Chapter 747

Chapter 747:

Before she could walk away, Cristian’s hand caught hers, pulling her gently toward him. Instantly, Fernanda found herself nestled against his chest, her body yielding to his embrace.

Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, his voice barely a whisper. “Goodnight.”

Fernanda’s lashes fluttered slightly, like the delicate wings of a butterfly caught in the evening breeze.

The guest room’s bed was spacious, its mattress plush and inviting. Neat bedding lay atop it, crisp and orderly, creating a sanctuary that promised comfort and rest.

Fernanda collapsed onto the bed, her hand pressing against her forehead. The late nights had taken their toll, and her eyes felt heavy with fatigue.

Despite her tiredness, sleep eluded her, and she reached for her phone to scroll through the news.

As expected, Neal’s situation was trending. Though the game had many players, the competition itself hadn’t captured much attention. It paled in comparison to the buzz around entertainment and current affairs. Neal’s story lingered somewhere near the fortieth spot on the trending list, destined to fade soon.

With a tap, Fernanda opened the story. The comments were few, most filled with regret and disbelief. As expected, people expressed their sympathy, stunned that someone like Neal could be tied to such a man.

There were no updates in the group chat. Levi had asked if anyone knew where Neal was, but the only responses were shrugs of uncertainty, followed by silence. No one mentioned Neal’s incident. There were no words of triumph from their victory today. The silence felt intense.

The chatter came from the outside world. For his friends, it was only about hoping Neal was okay, silently guarding him from the noise of everything else.

The night slipped away quickly, and when Fernanda stirred awake, the clock read six in the morning. It seemed she’d only managed a couple of hours of sleep. Despite the lack of rest, fatigue didn’t weigh on her. She sat up, determination in her eyes as she began planning her search for Neal. As she stepped into the hallway, a mouthwatering scent wafted toward her from the kitchen.

Approaching the source, she found Cristian already at the stove, busy with his cooking. He glanced over his shoulder, catching the sound of her footsteps, and greeted her with a warm smile. “Good morning.”

𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤: 𝗀𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⧸𝗰𝗼𝗺

“Morning.” Fernanda sat down at the table and instinctively reached for her phone, opening the news again.

Cristian carefully lifted a pot from the stove, releasing steam from the stew, its rich scent filling the room and making Fernanda’s stomach growl in response.

“It smells amazing,” Fernanda remarked.

“Then you should have some,” Cristian replied, carefully ladling the stew into a bowl and placing it before her. “Be careful; it’s still piping hot.”

He then opened two pizza boxes and joined her at the table.

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