was watching her.
She waved at him and then ran into the apartment building.
Only after her figure disappeared did Alexander suddenly punch the steering wheel, muttering a curse, as if frustrated by his own restraint, or struggling against the surging impulse inside.
He knew that once some things began, there would be no turning back.
01.00
Chapter 20
112 Mouchers
And he had to make sure he could give her a stable future before taking that step.
01.01
Chapter 21
