*

Gonzalez and Norah walked a short distance before flagging down a park shuttle.

After paying the fare, the driver dropped them off at the base station for the mountain gondola.

Once they were secured in the small glass cabin, Norah finally asked the question burning in her mind. "Uncle Gonzalez, do you have a problem with Adrian?"

Why was he always so relentlessly cold and sarcastic toward him?

Gonzalez's dark, penetrating gaze fixed entirely on her. "Would it bother you if I did?"

Norah nodded honestly. "He's my friend. When you act like you hate him, it makes the vibe really awkward for everyone. If you want, we can just split up for the rest of the trip."

"Split up how?" Gonzalez asked smoothly.

"Adrian and I can be a team, and you and Sara can be a team. We don't have to spend the whole time together."

She had studied the topographical map earlier. There were plenty of different attractions at the summit. If their personalities clashed this badly, there was no reason to force a group dynamic.

The moment the words left her mouth, Gonzalez's expression turned absolutely lethal. The interior of a gondola was already small; filled with his suddenly freezing, suffocating aura, the space felt terrifyingly oppressive.

But Norah wasn't intimidated. She hadn't said anything wrong. What right did he have to be angry?

As the gondola glided smoothly upward, Gonzalez turned his head, staring blankly at the lush, sprawling mountainside. He fought violently to suppress the bitter jealousy and rising fury clawing at his chest. When he finally looked back at Norah, he had managed to force his features into a neutral mask.

"Norah, I have zero interest in Sara. When you constantly try to push us together, it puts me in a highly uncomfortable position, and frankly, it's incredibly unfair to her."

Norah stared at him, stunned. So *that* was why he had been so furious.

It also perfectly explained why he had been so aggressively adamant about being the one to take the gondola with her.

Honestly, he made a completely valid point.

Norah offered a deeply apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry. I totally

overstepped. But are you absolutely sure you don't like her? Since things didn't work out with your

ve

ex-girlfriend, and if there's no chance of you two getting back together, you really should give Sara a shot! She has an amazing personality, her family background is

uncomplicated... If you just spent a little time with her, you'd realize how great she is."

Hearing her enthusiastically try to pawn him off to another woman made Gonzalez sick to his stomach. He desperately wanted to tell her that hewas going to wait for his girlfriend to come back to him, no matter how long it took. But he was terrified that pushing too hard would only make Norah distance herself from him.

Instead, he opted for a half-truth. "She is completely not my type. So please, drop the matchmaking."

Norah finally surrendered. "Alright, I promise I'll back off."

With a truce finally established, a comfortable silence settled over the cabin as they both turned to admire the view.

Hiking and taking the gondola each offered a distinct experience. Climbing the trails allowed you to

immerse yourself in the intricatenet

hidde beauties of the forest, While the gondola offered a breathtaking god-like view of the entire valley-along with the exhilarating thrill of being suspended hundreds of feet in the air.

As the cabin climbed higher and higher, Gonzalez looked over at her. "Scared? Come sit next to me."

Norah flashed a radiant, fearless smile. "I'm not scared at all. I'm braver than I look!"

Gonzalez internally scoffed. *Oh, I know exactly how brave you are. You're the only woman in the world bold enough to steal a kiss from me.*

He offered a faint smile. "Do you want me to take a picture of you?"

Surprised by his sudden shift into a remarkably good mood, Norah handed over her phone. "Make sure I look good!"

Gonzalez lowered his eyes, his voice dropping into a smooth, resonant murmur. "You already look stunning."

Norah's smile grew even more brilliant. "Thanks for the compliment, Uncle Gonzalez!"

Gonzalez's fingers momentarily locked up on the phone. He shot her a complicated look, staying completely silent as he raised the camera to frame her face.

Norah tilted her head slightly, offering a flawless, sunny smile against the majestic backdrop of rolling mountains and the endless steel cable disappearing into the clouds.

Looking at the screen at the beautiful, vibrant girl gazing so intently and solely at him—Gonzalez's heart flooded with an agonizing, tender ache.