Chapter 306

As the party drew near, most of the guests had already gathered within the brightly lit hall.

By contrast, the back garden lay in quiet repose, like a hidden sanctuary set apart from the noise.

Only now and then did a passerby wander along the winding stone paths.

The sun had long dipped beyond the horizon, and the last traces of daylight slowly surrendered to dusk.

When night finally fell, the moon began its slow unveiling,scattering mottled light through the swaying branches.

Luis walked in front,tall and composed, his figure etched sharply in the moonlight. His shadow stretched long upon the ground, as though blending into the fabric of the night.

Behind him, Miranda followed with measured steps,her high heels clicking softly against the stone path,the crisp sound distinct in the hush of the evening.

For a time, neither spoke. The night breeze teased Miranda's hair as she kept her eyes on Luis' broad back,her expression at ease, giving no sign that she would be the first to break the silence.

Though he walked ahead, Luis seemed to sense her gaze.

Every so often, he cast a glance over his shoulder,his eyes brushing past her elegant silhouette before he lowered his lashes, his profile set in stern coldness beneath the moon's glow.

After a silence that felt without measure, Luis finally lifted his wrist to check the time.

Three minutes had slipped by.

He looked back again. The woman behind him still strolled at leisure, unhurried and unbothered, making no move to speak.

Luis stopped at last, turned, and fixed his gaze upon her.

"Miss Brown," he said, his voice breaking the standstill -low yet ringing clear. "My sister told me you wished to speak with me about a business matter. Since neither of us has time for idle talk, say what you mean plainly." Miranda lifted her eyes to his, her expression unreadable. His gaze was dark and fathomless, reminding her of still waters, cold and detached.

Her lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. "Mr.Sampson,you sound impatient. But business is only a veil."

Luis' brows knitted slightly, though her words did not catch him entirely off guard.

His face remained calm, the corners of his lips curving with the slightest hint of irony. "Is that so? Then what's your real intention, Miss Brown?"

She stepped closer, narrowing the distance between them.

Her eyes gleamed as she tilted her head, one brow lifting. "It's been years since we last met, Mr. Sampson.Can't we catch up? Or have you conveniently forgotten that night?"

Her slender fingers brushed across his chest, the gesture deliberately playful.

Luis neither flinched nor drew back. His gaze lowered to hers. "Miss Brown, that night was nothing more than mutual consent,no strings attached.I had thought you weren't one to linger on what's past." her breath sweet as spring blossoms. "And yet, Mr.Sampson,can a man truly erase such a night of fire? I,for one, cannot forget your fervent kisses, and that-"

Luis cut across her words, his brows taut. "If tonight is nothing but a rehearsal of old tales, then I fear you will leave disappointed."

Though his tone was steady, a fleeting shadow stirred in his eyes.

Miranda pretended not to hear, tracing idle circles across his chest with her fingertip, her voice playful."Tell me, aren't you the least bit curious if I thought of you these years?"

Drawing a measured breath, Luis caught her wrist,stilling her hand. "Miss Brown, we're both adults. That night was indulgence, nothing more. No force, no promises-and it should bear no weight on the present."

Miranda slipped free from his grasp, placing her hands behind her back as she strolled lazily around him,her eyes boldly sweeping over his figure.

"Why do you have to be so serious? I never said I wished to cling. We both enjoyed ourselves. I simply admired your... performance, Mr. Sampson. No need to look at me as if I were a storm cloud."

Luis' eyes followed her, a dry scoff escaping. "Miss Brown, turning the bedroom into a stage for talk is quite the novelty. If that's all, then I'll take my leave."

He made to step away, but Miranda blocked his path,her head tilted, her eyes alight with teasing. "Mr.Sampson, why so eager to run? Afraid a passerby might overhear-or is it your own heart that falters?"

His Adam's apple shifted, his lips twitching as though words pressed tó escape.

Miranda suddenly caught something, her interest piqued.

She lifted a hand, tracing beneath his eye with her fingertip, her voice soft as silk. "I recall that night being rather reckless. I didn't expect I'd leave a small scar here."

Just below his left eye, a faint mark lay hidden like an ornament-subtle,yet lending a roguish edge to his otherwise composed face.

Miranda's tone carried both jest and memory, her words a riddle of intent. "Let me think... I'd had a drink or two, and the air was heated. Was it my nail that scratched you, or was your strength to blame, and I simply lost myself?"

Her fingers lingered at the scar, gently stroking as though retracing old heat. Bathed in the blurred glow of moonlight, she leaned closer, their bodies nearly touching.

Her warm breath fanned his neck, and Luis stiffened,his gaze wavering.

He stepped back sharply, turning aside to evade her touch. "Miss Brown,watch your behavior."

But she, unfazed, only smiled with sultry delght.Twining his necktie around her finger,she whispered,"Why keep such distance, Mr. Sampson? We were once close enough to breathe the same air. Tonight,we're merely reminiscing. Loosen up."

Luis stood rooted, his eyes dark and unreadable."If you insist on dragging that night back into the light,Miss Brown, then we are finished talking."

Her lips tilted in sly amusement, her gaze brazenly sweeping him. "Very well. If you dislike reminiscing,then grant me one request."

Luis' brow creased, knowing instinctively her words carried noinnocence,yet he waited in silence.

She tilted her head, eyes half-lidded, lips forming each word slowly, deliberately. "Be with me one more time."

For a moment, Luis froze. The muscle beneath his scar twitched.

Then his brows drew tight, and he hissed a single word."Absurd!"

He turned on his heel, his stride swift, as though fleeing a shadow that chased him. Within moments,his tall figure melted into the depths of the night.

Miranda folded her arms, watching him vanish,a smile of hidden meaning tugging at her lips.

He had seemed... unsettled.

And as for her-she was still intoxicated by the memory of his body.

She tilted her head to the moonlit sky, lost in silent thought.

Their story, she felt, was far from its final chapter.