Chapter 754:

The waiter led her to Marc’s table, and she paused for a moment, not intending to.

Through the massive glass windows, the entirety of Choria’s night sparkled. The table was covered in white lace, decorated with bright red roses, and each plate held something she once adored. The view, the food, even the candlelight—it was all so familiar, almost painfully so. A heavy feeling weighed on her chest, deepening with every passing second.

When they had first gotten married, she had excitedly told him she wanted to celebrate their anniversary at this very place. She had painted vivid pictures of the view and the romantic ambiance, almost pleading, but Marc never listened. He brushed her off and never once took her here. After being let down time and again, she eventually stopped thinking about it altogether.

Now, sitting here because he chose this spot, it hit her that Marc had remembered every word she’d said all along. He had always known her likes, her small dreams, but the truth was he simply hadn’t cared enough to make them come true back then.

Now, this carefully arranged dinner felt nothing but ironic to her. Instead of surprise or joy, all she felt was emptiness. If Marc knew what was truly in her heart at this moment, it would destroy him.

While Stella was lost in her thoughts, Marc approached from behind, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit with every strand of his hair neatly in place. Wearing a bright smile, he pulled out a chair for her, as though expecting something grand. “Come, sit. Check if the food’s still to your liking. I ordered all the things you used to love,” he said warmly.

Stella sat down without showing the slightest hint of emotion. She didn’t even glance at the food or the view. Her eyes went straight to Marc, cold and distant. “Marc, don’t you—”

“Think this is a joke? You ignored me back then, so why pretend to care so deeply now?” she asked flatly.

His smile faltered before he smothered the irritation in his eyes. “Stel, I was blind back then, too stupid to see what mattered. I admit I failed you. I—”

“That’s enough. I don’t want to hear another word,” Stella cut him off sharply, taking a slow sip of water to steady herself. “Don’t drag up the past, and stop with these fake shows. It won’t win me over. If anything, it just makes me hate this even more.”

She absentmindedly lifted her fork, poked at the nearest salad, and chewed without noticing any flavor at all. The soft glow of the candles only made her distant expression stand out, clashing against the carefully staged romantic setting.

gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs．c𝗈𝗺, a world of tales

Marc studied her detached look and felt a little annoyed. All his effort and planning had fallen flat, as if she found it more suffocating than endearing. She wasn’t the same woman she used to be. Back when they were married, even the smallest gift could light her up and keep her smiling for days. But now, even though he remembered every tiny detail of what once made her happy, all he got in return were cold words and a distant, unfeeling stare. If she hadn’t been a Carter, Marc would never have bothered putting himself through this humiliating chase.

With that bitter thought buried, he pushed his irritation down and forced a smile, carefully placing some food onto her plate. “Fine, I’ll drop the subject. Here, taste this. It’s soft, you’ll like it.”

Even as he fussed over her plate, his eyes flicked toward the restaurant’s entrance as if expecting something.

Stella just wanted the miserable dinner to be over. She forced down a few more bites, but the heavy atmosphere made her want to run away. Setting her utensils aside, she spoke quietly. “When this dinner’s over, I expect you to keep your word. From here on out…”

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